At the classroom, the students were being called away one by one by their assigned squad leaders.
"Kakashi, Rin, and Obito. I'm your new instructor. Please follow me."
A blond man with a sunny smile entered the room. His presence transformed the classroom without effort—a natural charisma that couldn't be taught or learned.
This man was none other than the future Fourth Hokage. His charm was undeniable—incredibly strong yet unassuming, humble without appearing weak or submissive.
No wonder Orochimaru lost to him in the succession race. Compared to Minato, his cold demeanor was a disadvantage.
The Hokage not only had to be powerful but also exude warmth and approachability, setting them apart from the leaders of other ninja villages.
"What? Kakashi, tell me I'm not dreaming! Our teacher is actually the Yellow Flash himself!" Obito pinched his face hard, realizing it wasn't a dream.
He might as well have stars in his eyes.
"Ow! Definitely not dreaming!"
"Stop shouting and move," Kakashi said in his usual aloof tone, not wanting to make a bad impression on Minato.
After saying brief goodbyes, Rin and the others followed Minato out of the classroom.
I watched them leave, wondering what kind of instructor I would be assigned.
With the first and second-ranked students in our squad, our instructor was bound to be at least a jonin, right?
"Ryouma, Shiori, come with me," a man with long hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a ninja vest entered the classroom, calling out to us.
"That's us. Duty calls," I said, rising from my seat.
"Good luck," Kurenai offered quietly.
"Try not to die before I get assigned!" Anko added dramatically.
I waved goodbye to them before leaving with the man. "I'll do my best to disappoint you, Anko."
Our new instructor stopped at a forest clearing and turned to face us.
"My name is Yamanaka Inoichi. I'm your squad leader and the captain of Team Inoichi." He paused before gesturing toward another boy who had been waiting there. "Heiji, introduce yourself to your new teammates."
The boy, around twelve years old, had straight black hair and white eyes, marking him as a member of the Hyūga clan.
"Hyūga Heiji," he said flatly. It was unclear whether his demeanor was due to a lack of expression, like Kakashi, or something else entirely.
"My name is Aotsuki Ryouma. I look forward to working with you." I considered myself polite, particularly in a world where overly enthusiastic people often proved dangerous.
"I'm Uchiha Shiori. I just hope this team won't be assigned any boring missions," Shiori said, her tone icy as she regarded Heiji with equal indifference.
"Haha, don't mind Heiji. He's just not very expressive," Inoichi interjected. "Also, he's two years older than you, so think of him as more like a peer, alright?"
"Let's get to know each other better. What are your strengths and goals? For example, I specialize in sensory ninjutsu and barrier techniques, and my current goal is to help the village win this war and achieve peace as soon as possible. Heiji, why don't you go next?"
"As you can see, I'm from the Hyūga clan. I specialize in taijutsu and sensory techniques. My goal, for now, is simply to survive this war."
Heiji's introduction wasn't surprising to me. Everyone in the ninja world knew the Hyūga clan's strengths, just as they knew about the Uchiha clan's prowess in genjutsu and fire release.
"I excel in genjutsu and Fire Release. My immediate goal is to improve my abilities. Beyond that, I don't have any other thoughts." Shiori raised her head slightly, exuding pride.
This woman... Ever since hearing about the battlefield assignments after graduation, she seemed excited.
I couldn't understand her mindset. Was she truly looking forward to the war? Even the most militant Uchiha member wouldn't relish such conflict.
If that were the case, she was born in the wrong era. If she had been around during Madara's defection from the village, she surely wouldn't have let him leave alone.
"I specialize in Lightning and Earth Release, as well as sensory techniques. My goal is also to survive this war," I said, though I kept one thought to myself: I intended to settle a score with Kiri someday.
"Oh? You carry a short sword. I thought you might specialize in swordsmanship," Inoichi remarked, pointing at the weapon on my back.
"This?" I unsheathed it as I spoke, revealing a sleek, slightly curved short sword with subtle blue-tinted metal. "It's called Lostvayne. It was a coming-of-age gift from my father and his teammate."
When I mentioned "teammate," I glanced briefly at Shiori.
She gave me a curious look. Like why was I looking at her while introducing my sword?
Her momentary confusion confirmed my suspicion—there wasn't much communication between her and Homura.
I had no intention of interfering in someone else's family issues. Right now, my focus was entirely on the ongoing war.
"That's a beautiful blade," Inoichi said. "Should serve you well."
After learning about the team assignments, I suspected Inoichi had probably gathered information about Shiori and me. Naturally, he would know that my parents had died in the war.
He seemed eager not to let the conversation continue on this sensitive topic.
Meanwhile, I noticed Heiji looked like he wanted to say something, perhaps to compliment Lostvayne.
However, Inoichi interrupted, swiftly changing the subject. "Since everyone seems to be getting along, why don't we all go grab some ramen? My treat!"
"Sure!" I responded enthusiastically. "Nothing builds team bonds like food."
"Sounds good," Heiji said with a slight nod.
"I'll pass. Since there's nothing pressing, I'd rather go back and train," Shiori said, unwilling to waste time on what she saw as trivial matters.
"Ah, this is a bit tricky," Inoichi said, looking slightly troubled.
"Shiori, you should join us," I chimed in. "If team members aren't familiar with one another, it'll affect our coordination and efficiency during missions."
Appeal to her practicality, not her emotions, I thought strategically. Having been classmates with her for some time, I knew exactly how to persuade her.
Shiori considered the possibility of missions being delayed due to poor teamwork.
She glanced at me, then quickly turned her gaze away. "… Fine. If it could impact mission efficiency, I suppose there's no choice. Let's go."
As we walked to the ramen shop, I noticed Inoichi subtly giving me a thumbs-up from behind.
The warmth of tiny shop enveloped us as we entered—steam rising from boiling pots, the rich aroma of broth filling the small place. We arranged ourselves unconsciously at the counter—Inoichi and Heiji on one side, Shiori and I on the other.
"Four specials, please. My new team needs proper Konoha fuel before their first mission."
"By the way, Captain Inoichi."
"Hmm? What is it, Ryouma?"
"I heard that most newly formed squads usually go through some sort of test from their captain."
"Oh, that? There's no need for that in your case. You and Shiori are this year's top two graduates. If even you two weren't qualified, the entire graduating class would have to go back to the Academy, haha."
A practical decision during wartime. No resources to waste on traditional rituals when skilled genin are needed immediately.
"What about field operations protocols?" Shiori suddenly asked. "Will we have time to review them before deployment?"
"Already thinking ahead, huh?" Inoichi looked impressed. "Yes, we'll cover protocols during travel. You've studied them already?"
"Of course," Shiori replied matter-of-factly. "Preparation eliminates preventable errors."
Perhaps there was more to her than just battle-hunger after all.
After finishing our ramen, Inoichi addressed us, his tone becoming more serious.
"Listen up, Team Inoichi. When you go home, pack your gear. Tomorrow at 7 AM, meet at the village gates."
"We have an escort mission to deliver supplies to the Suna frontline in the Land of Rivers. Three-day journey there, two days on site, three days back if all goes smoothly."
"Expected resistance?" Heiji asked calmly.
"Intelligence suggests moderate. Mostly bandits opportunistically targeting supply lines," Inoichi replied.
"Pack for eight days, prepare for twelve. Standard field rations, soldier pills for emergencies only."
"I'll give you the detailed mission intel on the way. Any questions?"
"No," we all replied.
"Great. Team Inoichi, dismissed!"
"Dismissed already?" I muttered to myself as I wandered through the streets of Konoha.
The village continued its normal rhythms around me—vendors closing shops, children playing their last games before sunset, off-duty ninja gathering at tea houses.
All of it feeling suddenly distant, like I was observing it through glass.
I wondered what was happening with Rin's team. Knowing Minato's personality, I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing the bell test.
Should I use the Rikugan to check on them? This would show me exactly how they were faring.
"No, that'd make me look like a creep," I decided, shaking off the thought.
"Well then, time to practice some ninjutsu," I said to myself. Feeling there was nothing to pack at home, I headed to the secret training ground to continue working on my techniques.