"Obito, you're finally here."
Rin's voice rang out as she stepped from the shade of the tree to greet the hurried figure rushing toward them. Obito was panting, his hands braced on his knees as he caught his breath, sweat glistening on his forehead. Despite his exhaustion, his eyes were bright with curiosity and excitement.
"Sorry," he said between deep breaths, straightening up and scanning the area. "Where's our jonin sensei?"
His gaze swept over the training ground, landing first on Kakashi, who stood with his arms crossed and an impassive expression. Obito frowned, clearly expecting more than Kakashi's usual indifference. Before he could voice his frustration, a warm, familiar voice interrupted.
"Obito, congratulations on your successful graduation."
Obito froze, whipping his head around to locate the source of the voice. Standing not far away, his trademark golden hair catching the sunlight, was Minato Namikaze, his smile as calm and reassuring as ever.
"Minato-senpai?" Obito blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" His tone was laced with confusion, as though he couldn't fathom why someone of Minato's stature would be at a place like this.
Before Minato could reply, Rin beamed and stepped forward. "Minato-sensei is our instructor!"
"What?!" Obito's exclamation echoed across the training ground. He looked from Rin to Minato and back again, as though trying to process what he had just heard. "Is that true?"
Minato chuckled, stepping closer and reaching out to ruffle Obito's hair. "That's right. From today onward, I'll be your sensei."
Obito's shock quickly transformed into a wide grin. His face lit up with excitement, and he nodded enthusiastically. "That's amazing! With you as our sensei, we're definitely going to be the best team in Konoha!"
"Well, that depends," Minato replied, his smile taking on a teasing edge. "Let's see how well you perform first."
With that, he reached into his pouch and withdrew a three-pronged kunai. With a swift, fluid motion, he bent down and carved a circle, about a meter in diameter, into the grass. Once he was done, he stepped into the circle, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.
"Now," Minato began, his tone turning serious, "we're going to start with a simple test."
The three genin exchanged puzzled glances as Minato continued. "Your task is to pull me out of this circle before dusk. If you fail, all three of you will return to the Academy for additional training."
Rin gasped softly, her expression shifting from excitement to worry. "But—"
"No excuses," Minato interrupted gently, though his voice carried a firmness that left no room for argument. "You can use any method you like. The goal is to work together and succeed."
Obito, as usual, was the first to recover his confidence. He clenched his fists, his trademark enthusiasm returning in full force. "Alright, Sensei! If that's the challenge, then don't blame me for giving it my all!"
Before anyone could stop him, Obito charged straight at Minato, his movements wild and uncoordinated but filled with determination.
"Fool," Kakashi muttered under his breath, barely sparing a glance as Obito rushed headlong toward their instructor.
Just as Obito reached the edge of the circle, his vision blurred. In a blink, Minato's hand shot out, catching Obito's wrist with almost casual ease. He twisted it gently but firmly, stopping Obito's momentum entirely.
"Charging in without a plan leaves you vulnerable," Minato said with a calm smile. He released Obito's wrist, but the boy immediately leapt back and launched a punch at him.
"Bang!"
Before Obito's fist could connect, Minato's index finger tapped his forehead lightly. The force sent Obito flying backward, his feet skidding across the dirt and leaving deep grooves in the ground.
"Are the two of you just going to stand there?" Minato's sharp gaze shifted toward Rin and Kakashi.
Rin flinched, her grip tightening on the kunai in her hand. She glanced nervously at Kakashi, who had narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Without a word, Kakashi reached into his pouch, pulled out several shuriken, and launched them at Minato with practiced precision.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The shuriken flew in an arc, aimed to box Minato in. Kakashi didn't stop there. In the same instant, his figure blurred, vanishing from sight before reappearing behind Minato in a seamless burst of speed.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The words were spoken with calm authority as Kakashi unleashed a powerful gust of wind, aimed to knock Minato off his feet. The timing was impeccable—Kakashi's attack was coordinated to leave Minato with no time to react.
Minato, however, didn't so much as flinch. His eyes gleamed with approval. "Good coordination," he murmured. With a flick of his wrist, he sent several kunai hurtling through the air. The shuriken Kakashi had thrown clattered harmlessly to the ground, deflected mid-flight.
"Now's my chance!" Kakashi thought, his determination blazing. As Minato turned to deal with the shuriken, Kakashi lunged forward, aiming to grab him and force him out of the circle.
But Minato was a step ahead. With a flick of his kunai, he slashed through the oncoming gust of wind. The attack split cleanly in two, dissipating into harmless air. Kakashi's eyes widened in disbelief as the remnants of the wind brushed past him.
"Impossible…" Kakashi muttered, his legs giving out as he fell to the ground. "He cut through ninjutsu like it was nothing…"
Rin watched in stunned silence, her kunai trembling in her hand. She had seen Kakashi's intricate plan unfold with incredible precision, only to be dismantled with almost laughable ease.
Meanwhile, Obito had picked himself up from the ground, his expression grim but determined. "There's no way… Minato-sensei is on a completely different level." He clenched his fists, refusing to give up. "I can't just stand here and do nothing!"
With a shout, Obito charged again, this time with even more determination. Seeing this, Kakashi gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. He couldn't let Obito outshine him—not after everything they had been through.
The two boys attacked in unison, coming at Minato from opposite sides. Their teamwork, though unpolished, carried an undeniable sense of unity. Minato, however, remained calm and composed.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
In a blur of motion, Minato countered their strikes effortlessly. His movements were so precise that their attacks seemed almost choreographed, dismantled before they could even begin.
With a quick motion, Minato grabbed Obito and threw him toward Kakashi. The two collided and tumbled across the ground in a heap.
Panting and battered, they struggled to rise again. Minato's piercing gaze swept over them, his voice even but firm. "If you keep fighting as individuals, you'll never succeed. No matter how strong you are alone, you can't win without teamwork."
He slightly side-glanced and also looked at Rin who had not moved at the side. This is what Minato wanted to tell them, something he had always emphasized in the past but never implemented to Kakashi and others. That's teamwork.
==============================================
Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this FANFIC or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
==============================================