The classroom buzzed with chatter.
Freshly minted Genin, forehead protectors still gleaming, were abuzz with excitement over the upcoming team assignments.
To most, this wasn't just grouping—it was the beginning of years-long bonds. The strength of their Jōnin instructor or whether they landed a teammate with a kekkei genkai… in wartime, such things meant life or death.
Nishikawa Tetsu sat by the window, idly spinning a pen between his fingers. His gaze lingered on the rain beyond the glass, but his ears filtered through the noise behind him.
"I heard some of the squad leaders this year are elite Chūnin straight from the front lines."
"If only we got Lord Sakumo or Lord Jiraiya..."
"Keep dreaming. They're both still fighting in the Land of Rain."
Tetsu's eyes flickered.
In his past life's memory, Namikaze Minato was Jiraiya's student. But at this point in time, the Second Great Ninja War was at its peak. Would a front-line commander like Jiraiya really come back to train a handful of rookies?
"Silence!"
Daikoku entered the room, clutching a clipboard. His face was grim, and the classroom fell silent at once.
"Due to the pressure on the front, there will be no adjustment period after team assignment. You'll be deployed directly to border operations—logistics or reconnaissance."
The color drained from many faces.
No drills. No transition missions. Their first step out the gate would be onto the battlefield.
Daikoku began calling names.
"Team One..."
"Team Two..."
Cheers and groans erupted as names were read.
Eventually, he got to Nishikawa Tetsu.
"Team Five." Daikoku paused. His eyes flicked from the quiet boy in the corner to the golden-haired youth in the front row, his expression turning… complicated.
"Nishikawa Tetsu. Namikaze Minato."
Gasps filled the room.
One was forgettable in every field but theory, and his chakra reserves were the lowest in the class. The other had shattered every record—a once-in-a-generation genius from a civilian background.
To pair them together was like mixing fire and ash.
Minato turned and flashed Tetsu a dazzling smile, looking genuinely pleased. Tetsu, though inwardly groaning at the thought of being saddled with the future Fourth Hokage, nodded back politely.
"And..." Daikoku's throat bobbed as he glanced at the note on the roster. "Your supervising Jōnin will be—Lord Jiraiya."
"BOOM!"
The class exploded.
"Lord Jiraiya?! The Hokage's student?!"
"Unbelievable! How lucky can they get?!"
"Why the hell is Nishikawa Tetsu in that kind of elite team?!"
Jealous, envious, stunned—every gaze turned toward Tetsu like a volley of arrows.
But Daikoku's next sentence poured a bucket of cold water over the chaos.
"However, Lord Jiraiya is currently stationed at the front in the Land of Rain and cannot return. The village has assigned a temporary leader to escort you safely to the main camp."
Temporary leader?
As everyone processed that, the classroom's sliding door slammed open.
A wave of cold, damp air swept inside, tinged with the faint scent of blood.
In the doorway stood a boy around fifteen or sixteen.
He wore a high-collared navy shirt beneath a green flak jacket riddled with pockets and patchwork repairs. His dark hair was disheveled and rain-slicked, clinging to his forehead. But his eyes—
Scarlet.
Three black tomoe rotated slowly in his blood-red pupils, emanating a suffocating pressure.
Uchiha Fugaku.
He wasn't clan head yet, but he carried the pride of an Uchiha heir and the killing aura of a seasoned warrior. To the fresh Genin in the room, he was terrifying.
Silence fell.
Fugaku swept his gaze across the room, ignoring the trembling children. His eyes locked on Minato and Tetsu.
"Team Five. Outside."
His voice was cold. Impatient.
Academy Rooftop.
Rain still fell, tapping rhythmically against the railing.
Fugaku stood with arms crossed, leaning on the guardrail. His Sharingan had faded, eyes now black again, but his furrowed brow betrayed his foul mood.
"Skip the introductions. Waste of time."
His voice was sharp as steel, eyes slicing across both boys. "I'm Uchiha Fugaku. Newly promoted Tokubetsu Jōnin. I'll be leading this trip."
He looked first at Minato, his tone softening—slightly.
"Namikaze Minato. I know you. Civilian genius. Just don't use your Body Flicker to run away when it counts."
Minato wasn't fazed. He straightened and scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "I'll do my best not to slow you down, senpai."
"Hmph."
Then Fugaku turned to Tetsu.
That look—like sizing up deadweight.
"Nishikawa Tetsu. Chakra below average. Taijutsu mediocre. Aside from perfect theory grades and a fancy shuriken trick, you're useless." He didn't sugarcoat a thing. "Honestly, I don't know what the village was thinking. Having you with us drags down the team's survival odds."
Most kids would've crumbled under that kind of humiliation.
Tetsu merely met his gaze, unflinching. "Fugaku-senpai."
"Not everyone on the battlefield needs to charge headfirst. I may have low chakra, but I'm trained in intel gathering, trap setting, and… some field medical support. I believe that can offset our team's weaknesses."
"Medical?" Fugaku raised a brow, unconvinced. "Fresh Genin know medical ninjutsu?"
"I know basic first aid," Tetsu replied calmly, offering no further explanation.
Back then, Konoha hadn't yet standardized having a medical-nin on every squad. Anyone with field treatment knowledge was a valuable asset.
Fugaku studied Tetsu for a moment, searching for fear… but found none.
Those black eyes were far too calm for a newly graduated Genin.
"You'd better be right."
He pulled an orange toad from his vest and tossed it to Minato.
"That's Lord Jiraiya's message frog. Your orders are simple: head for the Land of Rain, cross the Fire Country border, and rendezvous with the main force."
As he spoke, a shift came over him—an aura that only killers possessed.
He stepped forward, towering over them both.
"Iwagakure and Sunagakure ambush teams are active near the border. On the battlefield, don't expect me to babysit you. If you can't keep up—"
Fugaku's voice dropped to a chill.
"I will leave you behind. The Uchiha don't carry dead weight."
Minato's smile faded. He nodded seriously.
Tetsu glanced into his tool pouch, fingers brushing the customized smoke bombs.
Don't worry. When the time comes… it won't be clear who's leaving who behind.
"Move out!"
Fugaku vanished into the rain with a flicker.
Minato followed, his golden hair streaking behind him like a trail of light.
Tetsu inhaled the damp air, gathered chakra to his soles, and though his speed couldn't match theirs, his footing was steady as he surged after them.