Just as Mitsuki had sunk into deep thought, a clear and authoritative voice echoed from the main seat.
"So, you're unwilling?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Mitsuki's delayed response.
"Of course not. I'd be honored. But what about my original squad, and Captain Minato's team? What'll happen to them?" Mitsuki replied quickly. He knew Tsunade's temperament well — any hesitation could earn him a solid flick to the forehead, just like she gave to Naruto. And he wasn't eager to test the strength of her finger.
Tsunade replied,
"Your original squads won't be disbanded. The team with Minato is only temporary."
"I understand, Lady Tsunade" Mitsuki knew there was no way to refuse, so he agreed without resistance.
"Temporary" huh? That meant if the new strike team performed well, it could become permanent.
"And Minato, what about your side?" Tsunade, despite her tough personality, still asked the opinion of her former teammate's student.
"I've got no problem with it, Lady Tsunade. But... please let me name the team" said Minato, his face full of anticipation.
Tsunade had no interest in such trivial matters. For her, what mattered was that the squad got formed and operated effectively. Her gaze happened to fall on Minato, who looked extremely pleased with himself—clearly confident and excited about the name he had in mind.
Curious, Tsunade simply said, "Go ahead."
Minato beamed. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade! Then the name of our team will be... The Legendary Cyclone Storm Ultra-Roaring Squad Zero of the Blades of Gale, Flash, and Spiral!"
...?
A row of giant question marks practically popped up over Tsunade and everyone else's heads.
"Hahahaha! I knew it, Minato, hahaha!" Jiraiya couldn't help but burst out laughing. He was well aware of his student's questionable naming sense, but hearing it out loud still cracked him up.
Minato scratched his head in embarrassment.
"'Gale' refers to my Wind Release techniques, 'Flash' to Captain Minato's Flying Thunder God, and the 'Spiral' is the Rasengan that connects the two of us. Splendid,! It fits perfectly! Captain Minato, you really are a genius," Mitsuki said, surprisingly impressed after thinking it over. He'd expected something completely nonsensical, but on second thought, it did capture their essence well.
"But Captain Minato, I do have a suggestion," Mitsuki raised his hand.
Minato was taken aback. He hadn't expected anyone to understand the deeper meaning behind the name. Not even his knowledgeable and experienced sensei, Jiraiya, had picked up on it. Hearing Mitsuki's insight made him genuinely excited.
"Don't hold back, Mitsuki! Please go ahead!" he said eagerly, afraid of missing a single word.
Mitsuki smiled. "I think the most crucial element of this team is your Flying Thunder God, Captain Minato. That's the foundation of our tactical approach. So the word Flash should come first. How about: The Legendary Cyclone Storm Ultra-Roaring Squad Zero of Flash, Spiral, and Gale Blade!"
Minato quickly waved his hands. "No, no, your Rasenshuriken is the true key! Gale has to come before Flash!"
"No, Captain Minato, really—"
Watching the two of them argue passionately over the structure of a completely ridiculous team name, as if no one else existed, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shikaku, and Inoichi all shared the same feeling:
There may have been more of them in the room, but somehow they were the outsiders here.
In the end, Mitsuki gave in.
"Alright, fine. We'll go with your version, Captain Minato" he said, looking a little regretful.
And thus, the strike team was officially named:
The Legendary Cyclone Storm Ultra-Roaring Squad Zero of the Blades of Gale, Flash, and Spiral!
Congratulations. Truly, congratulations.
"Wait... what's the difference between that and the other version?!"
The question echoed silently in everyone's hearts.
Back at the tent assigned to Team Inoichi, Mitsuki quickly explained that he would be temporarily leaving the team.
"A strike squad?! That's incredible" Heiji actually looked surprised for once.
He knew very well what it meant to be placed into a team like that — especially one led by the now-famous Yellow Flash.
It meant Mitsuki had already broken through the ceiling typically placed on civilian-born shinobi. As long as he didn't die prematurely, he was destined to enter the true power structure of Konoha.
"Congratulations, Mitsuki" Heiji said sincerely, his eyes flashing with a hint of envy.
As a branch member of the Hyuga clan, his life had always been set on a single straight path with no forks—his future decided the moment he was born.
While being from a powerful clan like the Hyuga did mean better survival rates on the battlefield, especially for branch members, some civilian shinobi even envied them.
But freedom and life — who envies whom? That's not a question with a simple answer.
"Thanks, Heiji. But Captain Minato's team is only temporary. If things don't go well, it'll be disbanded" Mitsuki replied.
That's the power of the Flying Thunder God. Most squads face real danger on missions — casualties, even total wipeouts. But a team with Minato? Even if they failed the mission to sabotage Suna's base, their survival was practically guaranteed.
Space-Time Ninjutsu — even the Ōtsutsuki would endorse it.
"With your talent, Mitsuki, I'm sure you'll be fine" Heiji said with absolute confidence.
Ruri crossed her arms, a proud look on her face.
"Stop acting so humble, you idiot. You're strong. Even among the Uchiha, there aren't many with talent that can compare to yours."
"Thanks, Ruri" Despite her tone, Mitsuki had known her for years and was familiar with her personality.
Classic tsundere honor student energy. Too bad that trend had gone out of style.
Ruri bit her thumb and muttered,
"I seriously don't know how you train. Even with my fully awakened Three Tomoe Sharingan, I still can't beat your instincts."
Having been suppressed by Mitsuki since they were children, defeating him had clearly become an obsession for her.