Minato Namikaze looked at Ryoma and said,
"Ryoma-kun, you choose first."
Ryoma smiled faintly.
"Then I won't hold back. I'll choose Team Seven."
The Will of Fire truly seemed to weave through everything.
This year's Team Seven was the class that would one day change the entire world.
Obito—once considered the weakest—would eventually become Madara's pawn and even rise as one of the greatest threats to Konoha.
Kakashi too would become a key figure in shaping history.
Ryoma suddenly wondered: Would his presence here alter the fate of Team Seven?
If Obito hadn't been crushed at the Kannabi Bridge, would his path still have led him into darkness?
If Ryoma could find a way to control the Three-Tails sealed inside Rin, could he prevent that tragedy altogether?
And what about the suicide of the White Fang of Konoha? Could that be avoided too?
The thought intrigued him.
Minato, however, sighed softly. He had always felt an attachment to Team Seven, and hearing Ryoma claim it first left him with an odd sense of loss, as if something precious had slipped away.
Still, he nodded with his usual calm smile.
"Alright then, let's leave Team Seven to you."
Ryoma tilted his head.
"And what about you?"
Minato chuckled.
"It's fine. I'll pick last. For now, go and meet your students. Oh, and this is for you—the New Shinobi Instructor's Guide. You might want to take a look."
Ryoma accepted the book without much interest and flipped it open. The first page bore the words of the Will of Fire:
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire's shadow illuminates the village, and new leaves sprout once more."
He glanced at the author's name on the cover—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Of course. The same line he repeats every other day. He probably even had it carved into trees and walls around the village until everyone knew it by heart.
Ryoma smirked. Still, it is a clever bit of ideological work.
He skimmed the first section, which emphasized the duties of a teacher: to guide students with skill, patience, and virtue so that they could grow into capable shinobi.
So even assassins have to be moral examples now… that's rich.
The second section detailed training methods—teaching through missions. A "qualified" student was one who could rise from genin to chūnin and eventually jōnin, strong enough to take the battlefield. After all, both Konoha and the Land of Fire needed fresh blood to sustain their strength.
The first step: the classic survival exercise.
Out of thirty graduates, only ten would be accepted as genin. The rest would fail and return to the academy. Teachers were expected to impress this harsh reality on their students—through methods like the infamous bell test, where students had to snatch a bell before noon or go hungry.
Through such trials, the young could taste teamwork, desperation, and determination—while also glimpsing the true strength of veterans who had survived war.
Afterwards would come the steady rise: D-rank missions, C-rank missions… the path of every shinobi before them.
Ryoma couldn't help but frown. This sounds awfully familiar…
He closed the guide and muttered, "Let's just go see them."
Ryoma stopped outside the classroom door. Inside, a soft voice spoke:
"Oh, Obito, why do you think our teacher isn't here yet?"
"That's Rin," Ryoma thought.
"I don't know, Rin," came another voice—Obito's.
A sharper, mocking tone followed:
"Hmph, maybe he's off helping an old lady cross the street again?"
"Kakashi! What's that supposed to mean?!" Obito's indignant shout made the whole class laugh.
Even without looking, Ryoma could imagine the scene—Kakashi smirking coolly, Obito bristling in frustration, and Rin sighing between them.
Team Seven… was about to begin.
Honestly, the excuse of helping an old lady cross the street was pathetic.
Obito had used that line so many times it was insulting—no wonder Kakashi looked down on him.
"Ahem. Hello, I'm your instructor."
Ryoma stepped into the classroom, but the moment his eyes landed on the three children before him, he froze.
Wait… they look way younger than I expected.
The boy and girl sitting neatly in front of him couldn't have been older than eleven or twelve. They looked like they belonged in elementary school—fifth, maybe sixth grade at best.
Nohara Rin was the first to stand, bowing politely.
"Hello, sensei!"
She sneaked a quick glance at him and thought, Our teacher's actually kind of handsome.
Next was Uchiha Obito, black-haired, sporting his usual orange goggles. He gave Ryoma a sidelong look before pouting.
"...Hello, sensei."
Inwardly, Obito muttered, Tch, this guy looks kinda dumb… just like Kakashi.
Finally, Hatake Kakashi, face half-covered by his mask, lifted his gaze and offered a short, measured greeting.
"Hello, sensei."
Ryoma nodded in return, regaining his composure.
"Good. Then let's start with introductions."
But before he could continue, the three chorused in unison:
"Sensei, you first!"
...
TN:
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