Tatsuma and Minato never imagined that a simple, uncontrollable gust of wind would be the reason they muddied their way through the assessment. Or perhaps... it wasn't the wind at all, but rather Orochimaru looking for any excuse to let them pass.
With the talent they had displayed, they might still have a few shortcomings to address before reaching the level of a Chunin, but as far as graduation was concerned, they were more than qualified. Orochimaru, it seemed, had simply wanted to push them to their absolute limits.
The following day, after receiving their Konoha forehead protectors, Goppu Sarutobi led them to a local photo studio. Following a series of click-clacks from the camera for their headshots, he took them to purchase new ninja tools.
To be honest, after several days of stress and the intense "battle" with Orochimaru, Tatsuma had completely forgotten about Goppu's promise of new gear. If his teacher hadn't brought it up, it likely never would have crossed his mind.
Another day passed. One morning, just as Tatsuma returned from his early training and finished breakfast, he was pondering what his training regimen for the afternoon should be when a masked Anbu operative suddenly appeared in his apartment.
"Sakamoto Tatsuma!"
The Anbu ninja spoke in a low, muffled tone, masking his natural voice. Tatsuma didn't see any familiar traits that would give away the man's identity, so he stopped guessing and gave a sharp nod. "Present."
"This is your Ninja Registration Card. Please report to the Hokage Building as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Tatsuma took the card from the operative. Staring at the photo on the registration, he felt a sudden pang of regret. Why hadn't he used his chakra to control his hair and make it look decent before the photo was taken?
It was a mess—it looked like a clump of moldy, dried-out seaweed. His eyes didn't even seem to be in focus, and he wasn't wearing his signature smile. This photo was an absolute disaster!
He was lost in his frustration for only a second, but when he snapped back to reality, the Anbu operative had already vanished. There wasn't a single trace left in the room to suggest anyone had even been there.
With that kind of skill, saying he's ten times better than Jiraiya wouldn't even be an exaggeration, Tatsuma thought.
Tatsuma didn't rush to the Hokage's office immediately. Instead, he took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and used a hair dryer on the cool setting to meticulously dry his hair, doing his best to comb it into something manageable.
Only then did he tie on his forehead protector, grab his registration card, and head toward the Hokage Building. When he arrived at the entrance, he found Minato shivering in the lingering spring breeze.
"How long have you been here?" Tatsuma asked.
Minato sniffled. "Only an hour."
"You went through a workout, worked up a sweat, and then came out here to stand in the cold wind? Are you trying to get sick?"
Seeing that Minato hadn't even changed his clothes, Tatsuma knew the "honest fool" had probably bolted straight home, received the order, tied on his headband, and sprinted here.
Tatsuma wasn't nearly as reckless. He knew that at this time every morning, the Jonin Class held their daily meeting. Sometimes, you could even see Hiruzen Sarutobi addressing the Jonin right outside the building. At this hour, the ninjas inside hadn't even started their day's work yet, and many weren't even at their desks. Who would have time to escort them to see the Hokage?
Minato sniffled again. "The Anbu told me to be quick. I didn't think too much about it."
Tatsuma shook his head. "Go home later and boil some ginger tea with brown sugar. Remember to sleep under an extra blanket tonight. It would be a tragedy if you were taken down by a common cold on your first day as a ninja."
"I will," Minato nodded. Feeling Tatsuma's concern, the cold didn't seem quite so biting anymore.
Tatsuma glanced at the Hokage Building and saw that no one had come out yet. He adjusted his own headband and asked, "Minato, now that we're ninja, we can choose the style of our forehead protector. Are you planning to change yours?"
"I think the standard way is fine. Do you want to change yours?" Minato asked, curious. Wearing it on the forehead was the most traditional method. While other styles were permitted as long as the village symbol was visible, Minato felt the classic look was best.
Tatsuma nodded, gesturing toward his own hair. "My hair is too voluminous. If I wear the headband on my forehead, the strap flattens it out in the middle, making it look like someone shaved a stripe through my head as a prank."
Minato watched as Tatsuma turned in a circle to demonstrate. He nodded slowly. "That makes sense. So where do you plan to wear it? Around your neck? I see quite a few ninjas wearing it like that—it can protect the throat."
"No way. That's like wearing a permanent turtleneck. I hate high collars more than anything," Tatsuma refused flatly. Wearing it on the neck sounded incredibly irritating. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm thinking about the upper arm or maybe using it as a belt. That way it won't affect my mobility."
"The arm is a good choice, but it might constrict the muscle and make it hard to exert power. You'd probably need to use an elastic bandage to secure it. As for the waist... wouldn't that be a bit awkward?" Minato offered his critique.
Tatsuma considered this and nodded. Wearing it on the waist was indeed problematic, especially when encountering ninjas from other villages. While ninja wore vests with their village symbols, they didn't wear them every day. The forehead protector was the most reliable way to identify someone.
If he wore it as a belt, and an enemy ninja wanted to verify his identity, they'd have to stare directly at his crotch or waist. If it was a female ninja, that was one thing, but if it was a man...
Tatsuma shivered. Only someone with the infinite hot-bloodedness of Might Guy or Rock Lee could tolerate that kind of gaze. He'd pass.
"Arm it is, then. I'll buy some elastic bandages when I get back."
Just as the two were discussing "high-quality ninja fashion," a Jonin walked up to them with a friendly smile. "Sakamoto Tatsuma? Namikaze Minato?"
"Present," they answered in unison.
Since they didn't know who this Jonin was, they simply bowed and gave a polite confirmation without using a specific honorific. The Jonin didn't mind. "Follow me. Lord Hokage is waiting."
They followed him into the building and up to the Hokage's office. The Jonin knocked, and upon hearing a muffled "Come in," he opened the door and gestured for them to enter before closing it behind them.
"Tatsuma. Minato."
"Lord Hokage!" they greeted.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand dismissively. "At ease. There's no need to be so formal."
Once they straightened up, Hiruzen continued. "I'm sure you both know why I've summoned you today, so I won't waste words. Your Jonin instructor is tentatively set as Jiraiya. You should be quite familiar with him. However, this is only a temporary arrangement. Since there are only two of you, the squad's composition may change in the future. Understood?"
Relieved that it was indeed Jiraiya taking the lead, Tatsuma nodded alongside Minato. "Understood!"
Hiruzen nodded, then glanced toward a corner of the room. "Jiraiya, are you satisfied with your two subordinates?"
The boys followed Hiruzen's gaze and realized that Jiraiya had been standing there the whole time, a wide grin on his face. He gave a sharp nod.
"If it were up to me," Jiraiya said, "I'd even consider taking them both as my official disciples."
Hearing this, Minato's face lit up with a brilliant smile. Tatsuma, however, immediately caught the subtle implication hidden in Jiraiya's words.
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