Chapter 157 – Witness and Departure
Minato led the group toward Training Ground Seven.
Along the way, Obito chatted nonstop, practically bubbling with excitement.
Being placed on the same team as Rin after graduation was clearly the happiest thing in the world for him.
He still hadn't calmed down from the thrill.
Pulling first Kakashi and then Taichi into conversation, he kept rambling enthusiastically about everything that came to mind.
By the time they arrived at Training Ground Seven, the excitement still hadn't faded.
According to tradition, this was where new teams held their first meeting, starting with each member introducing themselves.
Only then did Obito suddenly seem to realize something.
"Wait a second."
He turned toward Taichi with a confused expression.
"Taichi, this is our team's first meeting. Why are you still here?"
His tone carried obvious dissatisfaction.
Then he turned toward the other side.
"And you too, Kakashi! Don't you guys have anything better to do? Shouldn't you be out doing missions?"
Now that his team consisted of just himself and Rin, Obito was eager to chase away both Taichi and Kakashi.
After all, in his eyes, these two were potential rivals.
Taichi struggled to hold back his laughter.
He glanced at Kakashi beside him, whose face was already full of helpless annoyance.
"Well," Taichi said casually, "today I really am just here to watch."
"Besides, we're old friends, aren't we? You guys graduating is a pretty big moment. I think I'm allowed to come witness it."
As he spoke, Taichi deliberately looked past Obito—
Straight at Rin.
"Of course," Rin replied with a gentle smile.
"I'm really happy you came to see us, Taichi."
Unlike Obito, Rin was much more composed.
Not only were they friends, but Taichi had personally taught her much of her medical ninjutsu.
Taichi looked back at Obito with a strange grin, clearly harboring mischievous thoughts.
"But you know…"
"There isn't just me here."
Obito froze for a moment after hearing Taichi's words.
Only then did it dawn on him that a team couldn't possibly consist of just two members.
It wasn't really his fault for overlooking that fact—after all, even Taichi himself had originally assumed that Kakashi already had his own squad.
"Ka–Kakashi… you… you're not telling me you're the third member, are you?"
Obito slowly turned his head toward Kakashi, his face stiff with disbelief.
Kakashi gave a silent nod, his expression completely blank.
In that instant, Obito looked as though his soul had left his body.
His entire aura turned gloomy.
Meanwhile, Rin looked delighted. The idea of becoming teammates with Kakashi clearly made her happy.
At that moment, Minato finally stepped forward to stop the chaos.
"You already know him," Minato said, pointing toward Kakashi. "So there's no need for introductions. He's the final member of our squad. From now on, you'll all need to support each other."
Seeing Obito slump like someone abandoned by the entire world, Taichi could no longer hold back.
He burst out laughing.
The others couldn't help smiling as well, though more quietly.
In the end, Rin was the one who stepped forward to comfort Obito.
And Rin truly was Obito's miracle cure.
After only a few sentences, he was back on his feet again—full of fighting spirit.
The way he looked at Kakashi now was filled with open challenge.
---
Next came the usual routine: self-introductions and the bell test.
Watching from the side, Taichi got a clear sense of the trio's current level.
Compared to their counterparts in the original timeline, all three of them were much stronger.
Kakashi in particular had already reached a level comparable to a special jōnin.
His Lightning Release techniques were quite refined.
Especially the move he had created himself—Raikiri.
The sound and visual effects alone were impressive, and its power was extraordinary.
When Kakashi first unleashed it, even Minato had been caught slightly off guard.
As for teamwork, while the three weren't perfectly coordinated yet, it was still far better than in the original story, where Kakashi had fought almost entirely on his own.
Working together, they even managed to push Minato into a somewhat awkward position.
They nearly succeeded in snatching the bells.
Watching the distant battlefield erupt with explosions—detonating tags, fire techniques, lightning attacks, even chunks of terrain being blasted apart—Taichi couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Senior Brother Minato, you really didn't hold back at all," Taichi muttered.
"Look at this training ground. The logistics department is probably going to lose their minds when they see the damage."
Behind a nearby tree, another Minato stepped out.
He looked toward the battlefield in the distance.
"If I held back, I wouldn't be able to properly measure their abilities."
"And besides," he added casually, "that was only a shadow clone."
Taichi raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have any plans for what comes next, Senior Brother?"
"The village had those academy students graduate early so they could get used to the battlefield sooner, right? You instructors are going to have a tough time training them."
He said it jokingly, though there was a faint note of complaint in his voice.
Minato glanced at him helplessly.
"The village doesn't have much of a choice," he said.
"Letting them graduate early gives them time to adapt. When the war fully breaks out… students graduating later will probably be sent straight to the battlefield."
Taichi sighed.
Minato wasn't wrong.
But thinking about it still left a bitter taste.
During the First Shinobi War, Konoha had been strong enough to pressure all four great nations.
By the Second War, it could only barely maintain a defensive position.
And now, with the Third War approaching, even academy students were being pushed toward the battlefield early.
That could only mean one thing—
Konoha's strength was gradually declining.
If not for the solid foundation laid by the First and Second Hokage, the village might already have been surrounded and crushed by the other great nations.
---
"Senior Brother Minato…"
"Do you want to become Hokage?"
The sudden question startled Minato.
He turned to look at Taichi in surprise.
Taichi was staring straight at him.
Minato's awkward smile slowly faded.
"Of course I do," he admitted after a moment.
"That's always been my dream."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall the moment when he once shared that dream with Kushina.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
But then he remembered the competition.
His own teacher.
Orochimaru.
Tsunade.
All of them were students of the Third Hokage.
Compared to them, he wasn't even close in seniority.
The thought dampened his enthusiasm.
"There are still many competitors," Minato admitted.
"My teacher, Orochimaru-senpai, even Lady Tsunade—they're all candidates."
Taichi shook his head.
"Tsunade-sensei is unlikely. Because of certain reasons, she can't become Hokage for now."
"As for Jiraiya-sensei… well, his personality is far too free-spirited. Hokage responsibilities would drive him crazy."
"And Orochimaru-san…"
Minato leaned forward slightly.
"What about him?"
Taichi hesitated before answering.
"It's hard to say right now… but I don't think his chances are very high."
He didn't dare speak too definitively.
After all, many things had already changed.
Tsunade was still connected to the village.
Hatake Sakumo hadn't died.
Who knew what other butterfly effects might appear?
Minato frowned.
"That's strange. Orochimaru is currently the commander of the northern front. If he achieves major military success—and if the other Sannin aren't interested in the Hokage seat—his chances should be the highest."
Taichi shrugged.
"Orochimaru-san cares more about researching ninjutsu than about becoming Hokage."
"And besides…"
"Our current Hokage doesn't seem ready to retire anytime soon."
Taichi's words were deliberately vague.
But Minato clearly understood the deeper meaning.
He stared at Taichi silently.
After a moment, Minato asked:
"What about you, Taichi?"
"Do you want to become Hokage?"
Taichi shook his head without hesitation.
"Me? I'm not suited for something like that."
"I just want to protect the people I care about… and pursue the strongest power I can."
Then he smiled.
"But if you want to become Hokage, Senior Brother…"
"I'll definitely support you."
He gave Minato a thumbs-up.
"With someone as bright and kind as you as Hokage, maybe academy kids won't have to go straight to the battlefield anymore."
Minato didn't answer.
But the confidence in his eyes was unmistakable.
---
By then, the noise from the battlefield had faded.
The bell test had clearly ended.
Taichi felt no need to stay any longer.
He had seen everything he came for.
The rest belonged to Team Minato.
"Senior Brother Minato, I'll head out first," Taichi said.
"I should get back to the hospital."
Before Minato could reply, Taichi vanished in a Body Flicker.
---
Moments later, Obito's excited voice echoed across the training ground.
"Minato-sensei! See?! We're amazing!"
"We got the bells!"
Kakashi and Rin were smiling too.
They all knew Minato was one of Konoha's elite jōnin.
Being able to snatch the bells from him was definitely something to celebrate.
But before they could enjoy the moment for long—
Minato suddenly appeared in front of them.
They stared at him blankly.
Then the Minato they had been fighting exploded into a puff of smoke.
"Sh–Shadow Clone…"
Obito muttered in disbelief.
"So we were fighting a clone the whole time?!"
Kakashi clenched his fists.
The gap between himself and a jōnin like Minato was still enormous.
He silently vowed to train even harder.
At the same time, he remembered that Taichi had already carried out high-level missions alongside Minato before.
A thought crossed his mind.
Just how big is the gap between Taichi and me now…?
"Minato-sensei," Kakashi suddenly asked.
"Where did Taichi go?"
Minato smiled.
"He went back to the hospital."
"He spends every morning there these days."
The three of them fell silent.
Whether they were admiring Taichi's diligence or simply amazed by his dedication, even they couldn't say.
But one thing was certain.
Team Minato had officially been formed.
From this moment on, they could accept missions—
For the village.
And for themselves.
---
Meanwhile, Taichi had already returned to the hospital.
After absorbing the memories of his shadow clone, he began his day's work as usual.
Time passed quietly.
From that day forward, whenever Taichi walked the road to the hospital, he would occasionally run into the newly graduated genin.
Sometimes he saw Minato's team, busy running around catching lost cats or chasing stray dogs.
Poor Kakashi—a chūnin—was forced to accompany Obito and Rin on these simple D-rank missions.
Sometimes he encountered Guy's team instead.
That squad was downright comedic.
Guy himself was an overly enthusiastic youth obsessed with passion.
Ebisu wasn't much better.
The two of them constantly created strange situations that turned even simple missions into chaotic disasters.
Fortunately, their instructor was Akimichi Chōza—a man famous for his patience and easygoing nature.
Only someone like him could tolerate such lively students.
---
This peaceful yet productive routine continued for an entire month.
In the current era, such calm days were almost a luxury.
But that period of stability allowed Taichi and his teammates to fully integrate their newly gained abilities into their combat systems.
Their strength underwent a quiet transformation.
Finally, one day—
Taichi's squad returned to the Mission Hall.
Training at home had been valuable.
But for a team that had already experienced the brutality of the battlefield, too much comfort only created unease.
And the village had begun urging capable squads to return to active duty.
After all—
The clouds of the Third Shinobi War had never truly disappeared.