The atmosphere on the training ground, amidst the clear ringing of the bell, shifted from tension to a peculiar silence.
Minato Namikaze looked at his three students, the surprise on his face slowly fading, replaced by his signature gentle smile.
"You pass," he announced the result. "All three of you pass."
Tokuma Hyūga and Yakumo Kurama both wore expressions of relief. Yakumo in particular relaxed her tense body so much she nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Sensei, didn't you say at least one person would be eliminated?" Yakumo asked quietly, still a little puzzled.
"That was just to test you," Minato's gaze swept across the three of them in turn. "In the world of ninja, the mission comes first. But above the mission, there is something even more important, and that is comrades. A guy who doesn't understand cooperation, only relying on himself, is nothing but a fool in my eyes."
His gaze lingered on Roy for an extra second, a clear look of approval in his eyes.
"Tokuma, even knowing you were outmatched, you still chose to face the enemy head-on to create an opportunity for your comrades. That courage deserves praise. Yakumo, at the critical moment, you precisely used your strongest ability. That shows trust in your comrades. And Roy…"
Minato looked at him, a hint of curiosity in his gaze.
"You crafted the perfect plan and maximized everyone's role. Your mind is this team's most valuable asset."
He didn't ask how Roy had achieved speed far exceeding a genin, nor did he ask how he had precisely seized that fleeting opportunity.
An excellent jōnin knows to respect their student's secrets. Roy knew his choice this time had paid off.
"From today onward, you are Konoha's Team Eleven," Minato's voice became solemn. "Welcome, my students."
The three bowed in unison, this time with genuine respect.
"Yes, Minato-sensei!"
And so, the ninja career of Team Eleven officially began.
The initial days were completely different from the clashes of blades and life-or-death struggles they had imagined. Waiting for them was an endless stream of D-rank missions.
Helping find the Daimyō's wife's lost pet cat, Tora; weeding the villagers' fields; acting as temporary couriers in the village, delivering documents; even helping merchants guard warehouses to prevent thieves.
These missions were trivial, tedious, and utterly unchallenging.
Tokuma Hyūga complained more than once that his Gentle Fist wasn't meant for loosening soil in fields, and Yakumo Kurama was exhausted from a long-distance goods escort mission due to her lack of stamina.
But Roy handled these missions with meticulous care.
Under his coordination, Team Eleven became the most efficient genin team in Konoha for completing D-rank missions.
When capturing the pet cat named "Tora," Tokuma's Byakugan was used to pinpoint the target's location within the dense buildings; Yakumo used a basic hypnotic genjutsu to put the ill-tempered cat, which had scratched several ninjas, to sleep; Roy planned the route to complete the capture in the shortest time. A mission that took other teams half a day, they finished in just fifteen minutes.
When weeding the fields, Roy had Tokuma practice using the Gentle Fist to precisely cut the weeds' roots and stems, honing his chakra control; he had Yakumo use her mental perception to locate underground pests.
Seemingly boring missions, under his arrangement, transformed into interesting training.
Throughout these seemingly mundane tasks, the trio's coordination grew at a visible rate.
Tokuma no longer questioned every decision Roy made; he realized this guy's mind was indeed much sharper than his own.
Yakumo also became a bit more cheerful than before. She discovered that with comrades around, her frail body seemed able to unleash considerable power, making her a useful member of the team.
Roy remained the gentle and reliable core. He rarely spoke more than necessary, but every word he said precisely solved the problem.
After a month of performing D-rank missions, Minato stopped accepting them.
"The team's initial is complete," he announced during their meeting. "You've learned how to operate as an excellent team to complete simple missions. From today, we will begin focused individual training."
Minato tailored a training plan for each of them.
For Tokuma Hyūga, Minato personally engaged him in high-intensity taijutsu sparring.
He didn't use the Body Flicker Technique, relying solely on pure taijutsu skill and his vastly superior combat experience to help Tokuma refine his Gentle Fist and compensate for his shortcomings when facing speed-type ninjas.
For Yakumo Kurama, Minato's plan focused on fundamentals.
He didn't have Yakumo continue developing her powerful but dangerous genjutsu. Instead, he supervised her through rigorous physical conditioning and chakra control exercises.
He understood well that a powerful soul needed a sufficiently resilient body to contain it; otherwise, that power would only become a death sentence.
For Roy, Minato's teaching method was the most unique.
He gave Roy a key.
"This is the key to Konoha Library's second archive," Minato said. "It holds most of the tactical scrolls and classic battle analyses since the village's founding. Your strength lies in your mind, so go arm it with the wisdom of those who came before."
He didn't teach Roy any specific ninjutsu or taijutsu. He chose the method most suitable for Roy, and the one Roy found most satisfying.
Permission to freely access a treasure trove of knowledge.
To Roy, this was far more valuable than learning an A-rank ninjutsu.
From then on, Roy added a new item to his daily schedule.
After completing team training, he would spend his time alone in the library until it closed.
He voraciously read scrolls recording bloodshed and fire.
The Battle of the Valley of the End between the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, the various forbidden techniques developed by the Second Hokage, and analyses of the latest battle reports from the ongoing Third Great Ninja War.
The true face of this world was being peeled away layer by layer before his eyes.
He was no longer just a transmigrator who knew the storyline's direction; he was beginning to truly understand the rules by which this world operated.
Beyond the assignments Minato gave him, he also sought something for himself.
That day, in a corner of the archive, he found a dust-covered scroll.
The scroll's label was somewhat faded, but the writing was still legible.
"Research Report on Ninja Tool Materials and Chakra Conductivity."
A glint of light flashed in Roy's eyes.
He slowly unfurled the scroll.
Inside, using highly technical terminology, it detailed the different reactions of various metals, ores, and even special woods when combined with chakra.
He saw an entry: Chakra Metal.
A rare ore produced only in the Land of Iron, possessing extremely high chakra conductivity and incredible durability, making it an excellent material for crafting top-grade ninja swords. The report mentioned that this metal could even withstand lightning-natured chakra pushed to its ultimate transformation without collapsing.
Roy's fingers gently traced the record concerning chakra metal on the scroll.
His fine steel short sword could no longer withstand the higher intensity coverage of "Thunder Annihilation."
Through extended experimentation, minuscule, nearly invisible cracks had already appeared in the blade.
Standard issue couldn't withstand his power.
He needed… a more suitable vessel.