Seeing the peculiar expression on Rinjin's face, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't even need to guess—this guy was definitely letting his imagination run wild again.
Reaching out, Hiruzen opened a drawer and pulled out a not-so-thick roster, placing it on the desk.
"Jonin need to lead teams!"
As he spoke, Hiruzen slowly flipped through the roster, reading aloud to himself:
"Ri Yi Sakata, age eleven, Genin, specializes in Water Release ninjutsu.
Fugaku Uchiha, age eight, a talented prodigy of the Uchiha clan, Genin, skilled in Fire Release and shurikenjutsu.
Teuchi, age ten, a civilian ninja, Genin, specializes in Taijutsu.
What do you think of these three?"
Hearing this, Rinjin was dumbfounded. At this moment, he finally understood what Hiruzen meant—this guy wanted him to become a team leader.
You must be joking!
Me, the Daimyō of the Land of Rain, becoming a team leader?!
...
Then again, the more he thought about it, the more intriguing it seemed!
After pondering for a moment, Rinjin cleared his throat.
"Everyone else is fine, but why is Ri Yi being pushed onto me too?
I already see her face every day at home; it's exhausting enough as it is!"
At these words, Hiruzen's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He thought to himself, You can say that in front of me, but if you dare say it to her face at home, I'll truly respect your courage.
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Hiruzen spoke with a peculiar expression.
"Ri Yi is your sister. You take her with you. If anything happens to her, you'll be the one cursing everyone out!"
"Come on, that's not fair!" Rinjin grinned cheekily, waving his hand dismissively. "She's just a little Genin. At most, she'll be catching cats and chasing dogs around the village. What's the danger in that?"
Hiruzen shook his head furiously, refusing outright.
"Your sister, your responsibility—non-negotiable. As for the other two, you can swap them if you want, but Ri Yi stays."
Seeing Hiruzen's firm stance, Rinjin sighed helplessly.
Who would've thought that I, Rinjin Sakata, would one day end up as a team leader? Life really is unpredictable, like sausages wrapped in intestines!
With that thought, a sly smile crept across Rinjin's lips as he voiced his curiosity.
"Hiruzen-jiisan, what's the deal with this Fugaku Uchiha? Did the Uchiha clan agree to this?"
"They probably did. It was Kagami who asked me to put him in your team," Hiruzen replied without hesitation, throwing his old friend under the bus.
Ah, so it was Kagami.
Rinjin thought to himself, curious about this future father of Itachi and Sasuke. What kind of relationship did he have with Kagami?
As for this Teuchi... Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku...
Forget it. A lone sheep, a flock of sheep—they're all the same.
After some deliberation, Rinjin nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Hiruzen let out a sigh of relief.
If Rinjin had refused, that would have been the end of it.
But if Rinjin agreed, it meant he wasn't entirely opposed to integrating into Konoha.
This was a carefully thought-out plan by Hiruzen. By gradually exposing Rinjin to Konoha's normal life, he could slowly draw him into Konoha's fold.
After all, this guy was no longer the little brat he used to be. To put it bluntly, Rinjin could come and go as he pleased, and there wasn't much anyone could do about it.
In light of this, subtly integrating him into Konoha was the best course of action.
Most importantly, Rinjin had never done any real harm to Konoha.
Well, except for messing with the Uchiha—but everyone does that, and no one's hands are clean!
...
After a brief exchange, Rinjin said his goodbyes to Hiruzen and left the Hokage's office.
The next morning, Rinjin arrived at the meeting spot with Ri Yi, a small rooftop.
When they arrived, two kids were already waiting there.
The older boy was leaning against the railing, engrossed in a cookbook. Across from him stood a cold-faced Uchiha boy.
"Yo~ Good morning, boys!"
Wearing a cheerful smile, Rinjin strolled up the stairs to the rooftop, with the ever-stylish Ri Yi following behind him.
Casually finding a spot to sit cross-legged, Rinjin looked at the three in front of him and spoke calmly.
"Since we're all here, let's do a quick self-introduction.
Ri Yi, you go first!"
"Alright." Ri Yi nodded solemnly and began:
"My name is Ri Yi Sakata, and I specialize in Earth Release and Taijutsu.
My favorite foods are candied apples and taiyaki, and I dislike cheese.
My dream is to become Hokage.
Please take care of me."
Hearing this, Rinjin rolled his eyes and continued.
"Next."
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy holding the cookbook stepped forward with a big grin.
"Sensei, my name is Teuchi, and I specialize in Taijutsu.
My favorite food is ramen, and I enjoy researching ramen.
My dream is to save enough money to open a ramen shop!"
"Hmm!" Rinjin nodded approvingly.
This kid's got spirit—nice, nice!
"Next."
The cool-looking Fugaku Uchiha crossed his arms and spoke slowly.
"My name is Fugaku Uchiha. I specialize in Uchiha Fire Release and ninja tool techniques.
I don't particularly like or dislike anything.
As for my dream..."
He glanced at Ri Yi before continuing with emphasis:
"...to become Hokage and change the fate of the Uchiha clan."
Hearing this, Rinjin was momentarily stunned before breaking into a knowing smile.
Good kid, aiming to become Hokage! Looks like there's no shortage of contenders for the throne.
With a chuckle, Rinjin nodded in approval.
"Alright then, Team Eleven is officially formed!
Tomorrow, we'll take on some missions. For now, you're dismissed."
With that, Rinjin prepared to leave.
Just then, Teuchi suddenly jumped out, blocking Rinjin with a peculiar expression.
"Sensei, you haven't introduced yourself yet!"
"Oh~ My bad, I forgot." Rinjin scratched his head awkwardly.
Being an undercover agent for so long, he instinctively skipped over anything involving his own information—a side effect of being a double agent.
"My name is Rinjin Sakata, Jonin of Konoha.
I specialize in... uh... a bit of Taijutsu. My favorite things are savory tofu pudding and napping in the sun.
As for dislikes, does disliking salamanders count?"
Hearing this, Teuchi looked at Rinjin with a deadpan expression.
Disliking salamanders? I dislike pickled fish, too!
Unaware of Teuchi's internal complaints, Rinjin continued:
"As for my dream, I don't have one!"
With that, Rinjin let out a long sigh, as if he had just completed a Herculean task. Then, he casually slung an arm around Teuchi's shoulders, grinning mischievously.
"Now that I'm done, it's your turn, Teuchi-kun.
Open your eyes and let me see if you're hiding a Rinnegan, Mangekyō, or Tenseigan!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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