C 95(1)

After leaving the Hokage building, Jiraiya and Kato Dan exchanged a glance, nodded at each other, and headed off in two completely different directions.

Both of them knew the other had feelings for Tsunade. While they didn't interact much in the village, they regarded each other as rivals in love. 

However, Tsunade herself had no romantic interest in either of them—Jiraiya was a teammate and companion, while Dan was merely a colleague.

Moreover, with her focus elsewhere, there was little room for romance. Jiraiya had been chasing after Tsunade since their academy days, yet his efforts showed no sign of success. 

As for Kato Dan, he had made attempts, but at that time, Tsunade's attention was entirely consumed by her younger brother Nawaki's recovery, her work on reforming the medical system, and Kain's special drug development commission. 

Romance was the last thing on her mind.

After walking for a while, Jiraiya suddenly turned to Namikaze Minato and said, "Minato, have you given any thought to the Flying Thunder God Technique? You should pay Sakumo jonin a visit."

Jiraiya's remark wasn't random. Hatake Sakumo's swordsmanship was renowned, even more so than the fame of the Sannin. 

While the Sannin had earned their title after a battle with Hanzo the Salamander, Sakumo had gained his prestige solely through the mastery of his blade. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Fire admired him greatly.

Jiraiya added, "Hatake Sakumo's son recently started school. Who knows, maybe you'll pick something up from him too."

But Minato smiled politely and shook his head. "No, thank you, Jiraiya-sensei. I appreciate your guidance, but swordsmanship isn't a good fit for me."

Jiraiya nodded, curious. "Why not? Sakumo's skills could complement yours."

Minato replied, "I want to develop a powerful jutsu that doesn't rely on hand seals. For me, swordsmanship offers no real advantage over a kunai. Besides, I've already mastered the Nature Transformation of Wind Style Chakra."

To demonstrate, Minato pulled out a kunai. In an instant, a thin layer of Wind Style Chakra enveloped the blade, emitting a sharp, buzzing sound.

Jiraiya observed the display, impressed but unsurprised. "I see. Well, if that's the case, I'll support you." 

He patted Minato on the shoulder and added, "I've spoken to sensei about you. If you have any questions about ninjutsu or need guidance, you're free to consult him anytime."

Jiraiya continued, "Starting today, you'll be part of a formal Chūnin squad with two others. When you become a Jōnin, a fourth member will join the team."

Minato blinked in surprise. "Jiraiya-sensei, are you leaving the village?"

"Yes," Jiraiya replied with a nod. "The old man has assigned me to another mission. I'll be gone for a while."

In truth, Jiraiya had been looking for an excuse to leave the village. Sarutobi Hiruzen, wary of Jiraiya's tendency to act independently, had assigned him a long-term intelligence mission. 

This was partly to keep Jiraiya out of trouble and to avoid a repeat of the Rain Village incident. If something similar happened again, Sarutobi might have no choice but to mark Jiraiya as a traitor.

Minato's expression fell briefly, but he quickly replaced it with a determined smile. "When you return, Jiraiya-sensei, I'll have completed the development of my new technique!"

Jiraiya grinned, resting a hand on Minato's head. "I'm counting on it."

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen had informed Namikaze Minato and Kato Dan about the hidden dangers within the village, he did not assign them any further tasks. The reason was simple: the failure rate was too high, and they were not yet at the required standard.

Even though Kato Dan was an elite Jōnin, the intelligence gathered by Root and ANBU revealed that Kain possessed abilities such as spatial manipulation that overrides barriers that isolated space. 

Against such a formidable opponent, the combined strength of Namikaze Minato and Kato Dan offered little chance of success—the odds of failure were overwhelming. 

Sarutobi Hiruzen was unwilling to take action until the situation could be handled with absolute certainty.

Jiraiya left immediately after announcing his departure, but before leaving, he summoned the other two students on the team. 

While Jiraiya genuinely cared for all his students, talent often created an unavoidable gap between the strongest ninja and the more ordinary ones. 

The other two members of the team, despite their hard work, were unlikely to progress beyond the level of Special Jōnin in the future.

Before departing, Jiraiya treated his students to a farewell meal and officially appointed Namikaze Minato as the new team captain.

As captain, Namikaze Minato made only minor adjustments to the team's routine. After discussing it with his two teammates, they decided to increase the number of missions they accepted slightly. 

As independent ninjas, completing missions was their only means of earning money.

In recent months, much of their time had been spent learning ninjutsu under Jiraiya's guidance, leaving little opportunity to take on missions. 

As a result, their funds were running low. Namikaze Minato suggested a balanced approach: completing six missions per month—three B-rank and three C-rank. This way, they could earn sufficient money while still having time for rest and training.

His teammates readily agreed. Namikaze Minato's superior strength and leadership made him a natural choice, and they trusted his judgment without hesitation.

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