Chapter 36: They Made Him Captain, What More Could He Want?

A few days after passing the Chunin Exam, the trio received a notification from the Anbu and headed together to the Hokage's office. The village had a mission for them.

"I told you, once we became a Chunin team, there's no way the village would just let us sit idle. Minato, don't get too worked up, from now on, you're our team's captain."

"What?"

"Why?"

As Minato was pondering what kind of mission the Hokage would assign, he was completely baffled, pointing at himself.

He thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

Takuya was making him the team captain?

"Because I see you have an extraordinary talent for martial arts, a crucial position like team captain is tailor-made for you."

"Pfft—"

Watching Takuya spout nonsense with a straight face, Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but laugh.

Minato, with a full head of frustration, looked at him speechlessly, Do you think I'd believe you? You must be kidding.

"Cough, cough!"

Takuya cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, from now on, you are our team's captain, and you'll handle all our external communications."

Minato: "..."

I knew it, Takuya, you're up to no good.

So, you're just too lazy to deal with negotiations and dumped the captaincy on me, how cruel of you!

What if I don't want to do it either?

Minato looked hopefully towards Uchiha Mikoto.

But when he turned around, he found that Uchiha Mikoto had already moved to Takuya's side, pulling out her homemade lunchbox.

The box emitted an enticing aroma of food.

The smell of fried pork ribs!

Minato's eyes lit up, and he involuntarily swallowed his saliva.

Since Takuya wasn't interested in onigiri or sushi, Uchiha Mikoto, who loved cooking, would seek his advice and try out new recipes according to his guidance.

Takuya always got to feast on these dishes, while Minato could only tag along for the meal.

"Go on, if you do well, I'll save you half of the ribs. Perform poorly, and you'll just get the bones."

"Wait for me!"

Upon hearing this, Minato sprinted towards the Hokage's office with all his might, disappearing from their sight in the blink of an eye.

Sitting on a bench by the road, Uchiha Mikoto tilted her head and asked, "Takuya, isn't it a bit mean to trick Minato like this?"

"What's so bad about it? I made him captain, what more could he want? At most, I'll leave him some ribs."

Takuya praised as he enjoyed the delicious ribs, "Mikoto-nee, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

"As long as you like it," Uchiha Mikoto, pleased to be appreciated by someone important to her, responded cheerfully, "I'll keep trying my best."

"But is it okay to just let Minato go to the Hokage's office alone?" The Anbu had notified their squad to go to the Hokage's office, not just Minato alone.

"I trust Minato will handle it."

Takuya munched on the ribs, uninterested in facing the Third Hokage's old face.

Nor was he interested in hearing the Third Hokage ramble about the village's difficulties and the truths of the Will of Fire.

"Lord Hokage."

After knocking and being permitted to enter, Minato cheerfully walked into the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage, who was looking at some documents, looked up and was momentarily stunned: "Your team..."

I remember asking the Anbu to notify Takuya's squad to gather at the Hokage's office. How come only Minato came? Where are Takuya and Uchiha Mikoto?

"Ahahaha..."

Minato laughed awkwardly, scratching his head and quickly explained: "Lord Hokage, they were busy, so I came on behalf of the team. If there are any suitable missions, please assign them to our squad."

"I see."

The Third Hokage didn't press further and picked up a scroll from the desk, handing it to Minato: "Due to the war, the village has accumulated a backlog of commissions and missions. This mission is urgent, so we need your squad to handle it."

"Takuya's squad won't disappoint you, Lord Hokage."

Minato gripped the mission scroll tightly.

"I believe in you, you can do it, young man." The Third Hokage showed a relieved smile: "Jiraiya is at the front line, so I'm sorry to burden you during this period."

"It's alright."

Minato felt somewhat embarrassed and instinctively wanted to scratch his head again.

But suddenly remembering how many times Takuya had mocked this gesture, he forcibly lowered his raised hand.

"Well then, I'll take my leave, Lord Hokage."

Minato bowed deeply to the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage smiled: "Go ahead, child. You all will be the pillars of Konoha's future, leading it forward."

"Lord Hokage is as approachable as ever."

Leaving the Hokage's office, Minato muttered to himself.

Every time he saw the Third Hokage, he left with a feeling of closeness, always thinking of him as a respectable elder and a strong leader.

"Lord Hokage, Takuya and Uchiha Mikoto are eating out on the street."

Just after Minato left, an Anbu member reported this to the Third Hokage.

"Eating out?"

Letting Minato come alone to receive the mission?

The Third Hokage couldn't help but laugh and cry: "These kids, well, let them be."

The kids are just busy eating, and after all, there's no rule saying that the whole squad must come to receive a mission.

Such matters are trivial, and the Third Hokage didn't dwell on it further.

He just wondered if perhaps he was getting old. Are today's kids developing relationships this quickly?

Wait... that's not right.

Takuya and Uchiha Mikoto together, and then there's Kushina's vague affection for Takuya, what's all this?

This kid is really popular.

The Third Hokage couldn't help but reminisce about his own youth, and suddenly his expression turned somewhat unnatural.

"Takuya, you're too much, eating sneakily!"

Minato, holding the mission scroll, hurried over and discovered Takuya savoring the ribs with gusto, immediately exploded.

He threw the scroll over, and while Takuya caught it, swiftly swiped the lunch box.

"..."

Really, was that necessary?

Catching the mission scroll, Takuya looked down to see the lunch box gone.

Minato was already on a nearby rooftop, enjoying the meal.

Opening the mission scroll, Takuya checked the mission details and frowned.

"Is the mission troublesome?"

Uchiha Mikoto leaned over to ask.

"The mission isn't complicated, but the timing is. The Land of Rivers is not peaceful right now."

These damned officials, can't they just stay put in the daimyo's palace during a war? They have to run around the country, going to hot springs in the Land of Rivers. Their ideas are quite unique.

It seems that the Sand Village launched a surprise attack on the Fire Nation during Konoha's conflict with the Land of Rain. Sasori's parents were among those who invaded the Fire Nation during that period.