c11: Join
Namikaze Minato was never one for delay. As a frontline commander and rising political figure in Konoha, he acted decisively writing a transfer order by his own hand and dispatching a messenger-nin immediately.
Gen Uchiha received the notice within the hour and rushed over, his steps swift yet composed.
After receiving permission to enter, Gen stepped into the command tent. He gave a respectful bow and addressed the blond-haired shinobi ahead.
"Lord Minato."
"No need to be so formal. Just relax."
Am I not nervous? Of course I am, Gen thought inwardly, though his face remained calm.
"I've been briefed on the situation," Minato said kindly, folding his arms behind his back. "As of today, you are temporarily assigned to Team 7, under my direct supervision."
"If you can gain the approval of me, Kakashi, and Rin, I'll formally accept you as a personal student."
"Let's see what you've got."
With Minato's lineage as the student of Jiraiya, his fame as the "Yellow Flash," and his proven leadership during the Third Shinobi World War.including the decisive victory at Kannabi Bridge he had more than earned the right to say so. Countless young ninjas in Konoha would kill for the chance to study under him.
"I will work hard."
Gen's cheeks flushed faintly, his black eyes gleaming with a mix of determination and feigned excitement.
But beneath the surface, Gen was more calculating than emotional. While appearing eager, his motivation was clear: hitching himself to Minato's rising star was simply the most efficient path to power.
If it worked, he'd grow quickly. If not, there were other roads to strength.just slower.
Deep down, he still believed that no matter what he did, the Uchiha Massacre was inevitable. And when that day came, he intended to be ready.
"Go get to know Kakashi and Rin."
"You'll be teammates for a while maybe even for life."
"Yes, Lord Minato."
Minato returned to his seat, head already lowering toward unfinished paperwork. The war demanded his full attention. With a mutual nod, the three younger shinobi exited the tent and headed out into the woods.
They stopped near a stream not far from camp. The water was pristine, gleaming under the filtered sunlight. Small silver fish darted beneath the surface, and the nearby trees were dense with chirping birds and the scent of early summer.
"Let's introduce ourselves. I'll go first, as the acting captain."
Kakashi's tone was crisp and efficient. As a newly promoted Jonin at just twelve, the decision was clear especially with both Rin and Gen still ranked as Chuunin.
"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm twelve years old. I like salt-grilled saury and eggplant with miso. I dislike tempura."
"My hobbies are reading books and training. My dream is to protect my comrades and to master kenjutsu and Lightning Release."
He paused, then turned toward Rin.
Nohara Rin offered a gentle smile, folding her hands behind her back and tilting her head slightly.
"My name is Nohara Rin. I'm also twelve. My favorite food is strawberries, and I don't like heavy seafood dishes like boiled clams."
"My hobby is collecting seashells. My dream is to heal every injured Konoha ninja I meet. I specialize in medical ninjutsu."
As her words trailed off, both teammates turned their attention to the newcomer.
Gen Uchiha showed no sign of nervousness. He smiled faintly, voice steady.
"I'm Gen Uchiha. I'm thirteen. I don't have any strong preferences when it comes to food nothing I love or hate."
"I have a lot of interests: studying ninjutsu, cooking, music, reading, even traveling."
"As for my dream… to live freely. I'm most skilled in genjutsu and fire release."
"Live freely?" Kakashi repeated, his visible eye narrowing slightly.
He exhaled through his nose, then added, "For a ninja… that's one of the hardest dreams there is. Especially if you're selfish about it."
To seek freedom as a shinobi was to walk against the tide of duty, war, and sacrifice.
But Gen only gave a faint nod, as if to say he already understood and still intended to try.
The Root ninja loses his sense of self. The other shinobi aren't much better they're constantly dispatched on missions and barely have time to reflect, let alone dream.
To live freely? That's practically impossible in the shinobi world.
"Freedom doesn't mean doing whatever you want, right?" Kakashi asked, his voice calm but laced with scrutiny.
Uchiha Gen's gaze lingered on Nohara Rin for a moment when he heard that. Was she testing his true nature, or was Kakashi being cautious? Either way, giving the wrong answer could jeopardize everything.
If he said yes that freedom was doing whatever you pleased he might lose any chance of gaining the trust of Rin, Kakashi, or Namikaze Minato.
And in this world, such reckless ideals were considered dangerous.
Even if their approval wasn't strictly necessary, Gen knew that gaining their trust aligned with his broader strategy.
"No, it's not," Gen replied, his tone composed.
"Freedom doesn't mean doing anything you want. It means that when you don't want to do something, no one can force you to. That's what freedom means to me."
"That makes sense. I agree with your dream," Rin nodded.
"I agree too," said Kakashi, glancing at Gen with a little more respect than before.
"Actually, all our dreams are hard to achieve," Rin said with a thoughtful smile. "But Obito's dream… that one might be the hardest."
Rin's voice softened as she spoke the name. "He wanted to become Hokage."
"Yeah," Kakashi agreed, his expression unreadable. "Obito's dream really was the most difficult."
"I didn't know him too well," Gen said truthfully. "But I have some impressions of him."
"In terms of bloodline, we're distant relatives. I'm about two weeks older than him, so technically, he should call me 'cousin.'"
"Two of our ancestors were brothers so it's there on the family tree."
Kakashi and Rin looked genuinely surprised. For a moment, their expressions softened, and the atmosphere grew more relaxed.
Gen wasn't lying. On the Uchiha clan's genealogical scrolls, he and Obito were indeed distantly related. But for the Obito who would one day become Tobi, that connection was meaningless. After all, the same man would orchestrate the deaths of Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina.
Minato's reputation for speed was legendary Konoha's Yellow Flash, the fastest shinobi of his time. Yet, in the most critical moments, he was always just a step too late.
It wasn't entirely his fault. He wasn't a babysitter. He wasn't a parent. He was a commander in the Third Shinobi World War, always being pulled in a dozen directions. He couldn't always be there.
Team Minato had graduated from the Academy as genin and even advanced to chūnin; they were shinobi in their own right, capable of solo and group missions.
As for Kushina despite being the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails and carrying Minato's child she never once looked down on Obito. In fact, she had shown him nothing but warmth, treating him like family, even when he was labeled a failure.
Yet on the night she gave birth, while suffering unimaginable agony as the Nine-Tails was forcibly extracted from her body face contorted in pain, barely recognizable Obito marked the crib of her newborn son with explosive tags.
All because in the world of Infinite Tsukuyomi, everything could be "fixed," and the people he killed could be "resurrected."
Who is the most terrifying person?
It's not the monster. It's the one who believes they're saving the world while committing atrocities.
Such people don't feel guilt. They have no conscience. Their logic is airtight, and their destructiveness is infinite.
Minato, Kushina what bitter fate, to have such a student.
In the ninja world, being a teacher was often more dangerous than being on the frontlines.
If not for the value in building rapport especially with someone like Kakashi, who possessed exceptional talent and carried the legacy of the White Fang Gen wouldn't have invested in these connections.
The White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake, was a shinobi whose prowess once eclipsed even the legendary Sannin. If not for the scandal surrounding his suicide, he would've been a frontrunner for Hokage.
Kakashi inherited not only his father's strength but also his influence. After Minato and Kushina's deaths in the main story, it was Kakashi who bore their will and ideals, gaining buffs of social clout and leadership.
Whoever earned Kakashi's support would indirectly gain a whole faction's trust.
Gen, an ambitious thinker, understood this perfectly. Such talent shouldn't be overlooked.
With that deeper understanding and a surprising shared connection through Obito the three of them quickly found common ground. Their conversation flowed, growing steadily more personal. The initial distance between them began to close.
Though far from reaching the unbreakable bond of the original Team 7, they could at least be called companions now. And even if they didn't remain on the same squad forever, they could still remain friends.
Don't save books. Don't save drafts. That's the path to an early death!!
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