After swiftly defeating his opponents, Minato turned to face Takumi Fujihara, his expression calm and composed.
The group facing him wore expressions of shock, their faces twitching and eyes wide open in disbelief.
Behind Minato, the two men he had knocked down slowly rose to their feet. Since his intention had only been to stop them and not to harm them seriously, he hadn't used much force.
Now they finally understood just how huge the gap was in skill — there was no way they could have held on without getting hurt.
"Next time before releasing your ninjutsu, observe the people around you carefully..."
Minato murmured softly before them. Upon hearing this, the two followed his line of sight and were suddenly startled.
"Thank you!"
Realizing what he meant, both said at the same time. If they had unleashed their techniques earlier, there was a high chance they might have accidentally hit Takumi Fujihara.
And if they injured him, they wouldn't have been able to save their own lives.
Minato gave a slight nod, and the two dashed past him, returning to Takumi's side.
Takumi didn't scold these two guards; he simply waved his hand, letting them return behind him.
In an instant, Minato appeared before him again.
Seeing Minato in front of him once more, the stunned expression on Takumi Fujihara's face disappeared suddenly.
"No wonder you were chosen by the Hokage himself. You've really got some serious moves," he said calmly, though the regret in his eyes could not completely fade away at once.
However, Takumi had come here representing the Fire Daimyo, and he himself also held a certain status among the Land of Fire's high-ups. Naturally, he wouldn't easily reveal his true emotions toward Minato.
Earlier, he had judged Minato merely by appearance and somewhat doubted his abilities.
But Minato didn't care. Even in his past life, on the path that led him to become the Fourth Hokage, he had faced plenty of doubts along the way.
Unlike the previous three Kages, the First and Second need not be mentioned, while the Third was a direct disciple of the First. Although Minato had studied under Jiraiya, a student of the Third, his rival for the position of Hokage had been Orochimaru—one of the Sannin, who was already famous throughout the Ninja World and of the same generation as his teacher Jiraiya.
He earned the title of Fourth Hokage through feats of heroism during The Third Great Ninja War, supported by countless comrades.
Even Kushina, who later became his wife, had told him she once considered Minato unreliable.
It wasn't until after one particular incident that she completely changed her mind.
So Minato simply gave Takumi Fujihara a slight nod.
"Alright, let's return to the Hokage Tower now. I'll explain the details of this mission to you properly," Takumi said, then left Training Ground Seven accompanied by his entourage.
At this moment, Nawaki, who had been watching from the sidelines, teleported over to Minato's side, watching the retreating figures. He smirked slightly and said, "This time, you've certainly slapped that guy right across the face."
Minato smiled, bid a brief farewell to Nawaki, then followed Takumi Fujihara's carriage back toward the Hokage Tower.
...
Inside the Hokage Office.
"Hokage-sama, this boy truly stands out. Let him take the position of squad leader," Takumi Fujihara said upon meeting The Third.
Though he never admitted defeat outright, he clearly acknowledged Minato's strength.
The Third didn't ask about how the test went—it was an outcome with no suspense whatsoever.
He gave a faint smile and looked at Minato. "For this mission, besides Lord Fujihara's personal guard unit, I will assign three chunin under your command. Your priority is to ensure the safe arrival of the cargo at the Land of Lightning branch of the State Merchant Guild."
"Their profiles are here." The Third picked up several documents from his desk and handed them to Minato.
Minato received them respectfully, briefly flipping through the pages.
These three weren't strangers; during the Second Great Ninja War, he'd worked alongside each of them on guard duties before.
They were quite experienced, and Minato understood exactly why The Third had made such arrangements.
Each one had personally witnessed his capabilities on the battlefield, so even though he was young, they wouldn't question his leadership.
Later, Takumi Fujihara outlined important notes regarding the mission to Minato, though details about the cargo itself remained strictly confidential.
Even Minato, as the mission leader, was not permitted to know.
Takumi Fujihara allowed Minato some preparation time—departure would be early the next morning.
...
After leaving the Hokage Tower, Minato met with the three individuals who would accompany him on the mission tomorrow, then returned home to plan their travel route.
Normally, such matters would fall directly under the Hokage's responsibility, but The Third had completely entrusted it to him.
Then again, for the man who would become The Fourth Hokage, planning the route was no real challenge.
In the aftermath of the war, bandits and rogue ninja were more common—but none posed any real threat.
As for any Hidden Villages, right now no shinobi village would dare attack Konoha's convoy openly.
The Hidden Sand Village—the Land of Wind's great shinobi stronghold and one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—had been crushed by Konoha. Who else would dare provoke such fury now?
Still, Minato prepared several emergency contingency plans just in case.
Once all preparations were complete, Minato headed to Kushina's house.
Ever since the start of the Second Great Ninja War, many of the guards previously stationed around her home had been withdrawn, and hadn't been redeployed even after the war ended.
Minato knew these were small freedoms The Third had fought for Kushina—to ensure she wouldn't always seem so "different."
At that moment, Kushina was training hard inside her home.
Minato informed her he was heading to the Land of Lightning for a mission. It would likely take nearly a month for the round trip.
By the time he returned, the Chunin Exams would have already been completed.
Kushina declared firmly, "I'm definitely going to pass the Chunin Exams!"
Minato, of course, encouraged her and believed fully in her abilities.
But... Kushina had no idea that beyond the formal procedures, there were other obstacles blocking her path to becoming a Chunin.
Still, one day Minato would eventually clear all those obstacles away, letting her live a happy, normal life like everyone else.
...
The next day, in the Hokage's office.
Sakumo walked in. Before the Third stood an Anbu member reporting mission completion.
"Hokage-sama, Minato Namikaze and others have successfully departed with the cargo," reported the Anbu.
"I see." The Third waved his hand, and the Anbu vanished at once.
He lifted his gaze toward Sakumo, who was there to report on the details of the Chunin Exams.
After listening, the Third nodded in satisfaction — Sakumo and Junko Watanabe had handled everything perfectly.
Then Sakumo cut in abruptly, "Hokage-sama, the mission assigned to Fujihara regarding cargo transportation — surely this is something any experienced Jonin from the village could complete easily?"
Although the village was indeed busy these days, it hadn't yet reached a point where they couldn't spare manpower.
If the Third had sent a veteran Jonin, Takumi Fujihara wouldn't have tested the ninjas' abilities so deliberately yesterday.
Minato, despite being exceptionally skilled, still lacked experience.
He'd always known Minato would be given this mission. But the test Takumi Fujihara gave them was something new.
"Yes, but Takumi Fujihara isn't just anyone. Although he's a merchant, his status within the Land of Fire is quite high..." The Third smiled slightly, looking at Sakumo with deep, knowing eyes.
Upon hearing this, Sakumo's pupils slightly constricted, and a ripple passed through his heart.
"Are you... cultivating Minato?" Sakumo asked cautiously.
At this moment, the Third stood up, turned toward the window overlooking Konoha, and glanced at Sakumo as he spoke.
"You understand Minato better than anyone. Tell me — doesn't this boy deserve my cultivation?"
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