Kapitel 138: 137- Minato's Offer

"Minato-san, it's good to see you," Renjiro replied, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

Minato returned the smile. "Likewise. How have you been?"

"I've been well," Renjiro said. "Just got back from some training and handling a few things with Fujioka-sama."

Minato nodded, clearly interested. "That sounds intense. How was the training?"

"It was... enlightening," Renjiro said, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to reveal too much about his recent activities.

As Renjiro and Minato continued catching up, Teuchi returned with Renjiro's steaming bowl of miso ramen.

"Here you go, one large miso ramen," Teuchi said with a smile, before turning to Minato.

"And what can I get for you?"

Minato gave his order without hesitation. "I'll also have a large serving of miso ramen, but with extra pork, please."

Renjiro took note of Minato's order and thought to himself, 'I wonder if the love of miso ramen can be transferred genetically. Naruto loves miso ramen too.'

Breaking the silence, Renjiro commented, "I didn't know you loved eating out, Minato-san."

Minato chuckled at that. "Yeah, a majority of my pay from missions goes to ninja weapons like kunai and eating out."

Renjiro nodded in understanding. "I can understand stocking up on ninja weapons. But why do you spend so much on eating out?"

Minato grinned sheepishly. "It's always dangerous whenever I cook."

'Aaah! A similar man of culture like me.' Renjiro thought.

Renjiro chuckled, "That's also the case with me! The pans and pots need protecting from me."

Both of them laughed heartily, causing a few customers to glance their way.

"Regardless," Minato said, calming down a bit, "There's something comforting about eating at a place like this. It helps keep things in perspective."

Renjiro nodded, "Yeah, it's nice to take a break and enjoy the simple things. Besides, I hear Teuchi's ramen is the best."

Minato agreed, "Absolutely. I always come here whenever I can."

Their conversation continued as Teuchi brought Minato's order, placing the large bowl of miso ramen with extra pork in front of him.

"Here you go, Minato-san. Enjoy!"

"Thanks, Teuchi," Minato said.

Once Minato got his order, the two of them began to dig in. Between mouthfuls of ramen, Minato looked at Renjiro and said, "I heard from Kushina that you're in the Konoha force. How's that been for you?"

Renjiro took a moment to gather his thoughts before recounting the past seven months. "It's been intense, to say the least. I started in a new squad, and we've been through a lot of missions together. Lost Toda and Tobe, who were not just my squadmates but became close friends. That was tough."

"But I was offered the position of squad leader and I'm currently preparing for the required mission to be promoted."

Minato's face lit up, "That's amazing, Renjiro! Congratulations! I'm sure you'll pass that mission and get promoted in no time."

Renjiro felt a warm glow from Minato's encouragement. "Thanks, Minato. It means a lot."

Renjiro took a sip of his broth before asking, "So, how about you? What have you been up to?"

Minato nodded, "Nothing much, I've just been asked by the Hokage to become a jounin sensei. I'm about to take a few missions in the coming months before I rest and focus on that."

Renjiro feigned surprise, "Why did you agree to become a jounin sensei?"

He had been expecting this at some point and had even just met one of Minato's future team members. He was just surprised that it was so soon

'Aaah! No wonder Obito was Pestering Fujioka about new jutsus. I guess they are finally graduating from the Academy. I wish I could be allowed to see how they perform.'

Minato's eyes sparkled. "I feel like I can really make a difference by guiding the next generation. Plus, while I'm teaching them, I might also learn something valuable from them."

Renjiro couldn't help but smile at Minato's idealism. 'He's such a boy scout, so straightforward and glaringly good that it hurts just thinking about it. Maybe if Minato stayed longer as Hokage, things would have gotten better for Naruto and Konoha as a whole. Maybe I can make that happen.'

Minato then looked at Renjiro with a curious expression. "Have you ever considered becoming a jounin sensei yourself?"

'Nope, I can barely guide myself, so why would I bother with some kids? But I can't say that, can I?'

Renjiro immediately thought, his chopsticks paused in mid-air. "I haven't given it much thought, to be honest. My focus has been on my own training and missions."

"Besides, the possibility of me becoming a jounin sensei is too far in the future."

Minato shook his head, "That might not be the case. Right now, you're close to becoming a squad leader in the force just after joining them in less than a year. Soon, you might even be promoted to jounin."

Renjiro smiled but shook his head. "Becoming a jounin is way harder than becoming a squad leader. It's going to take more time."

Minato leaned forward, "You became a chunin earlier than I did, Renjiro. At this pace, you'll even become a jounin earlier too. I was 13 when I made jounin. You've got two more years to go."

'Yeah Right, how can I compete with a peerless genius like you? The only good thing that I have going for me is that I know the future.'

Renjiro couldn't help but laugh "Maybe. But I think I'll need every bit of those three years."

Minato then asked, "But after the force, what are your future plans, Renjiro?"

Renjiro paused, contemplating his answer.

'This is the second time someone else asked me that question, but I really haven't narrowed it down. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell anyone, it's better to keep them guessing.'

"I'm not entirely sure. For now, I just want to polish my skills and become powerful enough to protect what I love, especially after experiencing the death of my squadmates."

Though Renjiro's words carried a touch of exaggeration, there was a core of truth in them. He wanted to be strong enough to control his fate in this world, only then would he feel like he was living life.

Hearing Renjiro's answers, Minato was visibly moved. "You know, Renjiro," he began, "As I earlier said, I'll be taking my last missions for a while before focusing on my duties as a jounin sensei. How about joining me on those missions?"

Renjiro was pleasantly surprised. "Really? That sounds great. I'd love to."

'Going on a mission with a future Kage, sign me up! I need to witness his capabilities directly so that I have a standard I could measure myself to.'

Minato nodded. "It'll be good experience and training for your squad leader mission too."

Intrigued, Renjiro asked, "What's your team composition going to be like?"

Minato leaned back, tapping his chin. "I haven't put much thought into it yet. But I think a five-man team will be good. I can fill all the spots except one. Do you know someone who would be free to join us?"

'Someone? Most of the people I know of are chunins.'

Renjiro considered this and asked, "Would a chunin be fine?"

Minato agreed, "Yes, that would be perfect."

The two continued their conversation, discussing potential strategies and missions that they could take as they finished their meal.

As they were wrapping up, Minato said, "Once I have everything ready, I'll inform you when we'll start taking the missions."

Renjiro nodded, "I'll be looking forward to it."

With that, Minato stood up, paid for his meal, and waved as he left the ramen shop.

"Take care, Renjiro. See you soon."

Renjiro waved back, "You too, Minato."

Now alone, Renjiro began to ponder who he should recommend for the team.

'Now who should I ask? I feel like despite knowing a lot of people, there are only a few of them I'd trust in a mission. Wait! I think I should ask him. It's been a while since I saw him,' Renjiro thought.

'I should probably go visit his house.'

With his decision made, Renjiro paid for his meal thanked Teuchi, and left The shop with only one location in mind.

=====

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Kapitel 139: 138-A Bet

Renjiro made his way towards the northern district of Konoha, where his friend lived. As he walked, he reflected on the person he was about to visit. It had been several months since their last meeting, and Renjiro was eager to catch up and see how he was doing.

The streets became quieter as he approached his friend's area of stay. It was a residential area with traditional homes, each with its own garden and wooden gate. Renjiro walked up to a familiar house and knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a young woman with striking features. She smiled warmly when she saw Renjiro.

"Renjiro! It's been a while. How have you been?"

Renjiro returned the smile. "I've been well, Seki. Is your brother home?"

Seki nodded and stepped aside to let Renjiro in. "Yes, he's in the training room. I'll let him know you're here."

As Renjiro entered the house, he was struck by the sense of nostalgia. The house was much like Fujioka's, with sliding paper doors and tatami mats.

Seki returned shortly, accompanied by her brother, Hiro. Hiro had changed from the last time Renjro saw him, with him becoming taller and leaner. He grinned when he saw Renjiro.

"Renjiro! What a surprise!"

Renjiro stood up and embraced his former teammate and friend. "Hiro, it's good to see you. How have you been?"

Hiro shrugged, leading Renjiro to the sitting area. "Busy with missions, as usual. But things have been good. What brings you here?"

Renjiro took a seat and explained, "I was just talking with another jounin I know, I am not sure if you have heard of him, he is called Namikaze Minato. He's taking his last missions before focusing on being a jounin sensei, and he asked me to join him. We need another chunin for the team, and I thought of you."

'Minato? Does he mean 'that' Minato?'

Hiro's eyes lit up with interest. "Of course, I know of Minato. I know of people from our clan who have been thinking of ways they could get him married to a clan member for as long as I can remember which shows how special he is. I'd be honoured to join you and Minato as it sounds like a great opportunity."

Renjiro smiled, "I knew you'd be interested. It will be good to work together again."

"Also, If I do a good job I can get a jounin recommendation from him and hasten the time I'm promoted," Hiro said as a smile beamed on his face.

"Huh? Recommendation?" Renjiro asked with a confused look on his face.

"What don't tell me that you don't know who chunins are promoted to the Jounins rank."

"..."

Sighing, Hiro decided to explain, "While it is still up to the Hokage to decide, we need to be recommended by some jounins who could testify on our skills and abilities."

Coughing, Renjiro said, "Ooh! You meant that, I think it just slipped my mind."

Seeing that Renjiro was avoiding his gaze, Hiro thought,

'He definitely did not change, sometimes I wonder if Renjiro was really brought up in a shinobi clan. But it is good to see that he hasn't changed much.'

Meanwhile, Renjiro had different thoughts, 'For someone who prides himself on perfect memory and knowledge of the future, I do embarrass myself by not remembering these miscellaneous details.'

'That being said, can clan kids just abuse this by asking their parents or any other clan member to recommend them for jounin rank? They could even be smart and ask their parents to ask their friends. There's almost a million ways how someone could abuse this system.'

'But I guess with the Hokage being the one to actually make the promotion official, the recommendation has to be factual. The shinobi should also have some skill widely acknowledged by other Konoha shinobi, so it is up to Hiruzen in the end. But with how he has been and will deal with Danzo and Naruto, I don't think I could fully trust his decision-making.'

'Should I ask Miwa for a recommendation? That would surely shorten my path to Jounin. I think I could even get Fujioka to vouch for me. But now that I actually think about it, let me just let things play out. Even if I am promoted and do a good job, it will be a hassle because the reward for good work is more work!'

As Renjiro was still in his thoughts, Hiro turned to him, "Did Minato inform you when you would start taking the missions?" he asked.

Renjiro shook his head. "He said he would let me know after confirming with two other shinobi. So, I'm still waiting on that."

Hiro nodded, then leaned forward, "Have you been focusing on your training?"

Renjiro nodded. "Yes, but between working in the force and practising fuinjutsu, I haven't had as much time as I'd like."

Hiro sighed and then replied with a sarcastic tone, "Too bad for you. I have been training in between taking missions with shinobi from my clan. It would be a shame if I surpassed you."

Renjiro couldn't help but laugh at Hiro's comment. His laughter caught Hiro off guard, causing him to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

'Why is he laughing?'

"What's so funny?" Hiro asked.

Renjiro grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Even if I sleep continuously for the next ten years, you still won't have a chance against me."

Hiro's eye twitched. Mildly irked by Renjiro's statement, he said,

"Alright then, how about we settle this right here and now? Let's have a spar."

Renjiro's eyes widened in surprise, but a smile quickly formed on his lips.

"Are you serious?"

Hiro nodded, "Yes, why not? Let's see if you are really unsurpassable."

Renjiro immediately shook his head. "No," he said firmly.

Hiro was taken aback. "No? Why not?"

He couldn't believe Renjiro would turn down a challenge, especially one from him.

"Or Are you afraid, Renjiro?" Hiro said, trying to taunt Renjiro.

Renjiro smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Afraid? Why should I be? If you want me to agree to a fight, you'll have to make it worth my time."

"So what do you want in return?" Hiro asked

"You are the one challenging me Hiro, you tell me," Renjiro said walking closer.

Hiro took a moment to think. Then, his eyes lit up as an idea struck him.

"Alright, how about this, We place a bet. If I win, you have to give me a lifetime supply of any three types of seals I need for free. Fuinjutsu is your speciality, after all."

While Hiro was from a shinobi clan, his access to Fuinjutsu materials was limited as there were not many Fuinjutsu experts going around. So having access to such seals could even elevate his standing in the clan.

Also, there was also the fact that Renjiro would work for him for free. Just the thought of this made Hiro happy. He was not aware, but a smile formed in his mouth when he was thinking of this.

'Why is this bastard smiling?'

Renjiro thought as he asked "And what if—no, when I win?" he corrected, a confident glint in his eyes.

'He clearly did that on purpose!'

Hiro's irritation grew, but he managed to rein in his emotions. "Fine, IF you win, what do you want?" he said emphasising the word IF.

'What should I ask?'

Renjiro thought for a moment, then replied, "When I win, you will owe me a favour. You'll have to do whatever I ask, no questions asked."

'Frankly, I don't think that there's anything that Hiro can offer me. But since I might not really act for the good of Konoha in the future and actually put my interests above the village, him owing me might help. I just hope he becomes an influential shinobi in the future.'

Hiro found the request odd but intriguing. He nodded, agreeing to the terms. "Only a favour? It seems like you are already giving up before we get started. Don't worry Renjiro, there is no shame in that. In fact, I'd do the same if I was in your position."

Seeing the smile on Hiro's face, something in him just snapped.

'I was going to go easy on him, but he needs to be taught a lesson.'