At the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Ze looked at Minato with mild curiosity as he arrived with Kakashi in tow.
"Minato? What brings you to the Uchiha clan today? Looking for the clan leader?" Uchiha Ze asked.
"I'm not here for Lord Fugaku," Minato replied with a smile. "I'm actually here to see one of the young genin in your clan. He's a friend of Kakashi's, and I'd like to invite him to join my team as his jounin mentor."
"A genin already? Must be that little rascal, Uchiha Obito," Ze mused. "Follow me; I'll take you to him. He should be home."
As they approached Obito's home, they heard the steady rhythm of training sounds coming from the courtyard. Opening the gate, they found Obito throwing shurikens, fully engrossed in his practice.
"Looks like a hardworking kid," Minato said, clearly impressed.
"Obito!" Kakashi called out, catching his friend's attention.
Obito looked up, surprised to see the small group gathered at his door. "Kakashi? Captain Ze? Lord Minato?"
Obito trotted over, bewildered by the unexpected visit. "Please, come in! I'll get some tea."
"Obito, hold on," Minato said gently, stopping him. "I've applied to become a mentor jounin, and I'd like you to join my team. Kakashi has already agreed, so I'm here to see if you're interested."
Obito's mouth fell open in disbelief. He'd heard of Minato's reputation—Konoha's Yellow Flash, a genius—and the chance to learn under someone like him was beyond what he'd ever hoped for.
"I'd be honored, Lord Minato!" he said excitedly.
"Great," Minato replied. "Now, a team needs three members. Do you and Kakashi have anyone in mind for a third?"
Before either could answer, a familiar voice chimed in from the gate.
"Need a recommendation? Let me help."
Turning, they saw Reiki standing there, a playful smile on his face.
"Reiki!" Obito and Kakashi exclaimed, surprised to see him.
Minato, too, greeted him warmly. "If you have a suggestion, Reiki, I trust your judgment. Who do you recommend?"
"Harano Rin," Reiki replied, stepping aside to reveal a cheerful, sunny girl standing behind him.
"Rin!?" Kakashi and Obito called out in unison, both clearly surprised.
Minato's face softened with a smile. "Harano Rin, you're in the same class as Obito and Kakashi, right? And you're a genin as well?"
Rin nodded eagerly. "Yes, I passed the medical ninja test yesterday, so I'm officially a medical ninja."
After glancing at Obito and Kakashi's reactions—Obito's delight was obvious, while Kakashi's was more reserved—Minato made his decision. Based on what he knew of Reiki, he trusted that Rin would be an asset to the team.
"Alright, that settles it," Minato announced. "Let's go register your team, and we'll start training together tomorrow."
Reiki, Minato, and the newly formed team left the Uchiha compound.
Watching them go, Uchiha Ze felt a strange sense of unease. "Hatake Sakumo's son, Tsunade's disciple, and Jiraiya's disciple… It seems like the Uchiha are more entangled with the rest of the village than we thought."
He hurried over to inform Uchiha Fugaku, recounting what had happened.
"Minato's taken Obito as his disciple, with Hatake Sakumo's son as a teammate, and the third was recommended by Reiki," Ze explained.
Fugaku nodded thoughtfully. He could see where Ze was coming from. This development was unusual and might signal a shift in the village's dynamics.
"Clan leader, should we consider reaching out to Minato?" Ze asked cautiously.
"No," Fugaku replied firmly. "Reaching out now would only draw Sarutobi Hiruzen's attention to us. With the internal clan issues still unresolved, the last thing we need is added scrutiny."
He knew that maintaining a careful distance was best for now, even if Minato's new connections might ultimately lead to a positive change for the Uchiha.
>>>>>
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