Having finally managed to shake off Might Duy, Shiki hoped he could at last catch a quick nap. But it was not meant to be—Namikaze Minato strolled over to his desk.
"Might Duy certainly is full of energy. The two of you are like complete polar opposites," Minato remarked with a soft smile, watching the retreating back of the boy in the green jumpsuit.
Shiki merely waved a dismissive hand.
"All that boundless energy is completely pointless. The shinobi world is far too dangerous and cruel. Personally, my only plan is to make a bit of money, move back to Konoha, and live out the rest of my days in absolute comfort and peace."
Minato slipped his hands into his pockets, his friendly smile never wavering.
"That sounds exactly like something you would say."
He shifted his gaze toward the teacher's desk, where many of the students had already managed to locate their names on the rosters. Might Duy stood out prominently among the crowd, wailing at the top of his lungs and loudly bemoaning the cruel twist of fate that had denied him a spot on "Shiki-kun's" team.
Shiki's expression darkened. The dramatic tone with which the boy was screaming his name sounded disturbingly like the wails of a jilted maiden. Just the thought of it sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine.
Catching sight of his reaction, Minato couldn't hold back a ringing laugh.
"But in all seriousness, aren't you even the slightest bit curious about who your teammates will be?" he asked, his tone shifting to something more earnest. After all, for greenhorns like them, having reliable partners and an experienced commanding officer was the only true guarantee of surviving the meat grinder of the battles to come.
Shiki shook his head, his entire demeanor radiating absolute indifference.
Perhaps the old him would have stressed over such things, but ever since the Character Simulation System had rewarded him with the Glint-Glint Fruit the previous night, his confidence in his own abilities had become unshakable. In the worst-case scenario, if things went south, he could always ditch his comrades and make a run for it. Then again, it was highly unlikely that the Third Hokage would assign them suicide missions right out of the gate. And armed with the Rokushiki techniques alongside the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, he certainly didn't need to worry about saving his own skin.
"Your carefree attitude is truly something to be envied," Minato chuckled.
Shiki had just opened his mouth to reply when Kushina suddenly blew over to them like a hurricane. She slammed her palms down onto the desk with such tremendous force that the piece of furniture nearly flipped over!
"Minato! Shiki!" she blurted out. "We're on the same team!"
Taken aback by her fierce intensity, Minato was momentarily rendered speechless. He could only offer a hesitant mumble:
"R-really? That's... great."
Kushina's gaze instantly darkened, taking on a genuinely terrifying glint. She hissed in an icy tone:
"What's the matter? Do you have a problem with the prospect of being on a team with me?"
"No, no, not at all!" Minato hastily waved his hands in a frantic attempt to defend himself.
Observing the exchange, Shiki raised an eyebrow in surprise. Well, how about that. He had been placed in the same squad as Minato and Kushina. One was the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, and the other was the future Fourth Hokage.
He let out a long, wistful sigh. I suppose I'll just keep drifting with the current and keep my head down.
On the other hand, being in the company of these two offered a certain degree of guaranteed safety. Given her status as a Jinchuriki, Kushina would undoubtedly be shadowed by an Anbu squad at all times, even during missions outside the village. And if a situation ever took a truly disastrous turn, he could always just hide behind Minato. As for his own role... His job would be to mop up the small fry and provide basic backup. It was the perfect setup.
Meanwhile, Minato, desperate to steer the conversation away from such dangerous territory, hurriedly asked:
"Say, Kushina, who is our Jonin instructor?"
Hearing the question, the girl's fiery temper finally cooled. With a proud little huff, she answered:
"Jiraiya."
"Jiraiya-san?!" Minato's eyes instantly lit up with genuine, unbridled excitement.
Ever since the Second Shinobi World War, the names of the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha had echoed across the globe. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade had become absolute idols to countless Academy students. Minato, naturally, was no exception. Therefore, the revelation that Jiraiya himself was going to be their commanding officer filled him with an indescribable sense of awe.
It wasn't just Minato; the classmates standing nearby were entirely unable to mask their expressions of burning envy. To become a student of Jiraiya essentially meant becoming the martial grandson of the Third Hokage himself! By that logic, in just a few short years, one might even be in the running for the village's highest seat of power.
Kushina alone seemed troubled by the news.
"What's wrong? Isn't it a good thing that Jiraiya-san himself will be our teacher?" Minato asked, thoroughly bewildered. After all, a mentor of that caliber was the stuff of dreams.
Kushina hesitated for a moment before leaning in to whisper conspiratorially:
"I've heard that Jiraiya-san spends an awful lot of time loitering around the women's bathhouses, peeping at the girls."
"Ahem-ahem-ahem!" Minato choked on his own breath, desperately trying to cut her scandalous revelations short. "Don't say such ridiculous things!"
Kushina merely curled her lip in disdain, her expression making it abundantly clear exactly what she thought of the matter.
Meanwhile, Shiki, observing their little squabble, could barely contain his laughter. Who would have thought that Jiraiya's notorious reputation as an unrivaled pervert preceded him even back in these days?
After chatting for a few more minutes, Minato glanced at the clock.
"We're running out of time. Shall we head over to the meeting point?"
Shiki naturally had no objections. Clasping his hands behind his head, he trailed after his new teammates with a lazy, relaxed gait.
"Shiki, with that gloomy, indifferent look on your face, no girl is ever going to like you," Kushina couldn't resist jabbing at him.
Shiki sized her up over the rim of his sunglasses and philosophically declared:
"Girls are truly terrifying creatures. There is nothing scarier in this world."
"What did you just say?!" Kushina flared up like a struck match. Insulted to the very core of her being, she let out a furious battle cry and threw a punch straight at Shiki's face.
Fortunately, he was on high alert. Utilizing the Soru technique, he vanished and reappeared at a safe distance in the blink of an eye.
"Like I said: girls are an absolute nightmare," his mocking voice drifted back from afar.
"Get back here right now!" Kushina roared, immediately giving chase.
Minato, left standing all alone, could only slap a hand over his face in utter resignation. These two were going to be absolutely insufferable...