Sunlight slowly streamed into the room as members of the Sealing Team arrived one after another to start their day.
When they entered the lab and saw Kurogane Ren, none of them were surprised. After greeting him, they went about their own tasks.
What did surprise them, however, was that Kurogane Ren actually stepped out of his experimental state at this time.
Normally, he would be experimenting before they arrived, and still experimenting after they left. This was the first time it wasn't the case.
"Carry on. I'm heading to the Hokage's office," Kurogane Ren said before leaving. At this hour, Minato Namikaze should already be at work.
"Yes!"
...
Inside the Hokage's office, Minato looked at the mountain of documents in front of him and couldn't help but smile wryly.
Before becoming Hokage, he hadn't thought much of it. But after taking the position, the sheer number of responsibilities had left even him feeling mentally exhausted.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Minato said with a sigh, straightening himself behind the desk.
When he saw it was Kurogane Ren, he relaxed slightly and joked, "So it's Takuno-senpai. What could possibly bring you here instead of staying in the Sealing Team to research?"
"Hokage-sama, now that you're Hokage, you can just call me Kurogane Ren," he reminded him again.
Minato simply smiled without responding. Kurogane Ren gave up—this wasn't the first time he had brought it up, and Minato addressed others the same way.
For example, he called Nara Shikaku "Shikaku-senpai," and Hyuga Hiashi "Hiashi-senpai."
But those were clan heads of major families. As for him, just a Sealing Team leader appointed by Minato, he didn't feel he deserved such treatment.
Since Minato had no intention of changing, Kurogane Ren didn't dwell on it.
"Well, since you chose me as the leader of the Sealing Team, I have to produce some results," he said.
"It's fine. Kushina and I both know your level in sealing techniques—you're more than qualified," Minato replied, unconcerned.
"But your trust doesn't mean everyone else will believe it. I'm here because I've come up with a modification plan for the village's outer barrier."
As he spoke, Kurogane Ren handed over a scroll containing the modified sealing formulas and related suggestions.
Minato took it and began reading. Before long, his expression turned serious.
The modifications themselves weren't particularly complex, and he quickly deduced their effectiveness. More importantly, it was the suggestions that followed.
The proposal was to periodically change the access key for entering and exiting the barrier.
This didn't mean that those without the key couldn't enter, but rather that anyone entering without it would be immediately flagged by the sealing sphere for closer monitoring, allowing ANBU to keep an eye on them.
After all, expecting such a massive barrier covering Konoha to possess overly advanced functions wasn't realistic.
Seeing that Minato had likely finished reading, Kurogane Ren continued.
"Currently, the access key for the barrier isn't changed, and that creates a clear problem. Missing-nin from Konoha also know this key. If they guide others in, the barrier becomes meaningless—it can't serve its purpose of early detection."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but think of Uchiha Itachi, who, despite being a missing-nin for years, had walked straight through the barrier with Kisame and arrived at Konoha's gates without issue.
"You're right. I hadn't considered that before," Minato admitted.
Every village had missing-nin, and Konoha was no exception.
Even if the barrier prevented large-scale infiltration, a few individuals entering wouldn't raise immediate suspicion. But what if those individuals were elite jonin?
Each one could cause immense destruction if they hid within the village.
Even with his Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato couldn't instantly identify and track every infiltrator.
"As for the interval of updates, do you have any suggestions, senpai?" Minato asked. He already had ideas of his own but chose to hear Kurogane Ren's thoughts first.
Kurogane Ren glanced at him. Minato was gradually adapting to his position—despite likely having an answer, he still sought input from others, either to catch potential flaws or to ensure he wasn't overlooking better ideas.
After organizing his thoughts, Kurogane Ren replied, "There are two situations. First, if the number of missing-nin increases, the key should be changed immediately. Second, under normal circumstances, it's best to update it during the New Year, when most ninja are in the village."
"Alright, we'll go with that. When we hold a meeting with the advisors later, you'll attend as well," Minato said, nodding.
Kurogane Ren fell silent for a moment before asking, "Can I not attend?"
Minato looked at him and said firmly, despite the helpless look in his eyes, "No. Since it's your proposal, you must be present."
"…Fine." Kurogane Ren sighed, looking utterly resigned.
"Stop complaining. I envy you, you know—you get to focus on what you enjoy. Unlike me, I'm buried under all this paperwork every day," Minato said with a laugh. Since it was still early, he could afford a bit of casual conversation.
Kurogane Ren glanced at the mountain of documents and said, "You could always find an assistant to help."
"That's true… but who would be suitable?" Minato asked, somewhat troubled.
"I wouldn't know," Kurogane Ren replied. He naturally knew that Nara Shikaku would be perfect for the role, but he had no intention of suggesting it. The man was too sharp—if he noticed anything, it could become a problem.
In the end, Minato looked at him and said, "How about you, senpai?"
"Hokage-sama, don't joke around. I'm not suited for that position," Kurogane Ren refused immediately. While the role carried influence, it would be inappropriate for him to take it after making the proposal.
More importantly, being Minato's assistant would mean constant close contact, making it difficult for him to carry out his own plans.
Minato wasn't surprised by the refusal. He had only asked casually. Promoting Kurogane Ren to Sealing Team leader was already pushing the limits—going any further would surely provoke objections from the advisors.
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