This surprised Torifu. Could public embarrassment in front of his comrades really have such a massive impact on him? If that was the case, Torifu now knew a way to curb Obito's reckless behavior in the future.
Having scared him and disciplined him, Torifu placed Obito on the ground, then signaled Rin and Kakashi to come over. The two quickly ran to stand next to Obito after receiving the command. Although Kakashi had just felt embarrassed by Obito's actions, when they stood together, Kakashi still gently supported the 'semi-conscious' Obito with his hand.
"Hokage-sama, we came to find Minato-sensei. Obito was too rash and disturbed your and Naori-sama's midday rest. We sincerely apologize." Rin apologized on behalf of Obito with a sincere expression, and Kakashi lowered his head as well.
This greatly satisfied Torifu. Although they might outwardly dislike each other, as long as their hearts were united, verbal sparring didn't matter.
"Since your attitude is so sincere, I won't pursue this any further." With that, a healing Jutsu struck Obito. The dazed boy immediately became alert. He nervously blurted out, "I won't dare again, Hokage-sama!"
Torifu took his words as nonsense. His reckless nature had never changed over the years. However, this was also Obito's defining trait. As long as his personality didn't lead to a fatal mistake, Torifu would not force him to change, only asking him to slightly restrain himself.
"Did you all take the herbs I rewarded you with last time? How do you feel?" The three nodded in unison after hearing the question.
"We did!"
"Hehe, Hokage-sama, the effect of that herb was too good! The power of my Fire Release increased significantly!"
Rin also nodded. "Yes, my training speed is more than twice as fast as before."
"My Chakra also increased greatly. Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi politely responded.
Torifu was very satisfied to see that all three children had improved considerably. It wasn't for nothing that he personally selected the most suitable herbs for the three of them.
In fact, Obito and Kakashi didn't have any major flaws. The areas their herbs boosted were already their strong suits—a mere icing on the cake. Rin, however, was different. She was a Medical Ninja and came from a civilian background, so her natural talent was considerably weaker. To keep up with her teammates, she trained extremely hard. But the gap in natural talent couldn't be fully bridged by training alone. However, with Torifu involved, there were no surprises. After taking the herb, Rin's training speed increased significantly, and Torifu also recommended Rin to Tsunade. It was highly probable that Tsunade would take her on as a disciple. Thus, one could say that while there was still a gap—and a large one—in Minato's Team now, it was no longer insurmountable. In this way, Torifu had achieved his goal.
"Alright, as long as it had an effect. What did you come to find Minato for today? Are you going out on a mission?"
Obito nodded. "Hokage-sama, you guessed correctly! This should be the last mission Minato-sensei takes us on! He'll likely have very little time after becoming Hokage."
Hmm, that was certainly true. A Hokage couldn't frequently lead a team out on missions, or no one would handle the village affairs. Therefore, Minato's Team would either get a new instructing Jōnin or be released to take missions on their own. Given their strength, they had met the criteria; Kakashi was already a Jōnin. It was a pity for him to still be playing house with Obito and Rin. However, he seemed to quite enjoy the process.
"Good. In that case, you wait for him here. He should be out in a moment."
"Yes!" The three had visited the Kumotsuru Clan compound many times and were quite familiar with it. They were not overly reserved, instead choosing to wander around the compound.
Torifu let them be, but just as he was about to lie down, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Kakashi, how is that kid Might Guy doing?"
Kakashi answered truthfully, "He's the same as always, training with his father at the training grounds. He seems to work very hard. Honestly, I can't match his diligence."
Torifu nodded, knowing the situation was sufficient. Might Duy, just like in the original world, was still a Genin in the current Konoha. Although his Eight Gates Jutsu was powerful, he had encountered many problems while performing missions. This resulted in poor mission evaluations and no particularly notable achievements on his resume. He didn't stand out during the Chūnin exams either, which was why his rank hadn't changed all these years. However, he was an optimist, never discouraged, and continued training with his son. Torifu had given up hope for Might Duy, but he was very attentive to Might Guy. However, he didn't have any herbs that specifically enhanced Taijutsu; Taijutsu could only be improved through rigorous training. He did have some herbs that boosted physical constitution, but he lacked a good reason to give them to him. He decided to wait for an opportunity.
The three waited in the courtyard for about ten minutes, and Minato finally emerged from the house. "Obito, I heard you shouting loudly from inside the house just now. How many times have I told you?" Obito lowered his head, embarrassed. "Sensei, Hokage-sama already scolded me, please don't say anything more."
Seeing his demeanor, Minato eventually let him off the hook, then walked over to Torifu. "Big Brother, I'm taking them out on one mission. We'll be back before the inauguration ceremony." Torifu nodded and then planted a silver leaf seal on Minato's hand as well. "If you delay, I will come and bring you back."
Minato acknowledged him, then left the Kumotsuru Clan compound with Kakashi and the other two.
Naori smiled from the side. "You really like these children, don't you?" Torifu turned his head and smiled as well.
"Yes, this is a generation full of geniuses. I must make sure they all grow up to be successful."
Naori took Torifu's hand. "I will help you, too."
Although Torifu would soon retire as Hokage, he would continue to pay attention to the village's newly emerging ninjas. This was one of the few things he truly enjoyed doing. Watching child after child grow into excellent ninjas gave him a strong sense of pride. This current batch of ninjas was just reaching maturity, and a new batch of children was already being born. With this continuous stream, Konoha would remain prosperous forever.