Inside the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi informed Minato Namikaze of the mission details.
After listening to Hiruzen's explanation, Minato murmured, "Six years ago...Hyaku?"
Hiruzen spoke seriously to Minato. "That's the summary of the mission. Minato, assemble your own team and head immediately to Loulan (a sovereign nation in the Land of Wind). One more thing—this mission must be handled skillfully. Although Loulan itself lies within the Land of Wind, it is a sovereign nation independent from Sunagakure's influence, and quite prosperous as well.
Recently, Sunagakure has been overwhelmed dealing with its own affairs, so they've come asking Konoha for help. You must represent us well. Understand?"
Minato felt something wasn't quite right, but didn't ask further questions—he was a ninja; his job was simply to carry out missions.
After Minato left, Hiruzen picked up Loulan's letter of request and began reading it again.
Truthfully, Hiruzen was already laying the groundwork for Minato's future ascension to Hokage, gradually increasing his influence.
If this mission succeeded, Loulan would become an ally of Konoha—a minor but independent nation, yes, but still sovereign nonetheless.
...
Meanwhile, Shindai was still stuck in line with Kakashi and the others.
Behind them stood Might Guy, Shizune, and Asuma Sarutobi, also patiently waiting their turn.
Shizune said excitedly, "I can't wait to eat some ramen!"
Guy got totally pumped up. "Teuchi-san's Passion-Pulled Ramen! Soul-Warmed Broth! I shall savor it with my soul!"
Asuma kept his hands in his pockets coolly. "Right! Carrying on those secret flavors is part of the Will of Fire too!"
Kakashi suddenly couldn't resist teasing. "Pfft, seriously, it's just a bowl of ramen. You guys sure know how to make a big deal out of nothing."
Crossing her arms, Shizune shot back, annoyed. "What are you talking about, Kakashi? You're queuing too, aren't you?"
Kakashi glanced at Shindai, who was eyeing the front of the line eagerly, then shrugged. "Not if someone hadn't dragged us here—I wouldn't be foolish enough to wait like this forever."
Rin whispered softly, "Don't say that... If Shindai hears, he'll get mad at you again."
Kakashi spread his hands helplessly. "I never directly named him! Besides..." He gestured toward Shindai's eager expression. "...even if I insulted him now, he wouldn't hear me anyway."
Obito immediately perked up. "Really? Let me try then!"
Before Rin could stop him, Obito had already shouted out, "Hey Shindai! You're such an idiot!"
Shindai—who had been craning his neck excitedly, watching the queue shrink—immediately turned around, glaring murderously at Obito. And then...
A second later, Obito—now with a huge lump swelling on his head—shot Kakashi a furious glare. "You said he wouldn't hear me?!
Kakashi turned his head away, avoiding Obito's resentful gaze. "Obviously, he heard everything."
Obito clenched his fist tightly. Just as he was about to erupt, Kakashi spotted Minato Namikaze dressed in ninja attire and immediately asked, "Teacher Minato! Do we have a mission?"
"Yeah, gather up right away!"
Kakashi called out to Shindai, Obito, and Rin Nohara, "You three! Stop waiting in line—we've got a mission now!"
"Huh? Alright…"
Obito and Rin Nohara looked disappointed—they'd waited so long, and now it was all for nothing.
As the two approached Minato Namikaze, they noticed Shindai was still waiting in line.
"Shindai, it's time for the mission!"
Shindai flatly refused, "Not a chance! You guys go ahead—I'm not bailing till it's my turn!"
Minato sighed helplessly. "We'll come back later. Gotta move now. I'll cover your meal when we get back—eat as much as you want!"
Shindai still refused stubbornly. "I said no! After coming this far in line, how could I possibly leave without eating!"
Minato exhaled deeply and said to Obito and the others, "Could you three lend a hand?"
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. Kakashi and Obito stood on either side while Rin positioned herself behind Shindai.
Kakashi and Obito pulled Shindai forward by his arms while Rin pushed from behind—each assigned their role clearly.
Shindai struggled fiercely. "Hey! Let me go! I don't wanna go! You can go without me anyway!"
Obito urged impatiently, "No way! Hurry up and stop being so stubborn!"
Asuma Sarutobi grinned at Shindai and said, "Hey, thanks a lot, Shindai! Now we'll take your spot in line."
Seeing Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, and Shizune standing right where he'd been, Shindai's eyes flared red with fury. "Great… just great, Asuma Sarutobi. I won't forget this! And you two too!"
Suddenly, a chill went down Asuma, Guy, and Shizune's spines.
Eventually dragged home, Shindai silently started packing his gear.
Pakura raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "What's wrong with him? Why does he look so pissed off?"
Minato watched Shindai stuff his bag noisily and sighed. "He was stuck in the opening-day rush for Ichiraku Ramen. We pulled him out for an urgent mission, so now he's acting like this..."
Pakura gave a knowing expression. "That makes sense. Yesterday, when he first heard Ichiraku was opening, he wouldn't shut up about it all day—kept saying he *had* to be there today. Now it's past noon—he waited two hours but didn't even get a bite. If he weren't furious, that would be weird indeed."
Kushina Uzumaki curiously asked, "Is that ramen really that good? I remember, Minato, you went early too. Did you manage to eat some?"
Minato Namikaze shook his head, "I didn't get a bite either. I was just about to line up when Hokage-sama had someone come looking for me. Must be good — look at that line."
"Is that right…" Kushina Uzumaki rubbed it in playfully, "Shindai, don't feel too bad. Later, Pakura and I will go to Ichiraku Ramen and try it for you properly!"
*Hmph!*
Shindai grunted, slung his gear bag over his shoulder, and left the house.
"Alright then, we're off."
Minato followed after Shindai, heading toward the Konoha village entrance to meet up with Obito and the other two.
As they walked, Minato explained the mission. "Our task takes place in Loulan. Though technically its own country, it lies within the Land of Wind. To avoid unnecessary complications, we'll wear masks and sneak in secretly once we reach the Land of Wind.
The mission itself came as a plea for help from the Queen of Loulan. Six years ago, a ninja named Gakkotsu arrived in Loulan from the future. Gakkotsu coveted Loulan's Dragon Vein Energy and planned to use its power to develop advanced puppet techniques. Our objective is to locate this Gakkotsu and eliminate him."
*Loulan? Gakkotsu?* Shindai felt like he'd heard those names before… but couldn't quite place them.
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