Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!

The discussions in the room had quieted, though a few curious glances still lingered on the newcomers.

"Hello everyone, I'm the Squad Leader of the Maple Squad, and these are my three team members. I hope we can work together in the future."

Minato raised his right hand and gestured toward Yahiko and the others, greeting everyone warmly. The name "Maple" had been assigned by Sakumo, who wanted to prevent Minato from coming up with a code name that might tarnish the Anbu's reputation.

The group responded, some more quickly than others, but Minato's enthusiasm was unmistakable.

"Um, excuse me, are there any members of original hunting squad? I'm the new squad leader."

Nawaki stepped forward, holding the papers he had received earlier. He hadn't yet identified his team members.

"Then you're in a bit of trouble," someone commented. "They're waiting in Training Area 1."

An Anbu laughed, the tone carrying a slight air of showing off. There were still plenty of people who doubted Nawaki's capabilities.

"Thanks, I'll go find them," Nawaki replied without hesitation. "From now on, it'll be called the Fire Squad."

He waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the others' attitudes, and walked out the door. If he couldn't manage three Anbu members, he knew Minato would never let him hear the end of it.

"Let's go. We'll check it out too," Minato said, leading Yahiko and the others to follow Nawaki.

The rest of the Anbu trailed behind, not assigned to any mission but eager to see how things would unfold.

Nawaki, guided by the group of onlookers, arrived at Training Hall 1. Inside, three masked ninja were chatting casually. One of them crouched on a wooden stake, while the other two stood on either side.

"Here they come."

The person crouching on the stake was the first to notice Nawaki leading the group toward them. He jumped down and stood alongside the other two.

"Are you the members of the hunting squad?"

Nawaki walked up slowly, stopping about a meter away from the trio. At almost fifteen, he had already reached the height of an average adult, and the mask concealed the lingering traces of youth on his face. After the Second Shinobi World War, his voice carried an oppressive weight that left an impression.

"Yes," the three responded in unison. Nawaki noted their respectful tone and was pleased with their attitude.

"From today, I will be your new leader," he declared. "From now on, our squad will be called the Fire Squad. Any questions?"

Nawaki had no intention of keeping the previous leader's name for the squad. "Fire" represented his clan and carried the legacy of the three Hokages, a name without rival in his eyes.

The three Anbu, hearing that the first thing Nawaki did was rename the squad, didn't show anger, but it clearly stirred complex emotions. To them, it was an honor.

The Anbu on the far right nudged the one in the middle with his elbow, a gesture that spoke volumes without words.

"You are the squad leader assigned by the higher-ups," the middle ninja said, his tone calm and measured. "So if you say you want to change the name, naturally, there's no problem. But we hope you have the qualifications."

As he spoke, the Anbu straightened his chest, a subtle but deliberate challenge.

"It's on."

"Shishi's temper is still as fiery as ever," murmured some of the Anbu watching from the sidelines.

"Oh?" Nawaki's voice carried a slight edge. "And how do I qualify?"

A smile played at the corner of his mouth, hidden beneath the mask. He knew all too well that refusing such a challenge would mark him unfit to survive in the Anbu.

"I want to compete with you. If you win, you will naturally be qualified to lead us."

Shishi stepped forward. Among the three, he was the strongest, surpassing even their former squad leader.

"I do not accept your challenge," Nawaki replied firmly, his resolute refusal met with a chorus of boos.

"What? The younger brother of the Hokage, and he's scared to fight?"

"Is this what Lord Orochimaru's disciples amount to?"

"I heard he led a team into the Land of Earth during the Second Shinobi World War, but that's probably just exaggeration."

The voices of the Anbu spectators grew louder, shedding any pretense of subtlety. Nawaki could hear their mocking remarks clearly.

"Why didn't Brother Nawaki accept it?" Konan asked, her voice tinged with frustration on his behalf.

"Keep watching. Nawaki will surprise them," Minato replied from under his mask, his tone carrying an amused confidence.

Reassured, Konan turned back to watch Nawaki.

"Are you afraid?" Shishi pressed, taking another step forward. He hadn't expected Nawaki to refuse in front of such an audience. The thought of challenging Nawaki's authority outright had already begun to form in his mind. If this was their team leader, they would undoubtedly become a laughingstock.

"Afraid?" Nawaki repeated. "No, I think you've misunderstood."

He shook his head slowly before adding, "Hurry, you all attack me together."

Confidence radiated from Nawaki as he spoke, his entire presence exuding dominance. Either he wouldn't fight at all, or he would fight decisively and with authority.

"What? He wants to take on all three of them?"

"Even if he's strong, that's just arrogance!"

...

The onlookers were taken aback. It was no small feat to challenge three seasoned Anbu members. Anbu Ninjas were at least at the level of Special Jōnin, far superior to the Root members once trained under Danzo.

Shishi alone possessed the strength of a Jōnin, while the other two were one Jōnin and one Special Jōnin. Their years of working together had honed their teamwork to a level far beyond ordinary Jōnin teams, making them a force to be reckoned with. The strength of their unit, the Hunting Squad, was among the top-ranked in all of Anbu.

"See?" Minato observed calmly, knowing Nawaki's nature well.

"Brother Nawaki is so cool," Konan said, her eyes sparkling with admiration. She was completely awestruck by her senior.

"What's so cool about it? When I'm his age, I'll be able to do that too," Yahiko grumbled, jealousy bubbling beneath his words, while Nagato remained quiet, watching intently. In his heart, he silently rooted for Nawaki.

"What did you say? Are you sure?" Shishi's voice rose in disbelief, and then anger took hold. Nawaki's words had clearly dismissed the trio, infuriating him.

"Come on, don't waste any more time," Nawaki said, gesturing dismissively with his hand. The contempt in his tone was unmistakable. Disrupting an enemy's mindset was a tactic his brother-in-law had instilled in him.

"Then don't blame us for being rude. Let's go!" Shishi growled, his teeth clenched. His teammates moved to stand beside him, their resolve clear. They would show this newly assigned squad leader the strength of the Hunting Squad.

In perfect unison, the three drew their standard-issue knives from their backs.

Nawaki made no move, silently rising into the air as if gravity itself had relinquished its hold on him. Within moments, he was floating mid-air, demonstrating his mastery of the Light-Weight Rock Technique.

"Holy shit, he can fly?"

"What kind of Ninjutsu is this?"

"Did you see him form any hand seals?"

...

Flying ninjas were an extreme rarity in the entire ninja world, making Nawaki's display even more astonishing to the Anbu present. Their shock was compounded by the fact that he hadn't formed any hand seals to achieve it.

"A bunch of uneducated idiots," Konan muttered mockingly, her voice low to avoid being overheard.

"Why don't you speak louder?" Minato teased, glancing at his little junior sister with a smile.

"I was afraid I'd get you in trouble!" Konan quipped back quickly, her sharp wit establishing her innocence.

"Then I have to thank you," Minato said, shaking his head slightly, a bit exasperated by her antics.

"You're welcome," she replied with a straight face.

"Haha."

Minato couldn't hold back his laughter at her response, her earnest delivery making it even funnier.

Their relaxed attitude toward the situation stemmed from their unwavering trust in Nawaki's strength. For them, this was not a competition to worry about but a performance they knew would end in Nawaki's favor.