Analyzing the Ninja World Starting from Konoha

Chapter 202 The Captain of the Shadow Guard

Hokage Building, Hokage's Office.

Aoba entered the office after being informed by the Anbu. He immediately saw a mountain of documents and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who was engrossed in his work.

Next to it, in a previously empty spot, was a table, also covered with numerous documents, and sitting there was none other than the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"The fourth generation, the third generation."

Aoba greeted him respectfully.

Minato looked up from the pile of documents, saw Aoba, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Aoba, you're here. What can I do for you?"

Aoba didn't stand on ceremony. He simply recounted his promise to help the lizard clan find a safer and more suitable new habitat after the war.

After hearing this, Minato paused slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised.

He turned and exchanged a glance with the Third Generation.

The third generation nodded slightly.

Aoba noticed the subtle exchange of glances and his heart skipped a beat.

Could something have gone wrong?

"Don't be nervous, Aoba."

Minato noticed Aoba's doubts and waved his hand with a smile, "Since it's something you've already promised, and summoning beasts are important partners for ninjas, this is indeed something you should do."

"I'm just a little surprised, because even if you hadn't come to see me today, I was planning to come to see you in a few days anyway."

"Um?"

Minato stood up, walked to Aoba, and looked at him seriously.

"Aoba, I intend to appoint you as the captain of the Hokage's direct Kageshield."

Upon hearing this, Qingye froze on the spot, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Shadow Guard Captain?

To be honest, he had guessed before that Minato would definitely arrange a position for him after taking office.

He also considered various possibilities, such as the captain of the secret service, the head of a department, or even the minister of intelligence.

But what he never expected was that Minato would give him the position of the Shadow Guard Captain!

Don't be fooled by the name "Shadow Guard"—it might sound like they're just bodyguards following the Hokage around, which sounds rather low-class.

But in reality, this position is incredibly valuable!

The captain of the Shadow Guard is "Shadow's" absolute confidant and the person "Shadow" trusts the most!

For a specific example, when the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, convened the first Five Kage Summit, the person standing behind him was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

In the original timeline, after each generation of Hokage abdicated, the successor was basically the person standing behind them.

In other words, Minato entrusting him with this position was not just a matter of valuing him; it was practically grooming him to be the next Hokage!

"Lord Fourth Generation, this—"

Aoba opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"It's alright, there's no rush."

Minato interrupted him with a smile, "You can go and fulfill your promise to the summoning beast first, and then officially take office after you return to the village."

Aoba took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.

"Thank you for your high regard, Fourth Hokage! I will definitely return as soon as possible!"

Minato smiled and nodded, then readily signed his name on the pass and stamped it with the Hokage's seal.

The next day, on Hokage Cliff.

Minato Namikaze stood on the edge of the cliff, his white divine robe fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. He wasn't wearing the Hokage hat, and his short golden hair shimmered softly in the sunlight.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Minato turned around and smiled.

-

"The view from here is indeed quite different from the view from below."

Aoba walked to Minato's side and followed his gaze to the vibrant streets of Konoha below.

Minato turned his head and looked at Aoba, who had changed into light clothing, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Are we about to leave?"

"Yeah, go early and come back early."

Aoba shrugged, her tone relaxed.

Minato's smile faded, and his expression became more serious.

"Aoba, although the Third Shinobi World War is nominally over, the shinobi world is not at peace right now."

Minato cautioned, "Although there has been a ceasefire between the major powers, border skirmishes and conflicts between smaller nations continue. You must be extra careful about your safety this time you go out."

"Especially now, your status is different. As an elite Jonin of Konoha, your every move is easily over-interpreted by other ninja villages. Therefore, try not to get involved in the affairs of other countries, especially political disputes."

Qingye's expression turned slightly serious, and he nodded earnestly.

"I understand, Fourth Generation Lord."

After giving these instructions, Minato's expression suddenly relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips, as if he had thought of something.

"By the way, Aoba, since you're the captain of the Shadow Guard, do you have any suggestions regarding the selection of your subordinates?"

Upon hearing this, Aoba was stunned.

He originally thought that Minato was just informing him of the appointment, but he didn't expect that he would even be consulted on the personnel allocation.

This trust truly surprised him.

You could even say it was touching.

The selection of members of the Shadow Guard has always been decided by the Hokage himself, as it concerns the Hokage's absolute safety.

However, Minato directly handed over this power, or rather the power to make recommendations, to him, the captain who had not yet officially taken office.

Aoba quickly went through the list of Konoha's younger generation of ninjas in his mind, and after careful consideration...

He still recommended Genma Shiranui, Raido Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatsubo from the original timeline to Minato.

Upon hearing these three names, Minato paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Oh? Why the three of them?"

Minato was somewhat curious.

He originally thought Aoba would recommend Kakashi or Guy, but unexpectedly, he recommended these three.

Because these three people happened to be on his own shortlist.

But what intrigued him even more was that, as far as he knew, Aoba and these three people had almost no contact after graduation, except for their interactions during their time at the Ninja Academy.

He almost forgot that Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiya were actually in the same class as Aoba.

"Those three may not be the most talented ninjas."

Aoba pushed up his glasses, his tone calm and resolute.

"But they are the most suitable."

"Genma is calm and collected, meticulous in his work, and a natural-born protector-type ninja. Raido may not talk much, but I witnessed his loyalty and execution ability back in the Ninja Academy. As for Iwashi, he may seem unremarkable, but he is meticulous and cautious, which can make up for the shortcomings of the former two in intelligence gathering."

"Three people with complementary personalities and abilities are the safest choice to work together."

After listening, Minato nodded thoughtfully.

He then became interested: "You mentioned the most talented, so who do you think is the most talented among the younger generation of Konoha?"

Without hesitation, Aoba gave a thumbs-up, pointed to himself, and said matter-of-factly, "Is there even a question? Of course it's me."

Minato was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Aoba, you really have no modesty at all!"

Minato shook his head with a smile: "But to be honest, if you hadn't brought it up yourself, I would have almost forgotten that you were actually a graduate of the same year as Genma and Raito."

""

Aoba's current strength and status make it easy for people to overlook his age.

After laughing, Minato continued with interest, "And below you? Who ranks among them?"

"Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi."

Aoba gave out three names without hesitation.

"Oh? Since those three are so outstanding, why don't you recommend them to join the Shadow Guard?"

"The talents of the three of them are beyond doubt."

Aoba calmly analyzed, "However, they also have significant problems now."

"Kai's personality is too unconventional. He has enormous potential in the Eight Gates, but precisely because of this, he needs a lot of training day after day to break through his limits. His potential will be realized in the future, not now. Making him a Shadow Guardian would only hinder his growth."

"Asuma has been overprotected since childhood because of his father's influence. He is currently going through a rebellious phase and is eager to prove that he is not just relying on his father's protection, but he can't find his direction. What he needs is not a safe place, but a profound experience to truly understand what he wants to protect."

"As for Kakashi—"

At this point, Qingye's tone turned serious.

Minato's expression also turned serious.

"His problem is the most serious! Ever since what happened with Obito and Rin, Kakashi's behavior has been very strange."

"He completely shut himself off, refusing to communicate with anyone, even—"

Aoba paused for a moment, then said, "I heard he's been reading some very negative books lately, and his mental health is not good. Making him a member of the Shadow Guard at this time is not only torture for him, but also irresponsible towards the safety of the Hokage."

After listening to Aoba's analysis, Minato remained silent for a long time.

As a teacher, he failed to protect Obito and Rin, and now that Kakashi has become like this, he bears an unshirkable responsibility.

"You're right, Aoba."

Minato took a deep breath, his eyes hardening again. "I will handle Kakashi's matter personally. I will not watch him continue to sink like this."

Seeing that Minato had taken this matter to heart, Aoba breathed a sigh of relief.

After saying that, Minato reached into his robes and took out a sealing scroll and a uniquely shaped three-pronged kunai.

There were a few distinctive small characters printed on the handle of the kunai.

That was Minato's Flying Thunder God mark.

Aoba froze, his gaze fixed on the scroll in Minato's hand.

"This is----"

"This is a ninjutsu scroll of the Flying Thunder God Technique, which also contains some of my insights and experiences from years of practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Minato looked at Aoba with a gentle and sincere smile. "Your chakra control is extremely strong, and your nerve reaction speed is also quite good. I think you might have the talent to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Aoba's heart skipped a beat.

Flying Thunder God Technique!

Aoba knew very well what it meant that Minato had taught him this technique.

Aoba took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in her heart.