Hui had previously arranged a meeting with Minato, and early the next morning, he made his way toward the training ground where the Seventh Squad was assigned.
The early morning mist was still rising from the dewy grass as he approached. Birds chirped in the distance, and the first rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden streaks on the path. The soft rustling of the trees accompanied his footsteps as he moved through the forest trail.
Before long, the faint sound of energetic chatter reached Hui's ears.
"Obito! You're always late! What took you so long this time?!" Rin Nohara's voice, filled with exasperation, rang out clearly through the morning air.
"I got caught up helping an old lady! I couldn't just ignore her, Rin!" Obito Uchiha's indignant protest came right after, tinged with a hint of embarrassment.
"You liar," Kakashi Hatake said flatly. "You overslept. Again."
"Shut up, Kakashi! You don't know what happened!" Obito snapped.
The voices grew louder as Hui reached the clearing. The Seventh Squad had already gathered. Kakashi stood stoically with arms folded, his expression as stern as always. Rin was in the middle, half turned toward Obito, who had just arrived and was clearly flustered.
Minato Namikaze stood off to the side, his blond hair gleaming under the sunlight, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hui, you're here," Minato greeted, raising a hand casually.
"Morning," Hui nodded, stepping into the clearing. His gaze passed over the trio.
This was the legendary team: Kakashi Hatake, the genius prodigy; Obito Uchiha, whose future was clouded in darkness; and Rin Nohara, gentle yet determined. They were young now, full of promise and untouched by the tragedies the future held.
Hui couldn't help but feel a strange sense of irony seeing them together.
Rin was already moving to greet him. "Are you Minato-sensei's friend? Nice to meet you!"
Obito tilted his head. "Wait… are you the guy who's been training with Minato-sensei lately? The one who developed that strange taijutsu style?"
Hui simply nodded. "That's me."
Obito's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can you teach me?! That technique you used during the last mission—Minato-sensei told us about it!"
Minato chuckled softly. "He hasn't stopped talking about it since."
Kakashi, however, remained silent, his gaze focused on Hui. He could feel something unique about Hui's presence—a calm confidence, but also a strange depth. It was like standing near a calm river that could turn into a raging waterfall at any moment.
"I'm not here to show off techniques," Hui said calmly. "But I do have something to teach you all—if you're serious."
Rin looked curious. "What kind of training?"
"Chakra control," Hui replied. "All three of you have potential, but you're still wasting a lot of chakra in combat. I'm going to help you refine it. It'll make everything you do more effective—from ninjutsu to genjutsu, and even medical ninjutsu."
At the mention of medical ninjutsu, Rin's eyes lit up. "Really? You can teach that too?"
Hui nodded. "I've studied it deeply. You already have the aptitude, but your chakra output needs refinement."
Obito groaned. "Ugh… chakra control training? Isn't that tree-walking and water-walking stuff?"
Kakashi scoffed. "No wonder you're always falling behind."
"What did you say, you—?!"
Minato clapped his hands. "Alright, settle down. Hui's here to help. Let's listen to what he has to say."
With a reluctant huff, Obito quieted down. Kakashi remained impassive, while Rin stood ready, eager to learn.
Hui took a step forward and pointed toward a nearby tree.
"All of you will climb this tree using only your chakra. No hands. Just feet."
Obito's jaw dropped. "We've already done this before!"
"Then you should have no problem doing it again—flawlessly," Hui replied coolly.
Rin stepped forward first. With practiced ease, she ran up the tree trunk, chakra flowing smoothly through her soles. She made it halfway up before slipping slightly, catching herself, and leaping off gracefully.
"Good, but still a little chakra loss near the midpoint," Hui observed.
Kakashi went next. As expected, he ran up the tree and stood calmly on a branch, arms crossed.
"Perfect," Hui said, nodding. "You're efficient, but don't get arrogant."
Obito groaned but moved toward the tree anyway.
Halfway up, he slipped and fell flat on his back.
"Ow…"
"Still wasting too much chakra at once," Hui said. "You need to focus."
Obito grumbled but got back up, trying again.
For the next hour, Hui monitored their training, offering corrections, advice, and guidance. He was patient with Rin, direct with Kakashi, and unrelentingly firm with Obito.
Eventually, Minato stepped beside him. "You're a good teacher."
Hui shrugged. "I'm only showing them the path. Walking it is up to them."
"Still," Minato said, "thank you. They need more than just jutsu—they need guidance. And I trust you with that."
Hui turned slightly, looking toward Obito, who was now climbing the tree with determination.
"He reminds me of someone," Hui muttered.
Minato raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Hui didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the sky, eyes narrowing slightly.
This world is full of paths that could have gone differently. Let's see if I can help at least one take the right one.