Takao saw Hiruzen's reaction. He wanted to know what Hokage-sama was thinking that surprised him so much?
Hiruzen thought to himself.
"No wonder Feng Zheng hasn't performed any missions for so long. He hasn't joined any team. According to Genshu, Feng Zheng has always been a lone wolf and doesn't socialize much. Renjiro also said the same thing, stating that Feng Zheng prefers to act alone."
"So Feng Zheng has no contact with anyone else besides his small group of friends. And most of these friends are still in their Genin teams or school. Besides his school teachers, he doesn't have much opportunity to interact with other Chunin."
"And since he's an orphan, no one arranged for him to be in a team. His teammates are all from big clans, arranged into teams by their families, so he has no one to team up with."
Hiruzen said.
"Takao, go call Sarutobi Tamotsu to my office."
Takao nodded and left the office.
Hiruzen sighed, thinking to himself.
"Renjiro didn't teach that kid social skills! And Feng Zheng doesn't even take the initiative to approach others. If he went to the Mission Center a few more times and let others know about his Wind Release abilities, many teams would surely invite him. Even if no one invited him, he could at least improve his leadership skills by completing Rank C missions. Instead, he chose not to do any missions."
Hiruzen analyzed a few more things. Finally, he decided.
"I need to continue checking on Feng Zheng's progress every month. Although his talent isn't as good as Minato or Orochimaru, he's still very good. It would be a waste if he lost interest by not doing any missions and only training."
Back to the present --
Hatake Ryota brought Feng Zheng to the barbecue restaurant.
Feng Zheng asked.
"Aren't we going to the Mission Center?"
Ryota replied.
"Not yet. We'll meet up with the team first, and tomorrow we'll officially accept the mission."
Feng Zheng didn't know what Ryota was planning. But he followed him inside.
Ryota led him to a table where three other people and a dog were sitting.
Feng Zheng observed them. One of them was dressed very formally. Feng Zheng noticed some insects buzzing around him. Feng Zheng concluded he was from the Aburame Clan.
Another was clearly from the Inuzuka Clan. He also looked to be in his teens. A large, fierce-looking dog lay behind him.
The dog noticed Feng Zheng's gaze and glared back at him.
The last person looked to be in his twenties. He had a large burn scar on his face and multiple scars on his arms. Among the four members of this team, his Chakra was the highest.
The scar-faced man looked at Feng Zheng and smiled. He said.
"So you're Feng Zheng. I've heard many good things about you. Come, sit down."
Feng Zheng sat down and said.
"Hmm, I wonder who spoke of me."
He laughed.
"It was Hokage-sama."
Feng Zheng thought with suspicion.
"Hmm... what exactly does that old fox want?"
The scar-faced man continued.
"Let's properly introduce ourselves. I am Sarutobi Tamotsu, an Elite Chunin, and the leader of this team. I specialize in Fire Release Ninjutsu."
The other members of the group began to introduce themselves.
Ryota said.
"I introduced myself before. I am Hatake Ryota, a Chunin. My specialty is Earth Release."
The man sitting with the dog said.
"I am Inuzuka Zheng, and this is my partner Kenta. I am also a Chunin, responsible for reconnaissance, tracking, and sniffing out danger. I specialize in Taijutsu and can use some Fire Release."
Kenta barked at Feng Zheng as if to greet him.
The last member was very quiet and spoke in a calm tone.
"I am Aburame Katsumi. I am a Chunin, responsible for reconnaissance, tracking, and trapping enemies. I can use some Water Release."
Feng Zheng listened carefully, remembering their specialties.
Sarutobi Tamotsu said.
"Our team lacks burst power, so we wanted to find someone skilled in Wind Release. That way, we could use Fire-Wind combination Ninjutsu. Unfortunately, Ninja who control Wind Release are rare in Konoha. So, when Hokage-sama recommended you, I agreed. So, Feng Zheng, would you like to join our team?"
Feng Zheng was a little surprised. He casually asked.
"Can I refuse?"
Sarutobi Tamotsu laughed.
"Of course you can. I can't force you to follow us, hahaha."
Feng Zheng nodded and asked.
"Can you tell me how this team operates? For example, how many missions have you done. What are your team's rules or customs? I haven't joined any team before, so I don't know much about these."
Sarutobi Tamotsu replied.
"Feng Zheng, you don't need to worry too much. We're very casual, without any strict rules. The most important thing is to give your all and maintain good teamwork. Also, never abandon a teammate. If you're found to be slacking or putting teammates in danger, then we won't let you stay on the team anymore. Of course, this also applies to the rest of us."
Feng Zheng nodded. What Sarutobi Tamotsu said were basic principles.
Sarutobi Tamotsu continued.
"As for missions, we only do Rank B missions. We'll accept missions continuously, with a few days of rest in between depending on the fatigue after the mission. The reward money is split equally among all team members."
"When you become a member of the team, all your Rank B missions will be performed with us. Only if we are resting for a long time can you perform missions with other teams. I don't recommend wasting time on Rank C or Rank D missions, but if you wish, you can complete those on your own during rest days."
"The only exceptions are if Hokage-sama assigns you a solo mission or if you are invited to a Rank A Mission. In such cases, those missions take priority."
Feng Zheng thought for a moment and said.
"That's very reasonable."
Sarutobi Tamotsu asked.
"So, do you want to join our team, Feng Zheng?"
Feng Zheng replied.
"Of course. I'd be happy to be a part of your team."
He sighed and continued.
"Besides, I haven't received any missions for three months, so I don't have much choice."
Upon hearing Feng Zheng's words, the expressions of Ryota, Katsumi, and Inuzuka Zheng became strange. Sarutobi Tamotsu had an idea. He said.
"Feng Zheng, you know that you need to form a team and then go to the Mission Center to accept missions, right?"
Feng Zheng looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He asked.
"What do you mean?"
He said.
"Only by forming a team and going to the Mission Center can you accept missions."
Feng Zheng was surprised. He thought.
"What's going on? I remember Hiruzen and Tsunade sending people to notify me when assigning missions. I thought the Mission Center was responsible for forming teams."
He asked.
"Are you sure?"
Sarutobi Tamotsu replied.
"Yes. You'll only be summoned when Hokage-sama assigns you a special mission. And usually, only Elite Jonin receive such missions."
Feng Zheng was stunned. He cursed in his mind.
"Damn it! No wonder I haven't received any missions for so long!"
Feng Zheng's new team was amused by his expression. Sarutobi Tamotsu didn't want Feng Zheng to feel embarrassed on his first day. He said.
"Feng Zheng, introduce yourself."
Feng Zheng sighed again and said.
"I am Suzuki Kazemasa. I specialize in Wind Release and am also a Sensor Ninja, so I can provide some assistance to Inuzuka Zheng and Aburame Katsumi."
Sarutobi Tamotsu said.
"Good. Also, Feng Zheng, don't be formal with us. Just call us by our names."
Feng Zheng nodded and said.
"Okay."
At this moment, a waiter came in with the meat. Sarutobi Tamotsu said.
"Let's celebrate the addition of our new member!"
The group began to eat while chatting.
At some point, Feng Zheng asked.
"Tamotsu, how did you become an Elite Chunin? Is there an Elite Chunin Exam similar to the Chunin Exams?"
Sarutobi Tamotsu said.
"No, there's no exam. You earn that rank by doing missions. The missions you complete are analyzed by the Village. When they are satisfied with your performance, they promote you to Elite Chunin."
Feng Zheng was surprised. He asked.
"What performance do they base their decision on?"
Sarutobi Tamotsu replied.
"Well, the basic requirements are your strength and overall ability. If you have obvious weaknesses, you won't be promoted to Elite Chunin. Once you meet these requirements, they'll check your mission records."
"Regarding missions, there's no fixed standard, so I can't comment on what performance they'll check here. However, it's safe to say that you need to complete at least 50 Rank B missions."
Feng Zheng thought for a moment and said.
"Okay, thank you."
Sarutobi Tamotsu laughed.
"You're welcome. There are a few other things you need to know about Elite Chunin. Other Villages aren't as strict as Konoha when promoting to Jonin. So, most of Konoha's Elite Chunin can contend with Jonin from other Villages. So don't expect to be promoted quickly."
"Also, if you want to be promoted to Jonin or Special Jonin level, you first need to become an Elite Chunin. Otherwise, you won't be considered for Jonin promotion."
Feng Zheng nodded. He had already anticipated this. After eating, Sarutobi Tamotsu said.
"We've accepted a mission. Tomorrow we will escort a noble from the Land of Rice Fields back to his country. We'll gather at the gate at 11 AM, bringing enough supplies for several months."
Feng Zheng and the others nodded and then left. After leaving, Feng Zheng walked back to the Training Grounds.