The last fleeing Iwa ninja was filled with shock and fury.
"Those three brats weren't ordinary brats! They were clearly just rookies sent to the battlefield not long ago, yet they were this terrifying... If those three were allowed to grow, would they become another Sannin?!"
The Iwa ninja raged helplessly. Unfortunately, his squad had been nearly wiped out, and he would never again have the chance to kill those three genius brats.
More importantly...
"There's something wrong with my body too. It seems to have been disturbed by something. There's an almost imperceptible sluggishness in both the refinement and circulation of my Chakra..."
Unfortunately, he would never have the chance to uncover the truth.
A massive swarm of insects burst through the ground. No one knew how long they had lurked underground, but now they finally surged out and tore the Iwa ninja to pieces.
"These are Kikaichū... Could you be..."
The last Iwa ninja did not even leave behind a corpse. His clothes and bones were devoured completely.
Aburame Shibi returned in secret.
"This man's body was also filled with that toxin... What kind of poison is it, and when was it administered...?"
Aburame Shibi adjusted his sunglasses, growing increasingly interested in Genitsu.
Was the poison administered through the air? In that respect, it was very similar to that man known as the demigod.
What an extraordinary rookie. If he could grow... Shibi scarcely dared imagine Genitsu's future.
"Teacher Shibi, you finally came back. Even if you wanted these guys to serve as practice for us, weren't you a little too confident in us...?"
Genitsu shrugged helplessly.
Ten Iwa ninja who had seen blood came at them right from the start, and half of them were chunin.
If it had been another rookie squad, with their jonin leader absent, they would basically have been wiped out. Only Kakashi's team might have barely managed to protect themselves.
"Killing the enemy jonin took me some time. Besides, my insects had long been lying in wait underground, ready to support you at any moment. I simply did not expect you to be this outstanding."
Shibi spoke in a deep voice. Though his tone was calm, it was full of praise.
On their first time in battle, they had met the enemy head-on with overwhelming strength and crushed them. Such a team truly inspired anticipation.
Umino Kawamiya laughed heartily and heavily slapped Genitsu on the shoulder.
"Ha ha ha, kid, you're more capable than expected. You'll become a genius like Kakashi!"
"Kawamiya, there you go again. That rotten mouth of yours always causes trouble..."
The group set off once more and arrived at the border outpost half a day later.
This was Konoha's main base on the western front, bordering Amegakure and tasked with resisting the Iwa ninja and Suna ninja. Its current supreme commander was Tsunade.
After handing over all the supply-filled scrolls to the western camp, Shibi brought the three of them to meet an old friend.
Minato Namikaze.
"Shibi, it's been a long time. I never expected you to have become a jonin squad leader already."
Minato was an exceptionally sunny person with tremendous charisma. Coupled with his formidable strength, it was no wonder a man like him drew so much attention.
"Yes, I've taken on three highly gifted youngsters... But you, you were clashing with the A-B Brothers in the east not long ago, and now you've hurried over to the western front. Is that really all right?"
"There's no helping it. Lord Orochimaru is recuperating in the village right now, and he'll return to the western front after a while... When it comes to dealing with the Iwa ninja and Suna ninja, Lord Orochimaru is still more adept at it."
Minato scratched his blond hair in distress.
Jiraiya was on the eastern front, watching Kumogakure while commanding the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha against those from Kirigakure who had crossed the sea to make landfall, so he could not be moved lightly.
As for Tsunade, though she was nominally the commander of the western front, her hemophobia meant she could only prepare medicines in the rear and could not fight on the front lines.
Naturally, Minato, a newly advanced Kage-level ninja, had become the backbone of the western front's combat strength.
For a young man of twenty, shouldering the banner of the western front was still somewhat difficult, but it was a step he had to take—learning how to command.
Fortunately, Minato's talent was terrifying, and his ability to learn was downright absurd. He was becoming increasingly proficient at command and leadership.
At that moment, Minato looked at Shibi with some envy. Personally nurturing outstanding juniors really was not a bad assignment...
"Are you Shibi's subordinates? Do your best. Shibi is a very well-rounded ninja. If you study seriously under him, you'll definitely grow a great deal..."
After offering Genitsu's group a few words of encouragement, Minato immediately pulled Shibi away. The two murmured to each other, presumably discussing the war.
"It looks like the fighting here isn't as intense as it is in the east..."
After leaving the tent, Kazue remarked casually.
In the east, the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha, the two great dojutsu clans, were the main force against Kirigakure. Naturally, Kazue had heard her clansmen talk about the situation on the eastern front.
On top of that, the militarily powerful Kumogakure had been the most aggressive village during the early stages of the Third Great Ninja War. They had sent their jinchuriki directly onto the battlefield, once making the eastern front the fiercest battleground.
Now, Kumogakure had temporarily settled down, while the west remained locked in a stalemate.
Konoha, the Iwa ninja, and the Suna ninja were all fighting chaotically in the Land of Rain, battering it into a complete mess. The three ninja villages themselves had not suffered direct damage, however. The three sides remained deadlocked within the Land of Rain, wearing each other down.
"Don't let your guard down too much, Kazue. The western front might become the place that changes the course of the ninja world..."
Genitsu said with a smile as he organized his equipment.
Naturally, Kazue did not believe him.
But Genitsu knew very well.
The war on the western front had always been a longstanding problem. It was like cutting flesh with a dull blade—given enough time, it hurt terribly. This was also Konoha's greatest predicament throughout the Third Great Ninja War.
The Battle of Kikyō Pass that erupted near the end of the war had come about because Konoha had nearly been pushed all the way back to its village gates by the Iwa ninja and Suna ninja.
If not for Orochimaru's reliability and Minato and his three subordinates performing beyond all expectations, the outcome would truly have been hard to predict.
More importantly...
"Is that the Land of Rain? What a sorrowful country. It cries every single day..."
Genitsu looked westward at this country where a fine drizzle fell without end.
"A country like this really is perfect for growing rice..."
Genitsu suddenly sighed with emotion.
"???"
Kazue and Might Guy were both utterly bewildered.
They had initially thought Genitsu, who dreamed of world peace, was grieving for this country trapped in endless war.
Why had he suddenly begun talking about rice for no apparent reason...?
"...Genitsu-san really has a peculiar perspective on things..."
Kazue and Might Guy exchanged glances.
But Genitsu merely narrowed his eyes and smiled at the tearful Land of Rain.
Yahiko was still alive at this point, right? Danzo probably had not yet colluded with Hanzo to strike at Akatsuki.
Yahiko, a pitiful and impractical idealist...
Before you continue