He died... from physical collapse?
Was Chiba's condition really that serious?
All this time, had Chiba been living every day and night under the threat of death?
Minato Namikaze's rigid face turned slightly pale, with a trace of disbelief. Yet in his heart, towering waves had already risen. At this moment, even the Golden Flash, who had faced thousands upon thousands of enemies and single-handedly turned the tide for Konoha in the Third Shinobi World War, the man who could make enemy nations abandon their missions of their own accord, felt his heartbeat quicken with fear.
Did Chiba know that he did not have much time left? Was that why he had asked to become the commander of this operation?
Was he... trying to give the village, to give me, one last helping hand?
As his heartbeat accelerated, however, an inexplicably bitter emotion welled up in Minato Namikaze's heart.
From what he knew of Chiba, this "Traitor's Son," who had endured the cold stares of others from the day he was born and appeared to have always done things his own way, cared more than anyone about the village and his companions.
At only eleven years old, he had already earned the recognition of two Hokage and been named an absolute candidate for Hokage. That had never happened before in Konoha's history.
And earning the recognition of two Hokage and becoming an absolute candidate for Hokage was not merely because Chiba was strong in battle or extraordinarily gifted. His thinking ability, conduct, grasp of the greater situation, state of mind, and countless other qualities all had to meet rigorous standards. Otherwise, no matter how strong he was, he would only be a ninja—not the protector of tens of thousands of ninja, and the hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens