Yin Release - Sun-Chasing Fierce Wolf!

"Thirty kilometers ahead, a team of Stone Hidden Ninja is rapidly approaching. At least three of them have chakra levels reaching the Jonin stage, with about thirty more at the Chunin and Genin levels."

On top of Kannabi Bridge.

Namikaze Minato placed his fingers on the ground and said with his eyes closed.

Chakra Sensing Technique.

The Flying Thunder God Technique is an extremely complex jutsu, far more difficult to learn than a typical S-rank ninjutsu.

If Minato had spent the time he used to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique on developing a Kekkei Genkai, he might have developed one.

However, this would be putting the cart before the horse; the Flying Thunder God Technique is far more powerful than most Kekkei Genkai.

The prerequisite for learning the Flying Thunder God Technique is a powerful Sensory Ability.

Minato didn't have the authority to teach the Flying Thunder God Technique, but he did teach Kagami Uchiha the Chakra Sensing Technique.

Kagami Uchiha's current sensing limit is ten kilometers, far inferior to Namikaze Minato's.

This is talent.

"It seems the news of Lord Orochimaru's attack on the Land of Wind has spread." Minato's expression was solemn. "I wonder how the battle is going on his end."

"Don't worry, Minato. Lord Orochimaru can handle it," said a masked man wearing sunglasses from within the team.

Aburame Shibi.

This time, besides Minato, Kagami, and Fugaku, there were four other Leaf Jonin, plus Xuanhuo, who possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

They were Aburame Shibi, Akimichi Choji, Nara Suzaku, and Yamanaka Inoichi.

Nara Shikaku was serving as the overall commander on the eastern front; otherwise, the contemporary Ino-Shika-Cho would have been assembled.

It could be said that, apart from Xuanhuo, everyone present had a deep relationship with Minato, and they had voluntarily joined this dangerous mission.

The Third Shinobi War had just begun, and half of the village's core strength had been charmed by Minato. It would be a miracle if Orochimaru's Jonin trust vote could win.

"Only thirty kilometers left, they'll appear soon. How should we deal with them?" Fugaku asked, crossing his arms.

"Should we negotiate?" Nara Suzaku spoke up. He had been handling all the communication with ninjas they encountered along the way.

Though not as intelligent as Nara Shikaku, his specialty was diplomacy.

Minato frowned slightly and looked at Kagami Uchiha.

As if telepathically connected, they exchanged a knowing smile.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Kagami."

"Oh."

Kagami Uchiha dashed out with a Shunshin, his voice carrying back, "Xuanhuo, keep up."

"Understood!"

Watching the two figures sprint away, Fugaku looked at Minato, puzzled.

"Did you just give any orders?"

This eight-person team had no clear captain, but everyone defaulted to Minato's leadership; only he could connect them all.

Minato's eyes lost their warmth, a hint of coldness appearing.

"At this point in time, a Rock Village team like this can only be their vanguard scouting the Leaf Village's battlefield."

"We must annihilate them. Perhaps it will buy me a little more time."

Hesitating for a moment, Chojiro Akimichi still asked, "Is it possible... they're on another mission?"

"Even if that's the case."

Minato said indifferently, "We still can't let them pass."

"The Western Front's defenses are currently empty, that's a fact. We can't let them confirm this information."

"At the very least, we have to keep the main battlefield here and not let it spill into the Land of Fire."

Unlike when they carried out missions together normally, Minato was somewhat emotional back then.

But now it was war.

The Sand Village had already declared war on the Leaf Village!

Orochimaru, Hiruzen, and Minato, the three of them shared the same goal.

That was to end the war in the Land of Wind as quickly as possible to deal with subsequent battles.

Unlike the Third Hokage, who hoped the ninja war would be delayed, Minato and Jiraiya had roamed the ninja world on missions and knew early on that this great war was inevitable.

If so, let's fight it elsewhere as much as possible!

It was better for other countries to suffer than for the Land of Fire to suffer.

Minato was a kind and friendly person even to ordinary villagers, but no one from other villages ever said this guy was a good person.

Clenching his specially made Kunai, Namikaze Minato commanded, "Kagami has my Flying Thunder God Kunai. He'll take the lead, and we'll follow up to provide support."

"Shibi, Suzaku, Chojiro, Fugaku, each of you choose a direction and form a pincer movement."

"None of them can escape, understand!"

"Understood!"

The five quickly dispersed, but...

Why was Kagami taking the lead?

Let alone Fugaku, even Shibi and the others didn't understand.

Namikaze Minato didn't explain; they would know soon enough anyway.

While rushing, Kagami Uchiha quickly formed hand seals, gathering chakra. Xuanhuo was also forming hand seals.

During his two years at the Ninja Academy, Kagami Uchiha had trained under Shenhuo, and Xuanhuo was often around.

The two had considerable tacit understanding. It was during that time that Xuanhuo became completely convinced of Kagami's brilliance.

He was an unparalleled genius. Being his subordinate was a fortunate thing in itself!

The aura of the Stone Hidden Ninja was getting closer. Kagami could already vaguely sense it.

Closer...

A little closer.

As soon as figures appeared in his sight, Kagami Uchiha slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Earth Style - Yellow Spring Swamp!"

They were still nearly a thousand meters away, and that group didn't have the Sharingan, so they couldn't see Kagami Uchiha and the other.

The sudden appearance of the Yellow Spring Swamp caught them off guard. The ground suddenly turned into a muddy swamp. Except for a few people who alertly jumped up, dozens of people had their feet entangled by the swamp and were slowly sinking.

"What jutsu is this!"

"Yellow Spring Swamp! Such a large area... could it be Jiraiya!"

It couldn't possibly be Sarutobi Hiruzen!

Some powerful jutsu had distinct personal signatures. For example, when people saw white hair wielding a chakra blade, they would subconsciously think of White Fang.

Although the Stone Hidden were skilled in Earth Style, their large-scale Earth Style jutsu were basically shaping techniques, altering the terrain's form.

This technique, which alters the nature of the land, belongs to the true teachings of the Leaf.

The Second Hokage's techniques were all sealed away. The fact that Leaf Ninja possess ninjutsu of all attributes, along with unique specialties, is thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Third Hokage, who enjoys the title "Professor of Ninjutsu" for his ability to skillfully combine five different elemental ninjutsu, is not to be trifled with.

Sarutobi Hiruzen is arguably the pinnacle achievable by a non-Kekkei Genkai User, with no weaknesses in any area. Even in his fifties, he could have crushed the adult Orochimaru.

If not for his soft heart at the last moment, Orochimaru would never have defected.

"Calm down! Don't struggle violently, I'll save you. Oishi, Yugan, stand guard!"

A Jonin performed hand seals, creating giant stones on the swamp as footholds, and began rescuing his teammates one by one.

"Earth Style - Four-Seal Earth Flow Wall."

Boom...

Thick earth walls rose from the four sides of the vast swamp.

"Oishi! Break it!"

"Alright!!"

A burly Stone Ninja, his arms covered in rock, smashed one of the earth walls with a single punch.

Bang!!!

Earth and stone flew, dust rising everywhere.

Through the smoke, Oishi saw two strange red lights.

"What bad luck, you ran into me with a one-in-four chance."

Kagami Uchiha's lips curved slightly.

Whoosh!

Xuanhuo leaped forward, the accumulated Chakra surging madly through his throat.

Fire Style - Great Fire Annihilation!!

Flames surged like waves, scorching the air.

"Earth Style - Earth Flow Wall!"

When it comes to Earth Style, Stone Ninja are the experts.

Oishi, having just destroyed an earth wall, quickly constructed another, focusing on demolition and reconstruction.

Fire and Earth don't have much of a mutual generation or restraint relationship. While Xuanhuo's Great Fire Annihilation is powerful, it's not enough to break through an Earth Flow Wall of the same level.

At this moment, the originally scorching space was suddenly infused with a chill.

Feeling the extreme cold and chilling aura beside him, Xuanhuo's heart burned.

This is it!

So pure, so profound darkness!

This is the man I've chosen!

Kagami Uchiha placed his right hand on his left, extending it forward as if holding a spear.

This was not one of the Twelve Hand Seals.

"This... you brat, you've even stolen the Ten Shadows Technique!"

A massive shadow condensed in front of Kagami Uchiha, forming numerous Pure Black great wolves.

Each black wolf was the size of a calf, constantly splitting until there were dozens of them.

The wolf pack exuded an ominous, chilling energy.

In their pupils...

Were the scarlet Sharingan!

Kagami Uchiha gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, a bloodthirsty, excited smile on his face.

"Go tear apart flesh and blood..."

"Yin Release - Sun-Chasing Fierce Wolf!"

The wolf pack swept out like a surging black storm, their roars shaking the heavens.

The earth trembled, and a bloody scent permeated the air.

The wolf pack bathed in flames, shattering the earth wall.

It was like dark clouds pressing down on the city!