The Shinobi World.
Within the forest along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers to the west.
Shikaku Nara, dispatched by order of the Third Hokage to rendezvous with Minato Namikaze and the others and capture the man impersonating the First Hokage.
He stood on a thick branch of a massive tree alongside Inoichi Yamanaka and the Hyuga Clan's new patriarch, Hiashi Hyuga.
Around them stood Konoha ninja after Konoha ninja, dressed in green flak jackets with stern expressions.
"Everything has been arranged. Based on Minato Namikaze and the others' speed, they should arrive here in roughly two hours."
"Good. You've worked hard."
Shikaku Nara, his arms folded across his chest, merely nodded after hearing Inoichi Yamanaka's words, looking exceptionally calm.
As though he did not care at all about the battle that was about to arrive.
Yet Inoichi Yamanaka, who knew him best, could tell that Shikaku Nara was actually feeling extremely weighed down.
Or rather.
No one who knew the details of the intelligence could possibly feel at ease right now.
Inoichi Yamanaka sighed softly. "Let's hope our preparations work."
A terrifying body three meters tall, powerful Physical Arts strikes, and the ability to use the First Hokage's legendary Wood Release.
He was powerful enough to shatter Hiashi Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven with one blow, then take Inuzuka Gaku's clan Physical Arts ultimate, Fang Wolf Fang, head-on and severely injure both man and dog.
On top of that, Minato Namikaze had concluded that the opponent possessed sensory abilities powerful enough to foresee where his Flying Thunder God Technique would land.
Furthermore.
The opponent's Wood Release could even heal others' injuries. It was said that the severely wounded Hiashi Hyuga and Inuzuka Gaku had recovered at astonishing speed after being pierced by