Who Will That Position Fall To?

At the border of the Land of Fire, Western Front.

The forces personally commanded by Orochimaru were currently locked in a standoff with forces from Sunagakure.

This tug-of-war in the primeval forest along the border had already lasted several days.

Both Konoha and Sunagakure had suffered considerable casualties.

Yet neither side could break through.

Konoha could not drive the enemy away, while Sunagakure had no way to advance further into the Land of Fire.

At Sunagakure's temporary camp, rumors were quietly spreading.

"Have you heard? Iwagakure's forces have withdrawn."

"Iwagakure withdrew too? What the hell are those guys doing? Didn't they agree to besiege Konoha together?"

"Apparently, the Yellow Flash's successful interception inflicted losses they couldn't bear, leaving them unable to continue fighting..."

"When I came over from there, I heard that a genius Uchiha ninja wiped out several hundred Iwagakure soldiers by himself. That's the real reason they withdrew!"

"A genius Uchiha ninja? Body Flicker Shisui? Compared to the Yellow Flash, that man shouldn't be capable of causing such a result, should he?"

"Not Body Flicker Shisui. I think his name is Uchiha Daiki. They call him the 'Man Who Surpassed the Body Flicker Shisui.' Haven't you heard? On the Eastern Front in the Land of Fire, he defeated Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and drove off Kirigakure's forces!"

"Seriously? He's that strong??"

"It's absolutely true! Without a doubt! Kirigakure has already agreed to peace talks!"

"..."

There was no shortage of such discussions in Sunagakure's temporary camp.

Besides Minato Namikaze, the "Yellow Flash" already known to everyone, titles coined by the enemy such as "Great Transcender," "Uchiha Twin Heroes," and "Strongest Uchiha" were gradually spreading as well.

The ninjas in Konoha's temporary camp were also discussing the matter.

The two camps were less than two hundred meters apart.

However, with boulders and trees blocking the way, neither side could hear what the other was saying.

"Captain Orochimaru, accurate intelligence has just arrived from the Northwestern Front. Iwagakure's forces have indeed begun withdrawing. It is said that the order was issued personally by Iwagakure's higher-ups."

"And their withdrawal was not because of the Yellow Flash. We still aren't sure of the exact reason, but according to an Iwagakure prisoner we captured, besides the Yellow Flash, they truly feared another man..."

A Special Jonin was reporting to Orochimaru, who commanded the frontline forces.

Orochimaru wore a trace of exhaustion on his face, his eyes filled with numbness.

This was one of the most brutal wars in history since the Second Shinobi World War, and the second great shinobi war he had taken part in.

He had thought that after watching comrades, parents, and loved ones fall one after another during the Second Shinobi World War, he had already forged a heart of stone.

Yet today, when he once again witnessed his comrades sacrifice themselves and die miserably at the hands of the enemy, he still found it hard to let go.

"War always forces people to grow up, doesn't it?"

Lost in thought, Orochimaru suddenly asked the subordinate beside him.

The subordinate paused slightly. "Yes, we all grew up in war. But Captain, what should we do now?"

"Should we continue fighting Sunagakure's men here, or retreat and wait for our reinforcements to arrive?"

His subordinate's question did not interest Orochimaru.

Orochimaru suddenly asked cryptically, "Do you think Minato Namikaze alone could deal with all of Iwagakure's forces and make them so fearful that they ordered every unit to withdraw from the battlefield?"

The subordinate was briefly stunned before answering seriously, "Minato is indeed very powerful. If it were him, it might not be impossible."

"If he could come support us..."

"Heh heh..."

Orochimaru's distinctive laugh, filled with amusement, interrupted him.

"It seems the Uchiha Clan has produced more than just a Body Flicker Shisui..."

"Captain Orochimaru, you mean?"

"Pass down the order. Everyone is to enter combat readiness immediately. Before sunset, we must wipe out every Sunagakure ninja across from us!"

Orochimaru's expression suddenly became extremely stern.

His tone carried an icy decisiveness thick with killing intent.

His order struck straight into his subordinate's heart. The man did not dare ask any more questions and hurriedly turned to deliver it.

Meanwhile, a sharp, profound glint flashed in Orochimaru's golden snake eyes.

"Fools cannot see through the meaning of this war, but they may not be so blind."

"It seems someone within the Uchiha Clan intends to usher in an era belonging to the Uchiha Clan... heh heh."

"Who will the position of Fourth Hokage ultimately fall to?"

Orochimaru muttered meaningfully to himself. Then, with his arms folded, he turned and flashed away, vanishing from sight.

It had to be said that Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique was indeed powerful.

It was a higher-level Space-Time Ninjutsu than the Body Flicker Technique.

Uchiha Daiki and Minato Namikaze set out at the same time, traveling from the Northwestern Front to the Northeastern Front.

Even though Uchiha Daiki rushed with all his strength, he was still considerably slower than Minato Namikaze.

By the time he reached the battlefield, Minato Namikaze had already dealt with an enemy combat squad.

"You're late."

After tossing out those words, Minato Namikaze glanced back at Uchiha Daiki, then immediately flashed away again.

"Looks like I'm no match for him in a pure contest of speed..."

Uchiha Daiki was somewhat unwilling to accept it.

At this rate, Minato Namikaze would soon catch up to, or even surpass, his previous kill record.

After all, Minato had the remarkable achievement of instantly killing fifty Iwagakure jonin.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Daiki fixed his gaze on Minato Namikaze's rapidly vanishing figure and activated his Sharingan to observe the flow of Chakra within his body.

Just then, a system notification sounded in his mind.

Ding! You carefully observed the Flying Thunder God Technique and comprehended the Advanced Flying Thunder God Technique!

The Advanced Flying Thunder God Technique contains all the abilities of the Flying Thunder God Technique, improves most of its shortcomings, perfects the Flying Thunder God Second Stage, and develops the Flying Thunder God Third Stage, delivering a fatal blow to the opponent at critical moments.

"I just... took a serious look at it, and that worked?"

As an endless stream of information flooded his mind, Uchiha Daiki was left dumbfounded.