Ordinary Is Also a Kind of Happiness, To Obito

After Minato Namikaze instantly dealt with the Stone Ninja surrounding Tōka and the other two, he followed Tōka and Kakashi into the depths of the cave. Obito, his face pale, lay weakly on the ground.

If not for his slowly rising and falling chest indicating he was still alive, Minato might have thought Obito was already dead.

"Obito, I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you," Minato said, looking at Obito, whose face was half-smashed and one eye socket was empty. He blamed himself deeply.

Obito's legs were completely crushed and bloody, meaning he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

"Oh? Is that Teacher Minato? We're saved!!" Hearing Minato's voice, Obito's previously calm expression suddenly turned to surprise. Though his voice was weak, his heart was full of vitality.

He hadn't given up on surviving. He still wanted to go back and see Rin.

To see Rin again, he had to survive and return.

Hearing the surprised shouts, Minato, who was full of self-reproach, and Kakashi, who looked dejected, both felt their hearts skip a beat. They stared in shock at Obito, who could still laugh.

Why...

Why could Obito still... laugh at a time like this?

"Tōka, if you're going to operate on Obito, what's your confidence level?" Minato, the first to recover, stared seriously into Tōka's eyes and asked in a deep voice.

Outside the cave, while the three of them were disposing of the Stone Ninja's bodies, Kakashi had briefly recounted what happened.

To save Obito, they needed to remove the bone fragments lodged in his heart. They couldn't move Obito before the surgery was successful, and they were currently surrounded by a large force of Stone Ninja.

With the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato was confident he could get the three of them out safely.

However, Obito needed to be able to move on his own.

"Uh..." Tōka was taken aback by the question. The answer flashed through his mind: zero confidence.

But, seeing the smile on Obito's face and the hope in Kakashi's eyes, Tōka couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Silence. Under Minato's gaze, Tōka chose silence. He had only learned the Mystical Palm Technique to increase his own sustained combat ability.

Did these guys really think he was a medical ninja?

"Just do it, Tōka, I believe in you!" Suddenly, Obito said loudly, as if using all his strength to encourage Tōka. His voice had become a little hoarse.

Believe in me? I don't even believe in myself, and you do?

Hesitation flickered across Tōka's face. This wasn't like giving Kakashi an eye transplant; at worst, he'd just be blind if it went wrong. But a heart surgery... if it went wrong, people could die!!

"Tōka, I believe in you too," Kakashi repeated Obito's words.

Tōka's expression changed slightly, as if something was welling up from the depths of his heart.

Minato glanced at the clouds in the sky. Night was approaching, the best time for them to leave. Before then, Obito had to be able to move on his own.

"If Obito can't move, we'll have to abandon him," Minato said sternly, his expression cold and resolute, completely unlike the usually sunny, big-brother-next-door persona he displayed.

"Teach..." Kakashi's pupils contracted. Just as he was about to speak, Minato interrupted him, gesturing for him to look at Tōka.

A fierce glint flashed across Tōka's small face, replacing his previous hesitation. If I die, I die. It's not like I'm the one who'll die if the surgery fails!

Thinking this, Tōka felt a sense of relief.

"Then... let's give it a try!" Tōka pursed his lips and looked up at Minato, his delicate little face filled with seriousness.

Seeing this, Minato and Kakashi exchanged glances, their eyes filled with even more trust.

Tōka is serious this time!

Having known Tōka for so long, Kakashi had never seen him take anything seriously before. Even when surrounded by five standard Stone Ninja squads, Tōka hadn't shown a serious expression.

Beneath the collapsed cave, Minato perfected his stealth techniques.

Then, Kakashi was responsible for guarding Tōka, while Minato kept watch above, ready to kill any approaching ninja with lightning-fast speed.

Light, water, they had it.

Nuibari? Not needed... With the Mystical Palm Technique, why would he need Nuibari?

Sutures? He didn't even need a needle, so why would he need thread?

Next up was...

Tōka pulled aside Obito's clothes and was about to start when he abruptly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, his concern making him sound foolish.

"A scalpel, how can I perform surgery without a scalpel?" Tōka suddenly remembered he didn't know how to use Chakra scalpels. Without a scalpel, how could he cut open his chest?

Although Obito couldn't see, he could hear. He immediately felt a surge of blood rise and get stuck in his throat.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment. His ninja tool pouch only contained shuriken, and the rest was...

"Use this!" Kakashi took down the White Fang short sword from his back and handed it to Tōka.

"This?" Tōka looked up at Kakashi, bewildered. From the look in his eyes, he could tell Kakashi wasn't joking.

The short sword of a killing god, used to save someone?

You've really got some nerve!

Obito's throat suddenly felt sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He regretted letting Tōka perform the surgery; neither of these guys was reliable!

"Consider it a desperate measure," Tōka muttered to himself. He took out the only kunai from his ninja tool pouch and heated it over the flame.

"Kakashi, knock Obito out. I'm afraid he'll thrash around from the pain later."

"Got it!" Kakashi raised his hand, a flash of lightning striking Obito's neck. The electrical current surged into his skin, directly stimulating his brain.

Instantly, Obito's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

At the same time, with his disinfection complete, Tōka swiftly moved his blade...

Outside the cave, golden shadows flickered intermittently, as dazzling as the afterglow of a sunset.

With each flash of golden light, a life vanished.

The air within a ten-mile radius seemed dyed crimson with blood.

Tōka couldn't remember how long the surgery lasted. When he walked out of the cave, covered in cold sweat, he realized it was already late at night.

The night wind brushed past, drying his sweat and carrying away the warmth. Tōka shivered and wrapped his clothes tighter.

The air was thick with the smell of blood, yet there was no trace of a battle.

"Captain Minato," Tōka said respectfully, lowering his head. An unreadable glint flickered in his hidden eyes.

As expected of the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, known as the Yellow Flash, his strength was indeed formidable.

Tōka squinted, surveying the surroundings. Even the bodies had been cleaned up, but how many Iwa ninja lives had been sacrificed to stain the air with blood?

"Teacher Minato." Following that, Kakashi, carrying Obito on his back, leaped out and joined Tōka and Minato.

"It seems the surgery was a success," a hint of relief flashed across Minato's slightly weary face. His highly tense nerves finally relaxed.

To ensure no one disturbed Tōka, Minato had unleashed over two hundred percent of his strength.

Putting aside the chakra consumption, the day-long tension had left him mentally exhausted.

"It barely succeeded," Tōka pouted, uttering the words plainly.

Only he knew how perilous it had been.

Using a kunai was not like using a scalpel. Several times, he had pierced too deeply, causing severe bleeding. If not for his healing abilities, which were stronger than the average Mystical Palm Technique, Obito would have long since departed this world.

"Regardless, it was a success," Minato didn't want to hear the details; he only cared about the outcome. Obito was alive, and Tōka had succeeded.

"Tōka, you're truly amazing. I was right to trust you!" Obito said weakly, his face filled with undiminished surprise.

"Everyone, eat something simple and rest to replenish your energy."

As Minato's words fell, the three of them found a large tree and leaned against its trunk to rest.

Performing surgery on Obito felt more tiring to Tōka than Kai running around Konoha for a whole day. Kakashi hadn't had it easy either, his single Sharingan eye fixed on the entire surgical process without blinking.

The night wind was a bit chilly, with a lone moon hanging high in the sky.

The cold moonlight spilled onto the land, making the blood-red hue in the air appear even more intense.

The area outside the cave was silent, with even the chirping of night insects rarely heard.

After a brief rest, Minato made a gesture, and Tōka and Kakashi immediately stood up. Kakashi, without hesitation, slung Obito onto his back.

"Too much time has been wasted. I believe Ōnoki already knows what's happening here. Our pursuers will likely be the elite troops of Iwagakure, or even Ōnoki himself," Minato said grimly.

He wasn't trying to dampen their spirits but to state the severity of the situation.

The three of them pursed their lips and remained silent, knowing Minato had a plan to share.

"My plan is this: we'll split into two groups. One group will lure the enemy away, drawing the Iwa ninja off, while the other group will retreat quickly to deliver the news of the Kannabi Bridge's destruction."

"Once Shikaku receives this news, he'll take the next steps."

Only then would the group luring the enemy be truly safe.

The plan had been changed on the fly because Tōka's treatment of Obito had taken too long.

Minato had originally intended for the surgery to be completed before nightfall, allowing them a short rest and a swift escape before Iwagakure could react.

But now, it was nearly midnight, giving the Iwa ninja ample time to form a encirclement.

If the four of them acted together, they would be caught in a pincer attack by tens of thousands of Iwa ninja.

"Teacher Minato, let Tōka take Obito and leave. I'll go with you to lure the enemy!" Kakashi immediately volunteered, as the decoy group was meant to ensure Obito's safe departure.

Minato neither agreed nor refused, turning to look at Tōka.

Tōka appeared nonchalant, shrugging as if it didn't matter. He tilted his head, gazing at the sky, also remaining silent.

Obito, meanwhile, clenched his fists silently. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately bit his lip, making no sound.

He silently vowed in his heart, I'm sorry, I've dragged everyone down.

"No, I've decided Tōka will come with me. Kakashi, you take Obito and leave." As Minato spoke, he handed over a letter, written in his own hand to Shikaku.

"Why?" Kakashi reluctantly took the letter, unwilling to give up as he asked.

"Well, it's just that Tōka is small, so it's easier for me to carry him when using the Flying Thunder God Technique," Minato chuckled, scratching the back of his head.

Kakashi: "..."

A vein throbbed on Tōka's forehead as he silently gave Minato the middle finger in his mind.

"In fifteen minutes, there will be a huge commotion to the northwest. When the Iwagakure ninja move northwest, you will begin your retreat," Minato said, his expression turning serious.

"Northwest?" Tōka was dumbfounded. The northwest was the direction of the Land of Earth! Even if they were luring the enemy, there was no need to venture so deep into enemy territory, was there?

"That's right. While luring the enemy, I have another plan. Tōka, I hope you can help me!" Minato looked at Tōka earnestly, his usual narrowed eyes wide open.

Tōka's mouth twitched. With Minato saying it like this, could he refuse?

Under Minato's "affectionate" gaze, Tōka silently nodded. His small face, shrouded in gloom, turned ashen. He had a feeling he was being tricked!

"Since everyone understands the plan, then..."

Minato waved his hand and shouted, "Disperse!"

Swish swish!

Kakashi, carrying Obito on his back, dashed towards the Land of Fire in the southeast. He had to find a hidden place to hide, just waiting for Minato's move...

Meanwhile, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring Tōka to one end of the Kannabi Bridge he had marked.

"This place..." Tōka looked in shock at the collapsed bridge and the ground covered in bloodstains. The Iwagakure ninja had merely cleaned up the bodies.

Such a huge explosion, how many Explosive Tags must have been wasted!

Explosive Tags aren't made of paper. The price of one Explosive Tag could buy a lot of paper.

"Walking northwest from here leads to the border of the Land of Earth. However, Ōnoki and the twenty thousand strong Iwagakure army are within the Land of Grass. The chances of encountering Iwagakure ninja in the Land of Earth are actually much smaller," Minato analyzed.

On one hand, Iwagakure would certainly assume that Minato Namikaze would retreat towards the Land of Fire in the southeast after completing his mission.

They might go through the Land of Rain to enter the Land of Fire, or through the Land of the Waterfall to enter the Land of Fire.

They would never have imagined that Minato would bring Tōka directly from the Land of Grass into the Land of Earth.

On the other hand, the Land of Earth is vast, while the Land of Grass is small. With the same number of Iwagakure ninja, the chance of encountering them in the larger Land of Earth would naturally be smaller.

Because Minato Namikaze's deep incursion destroyed the main transportation route, the Kannabi Bridge, Ōnoki ordered the Iwagakure ninja to travel in groups. This way, the Iwagakure ninja would appear in small squads, further reducing their numbers.

Furthermore, Ōnoki had specifically issued an order: if they encountered Konoha's Yellow Flash, they could abandon their mission and flee directly without punishment.

"What does Captain Minato intend to do?" Tōka, with his sharp mind, instantly understood the current situation. It seemed it wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

"Iwagakure's supply troops!" Minato suddenly opened his narrowed eyes and uttered, filled with killing intent.

Supply troops? Tōka's pupils contracted sharply. At least a thousand people could be called a troop.

Tōka admitted that Minato was very strong, capable of instantly killing dozens of Iwagakure Jonin, but this was a thousand people! When numbers reached a certain level, they could achieve a qualitative change.

"Captain Minato, are you serious?" Tōka's brows furrowed, his entire small face tensed.

"Of course, I'm serious. Although the Kannabi Bridge was destroyed, making it extremely inconvenient for Iwagakure to transport supplies. However, Ōnoki will not retreat without suffering significant losses," Minato said in a deep voice.

What was the Iwagakure in the Land of Earth best at? Naturally, it was Earth Release!

The damage to a single Kannabi Bridge was not enough to completely stop their invasion of the Land of Fire. This was merely an opportunity, a chance to strike Ōnoki hard!

... (To be continued)