In Namikaze Minato's mind, Namikawa Yū had now become a master strategist with outstanding strategic talent.
What was even rarer was that he was only eight or nine years old, with plenty of room to grow.
Once he grew up, his abilities would probably become even more outstanding.
At that thought, admiration welled up in Namikaze Minato's heart.
In reality, however, Namikawa Yū was nowhere near as exceptional as he imagined.
He could make these judgments simply because he was drawing the target after shooting the arrow.
After all, he had already seen this part of the story in his previous life.
If he had not been afraid of shocking Namikaze Minato, he could even have told him outright that Kumogakure would suffer heavy losses this time, and that even the Third Raikage would die at the hands of the Stone ninja.
Of course, the current situation had already changed somewhat from the original.
Whether the Third Raikage would still die at the hands of the Stone ninja as he had in the story was now somewhat uncertain.
But no matter what, Kumogakure was certain to suffer heavy losses.
"What about Kirigakure?"
Namikaze Minato continued asking.
Of the four great nations aside from Konoha, Namikawa Yū had already discussed three, leaving only Kirigakure.
Since their conversation had already come this far, Namikaze Minato was also very curious about Namikawa Yū's view of Kirigakure.
"Kirigakure's situation is somewhat similar to the Sand Village's, but even more serious."
Namikawa Yū shook his head as he spoke.
During the Third Shinobi World War, aside from Namikaze Minato making a name for himself by fighting the A brothers alone, another shocking event had taken place.
While carrying out a mission, Kirigakure's famous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been defeated by Might Duy, a Konoha Genin, using the Eight Gates, with more than half of them killed or injured outright.
This was the first time the Eight Gates had displayed its might, and its very first eruption had produced astonishing results.
"The atmosphere within Kirigakure was tense to begin with. I've heard that even the various ninja clans inside the village break into conflict from time to time."
Namikawa Yū said, "As one of Kirigakure's symbols, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist also represented its various internal factions."
"Now four of those seven have been killed outright, leaving only three survivors."
"The balance of power within Kirigakure has already been broken."
Among the Five Great Nations, Kirigakure was undoubtedly the one with the most perilous environment.
Although the so-called Bloody Mist Village had yet to fully take shape, its beginnings were already there.
According to the intelligence Namikawa Yū possessed, the situation within Kirigakure was already very tense.
The various factions stood opposed to one another, barely maintaining a balance.
While that balance held, they could just barely coexist in peace and act together under external pressure.
Yet at precisely this moment, four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been kicked to death, leaving only three to return, while Kirigakure itself had also suffered heavy losses in the war.
This had undoubtedly upset the balance of power within Kirigakure once again.
An internal struggle was already about to unfold.
"The recent incident involving the Three-Tails also had an enormous impact."
Namikawa Yū spoke softly.
He said little more on the subject, but Namikaze Minato immediately understood what he meant, and his heart sank.
He thought of certain unpleasant things.
Obito Uchiha, Nohara Rin, and Kakashi were all his students.
Some time ago, Obito Uchiha had died in the war, and his body's whereabouts remained unknown.
Nohara Rin had been captured by Kirigakure, who sealed the Three-Tails inside her, and in the end, Kakashi had killed her with his own hands.
This had been a devastating blow not only to Kakashi, but to Namikaze Minato as well.
From another perspective, however, this incident had also tied up a great deal of Kirigakure's attention.
With the death of the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki, the Three-Tails sealed within her had vanished as well and would soon be reborn.
Kirigakure's attention was now focused entirely on the lost Three-Tails, and they were desperate to recapture him.
With that as well as the losses suffered by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kirigakure truly had little energy left to keep fighting them.
Perhaps these matters occupying his attention were precisely why the Third Mizukage had never appeared in the war.
At that thought, Namikaze Minato could not help marveling.
The boy before him seemed ordinary, yet with just a few simple remarks, he had clearly analyzed the current situation in the Ninja World.
It was as though nothing could stump him.
That ability truly is astonishing.
That was what he thought.
In the past, he had met plenty of geniuses, including Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi, who were all outstanding ninja.
He himself was even a genius among geniuses, capable of outshining them all.
But this was the first time he had encountered a genius like Namikawa Yū.
This visit to Kakashi has brought quite an unexpected reward.
With that thought, he suddenly spoke. "You've already discussed the other four great nations."
"What about Konoha?"
He spoke softly, his gaze fixed on Namikawa Yū before him. "What do you think of the situation within Konoha, Yū?"
"Within Konoha?"
Meeting Namikaze Minato's gaze, Namikawa Yū fell silent for a moment.
Only after a long while did he continue. "Before the war, the Third Hokage mentioned that he wanted to hand the Hokage position over to someone younger ahead of time."
"And that would be around the end of this war."
At this point, he looked up at Namikaze Minato before him. "So the most important matter for Konoha right now lies both on the battlefield and away from it."
"Oh?"
Namikaze Minato was very curious. "What do you mean by that?"
"The Hokage election is about to begin. The most important matter at present lies not on the battlefield, but within the village."
Namikawa Yū smiled. "But the key to winning this Hokage election lies nowhere else but on this very battlefield."
For Konoha's ninja at this moment, although the war remained important, it seemed less so compared to the approaching Hokage election.
Yet the key to winning the Hokage election also lay on this battlefield.
Only those who distinguished themselves on the battlefield and became heroes would qualify to win the coming Hokage election.
In the original story, why had Namikaze Minato been able to defeat Orochimaru and become the Fourth Hokage?
In terms of seniority, Orochimaru was the Third Hokage's personal disciple and had close ties with advisors such as Danzo, whereas Namikaze Minato was merely Jiraiya's student, with no foundation whatsoever in Konoha's politics.
In terms of reputation, Orochimaru was one of the renowned Konoha Sannin, while Namikaze Minato was merely a rising star.
In every respect, he could be said to have been at a disadvantage.
Yet in the end, he had defeated Orochimaru and emerged as the final victor.
Aside from the Third Hokage's decision and Orochimaru's own problems, the main reason was that he had been Konoha's greatest contributor and hero in the Third Shinobi World War, almost single-handedly helping Konoha win the war.
Those glorious achievements had earned him immense prestige that even the older generation of leaders, headed by the Third Hokage, could not ignore.
With those achievements and that reputation as his foundation, along with his background as Jiraiya's student, which barely counted as belonging to the Hokage's direct lineage, he had qualified to become the Fourth Hokage.