Arrival at the Front

Three days later.

Shinji slung the combat pack he had prepared long ago onto his back. It contained bandages, Ration Pills, Explosive Tags, simple antidotes, and every other frontline supply he could think of, packed nearly to the brim.

With a standard-issue Ninja Sword in hand, he checked his equipment one last time before setting off alone for the agreed gathering point.

As nine o'clock approached, Minato and the others arrived one after another. After briefly straightening their clothes, they waited for the last person.

As the appointed time drew nearer, Kurenai stood beside Shinji and asked with a frown, "Why isn't Obito here yet?"

Shinji folded his arms and looked toward the village entrance. "He's probably helping someone again on the way."

Sure enough, about half an hour later, a panting figure came rushing over in a fluster.

"Sorry, sorry, everyone! I'm late! I ran into an old lady trying to cross the road, so... so I got held up for a while!"

Obito bent over, gulping for air as he explained with a guilty look.

Everyone was left speechless.

"Too slow!"

"You really haven't changed at all."

"Idiot Obito."

Only Rin spoke gently. "Obito is still as kind as ever."

Shinji raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, Just as I thought.

Did Obito naturally possess some kind of old-lady-attracting constitution?

And with that constitution, had he attracted old man Madara Uchiha too?

Obito scratched his head and apologized repeatedly before hurrying over to stand beside Rin. He secretly glanced up at her, then began grinning foolishly again.

He silently encouraged himself.

I don't want to be Rin's little brother. Rin, just wait. On this mission, I'll show everyone what I can do and make you see me in a new light!

Seeing that everyone had finally arrived, Minato wore his usual gentle smile and gave a light wave of his hand.

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's go. We must complete the mission as quickly as possible and ease the pressure on the front lines."

With that, no one said another word. They leaped over Konoha's barrier and raced toward the Land of Fire's border, in the direction of Kannabi Bridge.

After days of travel and several brief rests, the group finally entered the Land of Grass. Farther ahead lay the ultimate destination of their mission—Kannabi Bridge.

By then, the Land of Grass had long since fallen to Iwagakure's forces. Iwagakure outposts and mobile patrols dotted the route, forcing Shinji's group to keep low and slow their pace as they infiltrated.

"Try not to linger. If we encounter enemies, kill them all. We cannot allow any information to leak."

Minato's tone was stern, and his entire presence suddenly turned sharp, making him seem like a completely different person from his usual gentle self.

Everyone's expressions tightened as they answered in unison, "Yes!"

After sneaking forward for several more kilometers, the team abruptly stopped at the edge of a dense forest.

"Enemies!"

Kakashi concealed himself behind a tree trunk, his voice low but exceptionally clear.

Shinji crouched in the bushes, sweeping his gaze over the Chakra signatures stirring around them before immediately turning his head. "We're surrounded."

Minato frowned slightly and pressed one hand to the ground. Chakra instantly spread outward, expanding his sensory range. He then straightened and spoke.

"Eight enemy Chunin, and more than twenty Genin."

"I'll cover the rear and make sure none of them escape. Split up and fight!"

Before he had even finished speaking, a rain of Shuriken suddenly came hurtling down from overhead. Immediately afterward, more than thirty black-clad figures leaped from the treetops, their killing intent crashing down on them.

"Kill them all!"

"They're Konoha brats!"

"Show them what Iwagakure is made of!"

Unable to hold himself back, Obito sprang forward, his fighting spirit blazing. "Let's go!"

His hands flashed through seals, and scorching heat surged from his throat.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball roared forth, its intense heat instantly melting half of the incoming Shuriken.

Asuma brought his palms together, Chakra surging through him.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

A fierce gust swept out, blowing away and warping every remaining projectile.

A trace of approval flashed through Minato's eyes. "Well done, Obito, Asuma."

Before the words had faded, he was already charging into the enemy formation with a Kunai in hand, moving as swiftly as a ghost.

Shinji took a deep breath and slowly drew his Short Sword from behind his back. Within his eyes, the Two-Tomoe Sharingan slowly opened.

"Then I'll join the fight too."

He locked his gaze on an Iwa Chunin who appeared to be the leader and suddenly charged forward.

Short sword in his right hand, he stamped rapidly across the ground, and his figure seemed to burst apart into thin air where he stood. He had not simply vanished; he had split into five afterimages, each carrying a genuine Chakra signature, each clear enough to pass for the real thing.

The five figures scattered in different directions—some lunging forward, some shifting sideways, some leaping backward—their paths weaving together as they crashed straight into the midst of seven or eight enemies.

The Iwa ninja swung their blades wildly, cutting through one phantom after another, yet they only sliced through empty air. All they touched were lingering Chakra echoes; there was not the slightest trace of a physical body.

"W-What kind of ninjutsu is this?!"

The leading Chunin's expression changed drastically, shock and fury mixing on his face.

Every "Shinji" seemed solid and capable of attacking, yet whenever his blade struck one, all he felt was the hollow sensation of cutting through air.

"Reinforcements, now!"

Their formation fell into instant disarray as they hurriedly shouted for their companions to help.

Shinji alone drew the attention of most of the enemies. His form shifted repeatedly between real and illusory, while his Sharingan's supreme perception let him anticipate their movements. His short sword flashed like a streak of light, and every strike claimed a life with lethal precision.

His dazzling Body Flicker Technique instantly became the focal point of the battlefield.

The pressure on Kakashi and the others greatly eased, and they all turned to look.

"That's Shinji!?"

"He's gotten stronger again these past few days."

"That technique looks familiar."

Obito's eyes suddenly widened, and he blurted out in disbelief:

"That's Shisui's Body Flicker Technique!"

Kakashi had just slit an Iwa ninja's throat when he looked up at the words, his pupils shrinking slightly.

"Uchiha Shisui?"

The entire battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour.

Looking at the densely scattered Iwa ninja corpses on the ground, Shinji slowly let out a breath. More than half his Chakra had been consumed, but there was not a trace of fatigue on his face. Instead, he looked thoroughly exhilarated, his whole body relaxed.

The current me could absolutely crush the me from before I got the system.

He silently marveled to himself.

At that moment, Minato walked over and gently patted him on the shoulder, praising him, "Well done, Shinji. Your strength has given me a great surprise."

This mission had been dangerous from the start. He was confident that, with the Flying Thunder God, he could protect the younger ones with all his strength. But Shinji's performance just now had genuinely relieved a great deal of pressure from him.

"You flatter me, Lord Minato." Shinji lowered his head slightly. "Thanks to you holding down the rear, I was able to fight without any reservations."

Minato shook his head with a laugh. "This is all your own strength."

The more he looked at the boy, the more pleasing he found him. Strong yet neither arrogant nor impetuous, and he knew his limits as well. No wonder the Third Hokage had mentioned him several times—he was indeed a promising talent worthy of focused cultivation.

"Clean up the battlefield. We'll find a concealed place to rest for now."

As soon as the order was given, Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi, and Obito immediately gathered around.

Kurenai Yuhi looked Shinji up and down as if she were meeting him for the first time. "Shinji, just what Secret Medicine did you take? Your strength has improved way too quickly!"

Asuma's expression beside her was somewhat complicated, with a few traces of discomfort.

He had always been the strongest in the team before this, but Shinji's Phantom Body Flicker just now had been truly stunning. He could not help feeling vaguely disappointed at being surpassed.

Shinji shrugged unconcernedly, then suddenly raised a thumb and pointed it at Obito beside him. "After awakening their eyes, the Uchiha Clan's strength naturally increases by a huge margin. If you don't believe me, ask Obito."

Obito's face instantly turned black.

He just happened to be the one who had not awakened his eyes yet. Especially when he noticed Kakashi glancing over with the look he used for a dead last, he immediately blew up. "Kakashi, what kind of look is that?!"

Kakashi: "..."