Future Me, It's Your Turn to Act (End of the Month, Requesting Monthly Tickets)

"Hamaki, I have to go."

Namikaze Minato looked toward a middle-aged man with a ring of stubble around his chin.

Mimura Hamaki was the frontline commander of the defense force and a highly experienced jōnin.

"Did something go wrong with the mission to cut off Iwagakure?"

Mimura Hamaki panted heavily.

Given his rank, he naturally knew that this operation was split into two fronts.

The majority of the main force was here on the front line, battling Iwagakure ninjas and keeping them pinned down.

Finally, a small team had been dispatched to launch a surprise attack and blow up the bridge.

"Yes."

Namikaze Minato's expression was grave as he nodded slightly.

He had already killed most of the Iwagakure ninjas, resolving the crisis on the front line.

He had to check on the situation at Kannabi Bridge.

Otherwise, as long as Kannabi Bridge stood, the enemy could mobilize reinforcements from other areas at any time, allowing their rear support to arrive unimpeded.

"I'll be back shortly."

With that, Namikaze Minato's figure flickered and he vanished from the spot.

"Is that the Flying Thunder God technique that was lost after the Second Hokage?"

Watching Namikaze Minato leave, Mimura Hamaki shook his head.

It was precisely the existence of this technique that allowed Namikaze Minato to shine so brightly in this ninja war.

After leaving, the moment Namikaze Minato opened his eyes again, he happened to see a cave collapsing.

The area was filled with rubble, which kept falling and nearly struck him.

"?"

Namikaze Minato was somewhat puzzled.

Wait, where did this bring him?

Was this still the Land of Grass?

Immediately, Namikaze Minato threw a special kunai outside, embedding it in the ground.

Swish!

Then, Namikaze Minato's figure flashed again, appearing outside. He pulled out the special kunai and gripped it in his hand.

"Up ahead..."

Namikaze Minato sensed a surge of Chakra; it was the Chakra of Kiyohara, Rin, and the others.

"It seems the special kunai I gave Kakashi was dropped in there. After they escaped the cave, they were surrounded by enemies and didn't have time to retrieve the kunai, so they had to retreat outward."

Based on the simple clues, Namikaze Minato quickly deduced a logical scenario, so he hurried forward to catch up.

"Wow, I didn't expect you guys to actually kill Kakkō and the others. Being able to sneak behind enemy lines is impressive enough, and to have such fighting spirit—you're quite tenacious."

Sumashi looked at Kiyohara and the others.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, his gaze shifted to Kiyohara.

"According to the sketches provided by our scout ninjas, you're the one who kept interfering with our sensory perception and let these rats slip in, aren't you, brat!"

Sumashi stared at Kiyohara.

It was this guy's coordination that allowed the other Konoha ninjas to penetrate so deep into their territory.

If there were any damage to Kannabi Bridge, he would surely face severe punishment from the village.

This bridge absolutely could not be lost.

Therefore, once Sumashi detected the situation here, he had rushed over without stopping, bringing a squad of Iwagakure ninjas with him.

Kakashi forced himself to stand up, squeezing every bit of energy from the 1.3 million trillion cells in his body to refine a tiny amount of Chakra.

After converting all that Chakra into Lightning Style Chakra, a pale blue electric arc erupted in Kakashi's hand.

The lightning illuminated his face, and a piercing sound filled the forest.

Unfortunately, after only three seconds, Kakashi's Chakra was nearly bottomed out. His face was deathly pale, and he could no longer even maintain the Chidori.

The electric arc in his hand extinguished instantly.

"Can I not even do this anymore?"

A bitter expression appeared on Kakashi's face.

His Chakra was simply too low.

Or rather, the consumption of the Chidori was too great; he was still unable to bear the burden of this jutsu.

After installing the Sharingan, Kakashi felt like a leaking balloon, his Chakra constantly draining away.

Because he was not of the Uchiha clan, the transplanted Sharingan could not be deactivated.

Ordinary Uchiha only activated their Sharingan during combat, keeping them closed at other times, which meant zero consumption.

But he had to expend Chakra 24 hours a day; from the moment of the transplant until now, Kakashi's dwindling Chakra reserves had gone from bad to worse.

"Kakashi..."

Nohara Rin also noticed this.

She didn't know if Kakashi installing Obito's Sharingan was truly an enhancement or a burden for him.

But this was Obito's final... memento.

It was also Obito's wish for Kakashi to continue watching over this wonderful world for him, which left Nohara Rin unable to say a word.

"Let me handle this!"

Seeing Kakashi reduced to a "three-second man," Genma Shiranui let out a low shout.

The next moment, he spat out a volley of Senbon, his hands moving in a rapid seal-weaving motion, causing the Senbon to multiply into a dense swarm that blanketed the area in front of Sumashi.

However, as an experienced Special Jonin who specialized in Earth Release ninjutsu, Sumashi was even faster!

"Earth Style: Rock Staff!"

He slammed one hand onto the ground, and a sturdy rock staff instantly erupted from the earth, shattering the formation of Senbon.

At the same time, his figure moved like lightning, closing the distance to Genma Shiranui in an instant, his other palm coated in hardened rock as he brought it down in a fierce strike!

"Bang!"

The defense Genma Shiranui had barely managed to set up was easily broken, and he was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the ground, unable to rise for a moment.

"Genma!"

Kurenai Yuhi cried out, her hands immediately beginning to weave seals in preparation to use Genjutsu.

"Kurenai, wait, don't be impulsive."

Kiyohara grabbed her, his expression grave.

"His mastery of Earth Release ninjutsu is extremely deep; rushing in blindly is too dangerous."

Kiyohara said.

One had to realize that even though Sumashi was only a Special Jonin, that did not mean he was weaker than a standard Jonin.

For example, if Obito were to take the Jonin exam, even with the strength of a Jonin, he would likely only be rated as a Special Jonin.

This was because his "Intelligence" stat was too low, even lower than some Genin who had just graduated from the ninja academy.

To be a Jonin required a balanced hexagonal chart; one could not have any shortfalls in any area, and one needed Jonin-level capabilities across the board to be rated as such.

Therefore, a Special Jonin could be seen as a Jonin who was specialized in certain areas.

"But..."

Kurenai Yuhi looked at the encroaching enemy and the dozen or so other Iwagakure ninjas surrounding them, feeling a sense of dread.

"Don't be afraid, I will step in."

Kiyohara said.

Namikaze Minato should be on his way by now, so he only needed to stall for a little while.

Thinking of this, Kiyohara popped a Military Ration Pill into his mouth to recover a bit of stamina.

"My future self, it's your turn to take the stage. Let them witness what it means to be the Blue Beast... er, no, that's not right, it's a beating from the future!"

Kiyohara said.

At this moment, he could only rely on his future self.

"It's been a long time since I've stretched my limbs."

Renegade Kiyohara smiled slightly.

Previously, when possessing Kiyohara's body, he had only dealt with simple opponents, which put him under no pressure.

Now that so many ninjas were attacking at once, he would truly need to use his real strength.

He would make them understand that there was a gap even between Jonin and Jonin.

The next moment, Kiyohara's aura changed abruptly.

The naivety in his eyes was instantly replaced by the sharpness of one who had weathered the fires of war.

He cracked his neck, the joints popping softly, and as his gaze swept over Sumashi and the other Iwagakure ninjas, a faint, imperceptible smirk curled the corners of his lips.