Huh? (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Is all of this true?"

Late at night, inside the Konoha camp.

After hearing the mission details, Jiraiya stared at Namikaze Minato in front of him, dumbfounded.

Especially when he saw his own student nod seriously, he couldn't help but lose his composure for a moment.

That Uchiha Haori, was he really capable of causing so much trouble?

This mission was a success, and one could even say it was an overwhelming success!

Especially since Haori's squad and Kakashi's team were all brought back by Namikaze Minato; it could be said that Konoha had truly won big.

Although, there were losses as well.

Aside from these two squads, the other teams that had entered behind enemy lines could basically be considered wiped out.

But how could there be no losses in war? And compared to Konoha's gains, these losses really didn't amount to much!

It was just that the details of this operation were so absurd, especially the extraordinary performance of Haori leading his squad, which left even Jiraiya speechless.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I know you are surprised; in fact, I am even more surprised than you."

Namikaze Minato looked at the somewhat dazed Jiraiya, shaking his head with a smile as he spoke.

"However, Haori's ability was indeed underestimated by all of us.

I have spoken with him, and I can conclude that from the moment he received the mission, he knew exactly what our objective was."

"So, that is why he accelerated the pace and launched a direct raid on the large supply depot, and that depot just happened to have a massive amount of explosive tags?"

Jiraiya rubbed his temples, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

"Yes."

Namikaze Minato nodded. He had already questioned Might Guy and Aoba, and the answers he received were perfectly consistent.

Haori had indeed only intended to raid the stronghold to draw out the Iwagakure Ninja, but he hadn't expected that place to contain so many explosive tags.

If they hadn't been lucky, they would have been blown to bits right there!

And the impact of this massive explosion could truly be said to have accelerated the progress of the war.

It clearly told every Iwagakure Ninja on the front lines that their hinterland had been infiltrated and that they could cause massive destruction at will!

Although it could not be denied that this explosion also brought terrible luck to the other squads, and even Kakashi's team was affected.

But for the front lines, the impact of this event was entirely positive.

Because it greatly boosted the morale of the front lines, while simultaneously dealing a deep blow to the morale of the Iwagakure Ninja, and furthermore, it allowed Konoha to achieve a great victory!

"Although there were flaws, they might have considered my involvement during their escape, which is why they led quite a few enemies toward Kakashi."

Watching Jiraiya, who was still deep in thought, Namikaze Minato hesitated for a moment before continuing in a straightforward manner.

"But it cannot be denied that their actions also saved Kakashi and his team.

And in the subsequent operations, they even took out Gari, arrived at Kannabi Bridge in time to eliminate over a dozen stationed ninjas, and ultimately completed the mission."

"So that guy Gari is dead, and they even took out that many people."

Jiraiya could understand what Namikaze Minato meant, but at this moment, his mind was still reviewing everything Haori had done.

Jiraiya naturally knew of Gari; this Iwagakure elite had previously caused significant casualties for Konoha.

Now, he had actually been killed by Haori, and Haori had also taken out over a dozen stationed Iwagakure Ninja in one go.

One could even say that without Haori, the mission to destroy the bridge would not have gone so smoothly, which left Jiraiya feeling deeply moved.

"It's only natural that he would come looking for you."

Although he felt moved, Jiraiya knew he had other matters to handle, especially regarding his student's previous words.

He looked up at Namikaze Minato, then continued with a smile.

"Since he had already guessed the details of the mission, it's no big deal that he wanted to rely on you when he ran into major trouble.

However, there is no need to write this speculation into the report; just say that he encountered Kakashi by accident while evading the Iwagakure pursuit."

"I understand, sensei." Namikaze Minato couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"You brat, playing tricks on me."

Jiraiya gave his student a playful glare, then scolded him with a laugh.

"Alright, pass on the credit for the mission so that everyone can be happy.

Haori is so capable and has done so much; we cannot bury his contributions.

The Uchiha are also ninjas of our Konoha, and all we need to do is handle the affairs on the battlefield.

As for other headaches, let those who are supposed to worry about them handle it."

"Yes, sensei."

The smile on Namikaze Minato's face grew even brighter. He had always known that although his teacher sometimes seemed unreliable, when it came to serious matters, his teacher was the one most worth trusting.

The first rays of the morning sun had just spilled across the earth, and inside a camp in the forests of the Land of Grass, Haori sat up from his makeshift wooden bed.

Looking at the crude, yet clearly man-made environment around him, he couldn't help but take a deep, sharp breath.

Immediately, a sense of relaxation flooded his entire body.

"It's finally over."

Although it had only been a few short days, and he had to admit that the danger level hadn't been all that high for him, he still felt relieved.

But in an environment where he could encounter enemies at any moment, life really hadn't been easy.

Moreover, at this moment, he couldn't help but think back to the battle from yesterday.

That combat experience had been truly exhilarating, and the feeling of having everything under his control left him with an endless aftertaste.

He now seemed to understand a little why Uchiha Madara's combat style was described as being as breathtaking as a work of art.

Setting aside the survival environment of the Warring States period that had allowed Uchiha Madara to hone his incredible taijutsu, the power of the Sharingan had truly played an indispensable role!

The might of the Sharingan was truly unimaginable; Uchiha Madara could dance among tens of thousands of people using only his Three Tomoe.

And Haori, having only upgraded his eyes to the Three Tomoe a few days ago, was already able to move freely among dozens of ninjas when pushing these eyes to their full potential.

Such power was truly beyond imagination!

Haori was now even more expectant of what kind of effects he could achieve as he continued to evolve these eyes.

Beyond that, he was also yearning for the power of the Mangekyo.

After all, regarding the future, the power of the Mangekyo was the only thing that could be considered a basic ability for self-preservation.

"Still, yesterday was a bit risky."

Although he was excited inside, Haori remained relatively calm.

Recalling the battle from yesterday, he now felt a cold sweat breaking out.

Even though he didn't have to worry about what those Iwagakure Ninja could do to him, Namikaze Minato had been in a real fight against the Five-Tails.

Fortunately, Namikaze Minato had held it off well, preventing the Five-Tails from firing a Tailed Beast Bomb in their direction.

And he had taken them away before the Five-Tails could even consider it; otherwise, he would have truly kicked the bucket and left the world behind.

"I'll need to be much more careful in the future."

Haori stood up, feeling full of energy after a good rest; he didn't want to keep lying around here.

"Haori, you're awake?"

However, just as he stood up, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"It's you two, Rin, and Kakashi?"

Haori turned his head to look, then nodded with a smile.

"Don't you want to rest a bit more?"

Rin asked with concern, while Kakashi stood to the side and nodded quietly.

Haori's performance yesterday had truly left a deep impression on him; that elegant, art-like fighting style was unforgettable.

And it was precisely because of Haori's timely support and powerful intervention that this mission had been completed successfully.

"I'm feeling great, and I don't want to just keep lying down."

Haori really wanted to say, 'Why sleep so long in life, when you'll sleep forever in death,' but after some consideration, he didn't say it out loud.

After all, in this world, with things like the Impure World Reincarnation, one might not even get a long sleep after death.

"Well, going out for a walk is fine, but Haori, you should be prepared."

After hearing Haori's words, Rin thought for a moment before speaking with a smile.

"Right now, everyone knows who you are."

Haori looked at Rin, stunned for a moment.

"Huh?"