"Is all of that true?"
Late that night, inside the Konoha camp.
After hearing the mission details, Jiraiya stared at Namikaze Minato in stunned disbelief.
Especially when he saw his student nod seriously. For a moment, he could barely keep it together.
That Uchiha Haori sure knew how to stir up trouble.
This mission had succeeded—and it had succeeded spectacularly!
With both Haori's team and Kakashi's team brought back by Minato, Konoha had come out way ahead.
Of course, there had been losses.
Apart from those two teams, the other squads that had gone behind enemy lines could basically be considered wiped out.
But how could there be a war without losses? And compared to what Konoha had gained, those losses were nothing!
It was just that the details of this operation were so outrageous, especially Haori's extraordinary performance leading his team. Even Jiraiya was at a loss for words.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I know you're surprised. Honestly, I'm even more surprised than you are."
Looking at Jiraiya's dazed expression, Minato shook his head and smiled.
"But we all underestimated Haori's abilities.
I spoke with him, and I can say for certain that from the moment he received the mission, he knew what our objective was."
"So that's why he picked up the pace and went straight for the large supply depot—and that depot just happened to have a huge stock of Explosive Tags?"
Jiraiya rubbed his head and said helplessly.
"That's right."
Minato nodded. He had already asked Might Guy and Aoba, and their answers had been exactly the same.
Haori had only wanted to raid the stronghold to draw Iwagakure's forces away. He just hadn't expected the place to have so many Explosive Tags.
If they hadn't been lucky, he would've been blown to pieces right there!
The impact of that massive explosion had truly accelerated the war.
It sent a clear message to every Iwa shinobi on the front lines: your heartland has been infiltrated, and we can wreak massive destruction at will!
There was no denying that the explosion had also brought disaster down on the other teams. Even Team Kakashi had been caught up in it.
But for the front lines, its effects had been entirely positive.
It had greatly boosted the morale of the Konoha forces, while dealing a heavy blow to Iwagakure's morale. What's more, Konoha had won a major victory!
"Though the good outweighed the bad, they may have taken my situation into account while escaping, and brought quite a few enemies over to Kakashi."
Jiraiya was still lost in thought. Minato hesitated, then continued in a straightforward tone.
"But there's no denying that what they did saved Kakashi and the others.
Then, during the operation that followed, they killed Hunt and hurried to Kannabi Bridge in time to take out more than ten of the shinobi guarding it. In the end, they completed the mission."
"Hunt's dead too? And they took out that many shinobi?"
Jiraiya understood what Minato meant, but his thoughts were still circling around everything Haori had done.
Jiraiya knew Hunt well. That Iwagakure elite had caused Konoha considerable casualties.
Now Haori had killed him, and had also taken out more than ten Iwa shinobi in one go.
Without Haori, the bridge-bombing mission might not have gone so smoothly at all. Jiraiya couldn't help feeling deeply moved.
"Of course he went looking for you. Isn't that only natural?"
Though he was impressed, Jiraiya knew he still had other matters to handle, especially what his student had said earlier.
He looked up at Minato, then smiled and continued.
"He'd already guessed the mission details. It's no big deal if he ran into serious trouble and wanted to rely on you.
But there's no need to include that guess in the report. Just say he happened to run into Kakashi while evading Iwagakure's pursuit."
"Understood, Sensei." Minato couldn't help smiling at that.
"You little rascal, trying to pull a fast one on me."
Jiraiya gave his student a wry look, then chided him with a smile.
"Anyway, pass along the credit for the mission. Let everyone have something to celebrate.
Haori's so capable, and he's done so much. We can't let his efforts go unrecognized.
The Uchiha are Konoha shinobi too. Our job is to handle matters on the battlefield.
As for the other headache-inducing issues, leave them to the people who are supposed to worry about them."
"Yes, Sensei."
Minato's smile grew even brighter. He had always known that although his teacher could seem unreliable at times,
When it came to serious matters, his teacher was still the one he could trust most.
The morning sun had just begun to spill across the land. Inside a camp in the forests of the Land of Grass, Haori sat up on his simple wooden bed.
Taking in the crude but clearly man-made surroundings, he drew in a deep breath.
A feeling of relief washed over him.
"It's finally over."
It had only been a few days, and he had to admit that they hadn't been all that dangerous for him.
Still, life in an environment where enemies could appear at any moment hadn't been easy.
And now, he couldn't help thinking back to the battle the day before.
The battle had been exhilarating, and the feeling of having everything under control was something he couldn't stop savoring.
He was beginning to understand why Uchiha Madara's battles had been so breathtaking, like works of art.
Setting aside the harsh conditions Madara had lived through during the Warring States period, which had honed his astonishing Taijutsu, the power of the Sharingan had played an indispensable role!
The Sharingan's power was truly unimaginable. Uchiha Madara could dance through tens of thousands of people with just the Three Tomoe.
Haori had only had his eyes upgraded to the Three Tomoe a few days ago, yet by unleashing their full power, he could move freely among dozens of shinobi.
That kind of power was truly hard to imagine!
Haori was now even more eager to see what these eyes could do as he continued to improve them.
Beyond that, he was also looking forward to the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
After all, when it came to the future, the Mangekyo Sharingan was the bare minimum for protecting himself.
"But yesterday was still a bit too risky..."
Though he was excited, Haori remained levelheaded.
Thinking back to the previous day's battle, he still felt a cold sweat break out.
He didn't have to worry about what the Iwa shinobi might do to him, but Minato had really been fighting the Five-Tails.
Luckily, Minato had kept the Five-Tails occupied, so it hadn't fired a Tailed Beast Bomb in their direction.
And Minato had taken them away before the Five-Tails could even try. Otherwise, Haori would've been kicking the bucket and leaving the world in peace.
"I'll have to be more careful from now on."
Haori got to his feet. A good rest had left him full of energy, and he didn't want to lie around any longer.
"Haori, you're awake?"
He had only just stood up when a voice sounded behind him.
"Oh, it's you two. Rin—and Kakashi?"
Haori turned around, saw them, and smiled as he nodded.
"Why not get some more rest?"
Rin asked with concern, while Kakashi quietly nodded beside her.
Haori's performance the day before had left a deep impression on him. His elegant, almost artistic fighting style was unforgettable.
And it was thanks to Haori's timely support and powerful intervention that the mission had been completed successfully.
"I feel great. I don't want to lie around all day."
Haori wanted to say, "Why sleep for long in life? In death, you'll sleep forever." But after thinking it over, he decided not to.
After all, in this world, there was Impure World Reincarnation. Even death might not bring eternal rest.
"But it'd be good to go for a walk. You'd better be ready, though, Haori."
After hearing him, Rin thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Everyone knows who you are now."
Haori stared at Rin for a moment.
"Huh?"