Minato, The Little Trio

The moment the city gate exploded, a violent shockwave swept through, carrying a spray of wood splinters.

The door-bar, thick as a bowl, was instantly pulverized into dust, while Kamekichi and over a dozen guards were sent flying like ragdolls, slamming heavily into the ground.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

Kamekichi struggled to prop up his upper body, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with shattered teeth.

Amidst the ringing in his ears, he saw countless soldiers in iron armor surging into the gatehouse like a tidal wave, the dull thud of iron boots against the earth causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The defending troops were in total disarray, screaming and scattering in every direction like headless flies.

Kamekichi looked toward the gate in despair, only to see a slender figure stepping steadily over the scattered remains of limbs.

The hem of his dark battle robe was soaked in dark red blood, and under the firelight, his blood-stained face appeared cold and bewitching.

The man swung his blade casually, and three guards who had raised their weapons in a desperate attempt to resist were instantly decapitated, their heads flying into the sky.

Amidst the spraying rain of blood, he grabbed a still-twitching head and raised his arm to shout.

"Those who surrender shall kneel and be spared!"

Kamekichi's pupils contracted sharply, and then he tremblingly grabbed his spear.

He was terrified of death, but he knew clearly that he was a citizen of the Land of Rice Fields, a soldier of the Land of Rice Fields; even if he were to die, he would die fighting for his country!

The conviction of a final stand burned in his heart, but before the tip of his spear could even reach waist height, a sudden chill struck his throat.

"Gurgle... ugh..."

Kamekichi's eyes widened as he slowly knelt, fresh blood gushing from his throat.

In his final moments, his vision was filled with the indifferent gaze of the Grand Governor of the New Martial Army, and behind him, the black flag with the red "New Martial" characters, snapping violently in the night wind.

Outside the North Gate of Tsukimiura, the main road that was once crowded with refugees was now devoid of any displaced people.

Although the environment remained harsh and the landscape was still filled with withered branches stripped of their bark, tender green shoots were beginning to emerge in the surrounding fields, bringing a renewed sense of vitality.

At this moment, on the main road, within a four-person squad accompanying a merchant caravan from the Land of Fire.

A girl dressed in simple attire looked at this scene, a flash of curiosity in her eyes, before she turned to look at the tall, yellow-haired youth in their group.

"Teacher Minato, didn't the intelligence report say that Tsukimiura was suffering from a drought and that there were many homeless people? Why does the situation seem a bit different now?"

As soon as she spoke, the two boys beside her also turned their gazes toward Minato.

Minato scratched his head upon hearing this.

"Sorry, Rin, I don't..."

However, before Minato could finish his sentence, two voices suddenly rose one after another from the nearby fields.

"Water Release: Drizzle Technique!"

Hearing this, the four of them stiffened, and they whipped their heads around to look.

They saw that in the furrows of the field, two men wearing the headbands of Hidden Mist missing-nin were being held captive by a group of men in dark uniforms, with sharp blades pressed against their throats.

The two missing-nin were filled with grief and indignation, but the hand seals they were forming did not stop, and their chakra transformed into a gentle stream of water that seeped into the parched soil.

Surrounding them were a group of ragged farmers who, upon seeing the land nourished by the Water Release, raised their hoes, cheered loudly, and began to dance.

"Those are Hidden Mist missing-nin headbands, but how could they..."

Obito exclaimed in shock, and while Kakashi was wearing a mask, his wide-open eyes revealed the turmoil in his heart.

"This Grand Governor Dongfang Mao..."

Minato's mouth twitched slightly; he had already guessed that these two ninjas were likely retainers of the nobles who had once resided within Tsukimiura.

After Tsukimiura was conquered, they must have been taken prisoner.

Minato just hadn't expected that Dongfang Mao would actually use the Water Release of these two ninjas to resolve the drought in Tsukimiura. It truly opened his eyes and provided him with a new perspective.

But upon second thought, this approach seemed a bit useless.

His country was the Land of Fire, where the climate was like spring all year round, and natural disasters almost never occurred; the countryside enjoyed bountiful harvests every year.

There was simply no need for such an eccentric method.

Shaking his head, Minato shifted his attention back to the members of the Night Patrol Bureau.

He could judge from the ninjutsu the two had released that they were at least at the level of Chunin, yet such ninjas were being held captive by the Night Patrol Bureau without daring to resist, acting with absolute obedience.

This proved that Dongfang Mao, who could capture two Chunin, and the strength of his subordinates, might not be as simple as the intelligence reports suggested.

For a moment, Minato's expression grew grave.

"Rin, Obito, Kakashi, we are about to enter the territory of the rebel army. Once we enter the city, you must stay close to me. You are absolutely not allowed to act on your own, understand?"

Seeing Minato's serious expression, the three of them nodded heavily.

"Understood, Teacher Minato!"

After entering the city, Minato and his party headed to a tavern to rest.

The things he had seen and heard along the way made Minato realize that the intelligence in his hands might be somewhat inaccurate, so he needed to gather more specific information.

As soon as they entered the tavern, a deafening roar of conversation hit them. Minato led his three students to a table and sat down, immediately hearing the people at the neighboring table holding newspapers and discussing things heatedly.

"The Grand Governor is truly peerless in his bravery! He marched hundreds of miles east and even took a major city like Kasumi Town; it's as if Amaterasu herself has descended upon the world!"

"That Tsukimi Daily of yours is days old! You're still stuck on Kasumi Town? I reckon the Grand Governor has probably already taken Matsuo Town by now; the daily paper should report it tomorrow."

"You're all thinking too small, your perspectives are just too narrow. I think the Grand Governor has likely already seized Tsurumi Pass and is preparing to strike at the Daimyo Mansion!"

"That makes sense. If it's the Grand Governor, it's not impossible..."

These people became increasingly hyperbolic, even claiming that Dongfang Mao had already turned his spear around, invaded the Land of Fire, conquered the Daimyo Mansion, and was currently lingering in the Daimyo's inner palace.

The expression on Minato's face became incredibly colorful.

However, at that moment, someone at another table suddenly slammed their wine cup heavily onto the table, turned their head, glared fiercely at those babbling fools, let out a cold snort, and stood up to leave.

"Hey! Look at that guy!"

"Forget it, leave him be. The Grand Governor has already killed so many people; there are still idiots like him around. If he wants to court death, don't stop him—it's just a pity for his nine generations of kin..."

"True. Speaking of which, how did the Grand Governor even come up with this 'nine generations' thing?"

"Interested? You can take your nine generations of kin and go ask the Grand Governor yourself."

"You're a real bastard."

Hearing this, Minato's eyes flickered, and he immediately signaled to the three little ones beside him.

The three of them understood instantly, following Minato as they pursued the trail of the man who had just left in a fit of indignation.