A few days later, Qingyu and the others reached the Konoha Camp on the border of the Land of Grass.
The camp was smaller than the one on the Eastern Coastline, but the atmosphere was far tenser.
Ninja hurried everywhere between towering stacks of supply crates. A stifling sense of impending trouble hung in the air.
Minato Namikaze spotted Qingyu and the others approaching and strode out to meet them.
"Qingyu, you're here."
Minato nodded to the group.
"Did the journey go smoothly?"
"Everything went smoothly, Minato."
Qingyu spoke up.
"Come inside. We'll talk there."
Minato turned toward the Main Tent, with Qingyu, Kakashi, and the others following behind him.
A detailed map lay spread out inside. Red and blue markers showed the deployments of both sides.
Minato stepped up to the map and tapped a spot deep in the Land of Grass, heavily marked with a red circle.
"This is Kannabi Bridge."
Minato's tone turned serious.
"It's the choke point on Iwagakure's supply line through the Land of Grass. Every shipment they bring from the Land of Earth—"
"Tools, medicine, everything—has to cross this bridge before it can reach the front."
He paused, then traced a circle around Kannabi Bridge.
"Your mission is to destroy it."
Qingyu stood before the map, studying the circled bridge.
He silently recalled what had happened in the original story. When Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara had carried out this mission, they had been ambushed by the Iwagakure Jonin Kakkō and Mahiru.
Obito had been pinned under a boulder while saving Kakashi, half his body crushed. Before dying, he had given Kakashi the Sharingan he had only just awakened.
But this time, Qingyu was part of the mission.
"Qingyu will lead this mission."
Minato turned to look at him.
"Kakashi and Obito's team will