A three-minute limit

[Editor's note: This chapter has been edited to remove content that breaks our content rules.]

“Not as impressive as you, you little rascal. I take my eyes off you for a moment, and you kill an enemy jonin. Just how strong are you?” Minato Namikaze grumbled on. “Anyway, don’t forget about the Leaf Village’s safety. Your strength is important to the village, too. You have to take part in this counterattack.”

“All right. Since you’re so lonely, Minato-sensei. I know you’ll get into trouble if you don’t have someone to talk to on the road, so I suppose I’ll reluctantly agree.”

“You brat. I really don’t know what to do with you. Remember, the operation starts the night after tomorrow. Don’t tell anyone else about it. This is a village secret.”

“Yes, yes. I’m going to see how the other teams are doing on their missions. If there’s anything else, we can talk the day after tomorrow.”

“That kid.” Watching Yang Xing leave, Minato shook his head with a smile.

Whatever Yang Xing’s personality might be like, he would always be a student Minato was proud of.

“I wonder what Kakashi’s doing. Oh, right—there was someone else. What was his name again? The one who kept pestering Kakashi. He doesn’t seem to be following Kakashi around anymore. Where did he go? And who exactly was that kid, anyway? Never mind. Gathering the shinobi for the attack is more important. I’ll let Yang Xing sort it out himself. They’re all children, after all.”

To the west of the Leaf Village, today’s mission was to drive away a black bear roaming the surrounding area. Apparently, it had injured several villagers, leaving a nearby village in a panic. The villagers had pooled their money and submitted a mission request to the Leaf.

It