The Third Shinobi World War

It had been more than three months since Kirigakure invaded Konoha. During that time, Namikaze Minato had gone alone to support Sunagakure, where he had played a major role in the battle against Kumogakure.

Aside from the Third Raikage, the biggest headache for Sunagakure was the AB Duo. Both the soon-to-be Fourth Raikage A, representing "A," and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki representing "B," were among the most elite of the jonin.

Yet even this formidable pair had repeatedly come off worse when facing Namikaze Minato.

At first, Kumogakure hadn't taken the so-called Yellow Flash seriously. But after clashing with him for some time, they learned just how difficult he was to deal with. They even introduced a rule allowing shinobi to abandon their missions and flee if they encountered the Yellow Flash.

Of course, if a small force encountered Namikaze Minato on a mission, even escaping would be a luxury.

Because of Namikaze Minato's growing fame, the names of Terumi Mei and Uesugi Shinji, who had been able to contend with him at the Battle of Forest Fortress, also spread throughout the Shinobi World.

Although the Shinobi World War had only just begun, each of the major villages had already produced promising young shinobi: Kumogakure's AB Duo, Sunagakure's Magnet Release user Rasa, Konoha's Yellow Flash, and Kirigakure's Terumi Mei and Uesugi Shinji.

But without a doubt, among these rising shinobi, Namikaze Minato was widely recognized as the strongest!

It was thanks to him that Sunagakure, despite being at an overwhelming disadvantage, had managed to hold out for nearly two months. In the end, they got a chance to regroup when Iwagakure launched an attack on Kumogakure.

At that point, all Five Great Shinobi Villages had joined the war, marking the official start of the Third Shinobi World War!

Within the Land of Fire, the forces led by Terumi Mei continued their active operations, using guerrilla tactics to tie down Konoha's manpower.

The main Kirigakure force was led in person by the Fourth Mizukage, who also had the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at his side. They put Konoha under immense pressure, and the Third Hokage had already sent out most of the forces at his disposal to deal with Kirigakure's full-scale invasion.

The Third Hokage was also deeply troubled by Terumi Mei, who roamed the Land of Fire. He sent several units to intercept her, but without any powerful fighters leading them, each clash ended in heavy losses.

Fortunately, the situation in Sunagakure had stabilized recently, and Namikaze Minato had returned to the village. He personally led an elite force to hold Terumi Mei back, stabilizing Konoha's rear and allowing the Third Hokage to breathe a sigh of relief.

The forces led by Terumi Mei and Namikaze Minato had clashed several times, with both sides winning some engagements. Neither could get the better of the other.

Before long, the two settled into an unspoken understanding. As they faced off, neither side made a move, avoiding needless losses among their forces. Yet in secret, both kept racking their brains for ways to counter the other and seize a chance to strike a fatal blow.

During this relatively peaceful period, Uesugi Shinji began guiding Hozuki Mangetsu in his Ice Release training.

"Damn it, I failed again!"

Hozuki Mangetsu held his hands together before his chest in a pose for concentrating chakra. Following Uesugi Shinji's instructions, he tried to combine the water and wind chakra inside him.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't find the right feel for controlling the fusion of the two chakra natures.

Turning to Uesugi Shinji, Hozuki Mangetsu asked with a troubled expression, "Sensei, it's been two weeks and I haven't made any progress. Do you have any advice?"

Uesugi Shinji had been observing Hozuki Mangetsu's training all along. His chakra control was already better than that of most shinobi, but combining chakra natures to create Ice Release was no easy feat.

Given the current situation, if Hozuki Mangetsu didn't have a breakthrough, his bloodline disease would likely flare up before he mastered Ice Release.

"You can start preparing your coffin," Uesugi Shinji said evenly.

Hozuki Mangetsu's expression stiffened. "Seriously? I wouldn't call that advice."

Nearby, Kisame was sitting under a tree, watching Hozuki Mangetsu train with interest. He gave a strange laugh. "What a shame. Is the Hozuki Clan going to die out in your generation?"

The Hozuki were an influential clan in Kirigakure, but they had never been numerous. Hozuki Mangetsu was the only one of his generation.

"Then you're worrying too much, Kisame-senpai. Before long, I'll have a younger brother or sister," Hozuki Mangetsu said.

His tone sounded casual, but both Uesugi Shinji and Kisame could hear an unspeakable bitterness beneath it.

Clearly, after learning about Hozuki Mangetsu's condition, his father had decided to have another child to preserve the Hozuki bloodline. It was understandable, but it showed that his father was already prepared to give up on him.

Seeing the boy's forced show of nonchalance, Kisame shook his head and stopped teasing him.

Uesugi Shinji turned and walked away at an unhurried pace. In a calm voice, he left Hozuki Mangetsu with his expectation: "If you want to survive, prove that you're a true genius!"

Even if Hozuki Mangetsu failed to master Ice Release before his bloodline disease flared up, Uesugi Shinji could use Ice Release to help control his condition. The only catch was that Hozuki Mangetsu would no longer be able to use the Hydrification Technique.

But he wouldn't tell Hozuki Mangetsu about this. Otherwise, the boy would lose the resolve to stake everything on success, and mastering Ice Release would become even less likely.