Third Shinobi World War

More than three months have passed since Kirigakure invaded Konoha. During this time, Namikaze Minato traveled alone to Sunagakure to provide support, playing a pivotal role on the battlefield where Sunagakure was resisting Kumogakure.

Aside from the Third Raikage, the biggest headache for Sunagakure on the Kumogakure side was the AB Duo. Whether it was Ai, the "A" who was the prospective Fourth Raikage, or Killer B, the "B" who served as the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, both were top-tier elites among jonin.

Yet, even such a powerful duo suffered setback after setback upon encountering Namikaze Minato.

Initially, Kumogakure did not pay much heed to the so-called "Yellow Flash," but after a period of skirmishes, they realized just how difficult Namikaze Minato was to deal with, even going so far as to establish a rule that ninjas could abandon their missions and flee if they encountered the Yellow Flash.

Of course, if a small unit were to encounter Namikaze Minato during a mission, even fleeing would be a luxury.

Because Namikaze Minato's fame skyrocketed, the names of Terumi Mei and Uesugi Shinji, who were able to contend with him during the battle at the Forest Fortress, also spread throughout the shinobi world.

Although the Third Shinobi World War had only just begun, each of the major hidden villages had already seen the emergence of their own rising stars: 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 ninjas, Namikaze Minato was recognized as the strongest of them all!

It was precisely because of his presence that Sunagakure was able to hold on for nearly two months despite being at a massive disadvantage, eventually waiting for an opportunity to regroup—the moment Iwagakure launched an offensive against Kumogakure.

With this, all five major hidden villages had joined the war, marking the official start of the Third Shinobi World War!

Within the borders of the Land of Fire, the troops led by Terumi Mei remained active, using guerrilla tactics to pin down Konoha's vital forces.

The main force of Kirigakure was led personally by the Fourth Mizukage, who was also supported by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, placing immense pressure on Konoha. To cope with the massive invasion by Kirigakure, the Third Hokage had already deployed most of the forces he could muster.

The Third Hokage was also suffering from a massive headache regarding Terumi Mei, who was roaming within the Land of Fire. He had dispatched several units to intercept her, but due to the lack of powerful leaders, every skirmish resulted in heavy losses.

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

After several clashes between the troops led by Terumi Mei and Namikaze Minato, both sides had their share of victories and defeats, with neither able to overcome the other.

Soon, the two reached a silent understanding; neither side initiated further attacks during their standoff to avoid the unnecessary depletion of their respective forces. However, in secret, both were racking their brains on how to counter the other and find an opportunity to land a fatal blow.

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

"Damn it, failed again!"

Hozuki Mangetsu pressed his palms together in front of his chest, forming a posture to condense chakra, and attempted to fuse the water and wind nature chakra within his body according to the method Uesugi Shinji had taught him.

Unfortunately, he had yet to find the right sensation to control the fusion of the two chakra natures.

Turning to look at Uesugi Shinji, who was standing to the side, Hozuki Mangetsu asked with a troubled expression, "Teacher, it's been two weeks and there's been no progress. Do you have any suggestions?"

Uesugi Shinji had been observing Hozuki Mangetsu's training progress. Although the boy's chakra control already surpassed that of most ninjas, fusing it into Ice Release was no easy task.

Judging by the current situation, if Hozuki Mangetsu could not achieve a breakthrough in his understanding, it was highly likely that his bloodline disease would flare up before he mastered Ice Release.

"You might as well prepare your coffin," Uesugi Shinji said with a calm expression.

Hozuki Mangetsu's face stiffened upon hearing this, and he complained, "Come on, that hardly counts as a suggestion."

Kisame, who was sitting under a tree nearby, watched Hozuki Mangetsu's training with great interest. He let out a strange laugh and said, "What a pity. Could it be that the Hozuki Clan will disappear entirely with your generation?"

Although the Hozuki Clan was a prominent family in Kirigakure, their lineage was not flourishing, and Hozuki Mangetsu was the only one left in his generation.

"You're overthinking it, Kisame-senpai. Before long, I'll have a younger brother or sister," Hozuki Mangetsu replied.

Although his tone sounded relaxed, both Uesugi Shinji and Kisame could hear an indescribable undertone in his words.

Clearly, Hozuki Mangetsu's father had decided to have another child to preserve the Hozuki bloodline only after learning of his condition. This move was understandable, but it signaled that his father had already prepared himself to give up on him.

Seeing the young Hozuki Mangetsu feigning a relaxed posture, Kisame shook his head and stopped teasing him.

Uesugi Shinji turned and walked away slowly, leaving behind his expectations for Hozuki Mangetsu in a calm tone: "If you want to survive, then prove that you are a true genius!"

In truth, even if Hozuki Mangetsu could not master Ice Release before his bloodline disease flared up, Uesugi Shinji could still use Ice Release to help him control the illness. However, if that happened, the boy would no longer be able to use the abilities of the Hydrification Technique.

But he would not tell Hozuki Mangetsu this information; otherwise, the boy would lose the determination to burn his bridges, and there would be even less hope of him mastering Ice Release.