On the road to the Land of Tea, the members of Team Minato had been escorting the caravan for three days.
The caravan boss had initially been dissatisfied that they had so few guards.
But once Namikaze Minato's name was mentioned,
he immediately showed off his talent for changing his tune.
Uchiha Obito envied him for it.
He and Yuzhen were on patrol in another area, keeping watch.
In an envious tone, Obito sighed to Uchiha Yuzhen:
"Minato-sensei's name is already starting to spread throughout the Ninja World."
"When will my name, Uchiha Obito's, resound throughout the Ninja World~?"
"If I get famous..." As he spoke, Obito glanced ahead.
Rin, positioned at an angle opposite Kakashi.
Seeing Obito like this, Uchiha Yuzhen didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
Obito-bro really was the Ninja World's number-one "love-struck fool."
His life's goal was inseparable from Rin Nohara at every turn.
Shaking his head, he said to Obito, exasperated:
"Don't think so much. Just focus on what's in front of you."
"Yeah, yeah..." Obito replied listlessly.
Yuzhen ignored him and continued watching their surroundings.
He was really hoping enemies would attack. With Namikaze Minato here,
to put it bluntly, he'd have a powerful ally carrying him.
This mission was as good as a sure thing!
So, for him, the core purpose of this mission...
was to find out
exactly how capable he was in a real fight to the death!
The Affix he'd recently gained from Jiraiya,
[Natural Energy Affinity (Blue)], was gradually taking effect.
As for his affinity with Natural Energy, he had no way to practice Sage Mode yet, so he hadn't noticed any changes.
But his chakra reserves had increased slightly.
That had genuinely come as a pleasant surprise!
Chakra was different from other energy systems.
It wasn't like internal energy, spiritual energy, or magical power, which could be accumulated simply by training every day.
Chakra was rooted in one's physique and bloodline!
Could you keep increasing your chakra reserves just by diligently extracting chakra every day?
Impossible!
What people called chakra extraction was simply drawing it out and using it.
You could only extract as much as your physique allowed.
Physique and bloodline were what mattered!
He, Uchiha Yuzhen, was a member of the Uchiha Clan.
Now that his Affixes had begun to defy fate on his behalf, the Uchiha's deep bloodline heritage was starting to show its power.
Don't assume the Uchiha had small chakra reserves!
It depended on who you compared them to, right?
They might indeed fall short of the Senju and Uzumaki.
But compared with everyone else in the Ninja World, the Uchiha were bona fide descendants of the Six Paths.
Did people really think their chakra reserves would be low?!
His chakra reserves had been growing rapidly over this period.
Not long ago, he'd already had as much chakra as Kakashi.
Now—this so-called slight increase in chakra had directly sent his reserves soaring!
At the very least, he had one and a half times as much chakra as Kakashi.
As his chakra grew, so did his physique.
The increase in his chakra reserves meant that Uchiha Yuzhen now
really needed a fight to the death to find out where he stood among the Jonin!
In the years since the Second Shinobi World War had ended,
the tensions between the hidden villages hadn't eased. Pressured by the economic climate,
the major villages fought tooth and nail over their clients' missions, stopping at nothing!
Since the Land of Water lay just across the sea from the Land of Fire, Konoha and Kirigakure often clashed
over missions along the coastline!
As Team Minato escorted the caravan and prepared to enter the Land of Tea,
on a beach, Biwa Juzo, the Jonin leading the hired band tasked with attacking the caravan,
was one of Kirigakure's most prominent shinobi and a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
He had also obtained some intelligence.
"The enemy's Jonin leader is Namikaze Minato, a rising star in the Ninja World who's recently made a name for himself. They've started calling him the 'Yellow Flash,' Lord Juzo... shouldn't we be cautious?"
Their raiding party was neither large nor small, numbering just over ten people.
The one who'd spoken
was a beautiful, brown-haired young woman.
Juzo made no comment on his subordinate's advice.
"A shinobi who's only just made a name for himself. Judging by that so-called 'Flash' moniker, he's probably a speed-type shinobi."
"Conveniently, speed-type shinobi rely heavily on their vision, and our Hidden Mist Technique is perfect for countering them. There's no need to worry too much... Mei!"
Terumi Mei thought it over and decided he had a point!
The enemy had fewer people than they did, and they had Lord Juzo, a shinobi with a name of his own.
The Hidden Mist Technique was also perfect for giving a speed-type shinobi trouble.
More against fewer, a famous shinobi against a famous shinobi, and a technique that countered theirs!
They'd win for sure!
Ao, a shinobi skilled in strategy and sensory techniques, had been listening to the two of them.
He couldn't find any flaws in their reasoning.
Still, he couldn't help asking, uncertainly:
"But the intel says that team seems to have two Uchiha."
"We don't have any more detailed information..."
"But we can't afford to overlook the Sharingan!"
After hearing Ao's advice, Biwa Juzo rubbed his chin.
He pondered for a moment, then said gravely:
"That's true. The Hidden Mist Technique can obscure the Sharingan's vision."
"But they're not fools, either. Anyone would know something was wrong if mist they couldn't see through suddenly appeared."
"That would defeat the whole purpose of the Hidden Mist Technique."
After thinking it over some more, he lowered his gaze.
"Everyone, it looks like we'll have to find a way to deal with those two Uchiha first."
"Whoever's confident enough can step forward. I won't force anyone... after all, this mission is risky!"
Of those present, only Terumi Mei immediately parted her lips and volunteered:
"Let me handle it. I'll make sure he dies in bliss..."
"...my Hot Kiss!"
Walking in front, Namikaze Minato saw mist spreading through the forest ahead.
And on both sides of the path...
there were far too many puddles!
His extensive experience immediately made him suspect something was wrong,
but just as he was about to signal his students,
he decided to see how they would respond to real danger and whether they would stick together.
After all, this was nothing like an exam. It was a real fight to the death.
That was when people showed their true colors.
In particular...
he wanted to see how Uchiha Yuzhen would act and what choices he would make!
He didn't need to see whether Yuzhen had the Will of Fire. He just wanted to know whether he cared about protecting his teammates!
Having made up his mind, he held back.
But Minato's plan had badly misfired.
After awakening his Past Life Wisdom, this was the first time Yuzhen had faced a situation like this.
He felt as if his previous life's experiences were nothing more than watching a movie.
That feeling of unease struck when he saw the puddles on both sides of the road and the mist ahead.
He glanced at Kakashi.
He remembered what had happened during Team Kakashi's mission in the Land of Waves.
Uneasy, he immediately focused chakra around his eyes.
His scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun.
Well, well!
Those puddles hidden in the grass beside the road ahead had an intense chakra signature?!
And... the mist ahead was actually blocking the Sharingan's vision?
Uchiha Yuzhen immediately warned them:
"Everyone, be careful! There are ambushes at ten o'clock and two o'clock ahead!"
"And... my Sharingan can't see through the heavy mist in that forest. It's definitely the Hidden Mist Technique!"
"It's an enemy attack!"
Whoosh—!
The moment Yuzhen finished speaking, six Mist Ninja leaped out from either side.
The slender, brown-haired young woman said to the subordinates beside her, "Go help Ao take care of those three brats!"
"As for this Uchiha who saw through our plan..."
"I'll have a little fun with him myself!"
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