Returning to Konoha

At this moment, Uchiha Yuzhen understood the current situation.

The Third Kazekage could no longer be saved.

So then...

His heart followed his will!

From Uchiha Yuzhen's shoulder, where he was carrying the Third Kazekage, a surge of Wind Style-natured chakra quietly emerged.

As everyone knew, the nature transformation of Wind Style chakra, even without forming a jutsu, was incomparably sharp!

Under Uchiha Yuzhen's manipulation, that razor-sharp Wind Style chakra—

Puchi—!

Pierced straight through the Third Kazekage's heart!

That wasn't all...

The chakra that entered the Kazekage's body surged toward his head.

Before long, it had reduced the Third Kazekage's brain... to mush!

That's right!

Uchiha Yuzhen had quietly dealt the killing blow to the Third Kazekage!

Since he couldn't be saved anyway, he might as well benefit himself.

Besides, the Third Kazekage was already suffering from a potent poison and had been run through by Sasori's puppet.

He and the others...

Could not immediately get him the treatment he needed.

Namikaze Minato also came into view.

The reality was that the Kazekage was a dead man walking!

Since this Kazekage was doomed no matter what, he might as well let himself gain a handsome sum of Combat Points!

Following Uchiha Yuzhen's small maneuver, the Third Kazekage departed for the Pure Land.

On his own System Panel, he had reaped 1,000 Combat Points.

When Yuzhen saw the Combat Points, he felt a sense of pure satisfaction.

A massive windfall of 1,000 points—this was the highest amount he had seen in the few months since he had awakened his Past Life Wisdom!

However, when the corner of Yuzhen's Sharingan caught the Wind Style ahead and the puppets behind closing in on him in a pincer attack, he realized now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Cutting off his train of thought, he decisively dropped the Third Kazekage's corpse and threw a Flying Thunder God Kunai in the direction of Namikaze Minato!

Whoosh!

Activating the Flying Thunder God, Yuzhen vanished from the spot.

Immediately after, his figure instantly appeared beside Namikaze Minato.

Uchiha Yuzhen lowered his eyes and said to Namikaze Minato with a look of shame:

"The Third Kazekage was struck by a neurotoxin; I couldn't use the Flying Thunder God to move with him."

"I am very sorry... Minato-sensei, Lord Kazekage could not be saved."

Hearing this, Namikaze Minato nodded in understanding, looking quite helpless.

"It's alright, Yuzhen. Since it couldn't be helped, let's leave!"

There was no other way; in his eyes, the situation just now...

Was indeed exactly as it seemed!

Yuzhen, unable to use the Flying Thunder God while carrying a burden, had been caught in a pincer attack, and the Kazekage had been successfully ambushed by Sasori.

Survival was essentially impossible.

Since things had reached this point, dwelling on it was useless!

Namikaze Minato's expression turned solemn, and he lowered his eyes, saying in a deep voice:

"In that case, Yuzhen... let's retreat."

Right now, the most important thing was to return to the village in time and report this situation to the Hokage.

The village had to be prepared to respond!

Uchiha Yuzhen saw that Namikaze Minato truly had no suspicions.

He breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Hearing the order to retreat, he immediately activated the Flying Thunder God.

Whoosh!

He vanished from the spot.

Seeing this, Namikaze Minato took one last deep look at Sasori of the Red Sands.

He then followed suit and disappeared from the scene as well.

Following the return of Uchiha Yuzhen and Namikaze Minato to the camp.

The morale of the Konoha forces was greatly boosted!

However, at this moment, everyone's eyes...

Were fixed tightly on the young man standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Namikaze Minato.

--Uchiha Yuzhen!

Through this mission, it felt as if everyone had to get to know him all over again.

This Uchiha youth had already caused quite a stir in the village some time ago.

During that mission, He had defeated one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Biwa Juzo.

He had seized one of the Mist Ninja's greatest treasures, the Kubikiribōchō!

More importantly, after his fame rose from accomplishing these feats.

He, an Uchiha, being identified with the Hokage's faction, was even more eye-catching!

All of this had given the clan ninjas and civilian ninjas of Konoha...

A clear impression of this Uchiha Yuzhen.

A genius star of the Uchiha was rising steadily within Konoha.

But right now--

Everyone present...

Except for Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, who already knew Yuzhen had learned the Flying Thunder God before the mission.

And knew how formidable he was!

The others were shocked by Uchiha Yuzhen's immense strength!

Especially those who often operated alongside Minato...

Akimichi Choza and Aburame Shibi!

At this moment, the two stood together, their gazes fixed on Yuzhen and Minato, who were surrounded by the crowd.

"I truly didn't expect that Minato's student, this Uchiha youth..." Aburame Shibi frowned and sighed softly: "Could actually hold his own against Sasori of the Red Sands!"

Although he had known when Minato assigned the mission...

That Uchiha Yuzhen would definitely complete it...

But when the reality was placed right before his eyes, he realized.

This youth had truly held back Sasori of the Red Sands, had held back a ninja comparable to a Kage.

This surreal reality.

At this moment, made him feel.

Just how vast the gap between people could be!

At twelve years old, the kid was tangling with a Kage-level powerhouse.

What was he doing when he was twelve?!

Hearing such a lament from Aburame Shibi, his old friend of many years.

Akimichi Choza nodded in deep agreement.

He stared at Yuzhen with burning eyes:

"Indeed... after all these years, the Uchiha are truly about to produce a figure who will shake the world!"

"I imagine that after this mission, every clan in Konoha will begin to re-evaluate the Uchiha!"

Unlike the Aburame clan, which remained somewhat peripheral within Konoha, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio maintained close ties with the Sarutobi clan. Having cultivated their influence in the core circles of Konoha for many years, they understood all too well just how much turbulence the emergence of an outstanding Uchiha would cause.

The Uchiha clan had been in decline for a long time. In recent years, only Uchiha Fugaku had been worth noting; the rest were all mediocre. Now, a youth capable of holding his own against a Kage-level powerhouse had appeared, and his status was firmly rooted in the lineage of the Hokage's own disciples.

Thinking of this, Akimichi Choza sighed with emotion, "The winds of change are blowing for Konoha!"

Following this, the rescue team conducted a rapid withdrawal. With the mission objective secured and no casualties among the team members, the operation could be considered a resounding success. Ninjas valued efficiency above all else, so they departed the Land of Wind immediately.

Once they had escorted the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers and his son back to the Land of Rivers Daimyo Palace, the rescue team returned to Konoha at top speed. Yuzhen had his own theories regarding this haste. Minato's previous attempt to save the Third Kazekage indicated that he, too, had sensed the subtle and precarious atmosphere currently gripping the Ninja World.

If Sasori of the Red Sands were even slightly clever, he would silence the Sand Ninja who had intercepted him and then pin the blame squarely on Konoha. If that happened, Konoha would have no way to defend itself! Namikaze Minato likely wanted to return as quickly as possible to inform the higher-ups of the situation, allowing everyone to prepare for the coming storm.

The reality was exactly as Uchiha Yuzhen had surmised. Upon returning to Konoha, Namikaze Minato gave a hurried order to disband and bolted straight toward the Hokage Building.

A short while later, inside the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened as he asked Namikaze Minato urgently, "Minato... everything you just told me, you aren't lying, are you?!"

He could hardly believe his ears—the Kazekage had actually been killed by one of his own during their rescue mission... by Sasori of the Red Sands?! He didn't even need to think to know that Konoha was destined to take the fall for this.

"It is the truth, Lord Third!" Namikaze Minato replied to Hiruzen with a resolute tone.

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen began to smoke his pipe in distress. At this moment, an old man exuding a gloomy aura began to speak within the office.