"Ninja were meant to risk their lives to complete missions. Since you're afraid of dying, then give up your identity and live on in humiliation."
His tone was cold and merciless. Hatake Kakashi seemed gloomy and distant, as if he were desperate to prove something.
"How strange. Kakashi-senpai's father, the Konoha White Fang, chose to abandon a mission to protect his comrades. This doesn't sound like something you'd say about your fellow villagers."
A smile played at the corner of his mouth. Kakashi's pupils trembled, and his expression turned inexplicably icy.
"Kakashi, enough. Don't say something like that before we've even set foot on the battlefield. And you too, Uchiha Hanazuki."
Minato glanced around, then let his gaze settle on the brown-haired girl behind Kakashi. His expression softened into the familiar smile he usually wore.
"Rin, I'm counting on you to look after Kakashi and Obito. Keep this safe. If you run into any danger, I'll get there as soon as I can."
"Minato-sensei, yes! You can leave those two to me."
Nohara Rin, her short hair brushing her ears and a smile on her face, nodded repeatedly. She took Kakashi and Uchiha Obito by the hands, both of them looking worried, and set off toward the village gates.
"And..."
"No need. That idiot and the delicate girl over there haven't fallen so far that they need someone else to save them. Neither have I. Let's go, let's go."
He turned down Minato's offer. If Minato reached the battlefield and discovered the Black Nine-Tails and the Mangekyō Sharingan, the information would most likely leak to Danzo.
"Is that so? Be careful, then. Carelessness on the battlefield can have dire consequences. You're only Genin taking part in a battle for the first time, so if you encounter danger, just run for your lives."
"Oh, come on. That may be true, but somehow it still makes me mad. You really are terrible at comforting people."
Their eyes met. As Minato watched in surprise, the others disappeared through Konoha's gates.
"Haah, they don't like me. Kids these days..."
"Don't dwell on such a small thing. The battlefield in the Land of Wind is the real headache. Our opponent is Chiyo, who specializes in poison. Without Lady Tsunade's help, she'll be quite difficult to deal with."
"Ultimately, the Third Shinobi World War broke out because the Third Kazekage went missing. That was the spark."
Nara Shikaku analyzed the situation in a low voice. The only people capable of facing Chiyo, a puppeteer, were Orochimaru, the only one of the Sannin still in the village, and the man before him, Jiraiya's fellow Sannin's student, Namikaze Minato—the one known as the Yellow Flash.
"We have no choice. Given their suspicions, Konoha can't just let Sand Ninja keep making moves along the border. Let's go too. There's no need to worry anymore; your students are already excellent ninja."
Their teammate, Akimichi Choza, offered reassurance. Aburame Shibi, silent beside him, gave a slight nod. His dark sunglasses hid his thoughts.
"I hope so. I can't shake this ominous feeling. After that last battle, will Kumogakure really let things go?"
He couldn't help worrying, but not a second could be wasted on the battlefield. The Konoha jonin set off for the border of the Land of Wind.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
In the Land of Moon, a small country on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, deep within a forest surrounded by mountains and dense woods.
"Listen carefully. This mission is only reconnaissance. Kumogakure and Konoha fought many times when the war began. Now both sides are holding back, but clashes can still occur."
"Most of you are Genin who've only just graduated from the Ninja Academy, though a few Chunin have some mission experience. Remember to follow orders on the battlefield."
Sarutobi Hina, the commander responsible for everyone's safety, gave them a stern warning. Her gaze lingered on Uchiha Hanazuki for quite some time.
"Now, spread out to your assigned positions. If you spot any enemy ninja, do not engage. Move out!"
The squads spread out in a ring. The three-person team Hanazuki was in was unlike the usual team of new graduates: they'd been assigned to a reconnaissance area unusually close to the battlefield.
Tch, is this payback? Or did she do it on purpose? What a pain. I'll just take a quick look and get it over with. The current Raikage of Kumogakure should be Fourth Raikage A, and his partner is the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B. Two troublesome people.
Inside a broad tree trunk, Hanazuki, Anko, and Yugao hid together. Though they were all children now, there was barely enough room for them to move around.
"Hey, Hanazuki, is it really okay for us to hide here instead of doing the mission?"
"Quiet, stupid Anko. This is a battlefield; you can never be too careful. Since it's only a reconnaissance mission, we can just use these."
"Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—Summoning Jutsu: Nine Mask Svāhā."
The glow of the Summoning Jutsu flashed and vanished, leaving Anko and Yugao stunned. It was as if nothing had happened.
"Summoning Jutsu? Are you going to use your summon to do the mission for us? When did you sign a contract with a summon? You stingy thing."
"Shh, idiot. If you're too loud, someone will hear you. We're on a battlefield; there could be all kinds of reconnaissance ninja on the other side."
Hanazuki warned her in a low voice, bringing a silent smile to Uzuki Yugao's face. The unease in her heart gradually faded.
She was a close-combat ninja, while Anko only knew Fire Release Ninjutsu and wasn't good at reconnaissance. She hadn't expected this unreliable-looking fellow to be skilled at such a surprising Summoning Jutsu. She never would've guessed.
Anko and Yugao stared at each other inside the hollow tree trunk. Hanazuki rested with her eyes closed. After a long silence, she gave a slight nod.
"Lucky us. There aren't any Cloud Ninja in this area."
"Great! Now I can finally talk loudly. Hey, what exactly is your summon? Hurry up and show me..."
Before Anko could finish cheering, a small, pale hand clamped over her mouth.
"Idiot, we still don't know how the enemy is conducting reconnaissance. If they pick up your voice, we'll be in serious trouble."
Time passed. When it was nearly time to regroup, the three of them slipped quietly out of the tree hollow and hurried to the meeting point.
As soon as they arrived, they heard Kakashi's cool voice.
"Team 7 members Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin have completed their reconnaissance. We haven't detected any activity from Kumogakure's ninja so far."
"Team 10 members Uchiha Hanazuki, Mitaraishi Anko, and Uzuki Yugao haven't detected any enemy activity."
Seeing Hanazuki return second, just after his own Team 7, Kakashi furrowed his brow but chose to remain silent. As the other squads returned one by one, Sarutobi Hina nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Today's mission is complete. Rest in shifts. Reconnaissance will continue tonight."
"Who's there? Come out!"