"Ninja existed to risk their lives to complete missions. Since you're afraid of death, then give up your identity and live on in disgrace."
His tone was cold and merciless. Hatake Kakashi seemed gloomy and distant, as if he were desperate to prove something.
"That's strange. Kakashi-senpai's father, the White Fang of the Leaf, chose to abandon a mission to protect his comrades. Those aren't words you'd expect to hear from someone who cares about his village comrades."
A smile played at his lips. Kakashi's pupils trembled, and his expression turned chillingly cold.
"Kakashi, shut up. Don't say something like that before we've even set foot on the battlefield. And you too, Uchiha Hanazuki."
Minato surveyed the group, then let his gaze rest on the brown-haired girl behind Kakashi. His expression softened into the familiar smile he wore every day.
"Rin, I'll leave Kakashi and Obito to you. Keep this safe. If you run into any danger, I'll come as quickly as I can."
"Minato-sensei, yes! You can leave the two of them to me."
Nohara Rin, her short hair brushing her ears and a smile on her face, nodded repeatedly. She took the hands of the worried-looking Uchiha Obito and Kakashi and hurried toward the village gates.
"And..."
"No need. That idiot and that frail girl over there aren't so helpless that they need someone else to save them. Neither am I. Come on, let's go."
He rejected Minato's offer. If Minato reached the battlefield and discovered the Black Nine-Tails and the Mangekyō Sharingan, the information would likely leak to Danzo.
"Is that so? Be careful, no matter what. The consequences of letting your guard down on the battlefield can be terrible. You're only Genin on your first mission to the front lines. If you run into danger, just run for your lives."
"Oh, come on. That sounds reasonable, but somehow it still manages to make me mad. You really are hopeless at comforting people."
Their eyes met. Under Minato's astonished gaze, the group disappeared through Konoha's gates.
"Ah, they're fed up with me. Kids these days..."
"Stop worrying about such a trivial thing. The battlefield in the Land of Wind is the real headache. Their opponent is Chiyo, who specializes in poison. Without Lady Tsunade's help, she'll be very difficult to deal with."
"Ultimately, the Third Shinobi World War broke out because the Third Kazekage disappeared. That was the spark that set it off."
Nara Shikaku analyzed the situation in a low voice. The only ones qualified to face Chiyo, a puppeteer, were Orochimaru, the only one of the Sannin still in the village, and the man before them, Jiraiya's student and fellow Sannin, known as the Yellow Flash: Namikaze Minato.
"There's no helping it. Faced with their suspicions, Konoha can't just let Sunagakure's ninja keep making moves along the border. We should get going too. Don't worry anymore; your students are already excellent ninja."
Their teammate Akimichi Choza offered words of comfort. Beside him, Aburame Shibi silently nodded. His dark glasses made it impossible to see what he was thinking.
"I hope so. I can't shake this ominous feeling. After our 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 toward the border of the Land of Wind.
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
In the forests amid the mountains of the Land of the Moon, a small country on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
"Listen up. This mission is strictly reconnaissance. Kumogakure and Konoha clashed many times when the war began. Now both sides are holding back, but skirmishes may still break out."
"Most of you are Genin who've only just graduated from the Ninja Academy. A few of you are Chunin with some mission experience. Remember to follow orders on the battlefield."
Sarutobi Hina, the officer chiefly responsible for the ninja's safety, sternly gave her instructions. 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 them. Move out!"
The squads spread out in a circle. The three-person team Hanazuki belonged to was unlike the usual group of new graduates; they had been assigned to a reconnaissance area unusually close to the battlefield.
Tch. Is this revenge? Or did they do it on purpose? What a pain. I'll just take a quick look around and get it over with. Kumogakure's Raikage should be the Fourth Raikage A, and his partner is Eight-Tails Jinchuriki Killer Bee. Two troublesome guys.
Inside the broad tree trunk, Hanazuki, Anko, and Yugao hid together. Though all three were still the size of children, there was hardly enough room for them to move around freely.
"Hey, Hanazuki, is it really okay for us to hide here instead of doing the mission?"
"Shut up, idiot Anko. This is a battlefield; you can never be too careful. Since it's only a reconnaissance mission, we can just use them."
"Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—Summoning Technique: Nine Mask Svāhā."
As Anko and Yugao watched in amazement, the light of the Summoning Technique flashed and vanished, as if nothing had happened.
"Summoning Technique? Are you going to have your summoned beasts do the mission for us? When did you sign a contract with them, you miser?"
"Shh, idiot. If you're too loud, someone might hear you. This is a battlefield; we can't know what kind of scout the other side might have."
Hanazuki warned her in a low voice, making Uzuki Yugao smile silently. 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 guy, who looked so unreliable, to be skilled in such a surprising Summoning Technique. You'd never have guessed.
Anko and Yugao stared at each other inside the tree hollow while Hanazuki rested with her eyes closed. After a long silence, she nodded slightly.
"We're in luck. There aren't any Cloud ninja in this area."
"Great! Now I can finally talk as loudly as I want. Hey, hey, what kind of summoned beast do you have? Hurry up and show me..."
Before Anko could finish cheering, a small, pale hand clamped over her mouth.
"Idiot. We can't be sure how the enemy is scouting. If they pick up your voice, we'll be in trouble."
Time passed, and when it was nearly time to regroup, the three finally slipped 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. No Kumogakure ninja activity detected so far."
"Team 10 members Uchiha Hanazuki, Mitaraishi Anko, and Uzuki Yugao have detected no enemy activity."
Seeing that Hanazuki had returned second, right after his own Team 7, Kakashi furrowed his brow but chose to remain silent. As one squad after another returned, Sarutobi Hina nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Today's mission is complete. Rest in shifts. Reconnaissance will resume tonight."
"Who's there? Get out here!"
Before you continue