(This is the original plot, but I have made some changes.)
Minato looked at him, feeling an inexplicable emotion well up in his heart.
This child, a twelve-year-old Jonin, is about to lead two companions deep behind enemy lines. Will he be afraid? Will he be nervous? Will he hesitate?
Can't tell.
Nothing could be seen on the face covered by the mask.
Minato turned to Lin again and looked at the bulging medical bag on her back.
"Lin, you are a medical ninja. Take care of yourself and them."
Lin nodded vigorously, her eyes bright.
Minato finally looked at Obito Uchiha.
Obito Uchiha stood there with his hands in his pockets, clutching the candies. The expression on his face was a little nervous, but more of an excitement.
He had been waiting for this day for a long time. He retired from the front line and was placed in the rear, watching others fight, and he could not do anything to help.
The taste is worse than eating ten Soldier Pills.
He wants to become strong, he wants to become Hokage, and he wants to arrest the defector Uchiha Shaoyu.
"Obito Uchiha." Minato said.
"Here!"
Minato looked at him, was silent for a moment, and then smiled.
"Protect your companions."
Obito Uchiha was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously, making his whole face shake.
"Don't worry, teacher! I will definitely protect Lin and Kakashi Hatake! Especially Lin!"
Kakashi Hatake snorted from the side and said nothing. Lin's face turned slightly red and she lowered her head and pretended to pack the medical bag.
Minato smiled and said nothing more. He turned around and walked a few steps in the direction of the camp, then stopped and turned back.
The three teenagers were still standing there, looking at him.
The morning light shone down from the gaps in the clouds and fell on them, stretching their shadows very long.
Minato looked at them and suddenly remembered many years ago, when teacher Jiraiya first took him on a mission.
He was so young, so nervous, and so excited at that time.
Jiraiya teacher walked in front and he followed behind.
"Let's go." Minato said.
He turned around and walked towards the national border. The three teenagers followed behind, their footsteps stacked together like an untidy but powerful song.
After walking for about half an hour, the terrain began to undulate. The flat grassland gradually turned into low hills, and scattered rocks protruded from the soil, like yellowed teeth.
The road became increasingly difficult. Sometimes we had to climb hills, sometimes we had to make detours, and sometimes we had to squeeze through the gap between two boulders.
Obito Uchiha stumbled on a raised stone, staggered two steps and almost fell down.
He steadied himself, cursed, looked up and found that Kakashi Hatake had already taken several steps, and quickly followed him.
"Hey, Kakashi Hatake, why are you walking so fast?"
Kakashi Hatake ignored him.
Obito Uchiha curled his lips and was about to say something more when Kakashi Hatake suddenly stopped.
The hand was lifted from the ninja tool bag, clenched into a fist, and raised above the head.
Stop gesture.
Obito Uchiha's words were stuck in her throat. Lin also stopped. The medical bag shook a little, and she quickly held it down.
Minato stopped two steps ahead, without looking back, but tilted his ears slightly.
The four people just stayed in place, like four sculptures.
The wind blows from the east, carrying a dry earthy smell.
On the hillside in the distance, a few stones stood alone, casting short shadows in the morning light. Everything was quiet, as quiet as a painting.
Kakashi Hatake stood there, his head slightly lowered, and Forehead Protector's lower eye was mostly covered by his bangs. His body was motionless, and he even breathed lightly.
Minato stood in front of him, without looking back, but the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
Well done, Kakashi Hatake.
On the hillside, behind a rock, a Iwagakure jonin was lying on the ground, looking down through the gap in the rock.
His body was covered with a camouflage net, his face was smeared with mud, and his breathing was deliberately kept to a minimum.
When he saw the four Konoha Ninja suddenly stopping, his heart skipped a beat.
Damn it, are these guys so sensitive?
He lay here for two hours, motionless, not even daring to pat the ants crawling across the back of his hand.
The previous waves of Konoha team didn't find him, why are these little brats?
No, not a kid.
He squinted his eyes and took a closer look at the blond-haired young man walking in the front.
With blond hair, blue eyes, white robes, and a gentle smile on his face, he seemed to be on an outing rather than marching.
The Jonin's pupils shrank suddenly.
This guy is--
No, impossible.
His hands began to tremble. Minato Namikaze, Yellow Flash of Konoha, that monster who killed more than a dozen Iwagakure jounin by himself.
The intelligence said he was on the frontal battlefield, how could he appear here?
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Calm down, calm down. He was just passing by, just passing by. As long as he was not exposed, he just waited for them to pass--
"Come out."
The sound of Minato is not loud, but it is extremely clear in the open wilderness, like a stone thrown into the calm water, making ripples in circles.
The Jonin's body froze.
Minato turned around and faced the direction of the hillside, still with that gentle smile on his face. But there was no smile in those blue eyes.
"The one hiding behind the stone, come out. Although your chakra fluctuations are very low, you can still feel them."
Silence.
The wind blew across the hillside, causing the shadows of several stones to sway slightly.
Then, a sigh came from behind the rock.
Behind the rock, the jounin slowly stood up and pulled off the camouflage net on his body.
There was a complicated expression on his face.
There was fear, helplessness, and a hint of indescribable admiration.
"As expected of Yellow Flash." He said, his voice hoarse, "I hid it for two hours, how did you find out?"
Minato smiled and did not answer.
He took a few steps toward the jounin and suddenly stopped. His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes moved away from that Chunin, scanning the surrounding hillsides, rocks, and bushes.
Then he understood.
"Shadow Clone." Minato said, his voice still calm.
The Jonin's expression changed.
Minato didn't look at him, his eyes fell on the scattered rocks on the hillside.
The shape of those rocks is so regular, as regular as a person squatting there.
"Twenty." Minato said, "No, twenty-five. They are all Shadow Clone."
Silence.
Then, the rocks on the hillside began to move.
One, two, three... more than twenty "rocks" stood up at the same time and took off their disguises.
They were wearing the standard uniforms of Iwagakure, with mud on their faces, and holding Kunai and Shuriken in their hands.
More than twenty pairs of eyes stared at the four people at the foot of the hillside at the same time, like a pack of wolves staring at their prey.