Although the Fourth Shinobi World War had not ended, its scale had shrunk considerably. As the various front lines contracted, Konoha had completely entered a defensive state, relying on terrain advantages to wage maneuver warfare. They would not even send out ninja on reconnaissance missions anymore.
The pressure Konoha faced came not only from the Dawn Hidden Village outside, but also from all kinds of internal conflicts—especially those involving the nobles above them.
After learning that all the nobles living in the territories conquered by the Dawn Hidden Village had died, the daimyo realized that the shinobi war did not only concern the life and death of ninja, as he had always believed. It could also drag in the high and mighty nobles.
Unfortunately, what had happened now overturned the Land of Fire daimyo's understanding.
He feared becoming another soul beneath the blade, so he ordered Minato Namikaze to hold the defensive line at all costs and never let the invaders succeed!
Faced with the daimyo's orders and questioning, Minato Namikaze adopted a proper attitude and promised that he would protect the daimyo's personal safety.
As for what he truly thought, outsiders had no way of knowing.
Minato Namikaze had already realized that Uchiha Yū had indeed kept his promise. Judging from the detailed intelligence he had obtained, the Dawn Hidden Village was mostly laying siege rather than actively invading Konoha, giving Konoha a chance to catch its breath.
Unfortunately, Minato Namikaze did not know that something urgent was happening.
Jiraiya, who had been recuperating in the rear, had not returned to the battlefield after being rescued back to the village. He had been eating when, in the next second, he appeared on Mount Myōboku.
His meal had turned into a feast of insects. The moment he swallowed a bite,