Clash!
Minato Namikaze stood atop the highest branch, his azure eyes gazing into the distance.
Even without the Byakugan's extreme range of vision, Minato Namikaze could sense the dense mass of chakra gathered ahead.
They really aren't hiding it at all, he thought.
The Land of Lightning's Kumogakure had always been a powerful enemy—militant and warlike, aggressive toward outsiders, yet highly united within. They were an exceptionally troublesome foe.
Yet Minato Namikaze felt no fear. With the Flying Thunder God at his disposal, there were only a handful of people in this vast world who could suppress him.
He threw out several specially made kunai as teleportation markers, then vanished from where he stood and instantly appeared beside his companions in the rear.
"Lord Minato..."
Most members of the Hidden Leaf Village's advance force were gathered here. Excluding those guarding the rear route, those killed along the way, and those dispatched as "free agents," there were more than three hundred and twenty people left.
They had suffered some losses, but not many—within acceptable limits.
"The enemy is directly ahead, roughly five kilometers from here." Minato Namikaze swept his gaze around the group and said calmly, "We will engage them there."
"Kumogakure arrived before us. They have already set up defensive ninjutsu, and charging in recklessly would come at a great cost."
"So I will go first and disrupt their formation. Once you see the signal, engage them head-on!"
The handsome young man with golden hair gently rubbed a specially made kunai between his fingers, his tone mild.
"Does anyone object?"
Whether Hyuga or Uchiha, none of the Hidden Leaf Village ninja voiced any opposition.
—On the battlefield, defying your direct superior could truly get you killed.
Besides, in a world where supernatural power like ninjutsu existed, the art of commanding