Everyone returned to their tents to rest. Fugaku took a walk through the camp, turning a few things over in his mind.
A figure caught his attention.
"Minato."
Minato turned with a broad smile. "Teacher."
"I didn't expect you to be assigned to this force. I thought most shinobi who graduated in the past few years had been stationed in the Land of Fire.
"To stop enemy forces from breaking through the Land of Fire's defenses."
"I asked Jiraiya to let me come," Minato said. "I wanted to see how brutal the battlefield is. I'll have to face it sooner or later, and our chances of winning this time are good. It seemed like a good opportunity."
Fugaku admired him. No wonder he'll become Hokage. Despite his youth, Minato already saw further than most shinobi in the village.
"Good. Most of the intelligence is still classified for you, but this campaign really is much safer than previous ones.
"That safety applies to the force as a whole, though, not to any individual shinobi. The odds are far better than in past wars.
"For young people like you, it's still full of danger."
Minato nodded. "Don't worry, Teacher. I'm ready. As a Konoha shinobi, it's my duty to fight for the village's peace.
"Even if I die in this war, I won't have any regrets. I'm no different from the thousands of Konoha shinobi in this camp. If they can lay down their lives at a time like this, so can I."
"Good. Your outlook is broader than most people's, even that of many heirs from prominent clans.
"Clan obligations narrow the way many of them think. You, on the other hand, can see the village as a whole.
"Come find me when this war is over. I'll teach you some