A Shared Honor

Minato Namikaze swiftly hunted down every opponent he encountered with dominating performance.

In the forest, the surviving enemies scattered and fled.

This power was something they had never seen or felt before.

They hadn't received prior notice that there was such a formidable fighter in the Grass Village's stronghold.

Moreover, with such combat power, how could they have suffered heavy casualties before?

Yue was not affected by Minato. He also abandoned the path of assassination and began sniping those trying to escape.

"Get lost!"

A rogue ninja shouted, his eyes splitting open with rage as a little kid from Grass Village blocked him.

He had already been scared out of his wits.

Seeing the young boy on the ground charging forward heedlessly, the rogue ninja, leveraging his higher position, formed hand seals and spat out fire bullets one after another.

Boom boom boom!

With several explosions, flames erupted on the ground, engulfing Yue's figure.

"Hmph."

Seeing this, the rogue ninja, believing the boy was dead, snorted coldly.

He was about to leap away again, heading for the border to get away from the terrifying Grim Reaper behind him.

But as soon as he leaped, a fierce gust of wind roared, instantly blowing him into a tree trunk.

It was Wind Release.

The intense impact caused the man pain. Before he could steady himself and fall, a sharp blade streaked through the air, held by a hand, piercing his chest and pinning him to the tree.

Yue's small frame stepped on the rogue ninja's body. Their eyes met, then he pulled out his blade, flipped, and pursued another fleeing opponent.

"This brat..."

The rogue ninja's remaining consciousness and severely injured body fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

"One from Konoha, one from Grass... When did even the brats from Grass become... this... strong..."

The man recalled the look in the boy's eyes when he killed him, thinking to himself.

Then, he took his last breath.

Minato Namikaze wasn't just eliminating enemies; he was also paying attention to Yue's movements, mainly out of concern for Yue's safety. If anything happened to Yue, he was confident he could help immediately. That's right, even when outnumbered, he still had the energy to "listen in all directions and observe all surroundings." However, Yue's performance truly surprised even Minato; at Yue's age, Minato believed he didn't possess such strength.

Yue seemed to be treating this battle as a competition with him, showing a competitive spirit.

Minato appreciated this competitive and eager-to-win aura.

It's just... Yue's killing intent was very strong.

This was the only thing Minato found slightly concerning, indicating that the Grass Village hadn't protected Yue well enough; children his age didn't need to endure "so much."

Yue seemed more like he hailed from the Mist Village rather than a small village like Grass.

At such a young age, he wasn't afraid of battle, was calm and composed, and had excellent willpower.

Possessing a considerable amount of Chakra, extremely high physical strength, and good Taijutsu... in a short period, Minato saw many of Yue's "strengths."

Thinking about those in Konoha around Yue's age and of similar skill levels... it seemed there weren't many.

Once he confirmed that Yue had the ability to protect himself and wouldn't be in danger, Minato disappeared... heading to more distant areas to clear out the entire scattered enemy group.

The mountains soon echoed with chaotic sounds, and signs of various Ninjutsu being used appeared from time to time.

With just Minato Namikaze and Yue, they had managed to make a group of enemies in the Land of Rain scatter and become utterly defeated.

Of course, this performance was mainly attributed to Minato Namikaze.

Yue only played a supporting role, and he knew this very well.

If it were according to his original plan, with his father, himself, and the three Takahashi siblings, it would have been absolutely impossible to achieve this level of ease.

A single soldier with the absolute dominance to turn the tide of battle... this was truly a genuine war weapon. It was the trump card that truly widened the gap between nations and villages, and one of the reasons the Five Great Shinobi Villages could stand above other forces in the ninja world.

People like Minato Namikaze had never been absent in any era of Konoha, and there was more than one.

The reason Grass Village was like uncooperative mud was the absence of such individuals.

Hanzo of the Salamander from the Land of Rain alone allowed the Rain Village to firmly establish its footing in the ninja world.

This was precisely what the Grass Village lacked the most right now.

After a short while, Yue had finished his kills, with no survivors left around.

Distant, deafening sounds carried over, along with towering flames and smoke, the intense tremors clearly felt even on his side.

It was Explosive Tags, a large quantity of them.

The remaining enemies seemed to have "arranged" a trap for Minato Namikaze.

Yue glanced at it and then looked away. He wasn't worried about Minato's safety.

With the opponent's experience and strength, even if the enemy went all out, they wouldn't be able to turn the tables.

After waiting for a few minutes, Yue sat on the ground. A voice sounded from above his head, "Hoo... it's all settled. I'm so tired."

Minato Namikaze jumped down from the tree, wiping nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Yue lowered his eyes... The closer he got to him, the more he could appreciate the other's strength.

This was because if Minato hadn't spoken first, he wouldn't have even sensed that the latter had approached him.

With such rapid movement, not a single sound was made, and even his presence was perfectly concealed, as if he had merged with the environment.

Concealing footsteps and the disturbances caused by movement were basic ninja skills...

But to minimize the impact and interference with the environment while moving, that was truly difficult.

"How many did you kill?" Yue stared at Minato and asked.

He had only killed nine in total... and the number of enemies Minato had dealt with was certainly several times more than his.

Moreover, Yue knew that Minato hadn't used his full strength at all.

After all, they were just a private force from the Land of Rain.

"I forgot."

Minato deliberately played dumb, answering with a hint of natural cluelessness.

He could tell that Yue wanted to compete with him.

Seeing that the other party was trying to fool him, Yue didn't bother to ask anymore.

At least, he had now gotten the answer he wanted.

That was... how big the gap was between himself and true geniuses, and the true powerhouses of the ninja world.

After all, even when he was in the Akatsuki Organization, he had never been on the battlefield with Yahiko and the others.

Therefore, although he knew that the Yahiko trio had extraordinary strength, he didn't have a clear understanding or judgment.

This didn't discourage him; on the contrary, it made Yue even more excited.

Because... he saw the 'summit' and had a phased goal.

"However... Yue, you're amazing. To be honest, your talent makes me feel a bit inferior," Minato leaned in and said with a 'sincere' expression.

"You don't need to comfort me... After all, you've lived a few more years than me, and you're from Konoha, so it's normal for you to be stronger. If you can't even beat me, then Konoha would be too rotten. Besides, I'm not affected by you at all, and I'm not a child," Yue glanced at Minato, slowly stood up, said with a straight face, and then turned to leave.

"Hahaha... You saw through me, didn't you?"

Minato laughed without any embarrassment.

Minato knew he was being competitive and was deliberately saying that to avoid hurting his pride.

After taking a few steps, Yue suddenly turned his head, "I was just thinking... if one day, Grass Village and Konoha have different stances, and we meet on the battlefield, what would that scene be like."

After speaking, without waiting for Minato's reaction, Yue immediately turned and walked away.

"..."

His words stunned Minato.

Yes.

For these ninjas, the village's stance was always the priority.

The only reason they weren't enemies now was due to the circumstances.

But circumstances... changed every day.

If one day, Konoha decided to destroy Grass Village, then even if Minato had personal thoughts and feelings, he would absolutely not hesitate in his actions.

"Although the inferiority complex is fake, saying you're amazing... is from the heart."

Looking at Yue's departing figure, Minato smiled slightly.

There were some things they had no choice about.

Is it over?

Just like that, it's over?

After a long pause, Takahashi and the other two, along with Fuma Ryoma, rushed back.

The three were deeply shaken.

They had expected a 'prolonged' difficult battle and slaughter, but they hadn't expected it to end so quickly.

Moreover, judging by the appearances of Minato Namikaze and Yue, they didn't seem to be injured at all.

Only Fuma Ryoma looked a bit disheveled...

This... was vastly different from their expected situation.

"Everyone, I need to return to the village to deliver the mission... I just scouted the border area and confirmed that there should be no follow-up reinforcements from the enemy. The area you are guarding is also absolutely safe. Even if the enemy wants to attack again, they will likely need a long time to prepare, and by then, your reinforcements should have arrived." Minato Namikaze's thoughtfulness was exceptional. He not only completed the mission and dealt with the enemies but even patrolled and inspected the entire border before leaving, considering every aspect.

He was practically a perfect 'babysitter' and 'booster'.

"Uh... Thank you."

Takahashi didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Yue, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Minato didn't linger to chat with anyone else. He clapped Yue on the shoulder and said meaningfully.

Then, without another word, he vanished in a flash of movement.

Takahashi and the other captain had many questions, but Minato gave them no chance to ask.

In the end, Minato had helped Yue out.

Since Takahashi and the other captain wanted to know the specific details, they could only get them from Yue.

"I've counted the bodies... fifty-two in total. I didn't help much; it was mainly my father and Minato Namikaze fighting."

Seeing Takahashi and the other captain's eyes on him, Yue spoke directly.

Fuma Ryoma, who had arrived earlier, was now, under Yue's arrangement, camouflaging the traces of battle.

It looked as if they had fought a bloody battle.

Takahashi took a deep breath, slowly calming his emotions.

Then, he took out a scroll and unrolled it.

He gestured for Yue to recount the entire incident in detail.

He intended to record it and submit it to the higher-ups upon their return to the village.

By noon the next day, the village's newly deployed reinforcement team finally arrived ahead of schedule; they were originally expected in the afternoon.

Yue's request for the Chunin to meet the reinforcements had, to some extent, worked.

It just… wasn't very useful.

After a brief handover with the reinforcements, the group set off back to Grass Village.

Yue also learned some news from the people sent by the village.

The border conflict had indeed stirred up some ripples and discussions within the village.

Although the entire ninja world was relatively peaceful now, conflicts hadn't ceased. Small villages like Grass Village always employed a strategy of 'survival in the cracks.' Any slight disturbance would cause them to panic. Moreover, through consistently excellent diplomacy, Grass Village had rarely been involved in serious incidents. Therefore, this border incident was able to spark widespread discussion.

Where there's discussion, there's attention.

They had successfully defended their territorial sovereignty and defeated the villains from the Land of Rain. While the Konoha ninjas provided significant assistance, their contributions on the front lines, shedding blood and sacrificing themselves, were indelible. Among them, at the very least, his father, Fuma Ryoma, could not be overlooked.

If Yue had followed his original plan to build a heroic image for Fuma Ryoma, it would have been even more prominent.

Of course, the risks involved would have been greater, but the results would have been even better if successful.

However, while Minato Namikaze's arrival had caused some disruption, if Konoha were to mention their involvement, it might yield even more unexpected results.

Having left the battlefield, the group's physical and mental states clearly relaxed completely.

After a dusty journey back to the village, The scene that greeted them was somewhat unexpected, even for Yue.

Although the village elders didn't appear, nor was there a large-scale welcoming party, as they entered the village, everyone they passed looked at them with admiration, their eyes shining.

Every section they walked through, people would enthusiastically greet them, either thanking them for protecting the village's dignity or offering them gifts.

"The common folk of Grass Village are actually well aware of the situation… For them, even though it was a seemingly insignificant battle, even such a minor victory was enough to make them feel proud and honored."

"Everyone… has been suppressed for too long, yearning to prove themselves and feel pride in their village."

"People and the village are an inseparable whole."

Yue perceived the essence of the matter.

He returned home alone, while Fuma Ryoma and the others were summoned by the village's high-ranking officials.

As expected, in the eyes of outsiders, he, a mere Genin brat, had stumbled into this conflict.

The higher-ups, unaware of the truth, likely wouldn't think he played a significant role. Despite some outstanding 'performances,' they were still no match for Ryoma and Takahashi.

"The Anbu haven't sought me out… which means the matter with Akatsuki has passed. Perhaps it's related to Ryuga, or maybe it's because of my father's contributions this time, or perhaps because some time has passed and the Land of Rain hasn't pursued any repercussions, they've let their guard down."

Yue pondered to himself.

As he reached his doorstep, he saw a familiar figure already waiting outside, looking up expectantly.

It was his mother.

Tianxiang hadn't gone to the village entrance to greet him but was waiting at home.

"Yue."

The woman's voice choked up. She hurried forward, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"How do you have time to be home? Did you take another leave?"

Yue felt a warmth spread through him, asking in his usual casual tone.

"Wuwuwu…"

But his mother just kept crying.

"…"

"It's alright, I'm back safe and sound."

"Wuwuwu…"

"Can you let go of me? I can barely breathe."