Proud to Share the Honor

Minato Namikaze swiftly hunted down every opponent he found with overwhelming dominance.

In the forest, the surviving enemies scattered and fled.

They had never seen or experienced such strength before.

They had received no prior information that Kusagakure's outpost had someone this fierce.

Besides, with this kind of combat power, how could they have suffered such heavy casualties before?

Yue was not affected by Minato. He likewise abandoned stealthy assassination tactics and began sniping those trying to escape.

"Get lost!"

A rogue ninja shouted loudly. Seeing a Kusagakure brat blocking his way, his eyes nearly split with rage.

He had already been frightened out of his wits.

Seeing the boy on the ground charge at him without a care, the rogue ninja used his superior position to form hand seals with both hands and continuously spit out Fire Bullets.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several explosions rang out as flames burst across the ground, swallowing Yue's figure.

"Hmph."

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

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

But just as he sprang up, a violent gale howled in, instantly blasting him into a tree trunk.

It was Wind Release.

The violent impact sent pain through the man. Before he could steady himself or fall, a sharp blade streaked through the air in a hand and pierced his chest, pinning his entire body to the tree.

Yue's small frame stood atop the rogue ninja. After meeting his gaze, he pulled out the blade, flipped around, and chased after another fleeing enemy.

"This brat..."

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

"One from Konoha, one from Kusagakure... Since when were even Kusagakure brats this... this formidable...?"

The man's mind flashed back to the boy's eyes when he had killed him, and he thought to himself.

Then he breathed his last.

Minato Namikaze was not merely dealing with enemies. He had also been watching Yue's movements, mainly because he was worried Yue might get hurt. If anything happened to Yue, he was confident he could help immediately. That was right—even while facing many enemies alone, he still had the energy to keep an eye and ear on everything. However, Yue's performance genuinely surprised Minato. At least at Yue's age, Minato did not believe he himself had possessed such strength.

Yue seemed to be treating this battle as a competition with him, determined to compete.

Minato admired that drive to excel.

It was just... Yue had a very strong killing intent.

This was the only thing Minato found somewhat inappropriate. It could only mean Kusagakure had failed to protect Yue properly. A child of this age did not need to bear so much.

Yue seemed more like someone born in Kirigakure than in a small village like Kusagakure.

At such a young age, he did not fear battle. He was calm and composed, with exceptional resolve.

He possessed a considerable amount of Chakra, tremendous physical strength, and decent Taijutsu... In such a short time, Minato had seen many of Yue's "strengths."

Thinking of those in Konoha around Yue's age and at a similar level... there seemed to be very few.

Once he confirmed Yue could protect himself and would not fall into danger, Minato disappeared... heading farther away to wipe out the entire scattered enemy group.

For a time, chaotic sounds rang throughout the mountains, accompanied now and then by signs of various ninjutsu.

With only Minato Namikaze and Yue, they had driven a group of enemies from the Land of Rain into panic and complete collapse.

Of course, the main reason for this performance was Minato Namikaze.

Yue had merely played a supporting role. He understood that clearly.

If they had followed his original plan, with his father, himself, and the three Takahashi men, there was absolutely no way they could have won so easily.

A single fighter possessing absolute dominance capable of turning the tide of battle... this was a genuine weapon of war. It was the trump card that could truly widen the gap between nations and villages, and one of the reasons the Five Great Shinobi Villages could stand above the other forces of the shinobi world.

People like Minato Namikaze had existed in every era of Konoha, and there had always been more than one.

The reason Kusagakure was hopelessly incompetent was that it had never produced anyone like that.

A single Hanzo of the Salamander had allowed Amegakure in the Land of Rain to gain a firm foothold in the shinobi world.

This was exactly what Kusagakure lacked the most right now.

After a while, Yue had nearly finished killing everyone on his side. There were no more survivors around him.

A deafening commotion came from the distance. Flames and thick smoke surged into the sky, and he could clearly feel the intense tremors even from where he stood.

Explosive Tags. A massive number of Explosive Tags.

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

Yue glanced over before withdrawing his gaze. He was not worried about Minato's safety.

With Minato's experience and strength, even if the enemy went all out, they had no way of turning things around.

After waiting several minutes, Yue sat on the ground when a voice sounded above him. "Phew... They're all dealt with. I'm exhausted."

Minato Namikaze jumped down from a tree, wiping sweat that did not exist from his forehead.

Yue lowered his eyes... The closer he got to Minato, the more he could understand just how powerful he was.

Because if Minato had not spoken first, Yue would not even have sensed that he had approached.

Despite moving at such speed, he had made no sound at all. Even his presence was concealed perfectly, as though he had merged with his surroundings.

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

But minimizing the impact and interference one caused to the environment while moving—that was truly difficult.

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

He had only killed nine in total... The number of enemies Minato had taken down had surely exceeded his by several times.

Moreover, Yue knew Minato had not even used his full strength.

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

"I forgot."

Minato deliberately played dumb, answering with a slightly airheaded expression.

He could tell Yue wanted to compete with him.

Seeing Minato brush him off, Yue could not be bothered to ask again.

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

That was... just how great the gap was between himself and true geniuses, as well as the real powerhouses of the shinobi world.

After all, even when he had been in the Akatsuki Organization, he had never gone to the battlefield alongside Yahiko and the others.

So although he knew Yahiko's group of three was exceptionally strong, he had never had a clear understanding or judgment of it.

This would not discourage him. On the contrary, it made Yue even more excited.

Because... he had seen the "mountaintop" and gained a short-term goal.

"Still... Yue, you're amazing. Honestly, your talent makes even me feel a little inferior." Minato moved closer and spoke with a "sincere" expression.

"You don't need to comfort me... You've lived many more years than I have, and you're from Konoha. It's perfectly normal for you to be stronger than me. If you couldn't even beat me, then Konoha would be far too pathetic. Besides, I wasn't affected by you at all, and I'm not a child." Yue glanced at Minato, slowly stood up, and said with a straight face before turning away.

"Hahaha... You saw through me, huh?"

Minato laughed without the slightest embarrassment.

Minato knew Yue was competing with him and feared his self-esteem would take a blow, so he had deliberately said that.

After walking several steps, Yue suddenly turned back. "I was just thinking... If one day Kusagakure and Konoha stood on different sides, what would it be like if we met on the battlefield?"

After saying that, Yue turned and walked away without waiting for Minato's response.

"..."

His words left even Minato stunned.

That was right.

For shinobi like them, their village's position would always come first.

The only reason they had not become enemies now was because of the current circumstances.

But circumstances... changed every day.

If one day Konoha decided to destroy Kusagakure, then no matter what Minato personally thought or felt, he would never hesitate in his actions.

"Though the inferiority was fake, saying you're amazing... that came from the bottom of my heart."

Looking at Yue's receding figure, Minato smiled faintly.

There were some things over which they had no choice.

It was over?

Just like that?

After a long while, the two Takahashi men and Fuma Ryoma all returned.

The three were deeply shaken.

They had expected a prolonged, brutal battle and slaughter, yet it had ended so quickly.

Furthermore, Minato Namikaze and Yue did not appear to be injured at all.

Only Fuma Ryoma looked somewhat disheveled...

This... was far too different from what they had expected.

"Everyone, I need to return to the village first to report the mission... I just scouted the border area and confirmed that the other side likely has no reinforcements coming. The area you are guarding is also completely safe. Even if the enemy wants to attack again, they will probably need a long time to prepare. By then, I think your manpower will have arrived." Minato Namikaze was incredibly meticulous. Not only had he completed the mission and dealt with the enemy, but before leaving, he had even patrolled and inspected the entire border, considering every aspect.

He was simply the perfect "nanny" and "power leveler."

"Uh... Thank you."

For a moment, Takahashi did not know what to say.

"Yue, it was nice meeting you."

Minato had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the others. He patted Yue on the shoulder and spoke meaningfully.

Then, without even saying goodbye, he flashed away and vanished.

Takahashi and the other captain had originally had many things they wanted to ask, but Minato did not give them the chance.

Even at the end, Minato had helped Yue out.

Because if Takahashi and the others wanted to know the details, they could only hear them from Yue.

"I counted the bodies... Fifty-two in total. I didn't help much. Most of the fighting was done by my father and Minato Namikaze."

When Yue saw Takahashi and the others looking at him, he spoke directly.

Fuma Ryoma had met up with them earlier and, under Yue's arrangements, had disguised some of the traces of battle.

It looked as though they had fought bloody battles.

Takahashi took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself.

Then he took out a scroll and opened it.

He gestured for Yue to recount everything that had happened in detail.

He needed to make a record to hand over to the higher-ups once they returned to the village.

By noon the next day, the village's newly deployed outpost team finally arrived ahead of schedule. They had originally been expected in the afternoon.

Having that Chunin go fetch reinforcements had indeed produced results.

It was just... completely unnecessary.

After a simple handover, they set off back to Kusagakure.

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

As expected, the conflict at the border had caused some ripples and discussion in the village.

Although the entire shinobi world was relatively peaceful at the moment, there was still no sign of conflicts ending. Small villages like Kusagakure had always followed a strategy of surviving in the cracks... Any little disturbance would frighten them. Furthermore, Kusagakure had rarely become involved in any serious incidents thanks to its skillful diplomacy over the years. That was why this border incident had sparked so much discussion.

Where there was discussion, there was attention.

They had successfully defended their territorial sovereignty and crushed the villains from the Land of Rain. Although the Konoha ninja had contributed greatly, the merit of those who had shed blood on the front lines could not be erased. Among them, his father, Fuma Ryoma, could not be overlooked.

If Yue followed his own plan, shaping Fuma Ryoma into a heroic figure would make him stand out even more.

Of course, the risks would also be greater, but if it succeeded, the results would be even better.

However, though Minato Namikaze's arrival had caused some disruption, if Konoha could mention it, there might be an even more unexpected effect.

Having left the battlefield, the group visibly relaxed completely in both body and mind.

After making the dusty journey back to the village.

What greeted them was something even Yue had not expected.

Although the village elders had not appeared and there was no large-scale welcoming party, once they entered the village, everyone they passed looked at them with admiration shining in their eyes.

At every stretch of the road, people enthusiastically came up to greet them or thank them for protecting the village's dignity, even offering them gifts.

"The common people of Kusagakure actually understand the village's situation very well... To them, although this may seem like an insignificant battle, even such a tiny victory is enough to make them feel proud and honored."

"Everyone... has been repressed for too long. They all long to prove themselves and take pride in the village."

"People and villages are inseparable."

Yue saw through the essence of the matter.

He returned home alone, while Fuma Ryoma and the others were summoned by the village higher-ups.

Sure enough, as a Genin brat, outsiders believed he had merely stumbled into this conflict by chance.

The higher-ups who did not know the truth probably would not think he had played much of a role. Though he had shown some outstanding "performance," compared to Ryoma and the Takahashi men, it was still not worth mentioning.

"The Anbu haven't come looking for me... That means the matter with Akatsuki has passed. Perhaps it has something to do with Ryuga's Father, or perhaps it is because of Father's achievements this time. Or maybe enough time has passed, and since Amegakure has not pursued responsibility, they have put their minds at ease."

Yue thought to himself.

Just as he reached the entrance to his home, he saw a familiar figure already standing outside, waiting eagerly.

It was his mother.

Tianxiang had not gone to the village entrance to greet him. Instead, she had waited at home.

"Yue."

Her voice choked with emotion as she hurried forward, pulled him into her arms, and held him tightly.

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

Warmth filled Yue's heart as he asked in the same casual tone as always.

"Wuwuwu..."

But his mother only kept crying.

"..."

"Alright, didn't I come back safe and sound?"

"Wuwuwu..."

"Can you let go first? I'm having a little trouble breathing."