After the First Shinobi World War, the various nations had eventually settled into a relatively stable state.
Inside a conference room in the Hokage Building, nearly all of Konoha’s current senior leadership had gathered.
Bang!!
Tsunade slammed both hands onto the table and stood up.
“I disagree!”
“Shikatoki and Minato are only ten years old, and you want to send them to the battlefield?
Old man, have you lost your mind?!”
“I disagree too!”
Jiraiya immediately protested.
“They’re far too young!
They haven’t even reached the normal graduation age for the Ninja Academy.”
Shikaomi Nara immediately voiced his agreement.
Danzō Shimura countered without hesitation.
“Minato Namikaze’s Flying Thunder God Technique and Shikatoki Nara’s fūinjutsu are indispensable on the battlefield!”
“Bullshit!”
Tsunade glared at Danzō, looking very much as though she would punch him if he said another word.
“Are you saying Konoha suddenly can’t fight without the Flying Thunder God Technique and fūinjutsu?”
“Ahem.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke.
“Tsunade, Jiraiya, Clan Head Nara, I understand your concerns.”
“But these two children are exceptionally unusual.”
“I don’t need to explain the mobility the Flying Thunder God Technique provides on a battlefield.”
“And I believe everyone here has at least some understanding of just how powerful Shikatoki’s fūinjutsu has become.”
“At present, Konoha is facing enemies on all fronts.”
“We urgently need Minato’s mobility and sealing techniques capable of restraining Tailed Beasts.”
“Their strength has long since surpassed that of ordinary Chūnin.
What they lack is experience.”
Hiruzen paused.
“Regardless, why don’t we ask what they themselves think?”
It was a compromise.
“Hmph!”
Meanwhile, Shikatoki and Minato were still attending class when an ANBU suddenly arrived and informed them that the Hokage had summoned them.
The two exchanged a glance.
“Minato, they probably want us to go to the battlefield.”
Shikatoki lowered his voice.
“Should we go or not?”
Minato looked at him.
Shikatoki sighed.
“We’ll probably have to go.
There’s no avoiding this forever.”
“But I’m definitely getting something out of it.”
“When we get there, follow my lead.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi was different from Tobirama Senju.
Tobirama was direct and efficient.
Hiruzen, on the other hand, had a tendency to bind people with morality.
Of course, Hiruzen was still young at this point.
He was decisive, powerful, and possessed considerable drive.
There was a reason he was known as the Professor and the God of Shinobi.
At this stage of his life, there really wasn’t much wrong with him.
The problem would come later.
Once Hiruzen grew old and lost the forcefulness of his youth, leaving behind little except moral persuasion…
That would be far less pleasant to watch.
When Shikatoki and Minato arrived at the conference room, they found it packed with people.
“Shikatoki.
Minato.”
Hiruzen looked at them.
“Konoha needs you.”
“We hope you will fight for the village.”
“Of course, we will also respect your own wishes.”
Shikatoki almost wanted to applaud.
The man really was a veteran politician.
Tsunade immediately cut in.
“Shikatoki, Minato, ignore that old man.”
“The battlefield is too dangerous.
Just refuse.”
“Tsunade,” Danzō said coldly, “do not mislead them.”
“What do you mean, mislead them?
I’m—”
“Lord Hokage, we’ll go.”
Shikatoki interrupted Tsunade.
“But Minato and I are still young.”
“If you’re sending us onto a battlefield, surely we should at least receive something that can help keep us alive?”
Hearing Shikatoki’s answer, Tsunade fell silent.
This brat had always had his own ideas.
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
“Naturally.”
“If you are willing to contribute to Konoha, then Konoha will not mistreat you.”
“I can personally authorise each of you to select one ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals.”
“Thank you, Lord Hokage.”
Shikatoki hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.
Then again, it made sense.
Hiruzen was still young.
He had only recently become Hokage and had yet to develop so many twists and turns in the way he handled things.
“Sit beside Tsunade for now.”
“You’ll participate in the rest of this meeting.”
“Yes.”
The two moved over to Tsunade.
Tsunade immediately pinched Shikatoki’s arm hard.
“Brat, do you have any idea how dangerous a battlefield is?”
“Big Sis Tsunade, the problem is that we can’t avoid it.”
Shikatoki’s answer made Tsunade sigh.
Konoha might possess enormous strength, but even Konoha couldn’t easily withstand being attacked by four nations simultaneously.
Shikatoki’s fūinjutsu was even more useful.
Hiruzen continued assigning deployments.
“At present, the Land of Rain is a critical strategic region.”
“Sunagakure and Iwagakure have both deployed large numbers of shinobi there, and Hanzō of the Salamander has shown increasingly obvious hostility toward foreign forces.”
“Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru—you three will lead troops into the Land of Rain.”
“Understood.”
” Sakumo.”
Hiruzen turned toward Sakumo Hatake.
“You will lead an ANBU unit, along with Minato and Shikatoki, toward Sunagakure.”
“Investigate the status of their Jinchūriki.”
“You are authorised to make independent decisions according to the situation.”
“Yes.”
“Danzō, take a force together with the Hyūga Clan to the Kirigakure front.”
“Your priority is containment.”
“Understood.”
“Homura, Koharu, you will lead another force together with the Uchiha Clan to the Kumogakure front.”
“Do not act too aggressively.”
“If those lunatics from Kumogakure truly lose control, things will become troublesome for us as well.”
Finally, Hiruzen looked back toward Sakumo.
“Sakumo.”
“At present, Sunagakure is the weakest of the major villages involved.”
“We need to find an opportunity to force them out of the war.”
“You understand what I mean.”
Sakumo’s expression remained calm.
“Yes.”
There was no denying it.
At this stage of his life, Hiruzen Sarutobi possessed excellent judgement and acted decisively.
And Konoha during this era was gradually approaching its golden age.
Perhaps it no longer possessed monsters like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, individuals capable of sweeping across the shinobi world alone.
But it was unquestionably an era filled with brilliant stars.
When the meeting ended, Tsunade turned toward Sakumo Hatake.
“Senior Sakumo, please protect Minato and Shikatoki.”
Sakumo nodded.
“Don’t worry.”
“At the very least, I can promise that I will die before either of them does.”
“Thank you.”
Sakumo looked toward the two boys.
“You have half a day to prepare.”
“We assemble at Konoha’s main gate at noon.”
“Yes!”
Tsunade looked at Shikatoki and Minato.
“You brats better not die out there.”
Shikatoki grinned.
“The next time we meet, you’ll probably already be hearing my name spreading across the shinobi world.”
Tsunade smiled as well.
“You’d better make sure of it!”
Minato respectfully turned toward Jiraiya.
“Sensei, I’m leaving.”
Jiraiya nodded.
“Minato.”
“Keep moving forward toward your dream.”
The two quickly departed.
They returned home, packed their belongings, and Shikatoki said goodbye to Shikaku.
There was no need to say farewell to Shikaomi.
After all, Shikaomi was heading to the battlefield as well.
Afterward, Shikatoki and Minato both headed toward the Senju Clan compound.
Their reasons, however, were different.
Minato was there to say goodbye to Kushina Uzumaki.
Shikatoki was there to say goodbye to Mito Uzumaki.
“Kushina, wait for me to come back.”
Minato smiled.
Kushina looked at him seriously.
“Minato, don’t you dare die.”
Shikatoki stood before Mito.
“Grandma Mito, I’m leaving.”
Mito nodded gently.
“Mm.”
“Little Shikatoki, go and witness the true shinobi world for yourself.”
At noon, at Konoha’s main gate—
Sakumo Hatake was leaning against the wall.
Another shinobi stood beside him.
“You’re here.”
Sakumo straightened.
“Let me introduce you.”
“This is Arata Hyūga.
He will also be a member of our team for this mission.”
Minato and Shikatoki greeted him together.
“Greetings, Senior Arata!”
Arata smiled warmly.
“Hello.”
“I look forward to working with both of you.”
“With introductions finished, we depart.”
The four-man team left Konoha.
They rapidly crossed the Land of Fire, barely stopping along the way.
Before long, they entered the Land of Wind.
Unlike the densely forested Land of Fire, the Land of Wind was covered in endless yellow sand.
The wind carried grains of sand against their faces, stinging their skin.
“Arata.”
Sakumo’s expression turned grave.
“According to the latest intelligence, the One-Tail Jinchūriki has already left Sunagakure.”
“His destination is Konoha’s position in the Land of Rain.”
“We must locate them and stop them before they arrive.”
“Yes!”
Arata activated his Byakugan.
Tailed Beasts might have been toys to people like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
But to the overwhelming majority of shinobi— they were natural disasters.
Their enormous bodies alone made them devastating.
Add the explosive power and enormous range of the Tailed Beast Ball, and the destruction they could cause on a battlefield was almost impossible to estimate.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the desert, a Sunagakure squad was also travelling toward the Land of Rain.
“Master Bunpuku, we’ll have to trouble you again this time.”
“It is no trouble.”
Bunpuku sighed softly.
“It is simply unfortunate that war in this world remains so cruel.”
Inside him, Shukaku snorted disdainfully.
“Old monk, keep pitying everyone if you want.”
“You humans are the cruelest creatures of all.”
“Shukaku, this is a war between nations.”
“The strength of a single person is ultimately insignificant.”
“Tch.
Whatever.”
Shukaku sounded bored.
“At least I’ll get a chance to come out and stretch my legs.”
Then he fell silent again.
The Sunagakure squad escorting Bunpuku was equally formidable.
Their first member was Bunpuku, the One-Tail Jinchūriki.
Accompanying him were two puppeteers—
Murasuna and Yōsuke.
They were husband and wife, as well as Chiyo’s son and daughter-in-law.
In other words, they were the future parents of Sasori of the Red Sand.
The final member was a young shinobi who had not yet become famous—
Pakura of the Scorch Release.
Their mission was simple.
Escort Bunpuku safely to the battlefield in the Land of Rain.
“Captain.”
Arata’s Byakugan pierced through the distant sands.
“There are people ahead.”
“Four in total.”
“One of them is the One-Tail Jinchūriki.”
Sakumo’s eyes sharpened.
“Approach slowly.”
“Yes.”
The four reduced their speed and suppressed their movements.
From a distance, they soon spotted Bunpuku and the other Sunagakure shinobi.
Sakumo immediately began assigning targets.
“Minato, you’ll serve as our mobile support.”
“React according to the situation.”
“I’ll handle the two puppeteers.”
“Arata, take the young woman.”
“Shikatoki, your assignment is the most important.”
Sakumo looked directly at him.
“Keep your attention on Bunpuku at all times.”
“If you find an opening, seal him immediately.”
“Yes!”
“Wait until they get closer.”
The four hid beneath the cover of the desert terrain.
As Bunpuku’s group approached—
Sakumo Hatake exploded into motion.
The White Fang short blade in his hand tore through the air as he slashed straight toward Yōsuke.
The sudden attack caught Yōsuke completely off guard.
He twisted his body aside almost entirely on instinct.
He managed to avoid a fatal wound— but Sakumo’s blade still carved a long gash across his chest.
Blood sprayed into the air.
“Enemy attack!”
Murasuna reacted instantly.
She pulled Yōsuke backward as the puppet behind her shot forward, intercepting Sakumo’s second slash.
Pakura moved to assist— but Arata Hyūga was already upon her.
“Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!”
“Damn it!”
Pakura had no choice but to deal with the opponent in front of her first.
Her body temperature rose sharply.
Blazing spheres of heat appeared around her.
Shikatoki’s pupils contracted.
“Minato!”
“Get Senior Arata out of there!”
Minato didn’t hesitate.
He vanished instantly.
A moment later, he appeared beside Arata.
Then, with another use of the Flying Thunder God Technique, both disappeared from Pakura’s side.
In the very next instant— the area around Pakura became almost like a vacuum.
The temperature rose so high that even the air visibly warped.
Arata looked back with lingering fear.
“Thank you.”
Pakura turned toward Shikatoki.
“Brat, your reactions are pretty fast.”
Shikatoki’s shadow quietly disappeared beneath the sand.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“But you’re not that much older than me.”
Pakura narrowed her eyes.
“Sharp-tongued brat.”
A blazing sphere shot toward him— straight for Shikatoki’s face.