“Let’s stop here.”
Seeing that they had done enough, Minato Namikaze told everyone to stop.
This was a vast grassy field.
Whenever the wind passed through, every blade of grass bowed its head.
Chapter 10: Help Me Place a Ward (Please Vote and Keep Reading)
“This time, we’ll be divided into two squads to carry out the mission.”
Minato Namikaze swept his gaze over everyone before continuing slowly:
“Kakashi, Rin, and Obito will remain in one squad. You’re responsible for blowing up the bridge. Qingyuan, Genma, and Kurenai, you’ll form the other squad and disrupt the Iwagakure ninja, drawing their attention.”
Minato Namikaze spoke.
“Blow up a bridge? What bridge?”
Obito asked, bewildered.
His geography was poor—he didn’t even know where Kannabi Bridge was.
“The Grass Country and the Fire Country share a border. The Earth Country is currently invading the Grass Country, and more than a thousand ninja have already gathered at the Grass Country’s front lines. Once they break through, they can march straight from the Grass Country into Fire Country territory.”
Qingyuan spoke up.
Actually, this mission was very simple: push the lane, circle around behind them, and ambush the enemy’s crystal.
As for whether they would survive, the Konoha higher-ups did not care.
He had to buy his own named blade; otherwise, if he died, he would really be dead.
Not everyone was Dream’s Tear.
“Am I right, Lord Minato?”
“That’s right. Qingyuan is absolutely correct.”
Minato Namikaze gave Qingyuan an approving look.
Qingyuan possessed the talent of a chunin; he had not become a chunin through raw strength alone.
The requirements had only been relaxed because it was wartime.
In peacetime, anyone seeking promotion to chunin had to possess the leadership ability to command a “basic squad.” Individual combat prowess alone was not enough.
At the same time, a chunin also needed the ability to analyze the battlefield.
Usually, chunin who excelled in this area but were weaker in actual combat would go on to serve as teachers or examiners at the ninja academy.
“So what does that have to do with our mission? Aren’t we supposed to blow up some bridge?”
Obito scratched his head.
Could blowing up one bridge really stop more than a thousand ninja from launching a surprise attack?
“Obito, think carefully. The fact that they can attack this way means the Iwagakure ninja already have firm control over part of the Grass Country, and their rear support is running smoothly.”
Rin Nohara had inferred several things from the conversation between Minato Namikaze and Qingyuan.
“So this mission is about striking the enemy at the front line. The best method is to cut off their logistics. Kannabi Bridge is the most important link.”
Kurenai Yuhi spoke up.
Shiranui Genma also nodded silently.
Kakashi wore an even more exasperated expression.
Everyone here understood.
Only Obito was still somewhat lost.
Qingyuan shook his head.
After all, according to the databook, Obito’s “Intelligence” stat was only 2, and the “Intelligence” stat represented a ninja’s knowledge and IQ.
Even Lee, Kiba Inuzuka, and Choji Akimichi had an “Intelligence” stat of 4—twice Obito’s.
So there was a reason Obito was so poor at theory.
It was simply innate.
“Oh, so that’s how it is.”
Seeing everyone looking as though they understood, Obito indicated that he understood too.
Seeing this, Minato Namikaze explained the mission to Obito once more.
This matter was of vital importance and could very well determine the course of the war between Konoha and Iwagakure, so it was extraordinarily confidential.
However, with all the great nations embroiled in war, Konoha had to cover multiple fronts and no longer had enough ninja.
That was why the task had fallen to Kakashi and the others.
Just as Minato Namikaze was about to say something else, he suddenly sensed an unusual sound near his ear.
An enemy!
Minato Namikaze instinctively reached back for a kunai, intending to kill the enemy.
The next moment, he suppressed the impulse.
There was one more thing he had not told Qingyuan, Kakashi, and the others: he would not be participating in this mission.
Instead, he would prioritize reinforcing the front lines.
Now Minato Namikaze wanted to see how these few would respond to a crisis.
So he pretended not to notice.
“Someone’s coming.”
Renegade Qingyuan spoke up.
Having spent years hunting enemies across the ninja world—and being hunted by them—he was extremely sensitive to watchful gazes.
“An enemy?”
“Go place a ward for me first.”
Qingyuan said this to Renegade Qingyuan.
“You mean you want me to float over and scout for you?”
Renegade Qingyuan was stunned.
This guy really did treat him like a tool.
“Please, future me!”
Qingyuan pleaded.
“Fine. But I don’t know what my maximum range is, either.”
Renegade Qingyuan shook his head.
Then his spirit body began to float toward the enemy.
Once he moved more than three meters away, he clearly felt himself dissipating faster.
“Looks like I can’t go too far from you.”
As Renegade Qingyuan spoke, he increased his floating speed.
Soon, he reached the middle of the enemy formation.
Hidden there was a four-man squad of Iwagakure ninja.
The leader was a weathered-looking middle-aged ninja who resembled Renegade Qingyuan in age and bearing, while the other three Iwa ninja appeared somewhat younger.
“There are four of them—one chunin and three genin. They’re equipped with a Fuma Shuriken and three ninja swords…”
Renegade Qingyuan began reporting their details and positions to Qingyuan.
“Good.”
Qingyuan nodded.
This was one proper way to use him.
Since he could float away from his body, he clearly had some ability to act independently.
If Qingyuan kept thinking along these lines, then when he passed the Hokage Building, he might even be able to have Renegade Qingyuan secretly float inside and peek at the Sealed Scroll.
The only problem was that Renegade Qingyuan could not interact with the physical world unless he possessed Qingyuan.
Alternatively, if the Sealed Scroll inside happened to be open, Renegade Qingyuan could secretly study it.
“Hm?”
Kakashi sensed that something was wrong.
He felt a prying gaze.
There were enemies here!
“You noticed it, Kakashi?”