At the break of dawn, as the sky began to lighten, the Konoha forces set out for the border under the leadership of Nawaki and Minato.
"Uncle, you have to keep your word!"
"We're not just going to sit back and watch from the rear!"
They hadn't gone far when Ginji started chattering behind Nawaki, his excitent evident. The other kids beside him also turned to look at Nawaki expectantly.
It was their first ti heading to the battlefield, and they could barely contain their enthusiasm. Their elders had all made a na for themselves in war—how could they be satisfied just watching from the sidelines?
"Nawaki-senpai, if you go back on your word, I'll tell my dad!"
Before Nawaki could even think of a response, Satsuki had already puffed out his cheeks, issuing a playful "threat."
"Alright, alright, you little troublemakers~ do as you like." Nawaki let out a wry smile, shaking his head. "Just don't wander too far once the fighting starts."
This babysitting duty had clearly been arranged by his brother-in-law.
He glanced at Minato, who t his gaze with the sa helpless look.
Thinking of the group of kids trailing behind him, led by Kakashi, Minato sighed heavily. His burden was no lighter than Nawaki's, but at least their teacher's arrangents weren't entirely reckless.
These kids might lack experience, but in terms of raw ability, they were exceptional.
For their age group, they were ahead by a landslide—even among this expedition force, they ranked in the upper tier.
As long as he and Nawaki kept an eye on them, things shouldn't go too wrong.
It wasn't just confidence in their own strength—it was an acknowledgnt of the kids' potential as well.
"Brother, you better not lose to !"
Ginji, now reassured by Nawaki, challenged Kakashi directly.
"Don't worry, you're going to lose."
Kakashi's unwavering confidence made Kurenai stare at him in disbelief.
What young ninja didn't have a competitive streak?
"Ah! This is the bond of youth!!!"
"We brothers will do our best too!"
Guy and Kai struck dramatic poses, tears streaming down their faces as they shouted their passionate lines.
"Here we go again..."
The rest of the group was unfazed—it was nothing new. Fortunately, the Might family's brand of eccentricity wasn't contagious.
Obito stole a glance at Shisui, opening his mouth as if to speak but ultimately saying nothing.
A genius personally acknowledged by the Uchiha Clan Head... Was he really soone Obito could only admire from afar?
"Boring."
Despite his dismissive words, Asuma's eyes glead with excitent.
"Rin, why don't you join our team?"
Naruto, uninterested in the others' challenges, casually sidled up to Rin with a mischievous grin.
No doubt about it—he was Jiraiya's son through and through!
Watching the scene unfold, Daisuke felt a headache coming on.
This was a war, not so kids' field trip!
It was one thing for Konoha to send two young commanders—at least Nawaki and Minato had reputations backed by actual battlefield achievents.
But what was with this group of kids?
Were they playing around?
Daisuke rubbed his temples, feeling his veins throb.
Still, he had no right to complain—Konoha's willingness to send reinforcents was already an unexpected blessing.
A dark thought flickered in his mind: Maybe if a few of these kids die, Konoha will send more reinforcents. If Hatake Kawakaze himself ca, that would be perfect.
After all, intelligence was his trade, and Nawaki's group hadn't even attempted to conceal their identities. It was all too easy for him to figure out who these kids were.
His gaze lingered on Ginji for a mont before he quickly looked away, suppressing the dangerous thought.
If he really dared act on such an idea, the consequences would be unimaginable.
But one thing was certain: the first ones to die would be him and the Land of Earth.
That thought passed in a flash, and he didn't even stop to consider whether he was a match for Ginji in the first place.
Once the children quieted down, Daisuke finally stepped forward.
"My lords, which route should we take?"
"Which route did you take to get here?" Nawaki countered instead of answering directly.
He had a pretty good idea of what Daisuke was thinking.
"I ca through the Land of Grass," Daisuke replied, frowning slightly. This kid might be young, but he was proving difficult to manipulate.
"Then we'll go through the Land of Grass as well," Nawaki said without hesitation.
A small smile played at the corner of his lips as he glanced sideways at Daisuke.
That clear, almost naïve gaze made Daisuke's head throb even more.
"Lord Nawaki, if we take a short detour through the Land of Rain before entering the Land of Grass, we could arrive faster," Daisuke suggested. "Getting there a day earlier could make a big difference in stabilizing the situation."
He had no choice but to lay it all out. He held no authority here, and stalling would only make things worse.
Still, he avoided looking directly at Nawaki, his expression tense.
He hadn't been blunt, but he knew those who understood would catch on.
The real issue wasn't arriving a day earlier—it was the opportunity to move through the Land of Rain.
If the Konoha troops entered A's territory, even a minor conflict would create massive pressure on Akatsuki's forces at the frontlines.
That, in turn, would improve the situation for Rōshi and Kitsuchi.
"Not a bad idea," Nawaki mused.
"I disagree," Minato cut in sharply.
Nawaki played the good cop, which ant Minato had to be the bad one.
"You don't need to tell you how bad the relationship between Konoha and Akatsuki is," Minato said coldly.
"The A border is heavily guarded year-round. We can't risk our reinforcents getting involved in unnecessary conflict."
"Even if it ans Iwa suffers more losses by arriving later, that's not my concern."
Minato's icy gaze locked onto Daisuke, his tone devoid of emotion.
"Akatsuki's leader, Nagato, is in the Land of Earth. There shouldn't be any danger," Daisuke tried again.
If he were the commander, he wouldn't hesitate to strike the A's vulnerable rear.
Too bad he wasn't.
"Sounds reasonable," Nawaki said, still wearing that innocent, oblivious expression.
"The hell it does!" Minato snapped. "I already said no. You're not taking a single person through there."
"Besides, Akatsuki has more than just Nagato. We're here to provide support, not invade the Land of Rain."
Minato jabbed a finger at Nawaki, his anger startling the younger mbers of the group.
When did these two start acting so convincingly?
"Sorry, I don't make the final decision," Nawaki said to Daisuke with a helpless shrug, though inwardly, he was grinning ear to ear.
This bastard actually thinks he can get us to ss with A's borders? He has no idea those are our own people.
freēwēbnovel
Pathetic loser, keep dreaming.
"You're right," Daisuke finally conceded. "Lord Minato makes a valid point. I was too hasty."
He knew his plan was completely dead in the water.
Pushing further would only make things worse—he couldn't afford to be seen as the scher driving a wedge between Nawaki and Minato. That would be even more disastrous for him.
"Hmph. If it weren't for the Hokage's orders, I wouldn't even be here," Minato scoffed.
"Try giving orders again, and don't bla for what happens."
He stayed defiant to the very end, refusing to give Daisuke even the slightest bit of respect.
Daisuke lowered his head in silence, grinding his teeth.
Sotis, when you're under soone else's roof, you have no choice but to bow.
What he didn't realize was—this might be the last ti in his life he'd ever have the chance to bow before Minato.
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