Chapter 60: Clash!

Minato stood on the highest branch, his blue eyes scanning the distance.

Even without the Byakugan's far-reaching vision, Minato could sense the dense chakra ahead.

"They're not hiding at all," he thought.

The Land of Lightning, Kumogakure, was a formidable enemy, always warlike and strong, with a tough internal unity. It was a very tricky opponent.

However, Minato felt no fear. With Flying Thunder God at his disposal, few could challenge him.

He threw several special kunai as teleportation points and vanished, reappearing among his comrades.

"Minato-sama..."

Most of the Konoha advance unit was present, excluding those guarding the rear, the fallen, and those dispatched as "free agents." Over three hundred and twenty remained.

Some losses, but manageable.

"The enemy is straight ahead, about five kilometers away," Minato stated calmly, looking around.

"We will engage them there."

"The Kumo shinobi arrived before us and set up defensive jutsu. Charging in blindly would be costly."

"So, I'll go in first to disrupt their formation. When you see the signal, engage them directly!"

The handsome young man with golden hair fondled his special kunai, speaking gently, "Any objections?"

Whether Hyuga or Uchiha, no Konoha shinobi objected.

—On the battlefield, defying direct orders from your superior could be fatal.

In the ninja world, where superhuman abilities existed, the art of warfare was less about strategy and more about sheer bravery and strength. As their leader, Minato Namikaze charging first was the mark of a capable leader.

"Good." Minato smiled, "Then, everyone, let's hope we see each other again tonight."

With the Flying Thunder God technique, even the Sharingan couldn't track how he disappeared.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... After seven seconds, the forest five kilometers away erupted with dust and a series of explosions. The defenses and traps set by Kumogakure were swiftly dismantled, and lives were mercilessly taken.

Roar!

The remaining Konoha shinobi heard a furious beast roar. Despite the distance, the ominous chakra of the Eight-Tails raised goosebumps.

"Charge!" Someone shouted, and the three hundred twenty Konoha shinobi rushed forward, arms flung back, sprinting at full speed.

Upon reaching the battlefield, they saw the ravaged land and three clashing titans. The shockwaves from their battle tore through the sky and forest, each burst of power deadly enough to kill an ordinary shinobi.

Minato and the "AB Combo" were at it again.

Kumogakure's forces noticed the incoming Konoha shinobi and, without hesitation, abandoned their injured comrades. The air crackled with the sound of Lightning Release.

Without even a battle cry, both sides clashed brutally. In mere seconds, over a dozen shinobi closed their eyes forever.

Uchiha's fireballs, Aburame's insect swarms, lightning-wreathed swords, and bronze-skinned warriors moving at high speed...

Under the multi-colored jutsu, the land turned into a wasteland, its ecosystem utterly destroyed. Even creatures hiding deep underground were pulverized by chakra.

Limbs, entrails, and blood.

Killing was the theme of this land.

Whether a young genius, a seasoned warrior, or a person with a lover waiting back in the village, all could lose their lives here.

For most shinobi, even most Jonin, a small kunai could easily end their lives.

Even with chakra in the world, people were no happier.

But perhaps, even without chakra, humans would find other "superpowers" to slaughter each other.

Those superpowers might be called "steam," "electricity," "nuclear fission," "gene programming"...

The world has always been a massive arena.

...

Yuto paused by a stream.

His extraordinary Byakugan was at maximum power, the veins bulging alarmingly as if they might burst.

Even concentrating all his chakra into his eyes, Yuto could only see faint smoke in the distance.

"About ten kilometers to the battle's center," he estimated, adjusting his chakra to maintain Byakugan at a moderate level.

At that moment, a squad appeared in his vision.

It was a small supply team from Kumogakure: two chunin, five genin, and the rest were ordinary warriors from the Land of Lightning.

Yuto frowned slightly.

They were on a collision course. He pondered, hands ready to form a transformation jutsu.

But before releasing his chakra, he stopped, remaining as he was.

With a sigh, the young man said softly, "Better be cautious and kill them."

He drew two kunai, holding them ready, head lowered.

Soon, the supply team saw him.

"Hey! You there! Who are you? Identify yourself!" the leading Kumo chunin shouted.

Swoosh!

Without a word, Yuto attacked.

Yuto, who had trained in the Lion's Fang Bite and Chakra Enhanced Strength for seven months, surpassed these chunin in power and speed.

In less than a minute, the Kumo team was annihilated.

Smoke rose as a massive slug was summoned.

"Please take these Kumo shinobi corpses and supplies to Shikkotsu Forest for now. I'll deal with them in a few days."

"Sure, Yuto-kun."

The slug enveloped everything with its soft body and disappeared in white smoke.

In war, such missing squads were countless and wouldn't attract any attention.

Yuto scanned the area to ensure nothing was overlooked before heading towards the battlefield ten kilometers away.

He moved at a moderate pace. His Byakugan was his main weapon. Every close approach risked being spotted by Konoha shinobi.

However, after three kilometers, Yuto reconsidered and put on a menacing Hannya mask.

As night fell, he smelled blood in the air.

This was war, where countless lives fell into the vortex of slaughter, regardless of age or gender.

Disappearances, deaths, crippling injuries, massacres—events that would cause uproar in peacetime hardly made waves in war.

With the Hannya mask on, Yuto took a deep breath.

"War, how convenient it is."

(End of Chapter)