Chapter 94

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"That's how it is. I can't leave the village for missions now, as we might be called to the battlefield at any moment. You'll be coming with me!"

Yōichi said to his students and subordinates. They would certainly be joining him on the battlefield.

Kurenai clenched her fists with some excitement and said, "Yōichi-sensei, don't worry, we won't let you down."

Before she could finish, Yōichi slapped his hand on her forehead, warning her, "If you get excited like that again, I'll assign you a hundred D-rank missions. I guarantee you won't be leaving the village for a year, saving you from dying on the battlefield and causing your father, a elite Jōnin to blame me!"

Tsunade's brother, Nawaki, died because he stepped on a trap while overexcited about a gift he received, and even Orochimaru couldn't save him in time.

With Kurenai's current state, stepping onto the battlefield would nearly guarantee her death.

"I understand, Yōichi-sensei."

After being warned, Kurenai quickly tempered her excitement. She knew Yōichi never spoke empty words; if he said something, it meant it would happen. And she definitely didn't want to be stuck with D-rank missions for a year.

"Continue training from today. Every morning, my shadow clone will practice with you. In the afternoon, you'll train on your own. You can spar or gather intelligence on other ninja teams."

Yōichi outlined their future schedule. Even after the war starts, the Chūnin Exams will still take place in Konoha, though without participants from other ninja villages.

By then, Kurenai's opponents would be within the village, so gathering intelligence in advance was no issue.

Before dispersing his shadow clone, Yōichi also gave Kazuhito some money as sponsorship for buying ninja tools and explosive tags; it wasn't much, just a hundred thousand ryō, but it was enough to fill Kazuhito's ninja tool bag.

Receiving the money, Kazuhito was moved to tears. Coming from a civilian ninja background, he had a slight talent for throwing ninja tools but struggled to afford them due to his family's financial situation.

He would reuse his shuriken and kunai until they were too dull, then sharpen them himself until they were completely unusable before buying new ones.

Yōichi's support touched him deeply. The hundred thousand ryō could buy a lot of ninja tools, increasing his chances of survival on the battlefield.

After training with the trio for a morning, the shadow clone dispersed.

Yōichi then returned home. The first batch of jōnin sent to Kikyō Castle should have received their assignments by now. Not being notified meant Yōichi wasn't part of the first support team.

The first deployment included Jiraiya and Minato. If not to allow Minato to earn military merits, then it was because both could summon giant toads.

If the Sand Village really brought a tailed beast, those two giant toads could at least buy some time.

Against a tailed beast, ordinary ninjas would only be going to their deaths. Their massive chakra and even casual attacks possessed the power of full-force strikes that not something average ninjas could contend with.

Shortly after returning home, Mina also arrived.

Yōichi curiously asked, "Mina, why are you back at noon?"

"Yōichi-sama, I might be heading to the battlefield."

Mina, seeing Yōichi, said with a tearful face, "The medical team is selecting some who are skilled in detoxification, and my previous performance was too good, so I was chosen."

After thinking for a moment, Yōichi said, "I'll ask for you to stay. Next time, go to the same battlefield as me?"

"…Let's not. This time, I'll be leading the team. If I achieve something, I'll be able to assist Yōichi-sama later."

Mina was tempted by the offer but remembered Yōichi's hope for her to become the head of Konoha's hospital, so she firmly rejected the tempting proposal.

"This time at Kikyō Castle, I might be able to make a significant contribution. If my position improves, I can also assist Yōichi-sama."

Yōichi said, "The battlefield at Kikyō Castle might be fierce. Let Gates follow you for full protection."

As he spoke, he also communicated this to Gates through telepathy. Lying in the courtyard, Gates roared in agreement.

But even on the battlefield, it needed to eat well. They would have to pay a little extra for the delivery of fresh meat and sweets directly to Kikyō Castle.

"Thank you, Yōichi-sama."

Mina bowed, feeling very joyful inside. Yōichi-sama's summon protecting her showed how much he valued her.

"I might be leaving this afternoon, but there's something I'm missing before I go. Can you help me, Yōichi-sama?"

Recalling their last encounter, despite some embarrassment, Mina found the experience rather memorable, leaving her reminiscing about the feeling in the days that followed.

Now increasingly eager, Mina wanted to experience it once more before departure.

"What do you need help with? Is there something missing?"

"…Can I hug you? Just like last time in the basement."

When Mina said this, her head was almost buried in her chest, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Yōichi doubted his ears and asked, "Mina, what did you just say?"

"…I want to hug you, Yōichi-sama, before I leave."

This time, Mina's voice was a bit louder, and she sneakily raised her head to glance at Uchiha Yōichi.

"Alright, but..."

Thinking it inappropriate to mention the possibility of wetting oneself to a girl, Yōichi refrained from speaking out. After the hug, he would simply turn and leave, sparing Mina any embarrassment.

Reflecting on their last encounter, Mina should have realized it was due to touching his body. Now wanting to initiate a hug, could it be... a realization of her kunoichi nature?

Yōichi knew Kushina had such traits, but now he wondered if this trait was passed from Mina to her daughter.

"Thank you, Yōichi-sama."

After speaking, Mina extended her arms to hug Yōichi.

——————————

"Leaving again?"

Kushina was displeased upon hearing that Minato was departing, especially since he had promised to rest and spend time with her after his last mission, only to be gone again soon after.

Minato clasped his hands together and apologized, "Sorry, Kushina, but Kikyō Castle is truly on the brink of war. I must go."

"I didn't say you couldn't go. Just... be careful. But Minato, can I come with you? I can now control some of the Tailed Beast's power."

Kushina knew war was no small matter, but she also wanted to help the village, rather than staying in Konoha all day, feeling monitored every moment.

"That... The Hokage hasn't arranged that. Maybe next time, Kushina."

Minato apologetically said, even though Kushina had gained some control over the Tailed Beast's power, it was too minimal. Excessive Nine-Tails chakra could still overwhelm her, leading to a loss of reason.

"Minato, please talk to the Third for me."

"That... Kushina, I'll talk about it later."

Minato could only offer an apology. Securing Kushina's current level of freedom was already quite difficult. For her to be completely free, he would need to become Hokage.

"Kushina, I have to go now. I promise I'll set you free someday."

After saying this, Minato bid farewell and left.

After he had been gone for a while, Kushina muttered in annoyance, "Always 'later.' When can I finally leave the village to see the world?"

...

Elsewhere

When Mina departed in the afternoon, Gates reluctantly followed. The bear had hoped Mina would go ahead and then summon it using the Summoning Technique.

However, Mina was still somewhat unsteady, clearly not having fully recovered.

In such a state, Mina definitely couldn't travel quickly; attempting to leap from tree to tree could result in a fall.

Thus, Yōichi had her ride Gates. As a bear of the earth, Gates could continuously draw strength from the ground, running at a decent speed, making it a suitable mount.

Although Gates was sent to protect Mina, he also had a fierce companion, Garaga, whose strength was formidable. Most ninjas were no match for Garaga.

As war approached, Yōichi somewhat hoped he would be deployed to the battlefield.

He had been diligently practicing the Flying Thunder God Technique. Although still not proficient in multi-segmented instantaneous teleportation within a small range, surviving on the battlefield was guaranteed.

By reserving chakra for teleportation, Yōichi could ensure his survival on the battlefield.

——————————

"Konoha and the Sand have gone to war?"

The Third Raikage, upon hearing the news, slammed his hand down, breaking a table, then told those around him, "Doroi, immediately select six ninja squads to station at the border of the Land of Hot Water. I want to see if Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth is still as tough!"

As a representative of a militarily aggressive ninja village, the Third Raikage's opening move was to deploy six ninja squads, each with five hundred members, positioning three thousand ninjas at the border of the Land of Fire.

"This might not be a good idea. Deploying so many might raise concerns from the Rock Village."

Doroi immediately expressed opposition, viewing the Third Raikage's decision as impulsive.

"Even if we want to take advantage of the situation, we should wait until Konoha and the Sand are deeply engaged in battle before intervening. Deploying six ninja squads now... this is aiding the Sand."

The moment Konoha and the Sand showed intentions of conflict, a preemptive move on their part would be warmly welcomed by the Sand.

"We will find a chance to kill him. But for now, we must deal with the Rock Village. Recently, the Takigakure invaded the Land of Rice Fields, seemingly backed by the Rock."

Doroi advised, considering the Rock Village their real enemy, hindering the Cloud's development.

"Let's not act rashly with the ninja squads, but we can still send elite ninjas to gather intelligence. If we find useful information, we can then discuss whether to join the battle."

The best strategy remained to take advantage of the situation, a point Doroi made without specifying, knowing the Third Raikage would seize any opportunity.

"Let's do that. Doroi, any news on Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"

"No, they've kept it well-hidden. But based on our estimates, Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchūriki should only be a few years older than Ai. However, that Uchiha stole our Jinchūriki training methods, so it's unclear if they can use the Nine-Tails' power."

They had attempted to steal Konoha's Jinchūriki in the past, gaining some information about the Nine-Tails in the process.

"Then let me go to Konoha. As for the Rock Village, you and Killer B handle it."

The Third Raikage said to his son, confident in their combined strength against the Rock's two Jinchūriki.

"Father, let me go to Konoha."

The Third Raikage waved off the suggestion, "No need, it's decided. But Doroi, deploying ninja squads to the Land of Hot Water is still necessary."

"I understand, Raikage-sama."

Doroi nodded, seeing the ninja squads as both reinforcements and an opportunity. If they could find a chance for battle, they, like the Sand, would actively initiate war.

(End of Chapter)