Konoha, early morning.
The members of the Sixth Guard Team gathered in front of the Hokage Building again, taking turns on patrol.
"Thank you for your hard work."
The members of the two teams exchanged greetings, and the only outlier among the crowd, Uchiha Yoruki, put his hands in his pockets and left on his own.
Everyone was used to his behavior.
Usually, Minato and Kushina would walk the same way, and after sending the latter home, Minato would return to his own home.
"Hoo, hoo."
A gust of cold wind blew, causing Minato to shiver. In this season, which had just turned warm, the temperature was still very low. He hadn't felt cold while on patrol all night, but this gust of wind made him feel a little chilly.
Swish!
Minato stopped immediately as an Anbu appeared and approached him.
Before the Anbu arrived, Minato had already sensed his chakra.
"Namikaze Minato, the Hokage orders you to go to the Hokage Building immediately." The Anbu conveyed the order without any further words and disappeared just as quickly.
Minato wasn't surprised. Yesterday, Orochimaru had told him that Jiraiya had asked Sandaime to send him to the battlefield. The front line was in a critical situation, and now he was being summoned to receive this order.
He immediately followed the Anbu's path to the Hokage Building.
"Sandaime-sama, why won't you let me go to the battlefield?" When he arrived at the door of the Hokage's office, he heard a voice of great frustration coming from inside.
Minato recognized the voice instantly. It was Nawaki. Originally about to enter, Minato hesitated and stood still. Even the Anbu with him seemed uncertain about what to do.
Rustle!
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Minato sensed who it was, and the Anbu looked over as well.
The young woman with blonde hair was none other than Tsunade, but her eyebrows were furrowed, and she reached the two of them in an instant.
"Senior Tsunade."
"Sister Tsunade."
Minato and the Anbu greeted her immediately, but Tsunade ignored them and rushed into the Hokage's office with a slightly angry expression, leaving the door open behind her.
"Sandaime-sama," Tsunade said first to Sandaime, who looked a bit distressed at his desk, then turned to Nawaki.
"You're so brave, daring to cause trouble in the Hokage's office." Tsunade didn't care that Sandaime was right there; she slapped Nawaki directly.
Nawaki winced in pain but still looked unconvinced. "I'm not causing trouble. I just want to go to the battlefield like you, sister, and do my part as a Konoha ninja!"
"Children should stay at home obediently. War is the business of adults," Tsunade said angrily.
Nawaki refused to back down. "But Sandaime has approved Minato to go to the battlefield. He's my junior!"
Outside the door, Minato was stunned. *How did Nawaki know that I was going to the battlefield?*
Tsunade was also momentarily taken aback, then looked outside the door. Minato, who had been ignored by her earlier, now caught her attention.
"Minato?" Nawaki was surprised. He hadn't noticed Minato was there at all.
"Let's talk about it," Sandaime said.
Tsunade clenched her fists tightly. If they weren't in Sandaime's presence, she might have knocked Nawaki out right there. The battlefield was dangerous, and with Nawaki's current strength, he would be in danger at any moment.
"Bang, bang!"
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Sandaime called out, and someone walked in.
It was Uchiha Yoruki.
"Sandaime-sama," Uchiha Yoruki said, ignoring Minato, Tsunade, and Nawaki as he walked up to Sandaime and respectfully addressed him.
Sandaime raised his eyes, looked at him, and asked, "You should know the reason you were called here, right?"
Yoruki nodded and said, "I heard about it from my father."
Uchiha Yoruki's father is an elder of the Uchiha clan and a powerful Uchiha elite.
"Then, how did you decide?" Sandaime asked again.
Yoruki's dark pupils remained calm as he answered, "Since many seniors in the village are fighting on the front line, I have no reason to retreat."
"I am willing to go to the battlefield!"
"You want to go to the battlefield too?" Nawaki was stunned for a moment, then looked at Sandaime again and said, "Sandaime-sama, even my two juniors can go to the battlefield. I want to go too!"
Minato frowned on the side. He had originally thought that Uchiha Yoruki would stay in the village to avoid the fate of dying.
But now...
"When did I say you couldn't go to the battlefield?" Sandaime changed the subject and said, "I will not stop any Konoha ninja, regardless of age or gender, who is willing to go to the battlefield to help Konoha!"
"Because protecting our homeland is the mission of every Konoha ninja!"
When Sandaime said this, he glanced at Tsunade, who remained silent.
Even if she was worried about Nawaki, she had no right to deprive him of his obligations as a ninja.
Moreover, the child's dream was to protect the precious legacy left by his grandfather.
"Thank you, Third Hokage!" Nawaki's eyes brightened as he knelt down.
Minato looked serious, because the history he was familiar with seemed both familiar and strange compared to the reality unfolding before him.
"But Genin cannot directly participate in the war as combatants," Sandaime added. This was a principle in wartime.
It was impossible for a weak Genin to go to the battlefield to fight enemy ninjas.
Minato and the other two nodded, understanding the reasoning.
But Nawaki, who had just been excited about gaining the qualification to join the war, suddenly looked dejected.
Sandaime looked at the three in front of him, his expression becoming more serious, and he said in a solemn tone, "Therefore, I hereby appoint Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Yoruki, and Nawaki to temporarily serve as Konoha's special Chunin during the war and participate in the Second Ninja War!"
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