Three jonins!
Achieving such a record was extraordinary in battle, but what made it even more remarkable was that Minato was only ten years old. At his age, graduating from the ninja academy during peacetime would already be considered impressive. But to participate in a war, fight against jonin, and actually kill them—more than one, no less—was unheard of.
"Where did this kid come from?" muttered one of the enemy ninjas, his eyes filled with murderous intent. This boy, underestimated by everyone at the start, turned out to possess such astonishing strength.
There were even more shocked reactions among the Konoha ninjas, as Minato, Uchiha Yoruki, and Nawaki had not been favored by most of them. Yet, these three boys had proven their worth on the battlefield. What no one expected was that the most powerful among them was not Uchiha Yoruki of the prestigious Uchiha clan, nor Nawaki, who inherited the blood of the First Hokage, but rather this seemingly ordinary-born Minato Namikaze.
"I can't stay here any longer," Minato realized after killing the enemy jonin. The tactics he used could only work once; no one would fall for them again. In his current state, facing another jonin would be too much.
Scanning the battlefield, Minato noticed that even after killing three jonins, Konoha was still at a disadvantage. However, after analyzing the situation, he believed that Konoha wouldn't face a significant problem overall.
He knew he couldn't continue to stay in the center of the battle—not out of cowardice, but out of self-awareness. If he remained, he would only create trouble for his companions. Trusting one's companions was a belief that Minato had always held dear. Some burdens couldn't be carried alone, and one couldn't be called a hero for trying.
With his current abilities, he couldn't single-handedly decide the outcome of the war. At most, he could slightly tip the balance in Konoha's favor. After making his decision, Minato began to consciously withdraw to the edge of the battlefield.
However, the enemy ninjas noticed his intent and weren't about to let him retreat easily. They began to close in on Minato. The threat he posed was too great—not because of his current strength but because of his potential. If he could kill three jonin at the age of ten, he might surpass even Hatake Sakumo in the future. Allowing such a ninja to grow stronger was a terrifying prospect for the enemy.
Recognizing the threat, the Konoha ninjas naturally responded by forming a defensive circle around Minato, engaging in frequent battles to protect him. This was something Minato hadn't anticipated.
"Minato, go!" shouted one of the Konoha ninjas as he fiercely fought off an enemy, creating an opportunity for Minato to retreat.
Hearing this, Minato was moved. He knew that his success as the Fourth Hokage wasn't just due to his own abilities but also because of the tremendous support from his companions. He, too, wanted to protect them from the bottom of his heart. It was this shared bond that united them.
Minato was the Yellow Flash of Konoha, the Fourth Hokage. Only those who were recognized by their companions could be called the light of Konoha, the Hokage of Konoha.
Even after being reborn, the camaraderie of his companions still stirred deep emotions in Minato's heart.
"Thank you, everyone!" Minato said in a heavy voice. Then, under the cover of his companions, he quickly withdrew from the center of the battlefield.
Suzuka, observing this, couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. She had always maintained an aloof demeanor that kept others at a distance, and even now, it was difficult for her to change. But during her short time with Minato, that aloofness disappeared. It wasn't just because he had saved her; it was because this boy had an indescribable charm. Even strangers found it hard to maintain a straight face under his sunny smile.
Minato withdrew from the most intense central battle, finding himself not far from Uchiha Yoruki and Nawaki.
"Minato, great job!" Nawaki cheered, though he still harbored some dissatisfaction with Minato for showing mercy during their sparring match. However, that dissatisfaction had been smoothed over by Minato's performance in battle.
"Don't get distracted during the fight, Nawaki-senpai," Minato cautioned. Even though he was no longer in peak condition, he didn't feel much pressure in this battle circle, where there were many chunin. Even so, he remained vigilant and didn't underestimate his opponents.
Even Uchiha Yoruki, as proud as he was, couldn't help but be impressed by Minato's performance. Although he didn't want to admit it due to their rivalry, Minato had earned his respect.
After several rounds, Minato killed another chunin and began searching for his next opponent.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a loud noise shook the entire battlefield. Everyone turned to look, and the source of the noise was the battlefield where Sakumo and Tsuchiguki were fighting.
There, a rock giant several meters tall had appeared. Under its massive fist, there was a large crater several meters in diameter.
"I didn't expect you to have such a trick up your sleeve," Sakumo said, standing on the edge of the giant crater, frowning as he looked at the white-haired jonin.
"You've forced me to this extent; you're worthy of being a Konoha jonin," Tsuchiguki's roaring voice echoed from within the rock giant. Upon closer inspection, the battlefield around the rock giant was covered in shattered black powder. The battle between the two had been a one-sided domination by Sakumo. Not only was Tsuchiguki's Earth Release disadvantaged by Sakumo's Lightning Release, but Sakumo's chakra sword had also reached a terrifying level of power.
Any Earth Release ninjutsu collapsed instantly under the chakra sword in Sakumo's hand. This rock giant was Tsuchiguki's last resort, a desperate measure against Sakumo's speed. The giant had immense destructive and defensive power, and Sakumo was careful not to move recklessly on the battlefield, as he needed to protect Konoha's ninjas. If Tsuchiguki could land a single hit, he could turn the tide of the battle.
"Boom!"
At that moment, Sakumo slashed at the rock giant's leg joint with his sword, but this time, even with his Lightning Release, he only managed to cut it halfway through. The attacks continued, forcing Sakumo to retreat. The ground shook once again, and the leg joint that Sakumo had cut was quickly repaired by the rock, restoring it to its original state.
"Such incredible recovery ability," Sakumo thought. Tsuchiguki's Earth Release techniques, whether it was the earth dragon or the rock giant, had an astonishing capacity for regeneration.
"You've got a lot of chakra," Sakumo noted, as if speaking directly to Tsuchiguki inside the rock giant. Tsuchiguki's heart trembled slightly at the remark. Could it be that Hatake Sakumo was planning to drag this out into a battle of attrition until his chakra was completely depleted?
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