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[The name of the MC will be changed back to Gin. As many like it more than Jin.]
The attack from the Iwa shinobi came much faster than Jiraiya had anticipated.
First Frontline of the Land of Fire
Jiraiya observed shadows continuously emerging from the distant mountains.
With the powerful visual capabilities provided by the Kihon Naikō (Basic Inner Technique), he was able to see across great distances.
He saw the Iwa shinobi, weapons in hand, charging towards them while shouting.
"Kill!"
The Iwa shinobi had completely abandoned the covert tactics of ninja warfare; they were opting for a direct, head-on battle.
"Very well."
Jiraiya bit his finger and pressed his hand to the ground.
"Boom!"
A massive toad appeared beneath him.
"If that's what you want, I'll give it to you."
A wild gust of wind swept across Jiraiya's battle armor.
Behind him stood a group of Konoha shinobi, some standing on the ground, some hanging upside down from trees, while others crouched on branches.
Among them were the Aburame clan with their dark glasses, and the Inuzuka clan accompanied by their ninken (ninja dogs).
There were even several members of the Hyūga clan, along with other ninja clans.
More than that, there were numerous civilian shinobi trained over the years.
"Everyone!" Jiraiya stood atop the massive toad, gazing at the distant battlefield.
"Jiraiya-sama!"
The group responded in unison.
Only then did Jiraiya shout to the toad beneath him.
"Let's go, Bunta!"
"Got it!"
Gamabunta already had his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Charge!!"
With a thunderous roar, Jiraiya commanded Gamabunta, who leapt forward with all his might, landing in the midst of the Iwa shinobi ranks.
The sword at Gamabunta's waist was drawn in an instant.
The Konoha shinobi followed closely behind.
The battle began.
Gamabunta, with his massive body, tore through the enemy ranks, his sword leaving afterimages as he slaughtered the Iwa shinobi. Meanwhile, Jiraiya spewed fire, causing large-scale burns to the enemy.
"Jiraiya!!"
"You won't get away with this!!"
"Konoha will surely lose today!!"
Three figures burst forth from the Iwa ranks, encircling Jiraiya.
Although none of them were on Jiraiya's level as an elite shinobi, several jōnin just below his rank were present.
At this moment, Jiraiya found himself entangled with the three attackers.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Konoha shinobi clashed fiercely with the Iwa forces.
The Inuzuka clan members and their ninken became whirling hurricanes, sweeping through the enemy ranks, only to be surrounded by earth walls rising from the ground.
A vast swarm of insects took flight, forming a sea of bugs that devoured the lives of enemy shinobi.
Yet the Iwa shinobi didn't back down. Explosions of fire scattered the insect swarms, wiping out large numbers of them.
Though the Konoha shinobi held a slight advantage in strength, they were still outnumbered. This allowed many Iwa shinobi to break through and head toward the rear.
As the Iwa shinobi advanced, the forest behind them erupted into flames of war.
Minato and Kushina looked tense, hiding in the woods.
The distant roars of ninjutsu could be heard clearly from where they were.
From the intensity, it was obvious that this battle was different from the previous ones.
In the past, it was nothing but minor skirmishes.
"Why is there war?"
Kushina couldn't help but ask Minato.
For a moment, Minato had no answer.
A story once told to him by Gin suddenly came to mind.
"Those in power, when they disagree with each other, send the sons of farmers to travel far and kill the sons of other farmers. In the end, the two rulers shake hands and make peace."
Could the daimyo be those rulers? And could the shinobi be the farmers' sons?
Minato felt that the comparison might be accurate.
Surely, the Hokage couldn't be that kind of ruler.
"It's pretty ridiculous, isn't it?"
Gin's words echoed in his mind.
Minato took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts aside.
The enemy had arrived.
Two adult shinobi appeared before them.
Their mission was clear: not to let anyone break through to their rear lines.
A gust of wind blew by.
Leaves fell with the wind.
The two Iwa shinobi looked nervously in the direction of the falling leaves.
"This technique enhances sensitivity way too much," one Iwa shinobi grumbled through clenched teeth.
They had recently acquired a jutsu that greatly increased their agility, strength, and reflexes.
But sometimes, heightened reflexes could be more of a hindrance.
"Shut up and keep moving," the other Iwa shinobi panted, eyes scanning the depths of the forest cautiously.
Their goal was to break through Konoha's defenses, and if they succeeded, they could wreak havoc in the Land of Fire.
But Konoha's defenses were not so easily breached.
The forest was teeming with Konoha shinobi.
The two pressed on in silence, heads down.
They knew they were only chūnin, lucky enough to make it this far.
But luck was unreliable.
"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"
The sound of something cutting through the air reached their ears. The two swiftly jumped to avoid incoming shuriken.
But the shuriken curved mid-flight, following them closely.
Grabbing each other's arms, they pulled hard, shifting positions to dodge the pursuing shuriken.
As they landed, they seemed to sink into the ground like water, disappearing from sight.
The area fell eerily silent, but danger still loomed.
In the next moment, Kushina had completed her hand seals.
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)
A massive water dragon materialized out of thin air, crashing into the ground. The Iwa shinobi, hiding underground, were forced to leap out.
Minato was already upon them, blocking one of their attacks with his kunai, but was kicked in the stomach by the other.
"Boom!"
Minato's figure turned into a log, reappearing next to one of the shinobi.
His kunai, like a viper striking, aimed for the Iwa shinobi's throat.
"Clang!" The other Iwa shinobi blocked the attack just in time.
The attacked shinobi retaliated, thrusting a kunai at Minato.
"Boom!"
Once again, Minato turned into a log.
Substitution Jutsu, Minato's specialty.
When he reappeared, he didn't immediately strike but stood a short distance away.
Wind swirled around him as he slashed through the air at one of the Iwa shinobi.
The wind blade cut through the distance in an instant, slashing through the shinobi's body.
The Iwa shinobi's eyes widened in shock. How could a wind blade move so fast? But before he could think further, his life slipped away.
"Damn you, Konoha shinobi!" the remaining Iwa shinobi roared, pulling out an explosive tag.
Behind him, Kushina silently appeared. The shadow of a tree covered half of her face, leaving only a single crimson eye visible.
She delivered a powerful punch to the Iwa shinobi's body.
"Boom."
The immense force smashed the Iwa shinobi into the ground, his body bending unnaturally.
His life had clearly ended.
Kushina and Minato regrouped, but neither let their guard down. They turned their gaze to the distance.
More figures were rushing toward them.
(End of Chapter)