In contrast, the Ino–Shika–Chō clans favored the rise of Namikaze Minato, who had no established team or personal following.
If he became Hokage, he would have to rely heavily on the support of these clans. With the full backing of the Ino–Shika–Chō, the Sarutobi clan, and Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato was successfully appointed commander-in-chief of the Grass Country battlefield.
The subsequent arrangements for the battle against Rock Shinobi progressed smoothly, as Minato had already discussed the strategy in detail with Jiraiya and the Nara clan Jōnin.
When the news spread, many were surprised by Minato's appointment. Some thought he was too young for the role, but his strength reassured most. Only a few worried about his lack of battlefield command experience.
"I didn't expect Minato-sensei to become the commander-in-chief," Uchiha Obito said, surprised. "Now he can assign us missions, and we can become heroes!"
Obito had been under Minato's tutelage for two to three years, and he, along with his teammates, had learned more from Minato than from anyone else.
Thinking of Minato's strength, Obito felt his appointment was the right decision.
"That kind of mission is extremely dangerous—A-rank or even S-rank. They're not for someone like you who just became a Chūnin," Kakashi said, taunting him.
Obito clenched his fists in anger. "You jerk, Kakashi! We're both Chūnin! If I'm not ready, you aren't either!"
Kakashi gave Obito a casual glance and replied coolly, "I don't take on missions I can't handle. And unlike you, I'm a Chūnin with five years of experience. I'll be a Jōnin soon."
"You bastard, Kakashi! Do you want to fight!?"
"Enough, you two!"
Nohara Rin stepped between them, breaking up the argument. She warned them, "We're in the camp. You two need to stop fighting, or you'll cause trouble for Sensei Minato."
Reluctantly, Obito and Kakashi backed down, though they continued to glare at each other. Kakashi was annoyed by Obito's chronic lateness and excuses, while Obito thought Kakashi was cold and overly rigid.
Still, both respected Rin and listened to her.
Rin herself was considered a young prodigy in Konoha, though her talents lay in medical ninjutsu. She had become a Chūnin just six months after Obito, not by taking the Chūnin exams, but by proving her skills through her medical expertise.
Konoha had only seven medical Jōnin in total, and apart from Yakushi Nonoyu, all of them were over 30 years old. For Nohara Rin to become a medical Chūnin at the age of eleven, purely through her expertise in medical ninjutsu, was a testament to her exceptional talent.
If not for Sarutobi Hiruzen's direct orders, Rin Nohara would have remained at Konoha Hospital rather than joining an elite infiltration team.
"It's been a month since the last large-scale battle. I'm sure we'll have a mission soon," Kakashi said. "Let's make some preparations now. Don't cry when the enemy shows up."
With that, Kakashi returned to the tent to double-check a Genin bag, leaving Uchiha Obito fuming. However, Nohara Rin managed to calm him down.
After Konoha signed a peace agreement with Sand Shinobi, many of its ninjas stationed in the Land of Rivers were withdrawn. Sand Shinobi officially pulled out of the war against Konoha.
To bring Orochimaru back to the village and free up Kikyo Castle's military resources, Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to compensate Sand Shinobi with materials.
However, this agreement wasn't included in the official peace treaty. Instead, Root secretly delivered the supplies to Sand Shinobi Village.
Meanwhile, the peace talks with Cloud Shinobi left Sarutobi Hiruzen conflicted.
The first time Cloud Shinobi proposed terms, they made only minimal concessions, while their demands remained unreasonable.
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew other Konoha ninjas would vehemently oppose any deal under such terms.
"Third Raikage has no sincerity at all," Sarutobi Hiruzen declared. "Let's settle this on the battlefield."
After the first round of talks, he dismissed the Cloud Shinobi envoy from the Hokage building, making his dissatisfaction clear.
However, he didn't completely sever negotiations. Instead, he allowed the envoy to remain in Konoha, subtly encouraging them to seek new instructions and return with more reasonable terms.
More than ten days later, the Cloud Shinobi envoy returned with revised conditions for the second round of peace talks.
This time, the terms were far more acceptable, but Sarutobi Hiruzen still found himself hesitant.
The reason was simple: the Six Paths ninja tools Cloud Shinobi sought weren't even in Konoha. If they insisted on including this demand, the peace talks would be futile.
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