Land of Fire Border
Asuka led his team through constant battles, pushing deeper and deeper into the Land of Fire and seizing large amounts of territory.
Logistics units from the Hidden Mist had also arrived early, continuously gathering resources behind the vanguard.
Although Konoha's border forces were being steadily pushed back, they never stopped harassing the vanguard with small guerrilla squads.
One day, a Hidden Mist unit was suppressing a group of Konoha ninjas trapped inside a cave.
Listening to the Kirigakure ninjas outside constantly shouting insults, one of the Konoha ninjas hiding in the cave finally snapped.
"I can't take this anymore! I'd rather die on the battlefield than stay here and be humiliated!"
"Murata, calm down," one of his teammates said. "Think about our fallen comrades. Only by surviving can we avenge them."
"Yeah, Murata. We need to preserve our strength. Once reinforcements arrive, we'll tear those bastards outside to pieces!"
Just as the Konoha ninjas were trying to calm their emotionally unstable comrade, sudden screams erupted from outside.
"Argh!"
Hearing the screams, the Konoha group immediately suspected a trap.
However, after waiting for a while, the outside suddenly fell completely silent.
The group exchanged glances before finally deciding to send someone out to investigate.
The one chosen was Murata—the same ninja who had lost his temper earlier.
Murata cautiously crept out of the cave.
What he saw shocked him.
The ground outside was littered with the corpses of Kirigakure ninjas.
Looking around, he soon noticed a figure standing not far away—a flash of golden hair.
The figure noticed him as well and turned around with a gentle smile.
"Sorry I'm late. Are you alright?"
Murata immediately recognized the man and shouted excitedly.
"Mi—Lord Minato!"
The person who had arrived was Minato Namikaze.
Minato had led a team of elite ninjas ahead of the main force so they could reach the battlefield as quickly as possible.
After arriving, he quickly sensed the desperate situation of Konoha's border forces. Without hesitation, he ordered the elite squad behind him to split up and rescue the scattered border units.
Minato himself moved alone, supporting multiple squads.
Murata's team was already the third group he had rescued.
Looking at the excited Murata, Minato Namikaze said gently,
"You have teammates with you, right? This isn't the place to talk. Go gather them. I'll escort you back to regroup with the main force."
---
Meanwhile, on Asuka's side…
After prolonged fighting, both Asuka and the Fourth Squad, which served as the spearhead of the vanguard, were physically and mentally exhausted.
Asuka therefore led them back to the rear lines to rest and reorganize.
Finally getting the chance to rest, everyone enjoyed hot food and sighed in relief.
"Phew! I'm alive again. Those soldier pills are torture. They made me so constipated," Mangetsu complained while lying on the ground with his round belly, completely lacking any sense of decorum.
His words immediately resonated with the other ninjas, who began complaining about the terrible taste of the soldier pills.
Minazuki Murasaki carried a bowl of meat soup into Asuka's tent.
Seeing him still studying the map, she spoke with concern.
"Captain, please eat something first. You haven't eaten all morning."
Noticing it was Murasaki, Asuka put down his pen and accepted the bowl with a smile.
"You're the only one who thinks about me, Murasaki. Those guys were so busy stuffing themselves that none of them even thought to bring me anything."
Murasaki felt slightly embarrassed by his familiar tone but still tried to explain.
"Captain, they were just afraid of disturbing you."
Asuka chuckled.
"Alright, Murasaki. No need to defend them. I know those guys well enough."
"By the way, have you eaten? Want to join me?"
Murasaki quickly waved her hands.
"I've already eaten, Captain. I brought this specifically for you."
"Alright then. Sit and rest for a bit. We'll go find them together later—I have something to tell everyone."
Murasaki nodded and sat quietly nearby, watching Asuka eat.
Before he could finish his meal, a figure suddenly burst into the tent.
"Lord Asuka! Latest report from the front line! Konoha's reinforcements have arrived!"
Asuka immediately put down his bowl and took the report, scanning it quickly.
A moment later, he lowered the document and smiled at Murasaki.
"An old friend from Konoha has arrived."
He handed the report to her.
After reading it, Murasaki frowned slightly.
"Minato Namikaze? Him again? Konoha actually sent him here this early?"
Asuka stood up and walked toward the exit of the tent.
"Finally, a worthy opponent," he said casually. "Looks like our vacation is over."
He led Murasaki toward the area where the squad was resting.
Seeing everyone lying lazily in the sun, Asuka clapped his hands.
"Everyone, I regret to inform you that our vacation is over."
Hearing this, Mangetsu immediately rolled over and groaned.
"Hey, hey, Boss Asuka! What happened to our rest time? We haven't even been back for two days!"
Asuka shrugged.
"Who told Konoha to send an old friend? Minato Namikaze. You all remember him, right?"
The moment Minato's name was mentioned, the entire Fourth Squad instantly became alert.
Their previous battle with Minato Namikaze had left a deep impression on them. He had single-handedly forced the entire squad into a defensive position.
After that encounter, the Hidden Mist's intelligence department had worked overtime to gather information about the blond ninja.
Now that they knew Konoha's reinforcement was Minato, the entire Fourth Squad threw away their laziness.
Everyone was eager for another chance to face him and regain their pride.
Even Hohzuki Mangetsu stopped complaining.
---
On the battlefield at the Land of Fire's border, Konoha's morale surged after Minato's arrival.
Their forces fought with renewed courage and quickly reclaimed much of the lost territory.
For a time, the battlefield entered a fierce stalemate.
Konoha gathered its scattered border squads into a large army and launched a full offensive under Minato's leadership, forcing the Kirigakure forces into retreat.
Just as Konoha prepared to drive the Hidden Mist completely out of the Land of Fire, the Fourth Squad led by Asuka—along with other rotating Kirigakure units—finally arrived at the front lines.
Their arrival immediately stabilized the retreating Hidden Mist forces.
Now that both sides had powerful leaders overseeing the battlefield, morale on both sides soared.
The two armies soon faced each other on an open plain, preparing for a decisive confrontation.
Asuka and Minato stood at the front of their respective armies, staring at each other with solemn expressions.
Both knew that the other possessed abilities perfectly suited for large-scale battlefields.
If either of them managed to break through the enemy ranks, it would cause devastating losses.
Because of this, both men understood their true mission in this battle.
They had to hold each other down.
---------------Author---------------
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