"Yeah, that's possible."
Minato Namikaze's expression turned serious as he raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop.
"Stay alert. We could run into enemy patrols at any moment."
The forest immediately fell silent.
Even Obito stopped talking.
The darkness around the Ryūgetsu Outpost felt oppressive. The distant wind rustled through the trees, carrying with it the scent of smoke and blood lingering from recent battles.
Minato crouched down and pressed two fingers against the ground.
Then he closed his eyes.
Instantly, his sensory ability spread outward like invisible ripples across a still lake.
The technique swept through the surrounding terrain, extending far beyond the outpost walls and probing deep into the surrounding forest.
Ren watched carefully.
This was one of the skills Minato had been teaching them recently.
A sensory technique.
Not just any sensory technique, either.
It was the same ability once used by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
More importantly, it was one of the foundations required for mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The farther one's sensory range extended, the farther one could teleport.
Ren and Kakashi had both been practicing it.
Unfortunately, neither of them possessed Minato's absurd natural talent.
Their progress was steady, but they were still far from reaching his level.
Several moments passed.
Then Minato opened his eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"We're fine."
Everyone relaxed slightly.
"There are Konoha shinobi inside."
His gaze shifted toward the outpost.
"And I believe they're friends."
A few minutes later, Team Minato entered the perimeter of the Ryūgetsu Outpost.
The moment they stepped inside, a familiar voice greeted them.
"Yo, Minato! You're faster than I expected."
A tall woman approached with a confident grin.
Inuzuka Tsume.
Ren immediately recognized her.
It had been roughly six months since they last met.
Compared to before, Tsume looked even sharper and more battle-hardened.
Several scars crossed her face and arms.
Some were fresh.
Others had already healed.
Every mark told the story of a fierce battle survived.
Beside her stood the enormous ninja hound, Kuromaru.
The giant dog barked twice before wagging its tail in recognition.
"Looks like you brats are doing pretty well."
Tsume crossed her arms.
"I heard about what happened with Pakura."
A whistle escaped her lips.
"Defeating Sunagakure's Scorch Release genius at your age? That's impressive."
Kakashi glanced toward Ren.
"It was mostly Ren."
Ren immediately waved his hands.
"We only won because everyone worked together."
"Hah!"
Tsume laughed loudly.
"You said the exact same thing last time."
She pointed at him.
"When we dealt with those Rain Village spies."
Her grin widened.
"You're either really humble or really good at pretending."
Ren smiled innocently.
Neither confirming nor denying it.
"Anyway."
Tsume gestured toward the interior of the outpost.
"Stop standing around and come inside."
---
The moment Ren entered, he realized the outpost was much larger than it appeared from the outside.
The stone-and-timber structure contained far more people than expected.
At least a dozen.
Maybe more.
Several shinobi stood guard along the walls.
Others rested around small campfires.
And scattered throughout the outpost were wounded soldiers.
Some lay on makeshift beds.
Others leaned against walls.
Bandages covered their bodies.
The scent of medicine mixed with blood hung heavily in the air.
Ren's expression became serious.
Tsume noticed.
"Most of them escaped when the Ryūgetsu Outpost fell."
Her voice lost some of its earlier cheerfulness.
"We've spent the last few days searching for survivors and gathering intelligence."
She glanced toward the wounded.
"Our medical supplies are running low."
"We've only been able to provide basic treatment."
Minato immediately understood.
His gaze shifted.
"Ren."
"Rin."
The two exchanged a glance.
Then nodded simultaneously.
"Leave it to us."
Without wasting another second, they headed toward the injured shinobi.
---
For Ren, this was actually an unexpected opportunity.
Ever since Team Minato began conducting patrol missions, there had been fewer wounded shinobi available for treatment.
As a result, his progress with the Healing Technique had slowed considerably.
Now, however—
He suddenly had a dozen patients waiting.
A perfect chance to improve.
Green chakra illuminated his hands as he knelt beside the nearest injured shinobi.
Rin was already working nearby.
The two young medics moved efficiently from patient to patient.
Their calm professionalism quickly earned the respect of everyone watching.
---
Meanwhile, Tsume led Minato, Kakashi, and Obito toward a stone table positioned near the rear of the outpost.
A rough map had been spread across its surface.
Several locations were marked with charcoal circles.
Tsume pointed at the largest one.
"The situation is worse than we initially thought."
Her finger tapped the map.
"The Ryūgetsu Outpost has completely fallen."
"The attack was coordinated from both inside and outside."
Her expression darkened.
"Enemy spies sabotaged the defenses while an elite Sunagakure force launched the assault."
Obito frowned.
"How many enemies?"
"We don't know exactly."
Tsume shook her head.
"But at least twenty to thirty shinobi remain stationed there."
A heavy silence followed.
That was a substantial force.
Especially for a forward military position.
Tsume continued.
"That's not the only problem."
She pointed toward several smaller markings surrounding the main outpost.
"The watchtowers."
"Most of them have fallen as well."
"Each one is occupied by one or two enemy squads."
"Some may also contain puppet traps."
Kakashi studied the map carefully.
"So if we attack the Ryūgetsu Outpost directly..."
"We'll get surrounded."
"Exactly."
Tsume nodded.
"The watchtowers act as warning systems."
"If even one of them spots us, the entire enemy force will be alerted."
Minato folded his arms thoughtfully.
"In that case..."
"We eliminate the watchtowers first."
Tsume looked surprised.
"That was my conclusion too."
Then she sighed.
"However, I still think we should wait for Lord Jiraiya's response."
Her gaze swept across the room.
"We only have three squads."
"We're protecting wounded survivors."
"And we're operating in enemy-controlled territory."
"We're stretched thin."
Objectively speaking, she was right.
Their numbers weren't ideal.
Yet Minato simply smiled.
"It's enough."
Tsume blinked.
Minato pointed toward Ren and Kakashi.
"Those two have already fought jonin-level opponents."
Then toward Obito and Rin.
"And the others are growing stronger every day."
Finally, he pointed toward himself.
"And I'll be joining the operation personally."
The confidence in his voice was absolute.
No arrogance.
No boasting.
Just certainty.
"As long as we move quickly enough..."
"We'll succeed."
---
Ren couldn't help glancing over from the medical area.
The confidence radiating from Minato was almost frightening.
Of course, Ren knew the truth.
Minato wasn't overestimating himself.
If anything, he was underestimating himself.
At this point in history, Minato Namikaze was already approaching monster territory.
His Flying Thunder God was nearly perfected.
The future Yellow Flash of Konoha was beginning to emerge.
If he truly went all out...
A group of ordinary jonin and chunin wouldn't even be able to touch him.
They would simply become moving targets.
Yet Minato never acted superior.
Never flaunted his strength.
Instead, he treated everyone around him as equals.
That humility was one of the reasons people followed him so naturally.
Still...
As Ren listened to Minato confidently declare victory, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Something about it felt familiar.
Dangerously familiar.
It reminded him of certain legendary last words from the future.
The thought nearly made him laugh.
Thankfully, he managed to keep a straight face.
---
After further discussion, the final plan was established.
Minato pointed at the map.
"The southwestern watchtower is the farthest away."
"And the most heavily defended."
He looked toward Tsume.
"I'll handle that one."
Then his finger moved to the other two locations.
"You, Ren, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin will target the northwestern and northeastern towers."
Tsume frowned.
"Are you sure?"
Her concern was obvious.
"The enemy has the terrain advantage."
"And Ren's team is still young."
Minato didn't hesitate.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"It's fine."
He looked directly at her.
Then toward his students.
"I believe in them."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
Absolute.
"They'll win."
For a brief moment, the entire room fell silent.
Even Tsume seemed affected by the certainty in his words.
And surprisingly...
So was Ren.
Because deep down, he realized something.
Minato truly believed it.
Not because he was optimistic.
Not because he was reckless.
But because he understood exactly how much his students had grown.
---
That night, Team Minato finally enjoyed a proper rest.
For once, there were no patrol routes.
No rotating night watches.
No sleeping in cold forests.
The accommodations weren't luxurious.
But compared to the wilderness, they felt like paradise.
Everyone slept soundly.
---
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through cracks in the stone walls.
Ren opened his eyes feeling surprisingly refreshed.
The atmosphere inside the outpost was already bustling.
Tsume had departed before dawn with several scouts to gather intelligence.
Meanwhile, the wounded shinobi looked far healthier than they had the previous day.
Many were sitting upright.
Some could even walk.
The combined efforts of Ren and Rin had worked wonders.
As Ren moved through the room checking bandages, several soldiers greeted him warmly.
"Morning, kid."
"Thanks for yesterday."
"My shoulder already feels better."
"You saved us a lot of trouble."
Ren smiled politely.
"No need to thank me."
"It's part of my job."
Still, seeing their recovery filled him with satisfaction.
One by one, he inspected every injury.
Everything seemed to be progressing well.
Until—
A sudden bark echoed from outside the outpost.
Then another.
And another.
Urgent.
Sharp.
Warning barks.
Ren's eyes narrowed instantly.
The entire outpost froze.
Moments later, a shinobi burst through the entrance.
His breathing was ragged.
His face pale.
"Enemy movement!"
The room exploded into motion.
Weapons were grabbed.
Armor fastened.
Everyone sprang to their feet.
And as Ren looked toward the doorway, a familiar feeling settled heavily in his chest.
The battle for the Ryūgetsu Outpost...
Was about to begin.
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