"Do you guys think I'm stupid?" Minato explained, "This is a battlefield, danger could come at any moment. How could I possibly let you make such a mistake?"
"But we're definitely not getting out of that drink. When we return to Konoha, I'll invite you both to my place. We'll drink to our heart's content then."
A kindhearted joke can help strengthen relationships.
And Minato, how tactful was he? How could he possibly drink on the battlefield, especially with others in tow?
On the surface, it looked like he was deliberately trying to get closer to Hizashi. But in reality, that was exactly what he was doing.
His brother had long been displeased with the Hyūga clan.
If the Hyūga hadn't sided with Hiruzen, they might still be enjoying some good days. But now that they had chosen a path to destruction, of course, a plan was in place.
And Shin had said that one of the key elements of that plan was none other than the still-young Hizashi.
Minato had been worrying about how to build a relationship with Hizashi, and then the guy just walked right into his hands. How could he let this chance slip?
So the three of them began drinking juice together, chatting about everything under the sun.
Minato, with his high emotional intelligence, didn't favor one over the other and made sure both felt included.
After chatting for nearly half an hour, he suddenly said, "Why don't the three of us form a team?"
Fugaku asked with confusion, "Weren't you planning to team up with Kushina?"
"I'd love to." Minato sighed. "But Kushina hasn't been able to leave the village for the past few years. What I'm thinking is: when Kushina can finally leave Konoha, we can form a four-person team."
"But until then, the three of us can team up, go on missions together, see the world together. Wouldn't that be great?"
"Besides, among us, one has the Sharingan, one has the Byakugan, and one has mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. I honestly can't think of a mission we wouldn't be able to complete."
"When that time comes, we'll be Konoha's strongest team."
Since Fugaku had already agreed earlier, he didn't hesitate and said, "As long as you don't give our team some embarrassing name, I'm fine with it."
"Haha, that was just a joke. I wouldn't bother with such a tongue-twister of a name!"
"Hizashi, what about you? I really like your personality, very pleasant, and your strength is impressive too. With your Byakugan, you'd make an excellent scout. So I'm officially inviting you."
Hizashi felt deeply moved, and very tempted, but quickly fell silent.
He was a bit afraid.
Though only 11 years old, he knew his father had aligned with the Hokage. Meanwhile, Minato and Fugaku were both aligned with Tsunade.
The two factions were currently locked in internal conflict. If he got close to Minato and Fugaku now, who knows what kind of punishment might await him?
This was simply because he was too young and didn't yet understand the ways of a large clan.
If Ryohei had known that Minato and Fugaku had invited his son to team up, he would've slapped his thigh and agreed on the spot.
Everyone could already see that Hiruzen was on the verge of losing power.
And Ryohei didn't want to put all his eggs in one basket either.
Of course, he couldn't lower his status to cozy up to Tsunade's faction, that would be a joke. But his second son, who held no position or power, didn't have that concern.
"You're overthinking things," Minato said, slightly annoyed. "But you don't have to answer right now. We can't take on missions at the moment anyway."
"How about this, wait until the war is over and we return to Konoha. Then you can ask your father for his opinion."
Hizashi blamed himself for being cowardly, but once again, he was touched by Minato's thoughtfulness and nodded firmly.
---
Battles were progressing smoothly on all fronts, except for Sakumo's side, which ran into trouble.
Unlike Tsunade, he didn't have the status. Even if Danzō was unwilling, he had no choice but to let her command an army.
Nor was he like the Uchiha clan, who had many members and could rely on group support.
Worse yet, just a few months ago, he had been assigned to monitor the Uchiha clan, which led to the disbanding of his team. Now, he was left all alone.
At this moment, all he could do was blend into a random unit of a hundred shinobi, where he was bossed around and ordered about aimlessly.
But Sakumo was still Sakumo.
Along the way, they encountered several waves of enemies, and each time he charged ahead of everyone, cutting down foes left and right, forcing them into disarray and retreat.
That short blade in his hand had practically become a god of death on the battlefield, striking terror into all who saw it.
Thanks to his already well-known reputation, he quickly earned considerable prestige after a few battles.
However, when the unit reached a certain location, it suddenly stopped. The commanding officer directly named Sakumo and ordered him to scout ahead to a specific area.
His heart sank.
Because Minato had already scouted that location and clearly said that Suna ninjas had set an ambush there.
This was clearly an attempt to send him into a trap, to get him killed. But could he say that out loud?
Just saying "I've already scouted it" doesn't cut it. Besides, weren't you always with us? When would you have had time to scout?
I think you just don't want to go. Disobeying orders on the battlefield? That's a death sentence!
Sakumo was a man with great talent in training and combat intelligence, but in other areas… well...
To quote Shin: "He's a bit too naïve."
So right now, he truly felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. But then he suddenly remembered something.
Scouting, right? As long as I bring back useful intel, who says I have to go to the exact place they ordered?
If I find enemies near the designated location, I'm not allowed to avoid them?
With that in mind, he agreed and set out toward the front.
When he got within about a thousand meters of the target location, Sakumo suddenly changed direction and began circling around the area.
Thanks to his agile movements and speed, he reached a hidden vantage point, and sure enough, he spotted Suna ninjas. They had concealed themselves extremely well using Earth Release techniques.
But Sakumo had completed countless missions and fought against all types of ninjas. His experience was vast. And since Minato had already scouted the area and provided intel, Sakumo was paying extra attention.
With careful observation, he quickly picked up on signs of the ambush. He drew a quick map of the terrain, outlining the approximate positions of the enemy forces.
Then, retracing his path, he returned to the unit.
When the commanding officer saw him come back, he was visibly shocked and blurted out, "You're actually still alive?"
As soon as he said that, everyone turned to look.
The ninja quickly realized his blunder and hurried to correct himself, "I mean, I'm just glad you're okay!"
If Danzō had been there, he would've slapped that Shimura jonin across the face.
"Why are all the people in the Shimura clan so stupid?"
They spent their days slacking off, showing off for nothing. But when it came time to actually do something, they fell apart.
If it weren't for the fact that Root was currently short on personnel and he needed bodyguards around him, there'd be no place for these losers.
But Danzō himself didn't stop to think: war is no game.
In the past, commanders of hundred-man units were all elite ninjas carefully selected through rigorous screening.
Now, he just stuffed his own clan members in without regard for capability, these guys who'd never done a real mission, who'd lived comfortably off the money Danzō had embezzled. What use were they?
This was also the reason why he eventually stepped down from the position of Shimura clan head in order to focus fully on developing Root, and why he chose to cut ties with the Shimura clan.
Because he no longer wanted to waste any more resources on them.
---
If you're interested in a new story:
DC: Policeman in Gotham
200 = +1 bonus chapter
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Completed at Chapter 278!