"It wouldn't matter if the person I caught was just an ordinary Ninja. But you are Minato Namikaze of Konoha, known as the Yellow Flash of the Ninja World."
"Do you think your death would benefit the current Konoha?... Or rather, can the battlefield of Konoha function without you right now?"
Kirito stared intently at the purple gold gourd, transmitting his words into the gourd in the form of consciousness.
Minato Namikaze hadn't completely vanished yet, and Kirito was certain that Minato Namikaze heard these words clearly.
But after Kirito spoke, he received no feedback in his consciousness.
Because Minato Namikaze inside the gourd had fallen silent.
Kirito was in no hurry. He sat on the ground, tapping the purple gold gourd with his fingers while looking up at the blue sky and white clouds.
Although his goal was indeed to obtain the Ninjutsu that Minato Namikaze had practiced his entire life, Kirito's words were definitely not meant as intentional temptation.
The situation of the Third Ninja World War was somewhat tragic, with the Five Great Ninja Villages on this continent attacking each other.
Konoha's situation could be described as quite dire.
Those openly fighting Konoha included Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure.
As for Hidden Mist in the far west, it seemed they weren't hostile toward Konoha, but in reality, Hidden Mist also wanted a piece of the pie in this chaotic war.
While the major nations were locked in fierce combat, Hidden Mist also dispatched the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to launch a sneak attack on Konoha.
They were eventually all driven away by Might Guy's father, Might Duy, who opened the Eight Gates.
Even setting aside Hidden Mist, Konoha had to treat the other three Hidden Villages with caution.
The main battlefield between Konoha and Sunagakure was Kikyo Pass. That battle was commanded by Orochimaru, and Konoha reportedly fought well, forcing Sunagakure into continuous retreat and gaining a complete advantage in the fighting. As long as time passed and the Land of Wind's logistics couldn't keep up, the Land of Wind would be the first to lose the war.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure, however, were not so easy to deal with.
Large numbers of Kumogakure and Konoha Ninja had already begun clashing on the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire.
The Land of Lightning dispatched General A, and Konoha, unwilling to show weakness, sent Minato Namikaze.
Just as shown in the anime plot, Minato Namikaze and A fought a battle on the border.
Minato Namikaze seemed to have the advantage in that fight, but A wasn't fighting alone.
There was also his brother, Killer Bee, whose Tailed Beast blocked Minato Namikaze's attack.
It was that clash that made both sides realize the other's strength should not be underestimated.
Since then, although border skirmishes between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning continued, no large-scale battles ever broke out. Both Villages entered a state of relative stability.
In fact, if this state could be maintained, it would be quite beneficial for the civilians of both nations.
At least there wouldn't be massive casualties.
But the prerequisite was that Minato Namikaze had to go to the front lines and fight that battle.
Kumogakure's General A had just arrived at the front lines, and Minato Namikaze was supposed to rush there for support, but he was intercepted by Kirito halfway. It seemed Minato Namikaze was now trapped here.
Without Minato Namikaze defending the front lines, the A–B Brothers would likely charge forward and sweep through Konoha.
And Minato Namikaze inside the purple gold gourd was currently hesitating over this matter.
Recalling that the mission the Hokage gave him this time was to reinforce the front lines—Minato Namikaze had rushed here so quickly he didn't even have time to recall his three students—this was enough to show the urgency of the situation.
Minato Namikaze's originally somewhat unfocused gaze now held a trace of confusion.
His furrowed brow indicated that Minato Namikaze's state of mind was far from calm.
What Kirito said was indeed a major problem, but Minato Namikaze also knew that the opponent's condition conflicted sharply with the educational philosophy he had received since childhood.
After a long time, Minato Namikaze finally gave his answer, "What you said is indeed a problem, but you also overlooked one thing: Konoha does not rely solely on me!"
"If I don't reach the front lines for a long time, my comrades in the rear will definitely know something is wrong here, and other powerful Ninja will step up to hold the line. Konoha's defenses will not collapse."
Minato Namikaze reiterated his stance.
No matter what Kirito said, it was absolutely impossible for Minato Namikaze to hand over his life's work.
Kirito, standing outside, heard this, glanced at the scorched earth left by the war around him, and shook his head helplessly.
"It's certainly good to have confidence in your Village, but sometimes that confidence seems nothing more than self-deception."
Konoha was once the most famous Ninja Village in the Ninja World.
Whether in terms of economy, military strength, or population, it could be considered the overlord of this continent.
However, as time passed, the current Konoha was probably no longer as powerful as it once was.
The foundation left by the ancestors was also gradually being depleted.
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of the Leaf, who struck terror into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield, was already dead.
The Sannin, who rose to fame during the Second Ninja World War, seemed to fill the void left by the White Fang, but the actual situation was probably not that optimistic.
Jiraiya was summoned by the Toad Sage and began searching for his child of prophecy; he is currently not in Konoha.
Tsunade lost her lover and younger brother in the war and developed Hemophobia, making her unable to step onto the front lines. She should currently be frequenting various gambling houses.
Only Orochimaru was still fighting fiercely on the battlefield to become the Fourth Hokage, but Orochimaru was also tied down on the battlefield at Kikyo Pass.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi personally went out to block the fierce attack of the A–B Brothers, what would happen on the Iwagakure front?
What was the turning point that marked the end of the Third Ninja World War?
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge.
That was the famous battle that established Minato Namikaze and his student Kakashi.
Minato Namikaze single-handedly destroyed Kannabi Bridge, cutting off the supply line for tens of thousands of Iwagakure Ninja.
Seeing that further fighting was fruitless, the Five Great Ninja Villages finally ceased hostilities.
Although Konoha had more Jonin than just Minato Namikaze—clans like Ino–Shika–Chō and the Hyuga had many powerful Ninja.
But without Minato Namikaze leading the charge, who knew if Kannabi Bridge would be breached?
Perhaps Konoha had another Kage-level individual with significant influence under his command.
However, Kirito vaguely remembered that colleague of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Root Leader who had long governed Konoha.
Neither he nor his subordinates were often active on the battlefield.
When Pain came to Konoha to fight, everyone from the Hokage down to the civilians was deployed, yet he was still sitting in the basement drinking tea. Getting that person to step onto the battlefield would probably be difficult.
Therefore, Minato Namikaze was essential to Konoha right now.
If Minato Namikaze died at this moment, while Konoha might not be conquered, the war situation would certainly be extremely unfavorable.
Kirito's words also caused Minato Namikaze inside the purple gold gourd to become inwardly conflicted.
Kirito's words were definitely intended to shake Minato Namikaze's initial determination to refuse.
But this was not a scheme; it was a straightforward strategy.
By stating the facts, as long as the premise held true, this was an unsolvable dilemma.
This time, Minato Namikaze remained silent for even longer, and Kirito waited quietly outside.
Twenty minutes later, Minato Namikaze's voice finally came from the purple gold gourd, but this time his voice sounded somewhat weak.
It was not only due to the corrosion of the black smoke inside the gourd but also revealed a hint of mental exhaustion.
"Your insight is very sharp. You know so much information, yet why are you still just a Genin from Kumogakure... The Secret Techniques you practice and the Ninja Tools you use are things I cannot decipher."
"You are very unusual, and very dangerous."
"There is danger, yet no sharp edge is visible on the surface. If I truly give you my Ninjutsu, Konoha having an enemy like you would be truly terrifying."
Listening to Minato Namikaze's description, Kirito closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, his face full of helplessness.
The character labels from his previous life regarding Minato Namikaze—Warm Man, responsible, immensely powerful, Naming Genius... but having truly interacted with him, Kirito felt the need to add another label.
Single-minded.
He probably developed such unwavering conviction due to long-term indoctrination with the Will of Fire.
"I say, Brother Minato, are you perhaps thinking too highly of your Konoha? I have no interest in your Village. This is an era filled with war and chaos, and I just want to survive in this world. Therefore, I need to learn more Ninjutsu and master greater amounts of Chakra."
"As for doing things for the Village? That doesn't exist. I have no interest in being Konoha's enemy, unless Konoha actively provokes me. After I leave, I just want to diligently study Ninjutsu. That is my goal."
Kirito spoke this large amount of words in one breath. It all came straight from the heart.
Since arriving in this world, he hasn't been very interested in things like the Will of Fire, the Will of Stone, or fighting for the Village.
The only necessary thing is self-preservation, and second is making himself strong.
This outpouring was also Kirito expressing his mindset to Minato Namikaze.
Konoha needed Minato Namikaze, and Kirito didn't want to kill Minato Namikaze because there was no benefit in it for him. The two goals didn't conflict; this was a very fair transaction.
What left Kirito speechless was that his long speech...
...was spoken, yet seemed to sink into the sea, as Minato Namikaze once again gave no reply.
Minato Namikaze seemed to have fallen into thought again.
Kirito was a little confused. Why couldn't Minato Namikaze utilize his naming talent? Those Ninjutsu with incredibly long names always flowed out of him without hesitation or delay.
Why was the negotiation so difficult now?
Kirito decided he couldn't keep dragging this out with Minato Namikaze.
"I say, Brother Minato, give me a straight answer. Are you going to make this deal or not?"
"My patience is limited!"
End of the chapter.