Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

Just as Shinto finished giving Danzo his final hint and was about to leave Konoha to find his three disciples and wait for good news from Danzo, he saw a figure rushing away at high speed just outside Konoha. Who else could that familiar blond-haired man be but the man who rode the Second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the perfect ninja Minato Namikaze?

However, this eldest son is the eldest son. Despite being born a commoner, his strength has skyrocketed after his method of use was fully activated. At only thirteen or fourteen years old, he's already a Jonin based on his disguise. The key is that he's self-taught. His teacher, Jiraiya, went to the Land of Water to teach the ultimate boss. He's already this good without any formal instruction. Compared to him, that brat Rasa must be crying. Rasa is ten years old this year, about the same age as Shuri Uzumaki. He receives instruction from Sunagawa every moment. Sunagawa's instruction is even more dedicated than Chiyo's instruction to Sasori. Although that brat Rasa has awakened Magnet Release and can control gold sand, his talent is really ordinary, about the same as Pakura. He's not much stronger. But Rasa probably can't even beat Sasori now. Sasori is a boy who fought the Seven-Tails Beetle one-on-one.

Seeing that Minato Namikaze was heading in the same direction as him, he guessed that the crimes committed by his three disciples over the past month had attracted the attention of Konoha. Hiruzen Sarutobi probably sent this kid out because he thought he was ready to make his debut. He seemed to remember that Minato Namikaze truly became famous in the ninja world during the Third Shinobi World War. Before the Third Shinobi World War, Minato Namikaze's reputation wasn't very high; he was only somewhat famous in Konoha. If he hadn't blocked a large group of Iwa ninja, causing the Iwa ninja to be terrified by the Flying Thunder God Technique and then all going to the Kumogakure battlefield to fight the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki's AB combination, allowing him to debut at his peak and become famous, it wouldn't have been so easy for Hiruzen Sarutobi to promote him.

Judging from the timeline, this kid should be making his official debut around this time. And judging from his direction, his first mission should undoubtedly target his three disciples who are currently farming in the wild. He originally thought that Hiruzen Sarutobi would send White Fang to participate, but now it seems that those border areas are just small fry in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

However, with this perfect ninja present, it wouldn't matter; his status was more than enough to make him an alibi...

446. Could it be that I infected him?

"Holy crap! What are you three doing? Wilderness survival? Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

When Shinto, relying on his Observation Haki, finally found his three disciples while wandering around the border of the Land of Fire, he was stunned by the scene before him. Three luxurious little wooden huts were built in a large tree in a grove of trees, perfectly concealed by the foliage. Without Observation Haki, he wouldn't have noticed them at all. In front of the three huts hung strings of smoked meat, and a fire was burning below. The three men, their complexions ruddy, were roasting a skinned goat around the fire. If it weren't for the fact that their clothes hadn't yet turned into animal hides, he would have suspected they were living a secluded life in the wilderness. He had been worried that Konoha had noticed them and that they were living in misery, but seeing their rosy complexions, they seemed to be living a more comfortable life than he was...

"Teacher, you're back! The meat is almost ready..."

As Kudo Yusaku grilled the meat, he spoke with practiced ease, flipping and seasoning the meat with the skill of an expert. Neither the eldest son of the Umekawa family nor young ladies like Yekura possessed such skill.

Children from poor families mature early!

"Judging from your expressions, I know your harvest wasn't great. You got caught? Hmm... kid, your technique is pretty good, just a bit too salty. Use less salt next time..."

Shindou sat down and started munching on a skewer of grilled meat that Umekawa Nei handed him. He didn't blame the three of them. It was already quite good that they had been able to stay in the Land of Fire for the two months he was away, and they had even lived a pretty carefree life. They should be rewarded with a little red flower.

"Actually, we did find some things, but in places like the border, there aren't many valuable ninja tools and medicinal herbs. The situation outside is tense, and the Konoha ninjas are already on guard. Several times we've returned empty-handed and almost been caught. I was thinking of waiting for Master to return..."

Mei Chuan Nei Yi helplessly shrugged, took the seal roll, and showed it to Zhen Dou for inspection.

This is their haul from the past two months. They were instructed to only take the expensive items, but how many expensive goods could a small border town like this possibly have? Last time, they almost got surrounded for taking a deer antler that only cost a few thousand.

So ever since they were almost surrounded by Konoha ninjas last time, Mei Chuan Neiyi had an immature idea in his mind. If the three of them were to hunt in this remote town, they would only be able to get a few expensive items. Even if they were not discovered by Konoha ninjas, how long would it take to fill up the Uzumaki clan's handcrafted sealing scrolls? Moreover, they had failed nine out of ten times in their attempts. If they hadn't escaped quickly, they would have been surrounded long ago.

It wasn't worth risking his life for such a small gain, so Mei Chuan Neiyi thought of the Daimyo's residence, which he had considered before. It was the economic center of the Land of Fire. Rather than risking his life for such a small-scale operation, it would be better to hide for a month or two and wait for the storm to pass before making a big move. Because the Daimyo's residence was close to Konoha, its safety level was considered the highest in the ninja world. No one had ever dared to cause trouble there. Causing trouble in the Daimyo's residence would be equivalent to slapping Konoha in the face, and at that time, it would definitely be as if White Fang had been dispatched.

On the other hand, since no one had ever caused trouble in Daming Prefecture before, and this had become the norm, Daming Prefecture's defenses had definitely relaxed. This was an opportunity for the three of them, who were few in number and had a small target. Since they were risking their lives anyway, they might as well go all in. After things calmed down outside, they would go to Daming Prefecture and try their luck. Even if they didn't get anything, they could still be remembered for generations and be famous for all time, right?

The three young warriors of Sunagakure bravely venture into the daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire!

Even if he were to die with this reputation, he wouldn't bring shame to the village, and he would have lived up to the family's kindness in raising him...

After hearing Umekawa's plan, Yekura and Kudo Yusaku thought it made sense. They could take a gamble; if they succeeded, they could bring glory to their ancestors; even if they failed, they wouldn't suffer any losses. When they first graduated, their teacher's first words were, "Ninjas, what goes around comes around." Countless brilliant and decisive people in history have fallen into obscurity. Even if they failed, they could at least earn the title of one of the Three Young Generals of Sunagakure, right? If they were lucky, they might even be written into textbooks like their teacher for future generations to admire!

"...So you're planning a night raid on Daming Prefecture in a while?"

After hearing the three's plan, Masato was speechless. He really wanted to know who had written a golden "brave" character on their chests!

This Land of Fire isn't the Land of Earth, and Konoha isn't Iwagakure. While the Fire Daimyo is even more degenerate and useless than the Earth Daimyo, the Fire Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninjas are far more advanced than the Earth Daimyo's. They even possess strange secret techniques like the Thousand-Armed Kannon! These three brats, barely even Chunin level, dare to raid the Daimyo's residence? They're practically asking for trouble!

Uh...it seems like they just have too much time on their hands...

Masato looked at Yekura curiously, automatically ignoring Kudo Yusaku, who was just a newbie who had just debuted and was clueless about everything and the dangers involved. Seeing his two teammates nod, he nodded along, which was normal.

However, Yekura and the other two were known for their composure, so why would they agree to such a radical plan as Umekawa Nai'i? Whether their attack on the daimyo's mansion will be written into textbooks is unknown, but they will definitely be used as a negative example. They dared to launch a night raid on the daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire so soon after their debut.

What are you thinking?

If they're used as negative examples, then the teacher will also be imprisoned. Only such stupid teachers would have such stupid students in the disciplinary office...

Did I infect you? ...Pah! I'm known for being steady and reliable...-_-

"That's right. You've seen what we've accomplished during this time, teacher. Since we're going to risk our lives anyway, why not go all out? You said it yourself, teacher: if you don't give it your all when you're young, you won't have the chance to do it later!"

Mei Chuan and the other two nodded seriously, as if to tell Zhen Dou, "Our mind is made up, please don't try to persuade us anymore!"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Have you guys eaten too many walnuts and gone mad? You actually came up with the idea of ​​raiding the Daimyo's mansion at night? Let me tell you, the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire isn't as simple as you think. Just the twelve elite Jonin and Guardian Ninjas, plus all sorts of weird secret techniques from their monastery that even I, their teacher, have never seen before, and you three brats would be defeated before you even have a chance to study the scriptures. What kind of reputation will you have left then!"

Shinto didn't hold back, slapping both Umekawa and Kudo Yusaku across the face. Yekura, being a girl, was worried about how her defenses were weakened compared to males, fearing he might seriously injure her and cause problems later...

447. He also had a rudimentary understanding of how to open the Eight Gates.

"No way? Teacher, is the Daimyo of the Land of Fire really that strong? Didn't you kidnap the Daimyo of the Land of Earth back then?"

Hearing Masato say this, Kudo Yusaku rubbed his head in pain, tears welling in his eyes, and said that most of them knew about their teacher's great achievements. Back then, their teacher led the Anbu to bravely invade the Land of Earth, attack the Daimyo's mansion, and even kidnapped the Daimyo of the Land of Earth to negotiate with the Tsuchikage. This made many people yearn for it, and made them feel that the economy and military power of this country didn't seem so great.

Now I'm listening to my teacher talk about how awesome the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire is, and there's definitely an element of exaggeration in that.

"The situation back then is different from now, and the guardian ninjas of the Land of Fire are not comparable to those nobodies of the Land of Earth. Just the messy secret techniques of a monastery are beyond your ability to contend with. Besides, we've only had two years of peace. If you really do this, it will cause a war, and you'll be kneeling on durians when you get back. So, this is just a piece of advice: the waters here are too deep for you young people to handle. Give up this unrealistic idea, take it easy, and we'll leave when things are more or less settled. You're still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities to achieve success and fame. There's no need to risk your lives now."

Masato shrugged, speechless. "Are all Daimyo really such big mouths? I originally thought that when the Land of Earth Daimyo let slip that he'd been kidnapped, it would only circulate within their own circles. I didn't expect it to have reached the ninja world. No doubt it came from that good-for-nothing Daimyo's mouth..."

"What do we do now? Teacher, aren't you here too? Why don't you take us there?"

Kudo Yusaku looked at him pitifully, still hoping that his teacher would come back and take them flying, but in the end they couldn't even go to the daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire.

"I am here, but when White Fang arrives with his men, I don't care if I fight him one-on-one. We've been fighting for decades, so one more fight won't make a difference. However, if you are confident that you can survive the gang fight by the Hidden Leaf's Anbu, I would suggest taking you to the Daimyo's capital for a challenge. We are currently deep behind enemy lines and outnumbered!"

Shinto looked at Kudo Yusaku, who still didn't want to give up, and said, "Sarutobi Hiruzen is not a gentleman, or rather, none of those who play politics are gentlemen. Despite his seemingly respectable appearance, when it comes to playing tricks, he is no less cunning than Onoki. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep his best friend under his thumb for so long."

If the daimyo of the Land of Fire were kidnapped, that would be truly shameful. It was one thing for Ōnoki to be the only one eyeing him, but if Hiruzen Sarutobi also had his eye on him, the daimyo would really be coming to Sunagakure to hurl insults...

"......"

Upon hearing this, the three kids immediately lowered their heads. Taking on two or three peers was no problem, but to go and gang up on the Konoha Anbu, especially when they were all being attacked by a group of them...

They are still young; the future belongs to them.

......

"Alright, stop thinking about useless things now. My old tactics won't work anymore. Time is tight, so let's switch to another tactic called 'feinting to the east while attacking the west.' I'll go somewhere else and make a big commotion to draw Konoha's attention to me. The three of you will stay here and move quickly and discreetly. Don't let the Konoha ninjas discover us..."

Shinto looked at the three of them without speaking, stroked his chin and pondered for a while before saying, "The original purpose of this trip was to trick Danzo into focusing his attention on Nawaki, and then to train these three brats. However, the main purpose has been achieved. The hints I gave Danzo were so obvious that even if Danzo grew up eating pig brains, he would have figured it out."

However, the second objective was not achieved. These three brats treated this place like a wilderness retreat, so there was no way to train them. Especially Kudo Yusaku, this "blank slate." To be honest, of the three students, he had the most faith in this kid. He had a stronger innate physical talent. With proper guidance and by finding him to practice the Eight Gates, his future prospects and combat power would be much better than Yekura's.

He also had a rudimentary understanding of how to open the Eight Gates, and since Guy's father was still alive, it might not be perfected yet. However, an incomplete Eight Gates combined with his rudimentary knowledge should be enough, as long as it didn't kill anyone... Opening the Eight Gates mainly depends on having a strong foundation to withstand the power of chakra bursts, so he could just transform into White Fang's cousin and fool him. Guy's father was currently just a low-level member of Konoha, much easier to fool.

Kudo Yusaku is currently in a state of not having found his life goal, just getting by, living day by day as if he were a lifetime.

To put it nicely, this kind of person is content with what they have; to put it bluntly, they're just like him—lacking ambition and aimless, spending their days aimlessly. But the key is, this guy doesn't have the means to be aimless!

He could understand that children born into commoner families might have lower goals, like how Umekawa Nai and Pakura dreamed of becoming Kazekage or strong enough to protect their village and lead their clan to greater heights. Kudo Yusaku's dream was also to become a powerful ninja, protect the village, and improve his family's living conditions... but the key issue was that his goals were more general than Umekawa Nai and Pakura's. What constitutes a strong person? For the knowledgeable Umekawa Nai and Pakura, only Kage-level ninjas were considered strong, but for children born into commoner families, even Chunin were considered strong. While Kudo Yusaku's goals weren't quite that low, they were probably only around Jonin level.

Unfortunately, this kid's overall strength is now close to that of a Chunin. If he develops normally, he should have no problem becoming a Jonin at sixteen or seventeen. Even if he doesn't want to be promoted, Sunagawa and Ebizo will probably force him to take the position. After all, he is a representative of the commoner class. If he doesn't take the position, those commoner ninjas won't see any hope. Although this kid didn't think of this, anyone with eyes can see his complacency.

However, only those who have practiced the Eight Gates know how difficult it is. If you break a few ribs during the process, you'd be embarrassed to say you know the Eight Gates. Even if this kid managed to trick Mike Day into learning the Eight Gates, he doesn't have the perseverance and willpower, so it's all for nothing.

He hadn't thought about this before, but seeing the perfect ninja on the way back gave him this idea. He couldn't beat Sasori because this kid's skills weren't aligned with Sasori's, and Sasori's reputation as a genius was too strong in the village. He could accept defeat without a care in the world, but this kid didn't know about Minato Namikaze's reputation in Konoha. He really didn't believe that anyone could laugh and joke and accept defeat without a care in the world after being completely crushed by their peers.

Masato looked at Kudo Yusaku, who was still staring blankly at the grilled meat, and realized that the saying "failure is the mother of success" was indeed true!

That's all the help I can give you, child...ヾ(^Д^*)/.

448. That bastard has tried to poach my girlfriend more than once.

As evening fell, Hatake Sakumo was preparing to clock out and go home after a busy day. His wife had died young, and his son was still young, so his life was fixed on the two points between the ANBU and home. Fortunately, his son was quite independent from a young age, so he didn't have to worry too much. Although he was only three years old, he already knew to go out to eat when he was hungry, so he didn't need to worry too much. He just tried to go home as early as possible at night to be with his son and fulfill his responsibilities as a father.

This parenting style might seem strange to outsiders, but the Hatake family has always raised their children this way. His father did it this way when he was young, so it seems normal to Hatake Sakumo. However, to avoid his boss's nagging, he no longer goes home after get off work. Instead, he meets up with his son at a ramen shop and waits until his boss goes to bed before going home.

Since returning from the Land of Water, his boss has frequently visited his home to persuade him. If he were still a lone wolf before, he might have actually agreed to become Hokage for a few years. After all, the village is currently experiencing a temporary leadership gap, and Orochimaru's voluntary move to Root means he has given up the position of Hokage. Although he doesn't understand why Orochimaru would give up the Hokage position, and voluntarily giving up the position seems absurd to others, he finds it quite reasonable in Orochimaru's case. Orochimaru is indeed a talented leader, and his talent and ability are beyond doubt. He is no joke as the man closest to the Second Hokage.

However, Orochimaru's personality is indeed somewhat dark, lacking the affability expected of a Hokage. Therefore, his actions aren't surprising. Besides Orochimaru, there's truly no one else in this generation capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility. Tsunade was a good candidate, but she was unwilling, and there was also the risk of her being seduced by Shiki, so they dared not promote her. Otherwise, if the Hokage were to be seduced away, what would become of the family? The First Hokage would be furious...

The next generation of outstanding young people had not yet grown up, so he could completely understand the Third Hokage's desire for him to hold the position for a few more years. If it were before, he would have agreed, but now it was really impossible. Seeing that the Third Hokage was more than ten years older than him but already had graying temples and looked prematurely aged, he couldn't bear to refuse every time. However, every time he was about to agree, he would remember what the Golden Lion had told him: the Hokage position was an ominous one, and if one's life was not tough enough, basically whoever took it would die.

Although he wasn't superstitious, the memory of the First and Second Hokage's fates made him hesitate. He himself wasn't afraid of death; from the day he debuted, he had disregarded life and death. But now he wasn't alone. His son was still young and needed his care. He wasn't sure how resilient he was, but if the First and Second Hokage couldn't survive, he estimated he would be similarly resilient. If he died young, his son would be too young, only just beginning to refine his chakra, not even having learned the basics of the Hatake sword technique. If he were to perish, he could foresee that without his guidance, his son's Hatake sword technique would likely be used to kill ordinary soldiers, or even worse than his father's...

So for his son's sake, and for the sake of the Hatake clan, he cannot become Hokage!

"Minister! The Golden Lion is here!!!"

No sooner had Sakumo Hatake stepped out the door than a henchman from the Anbu rushed over, shouting as if he had encountered a monster.

"Where???"

Sakumo Hatake's expression also turned serious; that guy coming to their Land of Fire was definitely not for anything good...

He said it!

"He's been loitering near the border. Our people said he looks like he's looking for something. A while ago, a group of people started robbing ninja tool shops and medicine shops near the border, so the Hokage sent Minato to investigate. Now that Shiki is here again, the Hokage is worried that Minato might run into Shiki, so he's asking you..."

Before the underling from the Dark Division could finish speaking, his boss had already disappeared. At the same time, Hatake Sakumo left Root and sped towards the border at a speed of over a thousand horsepower per hour.

He knew what the Hokage was worried about. The Hokage was worried that Minato would be killed if he encountered that bastard. But he knew that bastard better than the Hokage. Although that bastard was despicable and shameless, he wasn't a killer when he wasn't in a fit of rage. What he was most worried about was that that bastard would take away the most outstanding next generation of their village.

From Orochimaru to Minato, that bastard has come to Konoha's corner more than once. It seems like he's caught them every time. That bastard's mouth can make the dead come back to life. Although Minato is talented and smart, he has too little experience and is easily swayed by him.

He was genuinely worried that his family's genius might end up wearing someone else's ninja headband tomorrow, which would be a huge loss!

...

"Bang bang bang!"

"Damn it, this guy from Konoha is so fast! (▼he▼メ)"

"careful.....!"

"Bang bang bang..."

"Yusaku, are you alright? If not, shall we all go together?"

"I'm fine. This guy's a bit fast, but the damage isn't high. I can handle it... Take this!" (「▼皿▼)

"Bang bang bang...!"

"Who are you people? You robbed our border ninja tool shops and medicine shops in the middle of the night, didn't you?"

On the border of the Land of Fire, in a small grove, Minato Namikaze flicked his wrist and stared at the two men and one woman in front of him. One of the older boys was in a wheelchair. The boy who had just fought against him and been beaten by him was called Yusaku by his companion. However, no information about their identities could be found on the three of them.

No wonder these three were able to commit crimes for over a month without being caught. They were few in number and fast enough. With only three people, catching them at the border was like finding a needle in a haystack. If he were lucky enough to run into them tonight while waiting for them, and given his speed, they might have gotten away.

Their methods and timing were highly professional. The entire process, from drugging the boss to reaping the spoils and leaving the scene, took less than three minutes. The three worked together seamlessly, each fulfilling their role: lookout, raider, and armed rearguard. They fully utilized the advantages of a three-person team, clearly a well-trained elite group.

They couldn't possibly be orphans or ronin-like characters, but since none of the three wore any insignia or symbols that indicated their identity, he couldn't tell where they came from.

The boy, a year or two younger than him, who had just fought him one-on-one, was only so-so in terms of physical skills, the Three Body Techniques, and various miscellaneous kunai and shuriken. However, his physical condition was unbelievably good, and his durability was off the charts. Even after he had been hitting him for a while, the boy still showed no signs of stopping...

449. Minato Namikaze is even more extreme than White Fang when he adds points.