Naruto: All My Targets Are Ninjutsu.

The earth-style ninja stared in astonishment at the knife in Mikami Yu's hand, took two steps back, touched his neck, looked at the blood on his palm in disbelief, and fell backward.

"Yamazaki!"

A hurried and angry voice rang out!

Following the sound, Mikami Yu looked and saw a grotesque humanoid puppet with poisoned blades protruding from its joints hurtling towards him with the rapid clanking of its mechanisms. The one controlling it was a Sand Village ninja hiding in the shadows behind a tree a dozen meters away.

"Is this the puppetry technique of Sunagakure...?"

This was the first time Mikami Yu had ever seen such a technique in real life, and he was quite curious about it.

With a try-it-and-see attitude, he swung his sword to block the puppet's attack, then used "Hatake Sword Technique" to exchange a few blows with it, feeling its strength and speed.

Clang! Clang clang!

The short sword clashed violently with the puppet's blade, sparks flying everywhere.

Although the Sand Ninja controlling the puppet was a young boy, the puppet was exceptionally strong. Its four arms, each wielding a poisoned blade, swung with tremendous force, and its sturdy outer shell made it appear to be evenly matched with Mikami Yu for a time.

of course……

To achieve this, the Sand Ninja was frantically maneuvering his fingers, the chakra threads in his hands creating dazzling patterns, and beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. Clearly, this level of puppet control was a heavy burden for him.

the other side.

Rin Nohara and Obito confronted the ninja wielding a sword.

Kakashi then faced off against another person.

After twenty or thirty moves, Mikami Yu roughly figured out the puppet's upper limit of strength. Too lazy to play house with it anymore, he took a deep breath and activated the [Heart Blade Domain]!

Chapter 104 Back at Wildfire Castle Stronghold, Jiraiya Appears (First Update)

The instant the domain was activated, countless pale white dotted lines appeared in Mikami Yu's vision, indicating the puppet's attack trajectory and weaknesses. Following these weaknesses, the joints on the puppet's body connected by chakra threads were now clearly visible.

That being the case...

"ended."

Mikami Yu let out a soft breath, then suddenly took a step forward and exerted force, his short sword slashing several times in a short span of time. Accompanied by three "whoosh" sounds as it cut through the air, the snow-white blade transformed into a streak of silver light, precisely slicing into the joints of the puppet's three arms!

After dodging slightly to the side, the last arm was also severed at the shoulder joint! The curved blade coated with light green venom missed its target and flew towards a tree trunk not far away, where it embedded itself with a "bang"!

"What!?"

"Impossible... How could this be..."

The Sand Ninja felt a jolt in his fingers, and most of the chakra threads controlling the puppet snapped instantly! The puppet, which had been attacking nimbly, seemed to have its bones removed, and its movements became stiff and out of control.

Meanwhile, the white-haired boy holding a short sword in his line of sight had already stepped on the puppet's shoulder to propel himself into the air, swooping down on him like a predator pouncing on its prey!

puff!

A flash of cold light, and the head flew off, blood spurting out like a fountain. The headless body swayed for a moment, then collapsed to the ground.

the other side.

Rin Nohara and Obito also ended their battle.

Although Obito hadn't awakened his Sharingan, as an Uchiha, his training and missions over the past year had brought him to a level comparable to a regular Chunin. Rin Nohara was slightly weaker, but not by much. Working together, the two of them naturally defeated their opponents without much trouble.

Kakashi also severed the left arm of the last Sand Shinobi, then pressed the White Fang short sword against the man's throat: "Tell me! How many people were in your infiltration team? What was your target?"

"Damn Konoha ninja... Don't even think about getting any information from me!"

The Sand Ninja gritted his teeth, a spurt of black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, his body convulsed violently a few times, and then he remained completely still.

"...He took poison."

Kakashi calmly sheathed his short sword.

As a veteran Chunin with four years of experience, he wasn't entirely accustomed to such scenes, but he wasn't surprised either. Some ninjas from smaller villages would even cover themselves in explosive tags to act as human bombs; committing suicide by poison was child's play for them.

But both Obito and Rin Nohara froze for a moment.

Although they had seen bloodshed and personally killed some people while dealing with bandits and thieves, the feeling then was completely different from now.

These Sand Village ninjas were only in their early teens on average, but their disregard for life made Obito and Rin, who were witnessing this scene for the first time, feel a chill run down their spines.

At that moment, Minato Namikaze emerged from his hiding place more than ten meters away: "Yu, Rin, Obito, are you alright? I'm sorry I couldn't show myself earlier, because this is a trial you all have to go through. If I had shown myself earlier, they might have escaped immediately."

Well, it seems that the name "Golden Flash" has already spread throughout the southwestern battlefield during this period.

I wonder if the order that says "if you see a golden flash, you can abandon the mission without being punished" has appeared.

Next, as usual, Minato Namikaze gave a brief debriefing of the battle and summarized the strengths and weaknesses of each person.

The fact that Obito almost stepped on an explosive tag is naturally the main point.

This kind of mistake is the most common one for newcomers to the battlefield, and it's also a major cause of death for many novices when they first enter the fray. Developing the habit of observing the battlefield situation under any circumstances is an essential lesson in every ninja's growth journey.

Minato Namikaze had actually planned to make a move, but he saw Yu Mikami save Obito first, so he stayed where he was and waited until the battle was over before coming out.

"Forehead……"

Obito opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but couldn't find the right words.

At that moment, he could only turn around, his face flushed and then pale, and look at Mikami Yu, saying with a dazed gaze, "Hey, um... Yu, thanks for earlier. Consider this another one I owe you, now it's twice! But I'll definitely pay you back!"

"..."

Mikami Yu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

To be honest, for a fleeting moment just now, he did consider whether he should pretend not to notice and let Obito die here.

But he abandoned the idea after only a moment.

After all, the chances of an explosive tag killing a named person are extremely slim. If he really didn't intervene, Minato Namikaze and Kakashi would definitely step in, making a repeat of the situation with Nawaki Senju unlikely. If Obito was injured but not dead, he and Rin Nohara would have to help take care of him.

Very troublesome.

more importantly……

Madara Uchiha is still alive, and Obito was chosen by him. If Obito dies here, it's hard to say whether Madara will go insane. With Madara's current strength, it's uncertain whether he can kill Minato Namikaze, but killing Yu Mikami would be easy. To avoid encountering the final boss right after their debut, it's better to play it safe for now.

"It was just a life-saving favor once, no need to remember it so clearly."

Mikami Yu sheathed his short sword, glanced at Obito, and said in a calm tone, "If you really want to pay me back, just don't stab me in the back for anything in the future."

"what?!"

Obito was stunned for a moment, then instantly became agitated: "Yu, what nonsense are you talking about! I, Uchiha Obito, am going to be Hokage! How could I do such a thing! I would rather die than hurt my comrades!"

"Really? That would be best."

Yu Mikami nodded and said nothing more, simply working with Kakashi to clean up the battlefield, trying to find valuable information.

After a search, little was found.

However, Mikami Yu obtained some supplies such as kunai, explosive tags, and soldier pills by looting the corpses, and distributed them to Obito and Nohara Rin.

Kakashi, as usual, declined.

After a short rest, the team set off again, cautiously making its way towards the Wildfire City outpost.

On the way, the group encountered a three-person Sand Village team. Mikami Yu and Kakashi sensed the presence of the other party and signaled Nohara Rin and Obito to stop.

However, the other side seemed to have spotted them as well. After pausing briefly at a distance of about a hundred meters, they decisively retreated, seemingly having no intention of engaging them in battle.

Mikami Yu and the others didn't chase after them.

After traveling for about half an hour, a camp built against the mountainside and filled with defensive fortifications came into view. It was the Wildfire City outpost where they had briefly stayed more than half a year ago. However, now, it had been reinforced and became even more majestic and austere.

Minato Namikaze revealed his identity at the camp entrance and, after a series of coded checks, led Yu Mikami and the others into the stronghold. Upon entering, they were immediately enveloped in the stench of gunpowder, sweat, blood, and herbs.

"Hahaha, Minato! You're finally back!"

A loud and resounding voice rang out, breaking the somber atmosphere of the camp.

Yu Mikami turned his head and saw a tall, burly man with a full head of white hair striding towards him, a hearty smile on his face. He wore an open red outer robe, and behind him was a huge scroll—it was the third of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

"Jiraiya-sensei!"

Minato Namikaze smiled and went to greet him.

Chapter 105: A Gift for Meeting? Is it "Intimate Paradise"? (Second Update)

If the people standing here were from the relatively rigid Hyuga or Sarutobi clans, they might have scolded Minato Namikaze, saying, "What kind of teacher are you? You use your job title when you're working."

However, Jiraiya was a very easygoing person and didn't stand on ceremony. He laughed and opened his arms, giving Minato a big bear hug and patting his back forcefully: "Good! Good! I'm relieved to see you back."

"The Sand Village has been making a lot of small moves lately, as if they're not satisfied with their last defeat and want to make a comeback. With you, the 'Yellow Flash,' around, they should be able to quiet down a bit!"

"Teacher, you flatter me."

Minato Namikaze said modestly.

After exchanging a few words, Jiraiya turned around and looked at Mikami Yu and the others: "Are these kids your disciples? I've heard Minato mention you. Hatake Kakashi, Mikami Yu, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin, right?"

"I am Jiraiya, Minato's teacher. According to seniority, you should call me Grandmaster! Hahaha!"

"Especially you two, you seem to have a special connection with me, both of you have white hair!"

As Jiraiya spoke, he patted Yu Mikami, Kakashi, and Obito on the shoulder one by one, and then gave Rin what he thought was a very cool smile, which made Rin instinctively take a small step back.

However, the reputation of the Legendary Sannin is still very prestigious, and according to seniority, Mikami Yu and the others should indeed address Jiraiya as "Grandmaster".

So after exchanging glances, the group quickly bowed and greeted their master (Jiraiya)!

"Haha! We're all ninjas, no need for all that aristocratic formalities!"

Jiraiya scratched his head and grinned, "Since it's our first meeting, I, your grandmaster, haven't prepared any gifts for you. How about this, I'll give you two tasks to practice on first, and when I have time, I'll make it up to you little guys! It'll definitely surprise you!"

"..."

There's even a gift for meeting you?

Yu Mikami was a little surprised.

What gift could possibly surprise them...? Could it be a treasured, autographed copy of "Make-Out Paradise"?

That was indeed a pleasant surprise for Kakashi...

Since it was only their first meeting and they weren't very familiar with each other, Mikami Yu and the others didn't say much. After politely greeting and thanking each other, they stood aside and listened to Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya discuss the current war situation.

after awhile.

A Nara clan ninja wearing a dark green Chunin vest and with his hair tied up in a pineapple style approached, holding a scroll. He said to Jiraiya, "Lord Jiraiya, this is the latest battle report that the intelligence team has just compiled. Please take a look."

"Oh, it's Kashima. You've worked hard."

Jiraiya chuckled as he accepted the scroll, then casually introduced, "Minato, this is Kashima Nara. You should have met him once before. He is now the chief strategist for the southwestern battlefield, responsible for intelligence analysis and defense deployment at the strongholds."

Minato Namikaze smiled and nodded to Kashima Nara.

Afterwards, Jiraiya directly opened the scroll, read it once, and said, "There are small-scale disturbances from Sunagakure in the southwest. Should we increase the density and depth of our reconnaissance? Minato, you've come at the right time. Your class will go and reinforce this area."

"Kashima, assign reconnaissance areas and supplies to Minato's team. His disciples are all genin who graduated less than a year ago, so you can first assign them to areas where enemy activity is relatively sparse to train them."

"Yes."

Given that it is still wartime, neither side had much to say.

Nara Kashima quickly prepared the map and supply packs and handed them to Namikaze Minato: "Jonin Minato, please lead your team to be responsible for reconnaissance and surveillance of areas numbered 7 to 10 in the northwest direction of the base. This is the route map and the latest enemy situation briefing."

"clear."

Minato Namikaze nodded: "Kakashi, Yu, rest here for half an hour, and then we'll set off and try to get to the agreed location before sunset."

……

The areas corresponding to numbers 7 to 10 are located northwest of the Wildfire Castle stronghold, in a dense forest of mountains. It is a territory spanning several kilometers in circumference, separated from the area occupied by Sunagakure by a rushing river.

Over the next two weeks.

Yu Mikami and his group began to conduct reconnaissance and guard duties in the area as planned.

This job isn't too difficult, but it really tests your patience.

Every morning, the squad would set off at a fixed time, meandering along the assigned reconnaissance area to observe any suspicious activity in the surrounding woods and valleys, including the movements of Sunagakure personnel, traces of supply transport, and so on. They would record the intelligence in scrolls until nightfall, when they would take turns keeping watch and resting.

Occasionally, there are instances where undercover agents are contacted, intelligence is obtained from them, and then sent back.

For the purpose of training and gathering more intelligence, Minato Namikaze would sometimes split up with Yu Mikami and the others.