Three days later, at the main gate of the Hidden Leaf Village.
A large crowd had gathered. Many ninjas who had just recovered were setting out once again, and their families were weeping as they said their goodbyes.
Obito hugged Grandma Mako, squeezing out a few tears while secretly pulling down his goggles. Kakashi watched with dead-fish eyes, Rin Nohara was meticulously checking her equipment, and Minato and Kushina shared a silent embrace.
Once all the medical ninjas who needed escorting had arrived, Jiraiya gave a grand wave of his hand. The various squads quickly assembled and set off in formation.
Two days later, the main force had not yet reached the border and was taking a temporary rest in the forest.
In the middle of the night, Jiraiya found Makiya and Team Minato. His first words made Makiya's spirit jolt.
"The front line is in critical condition. I need you to go and destroy the Kannabi Bridge!"
Kakashi maintained his usual dead-fish eyes. The bonds with his teacher and teammates had only partially pulled him out of the darkness; deep down, he still harbored self-destructive tendencies. He didn't care how dangerous the mission was; perhaps only the death of a comrade could make him truly cherish life.
Rin Nohara was a bit nervous, looking down to double-check her ninja tool pouch. As the team's medical ninja, her combat abilities were lacking, so she could only do her best in her role, hoping to be useful when her teammates needed healing.
Obito adjusted his goggles and gave a confident smile. "It's finally time for me to show off! After this mission, Rin will definitely see me in a new light!"
"Jiraiya-sensei, is the situation already that tense?" Minato's expression was grave. If they were diverting personnel for a long-distance infiltration and demolition mission before the reinforcements even reached the front, it meant the situation at the front was grim. Thinking the worst, the frontline troops might have already been wiped out.
Jiraiya nodded and sighed deeply. "The Hidden Rock launched a surprise attack in the middle of the night, and the frontline defenders suffered heavy casualties. The latest intelligence from our spies shows that the Rock's supply unit has already entered the Land of Grass. We must destroy the Kannabi Bridge immediately to disrupt their offensive rhythm and stabilize the situation."
Jiraiya pulled out a map and spread it on the table. It marked the Hidden Rock's offensive direction and the positions of the Leaf's defensive forces, making the battle situation clear at a glance.
The Hidden Rock was strong and well-manned. While attacking the Leaf, they still had enough strength to spare an elite unit to protect their logistics and transport. The Leaf's situation was not optimistic.
"You must split into two groups," Jiraiya said, picking up a branch to analyze the map. "Makiya and Minato are the fastest. Head to the front line immediately to stabilize the situation. Cause massive casualties in a short time to force the Rock to divert their elite units for support. This will create an opening for Kakashi's trio to infiltrate and blow up the bridge."
"I have an objection." Makiya's words drew the attention of Jiraiya and Minato. He pointed at the Kannabi Bridge on the map, his brow furrowed. "Since that's such a vital supply lifeline, the enemy will definitely have an elite squad guarding it. Kakashi and the others might not be able to complete the mission."
Kakashi rolled his dead-fish eyes. "Are you doubting my strength?"
Obito was a bit afraid of Makiya, but in front of Rin, he forced himself to be brave. Stiffening his neck, he said, "Makiya, don't look down on us! I can finish this mission easily."
"This is necessary caution!" Makiya emphasized. "It's safer for me to sneak in alone. I wouldn't even need to plant explosive tags; one Fire Style would take the bridge down. Minato leading the team to support the front line is the optimal solution."
Minato shook his head. "You aren't suited for infiltration. Once you're surrounded, it'll be too dangerous. I have the Flying Thunder God Technique and can retreat at any time. I should be the one to carry out the demolition mission."
Jiraiya scratched his head. Both made sense, but the situation was urgent. Every second delayed meant another comrade could die. They had to decide on a plan immediately; it was a pity Shikaku Nara wasn't there.
Considering the team's coordination, Jiraiya made the final call: "Minato will lead the team to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, and Makiya Uchiha will provide emergency support to the front line. It's settled."
Makiya and Minato looked at each other and nodded helplessly.
Both thought their own plan was better, but Jiraiya's plan was a compromise that both could accept.
From Makiya's perspective, the guards at the Kannabi Bridge weren't even enough for Minato to kill alone. This round should be safe.
There was no time to lose; they prepared to set off immediately.
Minato took Kakashi and the other two to check their ninja tools. Makiya had nothing much to prepare; everything important was on him. With the front line waiting for support, he said his goodbyes to Jiraiya and Minato and left the camp ahead of them.
Seconds later, a dazzling light appeared in the distance. Piercing golden flames soared into the sky, and a vast wave of fire transformed into wings, rapidly receding as everyone in the camp watched in a daze.
"Is that Makiya? He can fly?" Jiraiya's jaw dropped. Flight was an extremely rare ability in the ninja world. Strong people couldn't necessarily fly—even Kage-level experts could usually only hop around on the ground—but those who could fly were generally powerful, naturally possessing the tactical initiative in battle.
"I just found out myself," Minato said, clicking his tongue. Makiya's talent for developing ninjutsu was truly monstrous. In such a short time, he had come up with a new trick. Minato felt he had to work harder too, so he could surprise Makiya with a different kind of Rasengan next time they met.
Makiya pushed his flames to soar high in the sky like a Kinkarasu spreading its wings. The high heat radiated outward, rolling the clouds and leaving a pure white trail behind him.
Flight had been a dream of humanity since ancient times, and the feeling of soaring freely was exhilarating. The price, however, was that his upper-body clothes were burned away again.
Forests and mountains blurred past. Makiya soon reached the front line. Large tracts of woods had been destroyed by combat, and the battlefield was pitted everywhere. The natural environment was completely ruined, revealing bare, yellow earth.
At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass, towering cliffs served as a natural barrier. The Leaf had utilized these to build sturdy forts to repel enemy attacks.
This defensive line, of course, wasn't for fending off the Land of Grass. The Hidden Grass Village didn't qualify. The enemies of the Five Great Nations were only each other; small countries wedged between the five giants served as war buffers. Once a war started, these small nations became the main battlefields.
"Earth Style: Rock Lodging Destruction."
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet."
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears."
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears."
"..."
Falling rocks, earth dragons, and rock spears continuously rained down from the top of the cliff, smashing into the Rock ninjas below like raindrops. The earth shook violently, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that obscured the scene below.
"Have the enemies retreated?"
"I can't see!"
"It doesn't seem like it."
Six Leaf ninjas hid behind cover. A full day of non-stop fighting had left them exhausted. The enemy could break through the defenses at any time, so no one dared to lower their guard. Even if all their comrades fell, they would fight until the very last moment.
The determination of civilian ninjas to protect the Leaf was no lower than that of the Hokage. Everyone was carrying out their own Will of Fire at their respective posts.
"Dammit, they're coming up again!"
Countless Rock ninjas emerged from the crevices of the stones and ran up the cliff face. Even a vertical precipice of nearly 90 degrees was like level ground to them. Ninjas had long since conquered nature, and mere rugged terrain could not stop the army's march.
"Who has chakra left? Use a ninjutsu, quick!"
"None left, I can't release anything."
"I'm out of chakra too."
"Then use ninja tools."
Kunai and shuriken whistled downward, only to be easily deflected by the charging Rock ninjas.
Mahiru, the Hidden Rock Jonin in command, looked delighted and immediately shouted, "They've run out of chakra! Everyone, press the attack!"
"Yes!"
The bugle call for the offensive had sounded. To the Leaf defenders, Mahiru's shout was like a death countdown. The defensive squad leader, Hamaki Mimura, looked up in despair, only to suddenly notice the horizon glowing fiery red, then turning from red to gold, like a rising sun.
"What is that?"
"Reinforcements?"
A blade of golden flames descended from the heavens. It was about a hundred meters long, possessing matchless power.
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