33 - Depart! Target: Kannabi Bridge!
With a new mission.
And a hefty sum of nearly a thousand research points.
Yuto Souta arrived at Konoha's main gate, where Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha were already waiting.
Konoha was vast, but it had only one official entrance and exit on the surface.
The other areas were monitored by barriers—ninja from outside couldn't get in, and those inside who left without permission would be branded as rogue ninja.
Relying on the ninja headbands on their foreheads, the trio boldly walked out under the somewhat surprised gazes of the guards on duty.
They started by walking at a normal pace, but after reaching a certain distance, the three changed direction and sped up like mad!
"I hope Teacher Minato doesn't mind..."
On the way, Obito Uchiha muttered under his breath.
They had left under the pretense that Minato Namikaze was sending them out for training...
This excuse could easily be verified, but according to Yuto Souta's judgment, at least for tonight, their lie wouldn't be exposed.
"It's fine. By the time the guards change shifts, it'll probably be dawn. Even if Teacher Minato notices then, he'll first head toward the Land of Wind to chase us."
They hadn't initially set out toward Iwagakure.
This would buy them some time... As long as they reached the battlefield, even if Minato Namikaze figured out their true destination, he might not be able to drag them back.
Yuto Souta's plan to head to Iwagakure was far more meticulous than it appeared.
After all.
Destroying the Kannabi Bridge had gone from being his personal desire to help Sakumo Hatake to becoming a mainline mission.
This wasn't something he could just give up on...
Not to mention, the mission reward—a grand lottery draw—alone was worth pouring all his effort into!
Beside him, Kakashi Hatake was dashing at high speed, but his expression was a bit off.
He was feeling somewhat conflicted right now...
Just moments ago, Yuto Souta had laid out his entire plan without holding anything back.
Sneak into the Kannabi Bridge, destroy it, and return to the village in time for the mission rendezvous three days from now!
A great idea.
To clear his father's name, Kakashi Hatake was more than willing and ready to give everything for it.
But...
There was no reason for Yuto Souta and Obito Uchiha to get involved...
Even his father hadn't managed to accomplish this. How could the three of them—mere kids—possibly pull it off?!
With the twenty-odd explosive tags Obito Uchiha had spent his entire fortune to buy?
And their fearless courage and conviction?
This wasn't something courage and conviction could solve, okay?!
Perhaps noticing Kakashi Hatake's unease.
Yuto Souta slowed his pace slightly, aligning himself with Kakashi Hatake.
His physical condition had improved dramatically after earning his ninja headband and becoming a genin.
In terms of pure speed and endurance, he had already surpassed Kakashi Hatake, who had started training at age three.
As for Obito Uchiha.
Though he was an Uchiha, he had always followed the path of a fearless, tank-like ninja. His speed was limited, but his stamina was truly unmatched.
After all, before the half-month training period leading up to the graduation exam, he had endured relentless beatings from the Hyuga clan...
"No need to worry. Obito and I aren't ready to die yet."
"We're heading there this time, but what matters isn't the outcome—it's your resolve as the son of the White Fang to clear your father's name."
"You need to prove for Uncle Sakumo... that the Hatake clan isn't lacking the courage to complete a mission, got it?"
Yuto Souta spoke with a serious tone.
Kakashi Hatake's expression subtly shifted.
Relief was inevitable.
But after that came a deep sense of being moved...
As expected of you, Souta-san.
He had thought of many ways to help his father himself, but all it brought was an ever-growing look of sorrow on his father's face day after day.
This friend of his had come up with a perfect solution.
But even if the plan was perfect, the place they were heading to was insanely dangerous!
It was a battlefield, after all!
The worry in Kakashi Hatake's eyes remained unchanged.
But he knew there was no turning back now...
Behind him was Obito Uchiha.
That guy was a real piece of work... He'd been glaring at him the entire way!
If he suggested giving up now, these two would probably beat him to death, right?
...
Meanwhile.
At Minato Namikaze's home.
As usual, after putting his girlfriend to sleep, Minato Namikaze didn't choose to rest early. Instead, he returned to his study, opened a scroll, and began examining it.
It was a C-rank ninjutsu.
Fire Style: Flame Dragon Bullet Technique.
This technique was one his teacher, Jiraiya, had taught him long ago... He knew every hand sign and every detail of its chakra flow like the back of his hand.
It was just an ordinary C-rank ninjutsu, very suitable for beginners to practice.
But the more he studied it, the more astonished he became!
Because he had a student named Yuto Souta.
Who had somehow turned this technique into light!
As a teacher, Minato Namikaze felt a bit of pressure...
If he wanted to fulfill his responsibilities as a teacher, he at least needed to figure out how to teach it.
The night grew darker.
Yet Minato Namikaze showed no signs of fatigue, his face full of frustration.
"How did he do it...?"
"He didn't even change the hand signs, did he?"
The same questions, the same complaints, had surfaced countless times tonight.
Even Minato Namikaze, who had independently developed the Rasengan, couldn't figure out how his student had managed it...
"Hm?"
"Who's there!"
Suddenly!
Minato Namikaze's gaze sharpened, and in an instant, he vanished from the room. When he reappeared, he was already beneath a tree outside.
But when he saw who was under the tree, most of the hostility on his face faded.
Caution replaced hostility, but it was overshadowed by respect.
"Lord Orochimaru."
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