Chapter 163 From Warm Sun to Scorching Sun It's ridiculous to say that in the entire northern ninja world, the person who trusts Minato Namikaze the most is Shiba Kiyokawa, the man who once hurt him the most! As the pincer attack from Iwagakure and Kumogakure began, Namikaze Minato's reputation and situation plummeted to the bottom and were on the verge of despair! He continued to fight and was still invincible on the battlefield, but he could not save the front line which was leaking everywhere and was retreating step by step. For a moment, the sound of the yellow flash finally dimming and Minato Namikaze's lost glory could be heard from the inner lake of the Land of Demons to the outer sea of the Land of Hot Springs. During this period, Minato Namikaze wrote to his teacher Jiraiya more than once asking for help. But at this point, there was very little that Jiraiya could teach him. All he kept saying were "For the village", "For Konoha", "You are the savior predicted, you have to believe in yourself", etc. For those few days, Minato Namikaze only slept two or three hours a day. He was either fighting on the front line or looking at the map thinking about countermeasures. His dazzling golden hair was stuck together, and he had heavy bags under his eyes and bloodshot eye sockets. Every Konoha ninja around him saw his exhaustion and efforts, but no one could help share his burden. In fact, the more tired he appears, the more those with ulterior motives will feel that the situation is about to collapse and there is no way to save it. As a result, in the next few battles, Konoha suffered even greater losses! The moment he saw the damage report, Minato Namikaze's usually gentle face revealed undisguised anger for the first time, and his hand holding the scroll couldn't help but clench it tightly. "What does it mean that these seven teams returned to the village after being defeated? Who approved their return? Now, I, the commander, don't need to ask for permission to let these teams that abandoned their missions return to the village, right?"
He stared with burning eyes at the aide-de-camp in front of him: Sarutobi Shinnosuke. The common feature of these seven teams is that they all have the surname Sarutobi. Some are members of the Sarutobi clan, and some are village ninjas who changed their surnames after marrying into the family. And Minato Namikaze knew without asking: if he let these seven teams go back without asking any questions this time, then even those ninjas in the teams whose original surnames were not Sarutobi would have no choice but to change their surnames after they returned. The front line is losing ground, but a certain ninja clan in the rear is taking the opportunity to expand and grow stronger! In the past, out of gratitude for his support, he had always turned a blind eye to this phenomenon. But at this moment he finally couldn't bear it anymore. Shinnosuke was still trying to remind him: “Minato-sama, this was…approved by the Third-sama, and the previous defeat was not entirely their fault. Besides, they will be punished when they return to the village. Ninjas who fail to complete their mission will be labeled as waste for the rest of their lives even if they return to the village!" Shinnosuke tried to convince Minato Namikaze in this way, proving that these people would receive corresponding punishment. In the past, Minato Namikaze would have been tolerant. But now, for the first time, he didn't want to endure it anymore! "That's enough! Haven't you, the Sarutobi clan, taken in enough 'waste' since the war began?!" Sarutobi Shinnosuke was shocked. This was the first time he saw the warm and gentle Minato Namikaze explode in such anger. And this is just the beginning! Soon after, a masked ninja came in and reported, "Lord Minato, the ninja from Team 7 who escaped from the battlefield has been captured." Sarutobi Shinnosuke was further horrified. He didn't expect that Minato Namikaze would be so ruthless this time, openly slapping the faces of their Sarutobi clan. Moreover, this masked ninja was a former subordinate of the Root, right? Now he has been completely recruited by Minato Namikaze! When did this happen? Shinnosuke found that he had no idea at all! Then Minato Namikaze used Flying Thunder God to disappear in an instant. Sarutobi Shinnosuke then realized that something was wrong, and quickly formed hand seals and performed the technique of instant body movement to chase after him! But when he arrived at the location, it was too late... All he saw was a cold face that Minato Namikaze had never seen before, and more than twenty corpses lying neatly on the ground. The seven teams of the Sarutobi clan who were supposed to return to the village now all fell to the ground in an orderly manner, and it seemed that it was not Minato Namikaze who did it - their stomachs were pierced with the kunai in their own hands.
These twenty-plus people all committed suicide by disembowelment, without exception! Standing in front of this scene are representatives of the ninja clan from the northern front. At this moment, these ninja representatives stood in front of Namikaze Minato with their heads lowered, silent and terrified, and no one dared to raise any questions. The next moment, Namikaze Minato looked at Hyuga Hideki, the elder of the Hyuga clan. "Elder Yingshu, the Sarutobi clan has set an example. Next, can the Hyuga clan ensure uninterrupted reconnaissance on the front line?" Hinata Hideki bowed deeply, no longer showing the arrogance of a wealthy family. "We, the Hyuga clan, promise to do our best, Commander!" Minato Namikaze just nodded silently, said nothing more, turned around and left. Just at that moment, every ninja representative in front felt a bone-chilling chill and heavy pressure. The little sun, which was once as gentle as the warm spring sun, was finally forced by them to learn the harshness and scorching temperature of the midsummer sun! As for Sarutobi Shinnosuke, he just stood there blankly, as if he had lost all strength to speak. He didn't know how to go back and explain to his father Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, as Sarutobi Shinnosuke's mood hit rock bottom, Konoha's war situation in the north miraculously rebounded in several subsequent battles! It seemed that overnight, all the Konoha ninjas on the entire front line suddenly realized the true meaning of the will of fire! They fought bravely and fearlessly, following the footsteps of Minato Namikaze, and fought to the death! Facts have proved that no matter how beautiful the fluttering leaves are or how warm the burning flames are, they are not as touching as the boundary between life and death! That day, Minato Namikaze shed his innocence and immaturity and grew a lot overnight, as if he was reborn. But as a price to pay, the distance between him and the Sarutobi clan, and even the Third Hokage who promoted him, became increasingly farther! Afterwards, as Minato Namikaze forcibly suppressed the conflicts within Konoha, Konoha's counterattack began! Ohnoki thought he had obtained the secret to victory from the Akatsuki organization through Yakushi Nono, but he didn't know that what he got was just some superficial information that Shiba Kiyokawa thought it was okay to reveal to him. There is nothing wrong with bullying the Konoha ninjas who are dedicated to protecting their family during a favorable battle. But once facing the Konoha troops that had been clenched into fists by Minato Namikaze again, these superficial strengths suddenly seemed inadequate! In fact, what he knew was not as good as what Minato Namikaze learned from the Akatsuki organization through his post-war summary! In a blink of an eye, the two major ninja villages, which were both taught by the Akatsuki organization, began their first head-on confrontation! There is another chapter in the early morning~ (End of this chapter)