Watching Yuzuru Uchiha's departing back, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato all broke into excited smiles.
The Hidden Cloud Village was retreating!
Although it was only Yuzuru's verbal assurance, they trusted he had no reason to deceive them.
Yahiko grinned. "Konan, Nagato, our efforts finally paid off."
"See? As long as people are willing to communicate, there's no conflict that can't be resolved."
Nagato smiled shyly at Yahiko's enthusiasm.
Konan, however, frowned with concern. "Yahiko, I feel that Yuzuru Uchiha is… different. Did you hear his warning before he left?"
"He agreed to our request, but it sounded like he doesn't believe in our future."
At that, Yahiko's smile faded. After a brief silence, he said, "Then we'll just have to be more careful. Also, send someone to express our intentions to Lord Hanzō as soon as possible."
Growing up amidst war, Yahiko had seen and endured countless things.
He believed people could ultimately understand one another—but he also knew how to survive in chaotic times.
Yuzuru Uchiha's warning had sparked thoughts he'd never considered before.
The Akatsuki was growing stronger; it was time to gain recognition from Hanzō of the Salamander, leader of the Hidden Rain.
Seeing Yahiko's resolve, Konan said nothing more.
Nagato smiled gently. "Yahiko, Konan, no matter what happens, I'll protect you both."
Yahiko laughed and patted his shoulder. "Nagato, we trust you."
"Alright, let's go negotiate with Konoha next. As disciples of Jiraiya-sensei, I'm sure things will go smoothly."
The rain kept falling as the three figures—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan—faded into the mist.
——
Yuzuru Uchiha, meanwhile, didn't interfere further with the trio.
With Yahiko around, convincing them to accept his ideology would be difficult.
Only after they experienced the cruelty of reality would they truly understand human nature.
The little Ajisai in his arms had fallen fast asleep after eating.
Yuzuru simply placed her inside the Kamui space, deciding to think about her later once he returned to the Hidden Cloud.
According to intelligence, Yuzuru had reached the eastern border of the Land of Rain.
This was near the Land of Fire—a main battlefield shared by Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Konoha.
The air reeked of burning flesh.
Flames roared skyward, corpses littering the ground.
"Die!"
The moment Yuzuru emerged from Kamui space, three Konoha shinobi charged at him.
He immediately weaved hand signs. "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A sea of fire tens of meters wide swept forward, devouring everything in its path. The Konoha shinobi had no time to dodge—
—and within moments, three charred corpses lay on the ground.
Yuzuru continued deeper into the battlefield, encountering shinobi from Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure along the way.
Without exception, every one of them attacked on sight.
The war had gone on so long that everyone's eyes had turned blood-red with madness.
If you weren't a comrade, you were the enemy.
And Yuzuru showed no mercy—war had made human life the cheapest thing of all.
After walking for an entire day, he finally reached the heart of the battlefield.
Ahead, a dozen Konoha shinobi huddled behind a trench, desperately holding their line against more than fifty Iwagakure ninja advancing in formation.
"You Konoha bastards—today's your last day alive!"
"Don't bother resisting! Once your Explosive Tags run out, your lives are over!"
"Run while you can! Maybe if you're faster than your comrades, you'll survive!"
The Iwagakure soldiers shouted taunts—standard battlefield tactics to shatter morale.
Once Konoha's will broke, they'd be helpless prey.
Suddenly, a golden flash appeared beside the Konoha soldiers.
Minato Namikaze spoke in a calm, steady voice. "I'm not late, am I?"
The Konoha shinobi looked up, startled but hopeful. "Reinforcements? How long until they arrive?"
Minato shook his head. "No one else is coming. It's just me."
The Konoha soldiers erupted in protest.
"What do you mean, just you? What good will that do?!"
"Are you here to die with us? There are more than fifty Iwa elites out there!"
"Damn it, are we really going to die here today?"
Ignoring the complaints, Minato tossed his backpack aside and laid several dozen kunai on the ground.
"In a moment, throw these kunai toward the enemy. I'll handle the rest."
"What? You plan to take them all on alone? That's insane!"
"Yeah, this isn't the place to play hero!"
"Enough." A Konoha shinobi shouted above the noise. "Do you have any idea who this is? He's the Yellow Flash of Konoha!"
"Follow his orders—and keep your eyes open. The battle might end before you can even blink."
Hearing that, the others exchanged stunned glances. But with death staring them down, trust was their only option.
Dozens of kunai were hurled toward the Iwagakure troops.
The enemy burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Those Konoha fools are finished! Look at their aim—completely desperate!"
"Exactly! Let's finish them off in one push!"
Relaxed and overconfident, the Iwa forces surged forward—
—and in the next instant, a golden streak flashed through them.
A single cut to the throat. Then another. And another.
Golden light flickered endlessly among the Iwa ranks.
In less than ten seconds, every single one of the fifty Iwa shinobi had fallen lifeless to the ground.
The Konoha soldiers stood frozen in disbelief.
All their earlier complaints vanished in an instant.
He had annihilated fifty Iwa elites in mere seconds—they hadn't even seen him move.
Too strong.
The Yellow Flash… truly lived up to his name.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
As awe filled the air, the sound of applause echoed nearby.
Everyone turned toward it.
A black-haired, black-eyed shinobi was walking toward them with a faint smile.
"A brilliant performance," he said. "Truly impressive."
"Minato…"
"Oh?"
"Long time no see."