This wasn't Uchiha Jin boasting.
In the current shinobi world, there were no true Six Paths–level beings walking the earth.
And once Might Duy opened the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—
Below the Six Paths, he was invincible.
Above the Six Paths, he could still drag one down with him.
If that wasn't the strongest in the world, what was?
"Jin, get some rest. Leave the rest to us!"
Might Duy flashed a toothy grin and gave a bold thumbs-up.
As his voice fell, a series of sharp whooshing sounds cut through the air. Figures began appearing around Jin one after another, forming a protective circle.
All Konoha shinobi.
Most eye-catching among them was the silver-haired young man holding a short blade, face half-covered by a mask—
Kakashi Hatake.
"Retreat! Konoha reinforcements have arrived!"
The surrounding Iwagakure shinobi had already clashed briefly with the incoming forces, but as Konoha's numbers grew, hesitation vanished. They began withdrawing in organized fashion.
Han was unwilling—but after several exchanges with Duy yielded no advantage, he understood one thing clearly:
The "watermelon haircut" in front of him was no ordinary opponent.
If they lingered any longer, they risked being surrounded.
With a burst of steam, Han disengaged and retreated.
Konoha did not pursue.
Their objective had always been simple: repel the Iwa vanguard and secure Jin's safety.
First, they were merely the advance unit of the reinforcement army. Their numbers weren't overwhelmingly superior.
Second—and more importantly—the enemy had a jinchūriki. Cornering them into desperation would only escalate things beyond control.
Leaning against a tree, Jin looked toward Kakashi.
"How did you get here? How many came?"
Kakashi scanned the surroundings cautiously before answering.
"This reinforcement unit was assembled on short notice. Total strength: 1,034 shinobi. Captain Hyūga Hiashi is leading."
"Last night, after receiving word from Captain Hizashi, he redirected us toward Kikyo Mountain immediately."
"Our numbers slowed us down. Skill levels vary. We only reached this vicinity not long ago."
"Then we saw the Tailed Beast Ball. Captain Hiashi assessed your situation and dispatched two hundred elite shinobi as the vanguard. He's bringing the rest behind us."
Jin let out a quiet breath.
With Hiashi's thousand added in, Konoha now had roughly 2,500 shinobi here.
Still numerically inferior—but no longer negligible.
If Kikyo Mountain Fortress had only held one thousand defenders, Iwagakure's five thousand would have held a five-to-one advantage. Their commander might very well have gambled on a decisive immediate assault.
But at 2,500 defenders?
Even with superiority, Iwa would suffer catastrophic losses taking the fortress.
And this wasn't a solo Iwagakure campaign.
It was a three-way alliance—Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure.
Iwa wouldn't exhaust themselves only for Suna and Kumo to reap the benefits.
The optimal decision for them?
Hold position. Rest. Wait for their allies.
Yes, this delay would allow Konoha to receive further reinforcements.
But Iwa's numerical advantage would remain—and the risk would be shared across three villages instead of one.
The choice was obvious.
After confirming that the Iwa vanguard had fully withdrawn, Konoha forces regrouped swiftly.
Duy returned to Jin and bent slightly.
"Jin… want me to carry you back?"
His expression was sincere—pure concern.
Jin immediately stood upright and waved his hand.
"No need. I'm not injured. Just burned through a lot of chakra. I've recovered a bit already."
On the battlefield, carrying injured comrades was normal.
But for some reason, when it involved the Might father-and-son duo—
It always felt… suspiciously intense.
Jin admired Duy, absolutely.
But he had zero intention of developing the kind of blazing, youth-fueled rivalry that Duy's son would someday share with Kakashi.
After waiting a short while longer, Hiashi arrived with the main body.
No greetings. No pleasantries.
The forces merged and returned directly to Kikyo Mountain Fortress.
Along the way, they linked up with units dispatched by Hizashi and Mimura for support. After another round of coordination, they finally re-entered the fortress.
Defensive assignments were issued immediately.
Once arrangements were complete, Jin, Hiashi, Hizashi, Mimura, Duy, and Kakashi gathered in a room inside the fortress for a brief war council.
Hizashi spoke first.
"Our scouting teams confirm Iwagakure's main force has encamped on a hill approximately thirty kilometers out. The remnants of Kumogakure's thousand-man unit have joined them. There are no signs of immediate movement."
Mimura added,
"They're likely waiting for Sunagakure. And while we've been in constant motion without rest, their condition isn't much better."
"They'll probably recuperate overnight and launch a full-scale assault tomorrow."
Hiashi continued,
"According to reports from the village, Minato Namikaze and Shikaku Nara are leading two thousand shinobi. They should arrive within the hour."
He paused, brow furrowing slightly.
"As for Orochimaru… there's no update from the village regarding him or the two thousand under his command. But they should arrive within several hours at most."
Jin rubbed his temples.
"If Minato and Shikaku are personally leading, then command of the coming battle will fall to them."
"That's good. We can finally rest properly."
Fatigue was evident on every face in the room.
None of them had truly stopped moving since yesterday.
But Jin added firmly:
"Until Minato and Shikaku arrive, we cannot lower our guard. Have the men endure a bit longer. Once reinforcements rotate us out, then we rest."
"Dispatch additional scouting squads. Keep close watch on Iwa and Kumo. And we must determine Sunagakure's movements as soon as possible."
Everyone present had lived through war.
They understood better than anyone—
Moments like this were when vigilance mattered most.
For now, all they could do was fortify, observe—
And wait.
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