Chapter 55: First Achievement
Yuto stepped on a thin branch of a large tree, his Byakugan revealing no anomalies.
He quickly left, running forward, and every kilometer, he would lightly slash the trunk of a tree with a kunai coated in special paint.
The main force following him would see this signal and know that this path was safe, with at least no large-scale enemy ambushes.
This was the third day since the advance team had left the village.
At Yuto's speed, this time would have been enough for him to run back and forth across the Land of Fire several times, but at this moment, the branch family youth had only just glimpsed the border of the Land of Fire.
The war between nations, between shinobi villages, was not the same as a shinobi mission. Simply increasing speed recklessly was tantamount to seeking death.
The Konoha advance team was led by Minato Namikaze, consisting of two main components: reconnaissance and tactical assault.
The total number was not large, around four hundred, but it was filled with elite members.
With strategic importance from the Byakugan, the highly powerful Sharingan, the most unpredictable attacks from the Aburame clan, the Inuzuka clan specialized in tracking, and civilian shinobi as sacrifices…
Just from the Hyuga clan alone, three Jonin, including Yuto, were part of the advance team.
Though the Hyuga clan had committed more forces to the main team led by Orochimaru, the advance team was more elite in terms of proportion, with hardly any Genin present.
After all, the advance team's task was to gather intelligence and eliminate key targets, certainly leading to clashes with enemy elites. If Minato's side had problems, the main force led by Orochimaru would also suffer.
Yuto's task was to scout at the two o'clock direction as the vanguard of the vanguard. Besides him, there were experts scouting in every direction; he remembered that the one o'clock direction was handled by a Jonin from the Uchiha clan.
Though Minato is inexperienced, he is methodical in his approach. The four hundred people in the advance team, none of whom were easy to deal with, were all made to follow orders without any issues during the march.
"Yuto-kun…"
As Yuto stood by a tree, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.
He turned to see Minato holding a specially crafted kunai with a technique inscribed on the handle, smiling brightly at him.
As the vanguard of the advance team, Yuto and seven others carried a Flying Thunder God kunai with them.
Minato used the god-like power of space-time ninjutsu to shuttle back and forth along the entire route, which was a crucial reason for his ability to control his subordinates effectively.
"Commander," Yuto stood up straight.
Minato lightly bumped Yuto's shoulder with his fist, "Looking good, Yuto-kun, your chakra is very calm, not at all like someone on their first mission."
"Thanks for the compliment. I'm calm because we haven't encountered the enemy yet."
"We will soon." Minato pointed ahead to a dense forest that marked the border, "We're at the boundary between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water. Knowing the nature of those Kumo shinobi, an ambush could happen at any moment. Slow down a bit, Yuto-kun, maintain an appropriate support distance from the advance team."
"But we have you, Commander."
Minato smiled wryly and shook his head:
"The Flying Thunder God isn't omnipotent. I can't know exactly what you're facing… Yuto-kun, take a break for a minute before setting off again."
"Understood, Commander."
Minato vanished from sight, instantly appearing beside another Konoha Jonin far away.
Yuto felt a bit envious. Space-time ninjutsu was truly advanced. Mastering any type could establish one's fame in the shinobi world.
If Minato were a bit more unscrupulous, he could carve his technique marks near enemies and harass them incessantly from dawn to dusk.
Imagine, just as you were happily eating oden and singing, a handsome man suddenly teleported behind you, delivering a Rasengan before disappearing. Even if not killed on the spot, constantly guarding against such attacks would be exhausting.
Currently, even if Minato couldn't defeat an enemy, he could always escape, placing him almost invincible. The only way to kill him would be to lure him into a deadly trap.
Yuto sighed, stretching his ankles, ready to move again.
Over the past few days, Yuto had noticed that the morale of the Konoha forces was quite high. Though many shinobi were nervous or even scared, overall, most believed that the ultimate victory would belong to Konoha and the Land of Fire.
This judgment was well-founded; the Land of Fire had the most fertile land, the largest population, and the strongest economy in the world. Their supplies and tactical equipment were far superior to other great nations.
Moreover, at this time, Konoha had an abundance of top-tier shinobi.
The peak-era Hiruzan Sarutobi, the prime-time Sannin, Danzo Shimura, Minato Namikaze, totaling six high-caliber shinobi.
If things got desperate, Kushina Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Releasing the tailed beast was a doomsday move, sacrificing both sides. Furthermore, if the village was truly on the brink of destruction, Konoha would undoubtedly use Impure World Reincarnation to revive powerful shinobi for a final stand.
When faced with the executioner's blade, moral concerns would naturally diminish.
At that time, no one could have imagined the war would last three full years, claiming so many powerful lives and causing events that reshaped the world.
As Yuto daydreamed, a minute had passed.
Following Minato's orders, he marked another signal on the tree he had rested on and sprinted forward.
This time, Yuto was much more cautious.
The closer to the border, the more dangerous it became. Kumogakure was known for its martial prowess and reckless behavior, requiring constant vigilance.
Keeping his Byakugan active, Yuto crossed the border.
Boom!
"Ha… attacking right at the border, no wonder they call you 'Lightning Brutes'..."
Yuto dodged an attack from an enemy emerging from underground, laughing as he mocked them.
Despite his outward confidence, he was very cautious. This team of Kumo shinobi had positioned themselves just outside the range of his Byakugan, indicating careful planning.
"A tactic against the Konoha advance team..."
The branch family youth landed on the ground, striking the center of the enemy's encirclement like a hammer.
He tore off his right sleeve, revealing a black bandage wrapped around his arm.
"One, two, three, four, five… seven Kumo heads as my first achievement, not too shabby."
(End of Chapter)
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