The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten.
The Konoha army had already begun marching toward the border under the leadership of Nawaki and Minato.
"Uncle, you better keep your promise."
"None of us are staying behind to watch from a safe distance."
They hadn't gone far when Ginji started chattering away behind Nawaki.
His several companions also turned their eyes toward Nawaki.
This was their first time heading to a battlefield. The kids were too excited to contain themselves.
Their senior family members had all earned their reputations through real combat experience. Naturally, they didn't want to be mere spectators lingering at the rear.
"Nawaki-sempai, if you break your promise, I'll tell my dad on you."
Before Nawaki could prepare his response, Aoi Tsukigami puffed her cheeks and 'threatened' him.
"I got it, you little troublemakers~ You can do whatever you want."
"Just don't go running too far away during the fight."
Nawaki sighed with a bitter smile. He'd clearly been stuck with babysitting duty since his brother-in-law gave the orders.
He then looked toward Minato. Their mutual gaze revealed shared helplessness.
Thinking about the children following behind him with Kakashi at the front, Minato let out a heavy sigh.
The burden he carried wasn't any lighter than Nawaki's, though at least his teacher's arrangement wasn't completely unreasonable.
Although these kids lacked experience, their strength was undoubtedly exceptional.
They were far ahead of their peers. Even among this expeditionary force, they ranked among the top ranks.
As long as he and Nawaki kept a close eye on things, there shouldn't be any serious mishaps.
This wasn't just Minato's confidence in his and Nawaki's abilities. It was also his recognition of the young ones' potential.
"Hey bro, don't you dare lose to me!"
After obtaining Nawaki's second guarantee, Ginji issued a challenge toward Kakashi.
"Don't worry, you're definitely gonna lose."
Kakashi's cocky expression left Kurenai utterly captivated.
After all, which teenager didn't have a competitive streak?
"Ahh, this is the bond of youth!!!"
"We brothers will give it our all too!"
Gai and Kinoto, the two brothers, shouted their overly dramatic lines while dramatically tearing up.
"Here we go again..."
Everyone had grown accustomed to such antics. At least the Matt clan's drama stayed within the family and wasn't contagious.
Obito secretly glanced at Shisui, opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
A genius personally acknowledged by the clan leader—was he someone Obito would never surpass?
"Boring."
Though muttering complaints, Asuma's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Lady Rin, how about joining our team?"
Meanwhile, Naruto showed absolutely no interest in these topics. He actively approached Rin with a mischievous grin.
You could only say — classic Jiraiya's son!
Looking at the scene before him, Nakano Daisuke felt his head might split open.
This was supposed to be warfare—not child's play!!!
Konoha sending two young leaders was questionable enough, but at least he'd heard of Nawaki and Minato's names.
They were part of Konoha's new generation who had truly earned their fame through battle records.
But who exactly were these dozen or so kids?
What, are they playing games?!
Massaging his throbbing temple, Nakano Daisuke could only stiffen a forced smile.
Konoha sending reinforcements was already a pleasant surprise; he had no right to question anything.
A dark thought crossed his mind—what if a few of those kids didn't make it?
Then Konoha might send even more backup. And if Kawaki Hatake herself came... that would be perfect.
After all, he had an intelligence background, and Nawaki's group hadn't even tried to conceal their identities—making it far too easy for him to uncover who they were.
Nakano Daisuke glanced at Ginji with envy, then quickly looked away, discarding the dangerous thought as fast as it surfaced.
If he actually went through with it, the consequences would be catastrophic.
But one thing was certain—the first to die would be himself and the Land of Earth.
The idea vanished instantly, though he never once considered whether he stood a chance against Ginji.
"Which route should we take, Lords?"
When the children grew quiet, Nakano Daisuke stepped forward to speak.
"You came through which path?"
Nawaki didn't answer directly; instead, he asked back.
He probably already guessed what Nakano Daisuke was thinking.
"I came through the Land of Grass."
Nakano Daisuke frowned slightly, privately admitting this young one wasn't easy to manipulate despite his youth.
"Then we'll also go through the Land of Grass."
Without hesitation, Nawaki answered immediately.
Smiling faintly, he tilted his head and glanced at Nakano Daisuke.
That seemingly innocent and foolish look, however, made Nakano Daisuke feel a terrible headache coming on.
"Lord Nawaki, if we pass briefly through the Land of Rain before entering the Land of Grass, we can arrive faster."
"We reaching one day earlier might improve the current situation."
With no other options left, Nakano Daisuke finally decided to reveal everything, knowing full well he held no authority here anyway.
Still, he didn't dare to lift his eyes to meet Nawaki's directly. He simply stared ahead, his face showing clear nervousness.
His words weren't blunt, but he knew the right people would understand.
Getting there a day earlier or later wasn't actually important. What mattered was passing through the Land of Rain.
As long as the Konoha team traveled through the Land of Rain's territory, any significant conflict that occurred would place immense pressure on the Akatsuki ninja at the front line.
This way, he believed, Rōshi and Kitsuchi's desperate situation would certainly improve.
"That actually sounds reasonable."
"I disagree."
Nawaki played the fool, so Minato naturally played the role of the hardliner.
"There's no need for me to explain how bad relations are between Konoha and the Akatsuki Village."
"There are always Akatsuki ninja on patrol along the Land of Rain's border. We can't risk our small reinforcement unit on something like that."
This section hasn't ended!
Please bookmark Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade: (m.
"And I don't care if your Iwa-nin suffer losses because we're late."
Minato's expression darkened as he cast a cold, emotionless glare at Nakano Daisuke.
"The Akatsuki Village Headman Nagato is currently in my Land of Earth, so there shouldn't be much risk."
Nakano Daisuke still tried to convince Minato. If he were the commander, he'd stab the Land of Rain right in the back without hesitation.
Unfortunately, he wasn't!
"That actually sounds reasonable."
Nawaki still wore that silly, naive good-guy mask.
"What the hell kind of reasoning is that?"
"I won't agree, so don't even think about taking someone away."
"Also, Akatsuki Village has more than just Nagato as a strong ninja. We're here to support, not to attack the Land of Rain."
Minato pointed angrily at Nawaki's nose, leaving the younger ones utterly bewildered.
Since when are these two so good at faking it?
"Sorry, I can't decide this alone."
Nawaki shrugged his hands outward toward Nakano Daisuke with an apologetic expression, but inside he was bursting with laughter.
Does this bastard really think we'll let them take out the back door of the Land of Rain? Doesn't he know that place is full of our own people?
Ugly as he is, the guy's got some wild dreams.
"You're too kind."
"Lord Hokage's words make sense; I was simply too hasty."
Nakano Daisuke knew his plan was already doomed. Continuing would only make things worse.
Rather than persist, it was better to give up. If he became someone who caused discord between them, his fate wouldn't be pleasant.
"Hmph~ If it weren't for the Hokage's orders, I wouldn't have come here at all."
"If you dare boss me around again, don't blame me for being rude."
Minato fully committed to playing the villain, giving Nakano Daisuke absolutely zero dignity.
He berated this former Iwagakure official, over a decade his senior, without letting him raise his head.
Nakano Daisuke kept his head lowered without saying a word, grinding his molars down to dust.
He could only silently chant in his mind: When you live under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head.
Yet he never stopped to consider if he'd ever stand tall before Minato again.
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade – Please bookmark this site: (m.