After Chiyo and Ebizo's plan was finalized, they quickly took action
Over the next few days, they dispatched several squads in succession. Each squad was divided into two groups—one in the front to lure the enemy, and another behind to spring the ambush. If they didn't encounter Minato or Kuugetsu, they would break off after a brief skirmish and retreat immediately.
After several days of attempts, they finally came across the long-awaited opportunity.
In a forest near the edge of Suna's controlled territory, a Konoha squad had just finished a pursuit battle. At this moment, they were quietly resting and recovering their strength.
This squad was slightly different from other squads. Normally, a Konoha squad would be led by two jōnin or special jōnin in their thirties, commanding a team of about a dozen chūnin and genin.
But the captain of this squad, in addition to a special jonin around thirty years old, was an eleven or twelve-year-old blond boy. This person was none other than Minato.
Though young, Minato held significant authority in the team. Even that thirty-year-old special jōnin followed his lead.
And this authority wasn't granted to him just because he was Hoshiyomi's disciple—it was earned, little by little, through half a year of bloody combat.
When he had first joined the squad, no one thought much of him. Some even assumed he was just dead weight, relying on connections to get in. But in one clash with Suna shinobi, Minato easily proved his strength.
In the shinobi world, strength reigns supreme. Minato was powerful yet humble. Despite being only twelve, he had completely won over the team with both his ability and his charisma.
"Everyone, stay alert. We're already very close to Suna's controlled zone. There's a high chance enemy squads are active nearby, so we can't let our guard down.
Masaki, you're the only sensory-type shinobi in the team. I'll have to trouble you—keep an especially close watch on our surroundings. We'll rest for no more than ten minutes, then we must move out."
After finishing bandaging his shoulder wound, Minato issued his orders calmly and methodically.
Through these months of battle, he had truly grown. He was no longer the fledgling hiding under Hoshiyomi's wing—his talents were beginning to shine.
The chase they'd just completed was proof enough. In that fight, his commanding ability and combat skills were on full display.
Under his leadership, the squad had faced enemy numbers greater than their own, yet suffered not a single casualty. Minato himself had fought two opponents at once, successfully cutting down a jōnin and a special jōnin-level puppeteer, escaping with only a minor shoulder injury.
"Don't worry, Captain. I'll definitely handle the scouting properly," said Masaki, the sensory ninja. He closed his eyes, scanning the area with his perception. After confirming there were no enemies within five hundred meters, he opened them again with a grin:
"Still, Captain Minato, you're incredible. You're four or five years younger than me, yet you can already handle a jōnin and a special jōnin by yourself."
Hearing this, the squad's vice-captain glanced over as well, his voice carrying a hint of envy:
"Isn't that the truth? Since you've come here, Minato, I'd say at least five or six jōnin have fallen to your hand already. Just counting your military merits, when you return to Konoha, you'll surely be promoted to jōnin."
Minato smiled a little shyly at that. He didn't tell them that his teacher had already submitted the recommendation for his jōnin promotion two days ago.
If approved, he would officially become a full-fledged jōnin within a month—or at most half a year.
But while the entire squad was resting and joking, none of them realized… a Suna team had already set their sights on them.
About a kilometer away, hidden in a patch of shrubs, a Suna jōnin listened to the report from his sensor-nin and remarked:
"Fourteen of them, not a single casualty, and they managed to wipe out our vanguard… That boy truly is a genius. What a pity. He's about to go meet the Shinigami—together with his teacher."
He turned to one subordinate:
"Go tell Elder Chiyo. Let her know it's time to prepare the ambush.
Everyone else, stay sharp. Our goal is to stall them—don't inflict too many casualties too quickly, and don't let too many escape. Especially Namikaze Minato—he's been singled out by higher-ups as a target to capture. Do not let him slip away. Understood?"
As the messenger left to report to Chiyo, the others nodded obediently. A feral grin spread across the jōnin's face:
"Move out!"
With the sound of several rapid shunshin, he and his thirty subordinates leapt away, closing in fast.
Back at Minato's camp, the squad remained oblivious to the danger, still chatting in low voices.
Just as their laughter over some topic was reaching its peak, Masaki's expression suddenly went pale:
"Not good—enemy attack! They're coming towards us quickly. Damn it, they must have found me a long time ago and even figured out the intervals of my sensory jutsu.
They're less than four hundred meters away now. Around twenty of them. Captain Minato, what should we do?"
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone on the team changed. Minato quickly scanned his teammates' condition and saw that they weren't at full strength. He immediately made a decision.
"Retreat!"
As he spoke, he didn't forget to raise his hands and form a seal. This was one of the sealing jutsus that Kushina had given him before he left Konoha. Its effect was to create a chakra wall to block the enemy. He hoped that this wall would be able to hold them back for a while.
Just as Minato was thinking this, a voice came from a distance. "You've saved me the trouble. Earth Release: Earth Flow Prison!"
Hearing the voice that was getting closer, everyone's faces turned pale. That speed—definitely a jōnin!
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently. Three earth walls, similar to Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, broke out of the ground and blocked everyone's path.
The speed of these earth walls wasn't very fast. Minato seized the opportunity to use a body flicker with one person and leaped over the earth walls.
Looking back at the newly formed earth walls, Minato hesitated for only a moment before speaking firmly:
"You go back quickly and ask for help from Hoshiyomi-sensei. As long as you're fast enough, we still have hope."
After saying that, Minato pushed the chunin away and turned around. He used the newly formed earth wall and a large tree nearby to propel himself back into the earth prison
The chūnin, keeping his wits, didn't waste time arguing—he sprinted madly toward Konoha's camp.
Inside the earth walls, the squad stared at Minato, unsure what expression to wear as they watched him return. At last, the special jōnin sighed deeply:
"Minato, you fool… You're the village's future. You shouldn't throw your life away for the likes of us."
But Minato cut him off decisively:
"This isn't the time for that. Focus on fighting. Didn't Masaki say there were only twenty of them? I've already sent Ichirō to call for help. As long as we hold out until Hoshiyomi-sensei arrives with reinforcements, we still have a chance!"