Sand Village, atop the Kazekage Building, the Fourth Kazekage stood alone, gazing out over his village. The wind brushed against him, carrying the faint whispers of the desert. As the leader of Sunagakure, he had ascended to the position of Kazekage at a young age, full of ambition and determination to secure the best for his people in the ongoing war between Konoha and the other great nations.
But reality had not been kind to him.
Defeated by Konoha, forced to release Shukaku, the One-Tail, and now left to search for the rampaging beast—it was a sequence of failures that gnawed at his authority. Without the unwavering support of Chiyo, the elders of Sunagakure would have long since moved against him. His position as Kazekage was a fragile balance, supported by reputation but undermined by his youth and lack of a solid foundation.
Swish!
A Sand Ninja suddenly appeared behind him, kneeling with urgency. "Lord Kazekage, urgent news from the front lines!"
Rasa turned sharply, a flicker of hope flashing in his eyes. Perhaps the tides of war had shifted in favor of the allies. "Speak," he commanded, his tone steady.
The Sand Ninja began his report. "Konoha's forces have clashed with both the Kumogakure and Kirigakure armies. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, with hundreds killed or wounded."
Rasa nodded, his expression calm. Such losses were expected. Even with Namikaze Minato in the mix, the superior numbers of the allied nations meant Konoha would face attrition. The Hidden Mist Village had sent the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, while Kumogakure had deployed A and their elite forces. Even Konoha's formidable defenses would struggle against such concentrated power.
"And the Iwagakure forces?" he inquired, his tone sharpening.
The messenger hesitated, his expression uneasy. The unusual pause caught Rasa's attention.
"In the battle at the Land of Grass," the ninja began, his voice faltering, "casualties on both sides were comparable. However… Kōdo of the Iwagakure ordered a sudden retreat. The Iwagakure forces ceased their offensive."
"What?!" Rasa's eyes widened in disbelief. "They outnumbered Konoha two to one! How could this happen?"
The Sand Ninja shifted nervously before continuing. "It seems Iwagakure had dispatched over 800 ninja to infiltrate the Land of Fire, bypassing the main battlefield to threaten Konoha directly."
Rasa's brows furrowed. This strategy was bold and logical—a direct threat to Konoha would force the Hokage to pull back forces from other fronts.
"But… all 800 Iwagakure ninjas were eliminated by Konoha's Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato."
The name hit Rasa like a hammer. "Namikaze Minato?!" he exclaimed, his composure slipping as he stood frozen in shock. Memories of his own defeat at the hands of the Yellow Flash flooded back, a reminder of the crushing inevitability of Minato's power.
The messenger observed Rasa carefully, knowing how deeply the Kazekage's pride had been wounded in their previous encounter. Rasa remained silent for a long moment before finally muttering, "I understand."
He had faced Minato before and knew firsthand the terror he inspired. A small part of him even admired the man. If anyone could achieve such an impossible feat, it was Namikaze Minato.
In Kumogakure, the news was received with mixed reactions. While the devastation wrought by Minato was shocking, there was also relief—Minato had not appeared on their front lines again. C's foresight in urging the Raikage to issue a retreat-on-sight order for Namikaze Minato now seemed more justified than ever.
But the Third Raikage's expression darkened. The Yellow Flash had single-handedly turned what should have been a decisive victory for the allied nations into a series of crushing defeats. This war, meant to humble Konoha, had instead brought heavy losses to their forces, and Minato was the linchpin of Konoha's resilience.
Despite his frustration, the Third Raikage knew one thing: the war could not end here. The allied nations' reputations were at stake, and retreating now would only make them a laughingstock.
Meanwhile, in Iwagakure, silence filled the conference room. The elders and commanders sat stiffly, their gazes lowered as the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, floated mid-air, reading the battle report with grim determination.
After a long silence, Ōnoki sighed. "Pass down my orders," he said, his voice heavy. "All Iwagakure ninjas, regardless of the mission, must abandon it and flee immediately if they encounter Konoha's Yellow Flash, Namikaze Minato."
The room stirred at his words. For a proud village like Iwagakure, issuing such an order was a bitter pill to swallow. But after seeing the reports, no one dared to argue. The devastation Minato had wrought left no doubt—such precautions were necessary.
"How do we fight this war now?" one of the senior advisors muttered, his voice laced with despair.
Ōnoki didn't reply immediately. His eyes drifted to the window, his thoughts returning to a time long past. He remembered another Konoha ninja, one who had once brought Iwagakure to its knees. The fear that man had instilled in Ōnoki's heart was now mirrored in Minato's actions.
In the Land of Rain, perpetual drizzle shrouded the land in gray. Inside a small cave, a flickering fire cast dancing shadows on the walls. Three young figures gathered around the flames, their conversation punctuated by the occasional crackle of wood.
Konan returned from the cave entrance, her short purple hair damp from the rain. She carried a small parcel of supplies, which Yahiko took with a nod of gratitude.
Nagato, his orange hair glowing in the firelight, leaned forward with interest. "What did you hear this time, Konan?"
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "The war is turning into chaos," she began. "The four great nations have all suffered heavy casualties in their attempts to overwhelm Konoha."
Yahiko's calm demeanor shifted to one of curiosity. "And the reason?"
Konan's voice took on a note of pride as she answered, "Because of one man. His name is becoming a nightmare to the four nations."
"Who is it?" Nagato asked, his expression serious.
Konan looked at them both, her eyes glinting with a mix of admiration and disbelief. "The Yellow Flash of Konoha, Namikaze Minato."
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