Chapter 32: The Completely Changed Kannabi Bridge Mission
"We can't stay here any longer. The Iwa-nin will likely catch on soon."
Imai Kenta quickly hid the three Iwa-nin corpses in the nearby bushes before turning to Uchiha Kei and Namikaze Minato.
Just moments ago, Imai had sensed another squad heading straight toward their mountain hideout. Without hesitation, he launched a preemptive strike.
Having a powerhouse like Namikaze Minato at his back gave him the confidence to act more aggressively than usual.
Imai's swordsmanship was nothing short of deadly. In a single strike, he took down the enemy squad leader through a well-timed ambush. As the remaining three attempted to flee and relay information, he swiftly dispatched two of them, one slash each.
As for the last one, Minato easily caught up and eliminated him without breaking a sweat.
This was probably the smoothest battle they'd had so far—after all, with Minato on their side, enemies of this level weren't much of a threat.
"You're right, we should move. We've already rested for nearly seven hours," Minato said, glancing at the sky. "But I have to say, you've both exceeded all expectations. It's because of your efforts that the tide of battle is turning in our favor. Still, our mission isn't over. We need to keep pushing forward."
Both Kei and Kenta nodded silently. Even if they felt like shaking their heads in protest, they weren't stupid enough to actually do it.
They had to continue surviving in Konoha's system—and offending a respected Jonin squad leader, student of Jiraiya, no less—would be a very unwise move.
They were already briefed the night before about the current state of the front lines and the difficult position they were in.
Although the situation had improved, with reinforcements—especially Jiraiya himself—arriving to stabilize the battlefield, the pressure was still immense.
It was unfortunate that Orochimaru had returned to the village to recover, but with Jiraiya here—and Minato leading as well—it was more than enough.
In fact, Minato's presence had an even greater impact than Jiraiya's. In one legendary battle, he had taken down over fifty Iwa-nin in mere minutes, dealing a massive psychological blow to the enemy.
Considering the Iwa-nin had only deployed a few thousand shinobi in total, losing fifty in a flash was devastating. If Minato repeated that feat, their entire force could collapse.
The reason Minato arrived late to their rescue was because he had just led a successful ambush against a large Iwa-nin force and couldn't pull away until the fight was finished.
That delay cost him several minutes—but his presence alone was now enough to keep the Iwa-nin from making any bold moves on the frontlines.
And then there was Uchiha Kei's contribution—his last-minute decision to rescue a number of Konoha prisoners had thrown Iwa's rear lines into disarray.
Although some of the rescued ninja wanted to return immediately to the Konoha camp, Yamanaka Masato and other senior ninja had kept them coordinated. Once they learned about Kei's mission, they fully cooperated—causing chaos throughout the Iwa rear lines.
This disarray deeply affected Iwa's ability to supply their forces and weakened their morale. With Minato crushing them from the front and chaos brewing in the back, the Iwa forces began to retreat.
It seemed only a matter of time before Konoha claimed total victory—and possibly even wiped out the enemy entirely.
However, Konoha had no interest in a complete massacre. What they needed were living Iwa-nin—to use as bargaining chips in future negotiations.
And so, destroying the Kannabi Bridge before Iwa could regroup with the Kumogakure forces became the top priority. It would end the war in the Land of Grass and turn these remaining Iwa-nin into political pawns.
The pressure on Kei and his team was enormous. With the enemy retreating and regrouping near the Kannabi Bridge, danger loomed at every step.
This mission was now a race against time. Failure didn't just mean mission failure—it meant disgrace, prison, or worse.
Public criticism, trials, even a death sentence—nothing was off the table. At best, Konoha might be "merciful," but the stain of failure would stick forever.
They couldn't forget the tragedy of White Fang. That past was a chilling reminder of how brutal public perception in Konoha could be.
"You two stay alert," Minato said. "I'm going to escort Kakashi and Hyūga Ayaka back to camp. After that, I'll join you personally on the next phase of the mission."
"You'll be coming with us?" Kei and Kenta perked up immediately.
That was huge news.
The two "old foxes" didn't let too much show on their faces, but they were absolutely thrilled inside. Having Minato on the mission was like gaining an invincible guardian.
This was exactly why they wanted to join his squad in the first place.
Still, neither wanted to appear too eager. Overexcitement might affect how Minato viewed them.
After thinking for a moment, Kei cautiously suggested, "Should we send Nohara Rin back as well? The upcoming battles may be... too much."
Although Rin was a battlefield veteran, she had always operated under the protection of Kakashi, Obito, and Minato.
That wasn't a criticism—she was a talented medical-nin, and not everyone could be a Tsunade.
Minato frowned slightly, then nodded. He agreed—the battles ahead were unpredictable and dangerous. Rin, unfamiliar with Kei's team, could become a liability.
If this had been a routine mission, it might've been fine. But not now—Minato wasn't willing to take that risk.
And just like that, the Kannabi Bridge mission had taken a completely new trajectory—one completely reshaped by Uchiha Kei's involvement.
Even the team assigned to this critical operation now differed drastically from what the original story ever described.
Which makes one wonder—who will become the "Sharingan Hero" spoken of by the Third Hokage in the future?
Or… will all three Sharingan bearers become legends in their own right?