On the other side.
Mitsuki silently gazed at the mushroom cloud rising in the distance, lingering without dispersing.
His eyes lowered, Mistcutter slid back into its sheath, his breath sinking steadily into his abdomen as a cold, murderous intent seeped through his body.
Without hesitation, Mitsuki leapt down from the treetop, ready to move.
Minato was still fighting Chiyo. There was no way he could use the Flying Thunder God to bring Mitsuki back to the camp in time.
If the object to be transported was too large or too far, the chakra consumption of the technique would be enormous.
And the current Minato was not the later "Edo Tensei" version — after clashing with Chiyo for so long, even if he used the Flying Thunder God to return to camp, he'd probably be unable to continue fighting afterwards.
If Minato went back alone, it would do no good. But if he carried Mitsuki away, the main battlefield would instantly lose one of Konoha's elite combatants — giving Suna a decisive advantage.
Mitsuki didn't care about the battlefield. Right now, all he wanted was to return to the rear camp of Konoha.
But Minato wasn't like him. Compared to the rear, he placed more importance on the outcome at the frontline. Because that directly determined the ultimate result of this war.
This was the exact opposite of Mitsuki's thinking.
So going to Minato for help now was useless. In fact, Minato might even try to persuade him to resolve the battlefield crisis first before going back to support the camp.
At this point, Mitsuki could only go alone.
"Space–Time ninjutsu… Once this war is over, I'm definitely going to master it."
Mitsuki made his decision.
As long as Rin and the others were safe, he would learn the Flying Thunder God from Tsunade later, and leave a mark on each of his companions.
After all, it wasn't like the ninja world required civil service exams.
"Aa—!"
Lightning surged as Chidori roared to life. Mitsuki was about to stimulate the cells in his legs and dash at full speed when—
Minato suddenly appeared at his side, through the Flying Thunder God!
Mitsuki still carried the special kunai Minato had once given him.
"Mitsuki, you heard it too." Minato's voice came the moment he arrived. Though it was phrased as a question, his tone carried certainty.
"It was the explosion from the rear camp."
Mitsuki nodded.
"As expected of you, Mitsuki. Your hearing is incredibly sharp."
Mitsuki didn't want to waste time talking. All he wanted now was to rush back. Was Minato here to tell him to put the greater battlefield above his personal concerns?
Just as Mitsuki prepared to argue, Minato's next words caught him completely off guard.
"Mitsuki, get ready. I'm going to send you straight back to the camp."
As he spoke, Minato reached for Mitsuki's shoulder.
"But Captain Minato, if you do that, your chakra—"
Minato cut him off.
"It's fine. Even if it'll be difficult, I can use my speed to lure Chiyo toward Jiraiya-sensei."
With a gentle smile and an apologetic look, Minato added,
"Sorry, Mitsuki. I'll have to rely on you alone to reinforce the camp. It's my failing."
Seeing the guilt on Minato's face, Mitsuki realized he had been making a mistake all this time.
He always imposed the stereotypes from his past life—formed from watching anime—onto these very real people.
What a joke. A mere seven hundred chapters could never capture the fullness of these flesh-and-blood lives.
Mitsuki extended his fist toward Minato, a confident smile on his face.
"Captain Minato, you're wrong about one thing. I may be going back alone, but that doesn't mean I'm fighting alone."
Minato blinked at his words. Then he understood, smiling in return.
"Yeah. Carry our will with you. Together, we'll win this war."
Their fists collided.
The Flying Thunder God flared at full power, Minato's chakra burning rapidly.
In the next instant, Mitsuki's figure vanished.
Minato turned his gaze toward the Konoha camp.
"Kakashi, Rin, Obito… please, don't let anything happen to you."
He was worried for his students too. But for now, he had to hold the frontline.
"I'm counting on you, Mitsuki."
…
At the Konoha rear camp—
Countless paper tags hidden within the golden sand detonated, the immense weight of the sand crashing down as well.
The rear camp of Konoha was obliterated, replaced by a massive crater.
Rasa lowered his hands, the seals of Magnet Release dispersing.
"The plan went smoothly. Looks like we won't need the One-Tail's jinchūriki after all"
Indeed, the mastermind was Rasa. Sunagakure had long prepared this ambush.
They used his Magnet Release to scour desert mines, amassing gold to buy explosive tags in staggering quantities.
Fortunately, their buyers were wasteful nobles with too much money. Otherwise, such a flood of gold on the market would have drawn unwanted suspicion.
That was why, during the earlier sabotage mission by Mitsuki and Minato, Yashamaru had desperately defended Warehouse No. 7. Inside, explosive tags had been stored within sealing scrolls—hidden even from Mitsuki's Six Eyes.
Originally, Sunagakure intended to save this trump card. If things went well in the Land of Rivers, they would defeat Konoha first, then unleash it against Iwagakure.
But Mitsuki's sudden appearance on the battlefield had flipped their fortunes, forcing Suna to play their hand early.
And judging by the results, the effect was devastating.
Rasa walked into the ruins of Konoha's camp, nodding with satisfaction.
But then—fat, slug-like creatures wriggled out of the wreckage.
Katsuyu.
Just before the strike, Tsunade had summoned the giant slug.
Katsuyu instantly split into countless clones that spread throughout the camp, wrapping their bodies around the Konoha shinobi.
Of course, even Katsuyu couldn't withstand such explosions alone.
That's why Tsunade released her Yin Seal, pouring massive amounts of medical chakra into the slug's clones.
Driven at any cost, the healing chakra allowed most Konoha shinobi to miraculously survive.
One by one, Katsuyu's clones regurgitated the survivors. Tsunade no longer had chakra to sustain the summoning—if the shinobi weren't expelled, they would be buried alive in the ruins.
"Pop—pop—pop—"
Smoke filled the air as the slugs dispelled, returning to Shikkotsu Forest.
Rasa's eyes swept the battlefield. There she was—Tsunade—slumped against a massive boulder.
Her chakra reserves were completely depleted, the Strength of a Hundred Seal already gone. Even the rhombus mark on her forehead had vanished.
She no longer had the strength to stand.
By normal logic, she should've prioritized protecting only a few key individuals, rather than trying to save everyone. At least then there'd still be some who could fight.
But Rasa understood. If it were Suna in the same position, he might have done the same.
"Tsunade of the Leaf—you are a kunoichi worthy of respect." His words were sincere.
But respect was one thing. Mercy was another.
He raised his right hand.
Golden sand swirled upward, condensing into a gleaming spear aimed straight at her.
"It's over!"