Northern Frontline, Land of Fire — Temporary Encampment.

  After a brutal ambush, only a handful of the unit's members remained. They would have all been wiped out had Minato not arrived in time to break the encirclement and lead them out.

  Inside the command tent, Minato sat with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

  “You’re saying... there’s a mole in our ranks?” Minato asked, his tone contemptive.

  “It’s just a hunch,” Nara Shikaku replied.

  “Do you have any evidence?” Minato pressed.

  “Our route was carefully scouted and kept absolutely confidential,” Shikaku expined. “If the enemy really had superior reconnaissance capabilities, they would’ve taken the advantage far earlier in this war.”

  Minato furrowed his brows but remained silent.

  “I know it sounds like a stretch,” Shikaku added. “That’s why I’m not ciming anything—just that it’s a possibility.”

  “What do you pn to do?” Minato asked.

  “We need to test the theory. If there really is a spy among us, it would be a devastating blow to our operations going forward.”

  As he spoke, Shikaku pulled out three small scrolls.

  “These are three different retreat pns. I’ll have each one delivered to a different unit’s camp. I’ve already dispatched a scout ahead of time to monitor activity along each route.”

  He called out toward the tent’s entrance: “Kakashi!”

  A silver-haired boy wearing a mask walked in.

  “Deliver this to Lord Jiraiya’s camp in the east. Go quick and return faster,” Shikaku instructed, handing over one of the scrolls.

  “Understood.” Kakashi accepted the scroll with a curt nod and vanished from the tent.

  Shikaku handed the remaining two scrolls to Minato.

  “I’m counting on you for these. One goes to Fugaku’s camp in the west, the other to the outpost in the northwest.”

  Minato gave a slight nod. “Anything else?”

  Shikaku gnced at the clock on the table. “We move at 3 PM.”

  “I’ll be back before then.”

  The camps were spaced far apart. Before any maneuver, messengers were always sent out to ensure everyone stayed informed of each other's movements.

  As Minato stepped out of the tent, he saw what was left of their forces gathered.

  Just a few hundred remained, spirits low. Many were wounded—leaning against trees or resting on the ground.

  Seeing Minato emerge, a few still mustered the strength to stand and salute. “Lord Minato!”

  His heart sank. So many familiar faces… and just two days ago, there had been so many more.

  Saying nothing, he vanished in a fsh.

  A moment ter, Shikaku walked out of the camp as well.

  “Everyone, prepare to move. We leave in one hour. We’ll withdraw through Mount Seiun.”

  Time passed quickly. Minato returned right on schedule, and the troops, after regrouping, set off.

  Mount Seiun straddled the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. The terrain wasn’t steep, and the scenery was beautiful — rolling hills, vibrant greenery.

  As Shikaku led the troops along a mid-mountain path, he gnced around at the lush forest. If a battle were to erupt here, the environment would be torn apart.

  Let’s hope I’m just being paranoid.

  “How long have we been moving?” Minato asked.

  “About forty minutes,” Shikaku replied.

  Minato nodded. “No reports yet. That’s a good sign.”

  “Hopefully,” Shikaku said.

  They moved slowly to accommodate the wounded. Minato walked at the front, gncing back from time to time at the tired faces behind him. He was determined to get every single one of them out alive.

  “Minato!” Choza tossed him a water fsk.

  Minato took a long drink, raising his head to the sky. The deep blue expanse dotted with cotton-like clouds… It must be even more stunning from the mountaintop.

  Just as he finished, the first of the scouts returned — the one Shikaku had sent ahead earlier.

  Seeing him sent a chill through the hearts of Minato and the others.

  “What did you see?” Shikaku asked grimly.

  “I spotted a group of Iwa-nin. Five to six hundred strong!”

  The scout took the water fsk Minato handed him and gulped a few mouthfuls before continuing.

  “I see…” Shikaku said, face unreadable. This scout had been assigned to observe the route meant for Jiraiya’s camp.

  “Get some rest,” Shikaku told him.

  So… Jiraiya’s unit had been compromised.

  “Looks like your guess was right,” Yamanaka Inoichi said.

  “We need to warn Jiraiya-sensei,” Minato added.

  Shikaku nodded, about to respond, when another scout returned — this one assigned to monitor the route to Fugaku’s camp.

  Their hearts sank.

  Moments ter, the final scout returned, bringing the same report: each of the three escape routes had been ambushed by Iwa-nin.

  Shikaku felt his scalp go numb. He turned to look at Minato — who, beneath a composed expression, clearly bore a hint of shock.

  All three camps… infiltrated.

  How were they supposed to win a war like this?

  Suddenly, Shikaku’s expression changed. He shouted: “Stop the march!”

  He scanned their surroundings — cold sweat breaking out.

  “Inoichi!”

  Even as Shikaku’s voice cracked, Inoichi was already performing a sensory jutsu.

  The unit halted. Tension filled the air. The vibrant forest around them now felt like a death trap.

  Moments passed.

  “No sign of any unusual chakra... but if it’s a prepared ambush, they might have cloaked it from detection,” Inoichi reported.

  “They’re after this unit,” Shikaku said grimly. “They want to wipe us out completely.”

  Minato stepped forward, calm and collected. “Leave it to me.”

  Shikaku frowned. “You’re going alone?”

  He knew Minato was strong—far beyond what ordinary shinobi could match—but they were talking about five to six hundred enemies!

  “It won’t be easy,” Minato admitted. “I’ll need Inoichi’s help.”

  “When the enemy shows themselves, rey all their positions to me.”

  “Got it!” Inoichi responded immediately.

  “We’ll go too!” a voice rang out from the ranks.

  Several shinobi stepped forward, eyes resolute as they looked at Shikaku and Minato.

  “Count me in!”

  “And me!”

  More began to step forward—even the wounded. None showed fear.

  “We can’t always rely on Lord Minato to protect us.”

  “If we die for the vilge, we die without regret!”

  “Yeah! We’re going too!”

  Shikaku was deeply moved. Then he gave a bitter smile. “What kind of idiots charge into a trap on purpose?”

  He turned to Minato, inwardly sighing. This is what makes him special.

  “Change of pns,” he ordered. “Everyone, head down the mountain. Minato and Inoichi will cover the rear. If the enemy notices, they’ll intercept.”

  The others exchanged uneasy gnces, but ultimately obeyed.

  As the unit descended, Shikaku couldn’t help gncing back at Minato and Inoichi.

  The Iwa-nin weren’t the real threat.

  The true danger was the enemy hiding within.