Two months slipped by.
At dawn, Chiya surfaced from cultivation and opened his eyes.
He sensed Obito's chakra drawing away from the Land of Fire's border and slipping into the Land of Earth.
The key moment of the Kannabi campaign was arriving. Namikaze Minato would personally lead Obito's trio into the Land of Earth to sever their supply line. Once this mission ended, the Third Great Ninja War would be on the verge of closure. It was during this operation that Obito would be swayed by Uchiha Madara.
"Looks like I need to move. Land of Earth it is."
Once they crossed over, Madara could strike at any time. Although Chiya had planted teleportation marks, Obito was now far beyond his immediate range. Obito's own energy signature was not strong enough to ping from afar like Shikkotsu Forest.
Chiya had to advance until he was close enough to jump straight to Obito's side.
In short order he packed up. Leaving a shadow clone on patrol, his figure blurred.
The next instant, he stood beyond the village walls.
Then he vanished again.
Near the Land of Earth's border, figures flashed through ancient woodland, leaping from trunk to trunk.
Minato and his team raced in silence.
Their mission was to sever the Land of Earth's supply route and shorten the war. After a long, grueling run, they had slipped behind the Iwa army without being seen.
Minato dropped to the ground, cloaked his presence, and stilled his breath.
The Konoha shinobi behind him followed suit.
They had already encountered Iwa squads again and again, along with a lattice of traps. One misstep and something would blow, drawing reinforcements like hornets. Complete the mission, or die trying.
"Sensei, I am feeling more Iwa patrols," Kakashi whispered after a time.
More Iwa meant the zone was under heavier guard. The supply line was likely close.
"Farther ahead," Minato murmured. He felt it too.
They scouted on, then halted midway up a low ridge.
"Got it. Iwa's supply line."
"Follow it and we will find the depot and destroy it."
Minato's eyes lit. At last, a target.
The others brightened as well and advanced under his lead.
Suddenly, a surge of chakra flooded Minato's sensing range, racing straight toward them.
"Not good. We are burned."
He made the call at once. He would be the decoy to guarantee success.
He flashed to his three students.
"Listen to me."
"What is it, sensei?" Obito turned, grinning.
"Hostiles approaching from the rear," Minato said, tone grave.
He weighed who would stay with him to draw fire. Kakashi and Rin went taut, faces set. Obito smirked, still trying to play it cool.
"Really? We finally get to fight?"
"Obito, this is not a game."
Minato's voice sharpened. The boy still had not grasped how ugly this could get. War killed people. All the time.
Obito shut his mouth, abashed.
"There are a lot of them. Kakashi, be careful," Minato said after a beat. "Obito will fall back with me to intercept the pursuit. Kakashi, Rin, use the opening to complete the mission. Your top priority is to disengage safely."
He trusted Kakashi's steadier nature to carry the vital task. Keeping Obito with him was risky, but at least Minato could watch his back.
He and Obito broke from the team.
"See, sensei picked me instead of Kakashi. Means I am more reliable, right?"
Minato sighed. "Obito, do not engage head on. We are bait. Pull their attention off Kakashi. Once the other side finishes, we withdraw immediately."
He did not want the hothead charging into a melee that would spiral beyond control.
SWISH!
Needles and shuriken screamed from the trees, angling for their throats. Obito had learned under Chiya's grind and moved faster than before, hands flashing through seals.
"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Technique."
A roiling sphere of flame swallowed the projectiles and spat them out charred.
"Nicely done," Minato called.
Praise went to Obito's head. He drew a kunai and sprinted into the brush without counting enemies or traps.
"Do not be reckless. Avoid direct engagement."
Minato barked, but Obito had already clashed with Iwa shinobi. Minato surged forward, only to be blocked by several Iwa. He cut them down in a single stroke and darted to Obito.
Obito's strike burst a shadow clone into smoke.
In the next breath, a ring of Iwa shinobi closed around Minato and Obito.
At that moment, a hidden presence slipped into the forest as well.
"Minato is still with Obito. Looks like Madara has not acted yet."
Sensing Obito's condition, Chiya extended his perception through the woods, searching for Zetsu.
He found nothing.
"Credit where it is due. Black Zetsu's concealment really is on the level of the Six Paths, a child of Kaguya after all."
With no tail to chase, Chiya shadowed Obito from afar, waiting for Zetsu to slip.
He was sure Madara's underground lair was somewhere near. A gravely wounded Obito could not be carried far.