Three days later, Minato Namikaze appeared in the conference room of the Konoha camp on the Iwagakure battlefield.
Minato Namikaze's arrival genuinely surprised Aoyama Ryuyun. What surprised Ryuyun even more, however, was the message scroll Minato brought with him.
"Hahahahaha!"
After reading it, Aoyama Ryuyun showed no sign of anger. On the contrary, he burst into cheerful laughter.
Nara Shikaku, standing beside him, was also curious. He took the message scroll from Aoyama Ryuyun's hand and read it carefully. The more Shikaku read, the more expressionless his face became.
"Lord Liu Yun! Mr. Nara! Please believe me — I will definitely handle all matters on the Hidden Cloud battlefield!"
Neither Aoyama Ryuyun nor Nara Shikaku paid much attention to Minato's words. Aoyama Ryuyun continued to laugh mockingly. Nara Shikaku glanced at Minato Namikaze, then back at Aoyama Ryuyun.
"Lord Liu Yun, Hiruzen Sarutobi's action is likely an attempt to steal credit."
Any discerning person could see the Hidden Cloud front was already close to ending. It only depended on whether Aoyama Ryuyun was willing to finish it. Sending Minato was clearly Hiruzen's way of letting Minato gain battlefield credit — finish the Hidden Cloud conflict quickly, then use that to justify supporting Hiruzen's front.
Aoyama Ryuyun — you won't support me? Fine. I'll send someone willing to finish your fight.
Nara Shikaku's words were not lost on Minato Namikaze.
Minato hesitated but said nothing. Though affected by the Will of Fire, he was not yet unthinking. He could see through Hiruzen's plan. Still, Minato wanted merit; he wanted to be Hokage. A battlefield achievement was a clear step toward that.
"Hahahahaha!"
Aoyama Ryuyun laughed again. Angry? Not really. He didn't care for honors. What left Ryuyun speechless was that Hiruzen seemed to trust Minato's strength a little too much.
Noticing Nara Shikaku's look, Aoyama Ryuyun waved his hand casually.
"It's fine. Since you want the responsibility, Minato, take it. I'll go to the Iwagakure side."
"Thank you, Lord Liu Yun!"
Minato looked at Aoyama Ryuyun with gratitude. He'd expected Ryuyun might refuse to yield the credit. Now he believed Lord Liu Yun to be magnanimous. He didn't notice Ryuyun's mocking curl of the lip. Credit sits here, but you must have the ability to claim it.
"Lord Liu Yun!"
Nara Shikaku spoke up. If Ryuyun just walked away, wouldn't he be handing Minato an advantage for free?
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Aoyama Ryuyun, reading Shikaku's thoughts, waved the concern away.
"After I leave, be careful yourself. Don't die on the field."
"Don't worry, Lord Liu Yun."
Nara Shikaku relaxed. He'd followed Ryuyun long enough to trust the method beneath the madness. Ryuyun's moves looked reckless, but they were calculated; in the end, Ryuyun never ended up the loser.
Aoyama Ryuyun smiled and nodded at Nara Shikaku, then stood. He walked to Minato Namikaze, placed a hand on his shoulder without a word, and left.
"Please believe me, Lord Liu Yun!"
Minato, convinced Ryuyun offered encouragement, nodded solemnly. Aoyama Ryuyun did not bother to reply.
After leaving the conference room, Aoyama Ryuyun took Kurenai Yuhi and left Konoha camp, heading to the Iwagakure battlefield. He could be indifferent to most people, but he wasn't going to leave Kurenai Yuhi on the Hidden Cloud front.
After Aoyama Ryuyun left, Nara Shikaku watched Minato expressionlessly.
"You are not suitable to lead here."
"Mr. Shikaku, I can still try my best!"
Minato wasn't naive; he knew Shikaku's meaning. Becoming Hokage had been his dream since childhood — he would not give up a chance. Saying that, he pushed on.
Nara Shikaku only shook his head.
"Compared to you, I trust Lord Liu Yun and Lady Tsunade more. They're the ones who can keep Konoha at the pinnacle of the ninja world. Someone like you could be a puppet. Hiruzen is grooming you to be one — I've seen it for a long time."
"Mr. Shikaku! Please believe me!"
Minato's eyes were firm; he meant it.
Shikaku did not reply. He only looked at Minato and said nothing.
…
On the road to the Iwagakure battlefield, Kurenai Yuhi could no longer hold back.
"Brother Liu Yun! Are we really going to give the credit for defeating Hidden Cloud to that Minato Namikaze?"
Kurenai Yuhi had once thought Minato a good man. After a year in war she'd become sharper. Her strength had risen to Jōnin level and her situational analysis had improved under Nara Shikaku. Ryuyun's gesture was understandable strategically — but the idea of giving the victory to a smiling, hungry young man still rankled her.
"And that little 'sun-like' smile of his? Utterly hypocritical."
After a year of hardening, she was not the same novice. She weighed pros and cons fast, and the idea of Minato taking credit for her brother's work angered her.
"Brother Liu Yun! How about we go kill that Minato Namikaze!"
Anyone who threatened her brother's interests would pay with their life.
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