Minato couldn't believe what he had just heard, but the confidence in Haruki's voice left him confused.
He started thinking about why Haruki seemed so sure of himself and quickly came to a conclusion.
'There must be some powerful ninjas secretly protecting Sensei,' he thought, scanning the area.
It made perfect sense. Haruki was one of leaf's twin pillars, and top-tier medical ninjas like him were extremely rare. In fact, there were only two in the entire village.
Tsunade and Haruki.
Plus, Tsunade had set strict rules to protect medical ninjas. No matter what, if a team was in danger, the medic had to be the last to go down. And they were strictly forbidden from heading into risky situations alone.
Minato took a deep breath, a smile forming as if he had it all figured out. "Sensei, who's watching our backs? ANBU? Or don't tell me... a Sannin?"
Haruki stared at him, completely lost. "What? What are you talking about? Even the Hokage has no clue I'm out here on a mission."
Minato's smile froze, his mind going blank.
The first two years of the war between the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Sand Village were the most intense.
Originally, the Hidden Sand aimed to secure victory in a single decisive battle under the leadership of the Third Kazekage along with the sibling strategists Chiyo and Ebizō.
However, despite their efforts, they failed to break Konoha's defenses and were forced into a prolonged conflict.
Although large-scale battles had subsided, the Sand Village was still an enemy, and skirmishes continued.
Now that they had been surrounded, Minato and Haruki's fate was sealed.
Haruki could tell exactly what Minato was thinking, but instead of explaining, he just smiled.
His attention turned to the Sand ninjas who were cautiously approaching them.
They weren't worried about his strength, they were worried he might slip away.
In this war, Haruki's role was just as vital as a Sannin's. He hadn't killed a single enemy, atleast in front of others, but the number of lives he had saved was numerous.
"Minato, stop overthinking and pay attention," Haruki said without even looking back.
Minato, who was starting to panic, immediately snapped out of it after hearing his words.
'If no one's protecting us, then why is he so calm? Don't tell me....he has a plan?'
The thought made him act fast. "Sensei, should I set a trap?"
"Don't bother," Haruki said, nodding toward the corpses on the ground. "I'll teach you something useful instead."
"...." Minato's lips twitched, but deep down, he felt a wave of relief. If Haruki was this calm, then he must have something up his sleeve.
For a second, he wondered if Haruki was bluffing but no one in their right mind would try bluffing while completely surrounded.
"Why do you think they became bandits?" Haruki asked, pointing at the lifeless body on the ground.
Minato glanced at the burning camp and the scattered corpses before answering, "War."
"Exactly," Haruki nodded. "They were once ordinary people, just like us. But war took everything from them—their homes, their families. With no way to survive, they had no choice but to fight back. And since they weren't trained ninjas, the only people they could target were civilians"
He paused for a moment before asking, "Minato, what do you think the relationship is between the Land of Fire and our village?"
Minato hesitated before replying, "Uh....allies?"
In the original storyline, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire was initially on equal footing with the Hokage, if not slightly superior. However, as the series progressed, he was reduced to a clueless figure who simply nodded along with whatever was decided.
"To put it accurately, Leaf village functions as the military arm of the Land of Fire while maintaining a degree of autonomy. The Land of Fire provides financial support to us, and in return, we ensure its protection." Haruki spoke as he kept an eye on the sand ninjas.
"Minato, do you think the Hokage's duty is to protect our village or the Land of Fire?" he asked with a playful smile.
Minato was caught off guard by the question. He had never thought about it from that perspective before, like any other ninjas.
Everyone knew that the majority of casualties in the Second Great Ninja War weren't ninjas but the civilians of the Land of Rain. Yet, no one really cared.
"It is to protect both the village and the Land of Fire," Minato answered, though his expression was uncertain.
"Protect? What did we actually protect?" Haruki asked, his gaze sweeping over the destruction around them. "Is this devastation the result of our so-called protection?"
Minato hesitated before quickly responding, "But... but this isn't just our fault."
Haruki chuckled. "Hahaha, you're right. It's not just us, it's the whole world's problem." He looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing as the Sand Ninja approached.
"Minato, if you become Hokage one day, will you only protect our villagers?"
"Of course not," Minato replied without hesitation. He followed Haruki's gaze and could now see the faces of the incoming Sand Ninja clearly.
Suppressing the fear rising in his chest, he steadied himself and said in a firm voice, "I will do my best to protect the civilians of the Land of Fire as well."
"Just that?" Haruki chuckled. "If all you do is protect them, they'll still live in poverty. If you truly want to solve the problem, you have to do more than that."
Minato was even more confused. This wasn't something he had ever been taught or even thought about before.
"There are millions of civilians in the Land of Fire," Haruki continued. "They're just like you, but they lack opportunities. If even a fraction of them became ninjas, even the most ordinary Genin, they would create a ripple that could turn into a vast ocean."
Minato pictured the scene in his head and felt a chill run down his spine.
He only understood part of what Haruki had said, but even that was enough to leave him confused and shaken.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized how complicated it all was, maybe even more difficult than becoming Hokage.
Before he could dwell on it any further, Haruki suddenly smiled. "Well, well, looks like class is over for today."
Minato snapped back to reality just as dozens of ninjas closed in, surrounding them from all sides.
A loud laugh broke the tension. "Hahaha! Haruki, long time no see! Who would've thought you'd meet your end at my hands?"
The leader of the group stepped forward, grinning as he spoke. Then, after calming down a bit, he added, "Do you remember me?"
Haruki blinked, genuinely puzzled. He had no idea where he had seen this guy before. Then, suddenly, something clicked. A funny memory surfaced, and he burst out laughing.
The leader's grin froze.
"Hahaha, now I remember! You're that guy who fought Sakumo and almost got beaten to death!" Haruki smirked. "Didn't think you were still alive."
The man's face turned bright red with anger. "My name is Arimura Nobu! You better remember it, because I'm the one who's going to kill you today!"
Haruki tilted his head, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Why would I bother remembering someone who's about to die?"
Nobu's eye twitched, but he quickly masked his frustration with a sneer. "Hmph! Let's see how long you can keep up that act!" His men chuckled behind him, eager to watch the fight unfold.
Meanwhile, Haruki didn't even spare them a glance. He casually picked his ear, flicked away whatever was on his finger, and let out a bored sigh.
Watching his actions, Minato's back was drenched in sweat.
Nobu was even more angry. His hands clenched into fists as he resisted the urge to strike Haruki right then and there.
"Haruki, you truly live up to being one of the pillars of the Leaf. If it weren't for you and Tsunade turning the tide and cracking Lady Chiyo's poison, the leaf village would have fallen long ago."
"What a damn shame," he said with an evil smile, taking out his weapon. "Someone like you...dying by my hands."
Haruki sighed, already tired of this guy running his mouth instead of attacking. Without a word, he pulled a kunai from his bag.
"HAHAHA!!" Nobu let out a mocking laugh. "I might have lost to that damn Sakumo, but taking you down is just a walk in the park!"
A sudden surge of chakra erupted as the invisible wind twisted and roared around them. In an instant, the sheer force blew away the remaining wood ash from the ruined bandit camp, sending it swirling layer by layer into the sky.
Minato trembled at the sight before him. 'He's even stronger than I thought... What are we supposed to do?'
Just then, Haruki's calm voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Minato," Haruki said as he stepped forward. "Pay close attention."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a kunai flying straight into the heart of the raging winds.
Nobu sneered, his hands flashing through seals. "Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
The air howled as chakra-infused wind expanded outward, forming countless razor-sharp blades. The pressure alone tore through the ground, carving deep scars into the earth.
Yet, despite the storm of cutting winds, the kunai continued forward.
Nobu frowned slightly but quickly dismissed it. 'No matter. Even if the kunai survives, Haruki won't.'
But in the next instant, Haruki disappeared from the spot where he was standing and reappeared above the kunai, already mid-strike.
Nobu's pupils shrank. 'This...This is Flying Thunder God!'
Before Nobu could react, Haruki thrust his palm forward, a rapidly spinning sphere of chakra forming in his hand.
"Rasengan!"
The swirling mass of energy slammed into Nobu's head. Before the body even hit the ground, Haruki vanished again.
On the other side, Minato stood frozen, unable to look away.
Wherever the kunai flew, death followed. It was like death sentence.
After a while, Haruki landed smoothly in front of Minato, casually twirling the kunai around his finger. He flashed a relaxed smile, not a single drop of blood staining his clothes.
The warm sunlight bathed him in a golden glow.
"How about it? Want to learn?" Haruki asked. "I'll teach you."
________________________
Soldiers, keep the story moving forward with your [Power Stones]
Support me at patreon.com/SparkyXD and read upto 10 Advanced Chapters