War has always meant death, and this time was no exception.
Even though some treated the battle as a chance to promote their own reputation, that didn't mean no one would die.
Yuki Seisui knew his own strength, and both Minato and Haru had enough power as well, but in a conflict of this scale, they could only do their best to protect others while ensuring their own survival.
No matter how careful, there would inevitably be casualties—most of these people were just genin.
Yet, since they followed him, Seisui would naturally take responsibility. He could only try to minimize their deaths.
Standing at the border of the Land of Fire, Seisui raised his long sword toward the gathered ninja.
"Everyone, what awaits is a fierce battle. I cannot guarantee all of you will survive, but I will do my best to ensure most of you make it back alive!"
"This fight is for Konoha, for peace!"
"Seisui-sama!"
"We know! Don't worry about us—kill all the Sand ninja!"
"Yes! Kill all the Sand ninja!"
"Seisui-sama! Victory is ours!"
"Seisui-sama! Victory is ours!"
"Seisui-sama! Victory is ours!"
Initially, voices varied, but at the final moment, they merged into one unified shout: Victory!
A hundred voices rang out at the Land of Fire's border.
Seisui turned to Minato and Haru. "Each of you take fifty men to intercept the Sunagakure's vanguard. I'll block their reinforcements."
"No! That's too dangerous!" Haru immediately objected.
Minato echoed, "Yes, it's too dangerous for you alone. Our task is only to hold them off for a few days, not for you to face the Sand's main force!"
Seisui chuckled lightly, tilting his head to the sky before looking at the Konoha ninja—most of whom hadn't even reached the rank of chunin.
If he didn't confront the Sand's main force, leaving more ninja spread out, the casualties would be severe.
Ordinary ninja might not care about such losses, even if everyone died.
But he was going to be Hokage!
These people were his current team, and he needed them alive to support and follow him.
Naturally, it was best if all survived.
"Minato, you want to be Hokage, but being Hokage isn't just talk," Seisui said, shedding his coat to reveal his black, form-fitting combat suit.
No one spoke—they silently watched him.
"In office, fulfill your duties!"
"When I command this team, I will bring back as many as possible. I won't throw their lives away for some so-called mission."
"Where the path lies, though ten million may stand, I shall go!"
"Minato, to be Hokage, you must first bear the responsibilities. Rights and duties are twins—if you want the former, you must embrace the latter. Responsibilities are things you must act on, whether you wish to or not!"
Seisui tossed his black, dragon-engraved sword sheath into the air. Sunlight caught it, gleaming brilliantly. His once-empty eyes now seemed alive.
"Everyone, this battle… victory is ours!"
With that, he strode forward without hesitation. Haru caught the falling sheath, standing stunned.
Minato pondered Seisui's words, lost in thought.
As a ninja, Minato was excellent. As Hokage, he was reckless.
There's no contradiction—being a ninja meant being a weapon. Being Hokage meant thinking for the entire village.
The Sand's main force was still some distance from the border—but only some distance. Their vanguard had already entered Konoha territory.
The mission: delay them for three days, at minimum.
For most ninja, this would be an extremely difficult task—even with a hundred men.
Genin, in the eyes of higher-ranking ninja, were like domesticated chickens, with almost no ability to resist. Their role was mostly reconnaissance and support—or to use as bait in a tactical ploy to take down upper-level ninja.
If Seisui and the others only blocked the vanguard, the task would be simple—hardly a casualty.
But their mission was to buy three days. Just stopping the vanguard wouldn't suffice.
They needed to create chaos, mislead the enemy, or stall them with tactical maneuvers.
Seisui chose the most direct approach: rush straight at them.
When it's a duel, I play by Seisui's rules.
Just charge ahead.
Watching his back, all but Haru and Minato were in tears. They had heard his words and were deeply moved.
"W-w-what luck… to meet Seisui-sama!" a genin sobbed, eyes red.
"This is the true Will of Fire!"
"We mustn't let Seisui-sama down!"
"Yes! We cannot disappoint him!"
"Kill all the Sand ninja!"
Haru's tears streamed as he watched Seisui fade into the distance, his resolve hardening.
"This is the Seisui-sama we should follow!"
"Seisui-sama, victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
Behind him, the shouts continued, but Seisui remained expressionless, stepping over the border.
At the same time, the three-tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes.
Possessing Susanoo, it was time to shake the ninja world.
Unlike ordinary Mangekyo Sharingan, he didn't fear blindness. Eternal Mangekyo would eventually restore his ocular power.
The combination of Wood Release and Sharingan could slowly recover ocular energy—essentially the power of both the Senju and Uchiha.
As a distant Senju relative and a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths, of the Uzumaki clan, Seisui could also slowly restore his ocular energy.
The unique chakra of the Uzumaki bloodline often nourished the Mangekyo within his eyes, increasing his ocular power.
Seisui paused mid-step, swinging his katana sideways.
"Iaijutsu: Wind Pressure!"
A massive slash streaked toward a nearby tree with blinding speed.
A Sand ninja above didn't react in time—the head vanished before he could even realize. The tree slowly fell; the ninja's consciousness dissipated.
"Foolish!" Seisui glanced at the corpse and continued forward.
This one even tried to throw a shuriken at him.
Standing still, yet unmovable!
Seisui's speed wasn't particularly fast—he systematically killed any ambushing Sand ninja along the way.
Every so often, another fallen enemy marked his path.
Once out of the forest, he accelerated toward the Sand forces.
Inside the forest, he had intentionally used himself as bait to draw the vanguard. Now, there was no need to move slowly.
After running for four or five hours, he finally saw the mass of Sand ninja forming a dense black horde.
Though mostly genin, there were plenty of chunin and jonin.
Seisui didn't hide—there was no need. He headed straight toward them.
The Sand ninja noticed him immediately. One familiar figure emerged, filled with hatred, shouting his name:
"Yuki Seisui!"
"You remember me from the chunin Exams, Rasa?!"
"This time… you will die!"
Rasa's emotions spiraled, from rage to manic laughter. "Hahaha! You actually came yourself!"
"You actually came!"
"Then die here!"
"Enough, Rasa!" Pakura stepped beside him, frowning. Rasa's sanity had been shaky since the chunin Exams.
Normally calm, but when it involved Konoha's genius—or the name Yuki Seisui—he became unhinged.
"You insignificant worm!" Seisui said, not even lifting his eyelids.
"Yuki Seisui… what are you doing here?" Pakura asked, serious.
She didn't believe Seisui would rush here alone.
The Sunagakure had mobilized over ten thousand ninja—including the Kazekage and Elder Chiyo.
"What am I doing?" Seisui repeated softly, then laughed wildly, covering his face with his hands.
"I'm here to kill you all!"
"Hahaha! Can you please me?!"
He tilted his head toward Pakura.
Those from the chunin Exams were now jonin.
Young Ai was jonin; Pakura and Rasa were jonin too.
"Arrogant, shameless!" Chiyo stepped forward, angered. "You're Konoha's genius—don't think the Sunagakure is easy prey!"
"Use the jutsu squad!"
She commanded the ninja behind her.
"He's mine!" Rasa shouted, rushing forward. His gourd spewed sand constantly, the surrounding ground erupting with sand gold.
Chiyo sighed at his recklessness.
"Jutsu squad, attack!"
The jutsu squad—forty to fifty mid- and lower-ranked ninja, led by two or three jonin—immediately unleashed elemental techniques at Seisui. Rasa was caught in the same range.
"Rasa." Karuro stood next to Pakura, hands crossed at his chest, worried.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine."
Pakura patted him on the shoulder. "He's crazy—but not foolish."
"Sand gold defense is extremely strong."
"Hmm," Karuro nodded, still worried as Rasa advanced.
Seeing Rasa approaching, Seisui smirked disdainfully.
Rasa's anger only deepened.
"Damn bastard! You think I'm still the same Rasa?!" he shouted, forming sand-gold spears from the sand around him and hurling them at Seisui.
He ignored the jutsu behind him entirely.
"Am I not?"
Seisui crossed his arms, unbothered, speaking disdainfully: "Ants."
The sand-gold spears and elemental jutsu struck near him with a tremendous explosion.
Rasa's slower speed spared him from the blast, but watching the wind, fire, and lightning jutsu explode around him, he clenched his teeth and sank into the sand-gold coating himself.