If members of the Hyuga Clan or the Sarutobi Clan had been standing here, they might have immediately corrected Minato with something formal like, "This is a battlefield. Address me by my title."
Jiraiya, however, was nothing like that.
The Legendary Sannin burst into laughter and pulled Minato into a crushing bear hug before the younger man could react. His massive hands slammed repeatedly against Minato's back with enough force to make an ordinary shinobi stumble.
"Hahaha! Good! Good!"
His booming voice echoed throughout the camp.
"I'm relieved to see you back in one piece."
Minato smiled helplessly.
"Teacher, I'm not that fragile."
"Nonsense!" Jiraiya barked. "This battlefield has been getting increasingly troublesome lately. Sunagakure keeps making little moves everywhere. They're clearly unhappy about their previous losses and seem determined to regain momentum."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"Still, now that the famous Yellow Flash is back, they'll probably think twice before causing trouble."
Minato scratched his cheek modestly.
"You're giving me too much credit."
Ren silently observed the exchange.
The relationship between the two was obvious.
Although Minato had already become a respected Jonin and was earning a terrifying reputation across the battlefield, he still treated Jiraiya with the same respect and warmth as a student greeting his teacher.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya looked genuinely proud.
It wasn't difficult to see that Minato was one of the accomplishments he treasured most.
After exchanging a few more words, Jiraiya finally turned his attention toward the younger members of Team Minato.
His sharp eyes swept over them.
Then a wide grin appeared on his face.
"So these are the famous students I've heard so much about."
He pointed at Kakashi first.
"Kakashi Hatake."
Then at Ren.
"Ren."
His finger moved toward Obito.
"Obito Uchiha."
Finally, Rin.
"And Rin Nohara."
Jiraiya nodded repeatedly.
"Not bad."
"Not bad at all."
Then, suddenly, he spread his arms dramatically.
"I'm Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin and Minato's teacher."
He puffed out his chest proudly.
"According to seniority, that means all of you should be calling me Grandmaster!"
"Hahaha!"
The camp echoed with his laughter.
Before anyone could react, he walked over and enthusiastically slapped Kakashi's shoulder.
Then Obito's.
Then Ren's.
"Especially you two!"
Jiraiya pointed between Ren and Kakashi.
"We've got something in common."
The two white-haired boys looked at him.
Jiraiya stroked his own long white hair proudly.
"White hair!"
"Clearly a sign of greatness."
Kakashi remained expressionless.
Ren simply stared at him.
Obito immediately looked offended.
"Hey! What about me?"
"You've got black hair."
"Exactly."
Obito's eye twitched.
Rin couldn't suppress a laugh.
Jiraiya then turned toward her and flashed what he clearly believed was a handsome and charming smile.
Unfortunately, his reputation had already spread throughout Konoha.
Rin instinctively took a small step backward.
The movement was subtle.
But Ren noticed it.
Kakashi noticed it.
Even Obito noticed it.
Only Jiraiya didn't.
Still smiling proudly, he crossed his arms and waited.
The four exchanged glances.
Then they bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Grandmaster Jiraiya."
"Hahaha!"
Jiraiya immediately waved his hands.
"No need for all that formal nonsense!"
"We're shinobi, not nobles."
"Relax a little."
His casual attitude made the atmosphere much more comfortable.
Despite his status as one of the Sannin, Jiraiya didn't possess the arrogance many powerful shinobi developed.
He felt surprisingly approachable.
Then his expression suddenly shifted.
"Oh right."
"I almost forgot."
The four younger shinobi looked at him curiously.
Jiraiya scratched his head.
"Since this is our first meeting, I should've prepared a welcome gift."
Obito's eyes immediately lit up.
"A gift?"
Even Rin looked slightly interested.
Jiraiya nodded confidently.
"Of course!"
"Unfortunately, I didn't have time to prepare anything beforehand."
His grin widened.
"So how about this?"
"I'll assign you a few missions for practice first."
"When I have some free time later, I'll make it up to you all."
His smile somehow became even more mysterious.
"And trust me."
"It'll definitely be a surprise."
Ren's eyebrow twitched.
A surprise?
Coming from Jiraiya?
For some reason, he had a very bad feeling.
A signed copy of Make-Out Paradise perhaps?
Knowing Jiraiya, that genuinely seemed possible.
Kakashi, on the other hand, looked completely uninterested.
At least for now.
The group politely thanked him before stepping aside.
Soon afterward, the discussion shifted toward battlefield matters.
The relaxed atmosphere disappeared.
The commanders present immediately became serious.
This was still a war zone.
Friendly greetings could only last so long.
A few minutes later, another shinobi approached.
He wore a standard Konoha flak jacket.
His dark hair was tied into a distinctive ponytail resembling a pineapple.
The resemblance to a certain future strategist was impossible to miss.
He carried several scrolls under one arm.
"Lord Jiraiya."
"The intelligence division has just finished compiling the latest battle reports."
Jiraiya accepted the scrolls.
"Thanks for your hard work, Kashima."
Then he turned toward Minato.
"You've met him before, right?"
Minato nodded.
"Nara Kashima."
The strategist gave a small smile.
"Minato."
Jiraiya continued.
"He's currently serving as the chief strategist for the southwest battlefield."
"Most of the intelligence analysis and defensive planning passes through him."
Ren looked at the man with renewed interest.
A Nara clan member serving as chief strategist during wartime wasn't surprising.
The clan's intelligence and tactical abilities were famous throughout the village.
Jiraiya opened the scroll.
The camp became silent.
Several minutes passed as he carefully reviewed the information.
Eventually, he frowned.
"Sunagakure is becoming active again."
"Several suspicious movements have been detected in the southwest."
He rolled the scroll shut.
"Looks like we'll need additional reconnaissance coverage."
Then his eyes landed on Minato.
"Perfect timing."
Minato already understood.
"You want my team to reinforce the area."
"Exactly."
Jiraiya nodded.
He then turned toward Nara Kashima.
"Assign a reconnaissance sector to Team Minato."
"Since his students are still relatively inexperienced, place them somewhere with lighter enemy activity."
"Understood."
Kashima immediately began working.
There was no unnecessary discussion.
This was wartime.
Efficiency mattered.
Within minutes, several maps and supply packs were prepared.
The strategist handed them directly to Minato.
"Team Minato will be responsible for reconnaissance and surveillance in Sectors Seven through Ten."
"The area lies northwest of the stronghold."
"The latest intelligence reports are included."
Minato accepted the materials.
"We understand."
Then he turned toward his team.
"Half an hour to rest."
"We leave afterward."
His eyes swept across everyone.
"We'll try to reach the designated area before sunset."
Nobody complained.
Orders were orders.
The northwest sectors consisted primarily of dense forests and mountainous terrain.
Roughly a dozen square kilometers in total.
A turbulent river separated the area from Sunagakure-controlled territory.
It wasn't the most dangerous assignment available.
But it was still enemy territory.
And so, Team Minato began their new mission.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
For the next two weeks, the team remained almost entirely within their assigned reconnaissance zone.
Compared to direct combat missions, reconnaissance was less dangerous.
But it demanded an entirely different skill set.
Patience.
Observation.
Discipline.
Every morning they departed before sunrise.
Every day they traveled through forests, valleys, hills, and rivers.
Every movement they observed was recorded.
Every suspicious trail was investigated.
Every sign of enemy activity was documented.
Tracks.
Supply routes.
Messenger movements.
Temporary camps.
Anything potentially useful.
The information was carefully stored inside scrolls and later delivered back to Wildfire City Outpost.
Sometimes they also met undercover operatives stationed deep within contested territory.
Those meetings were among the most dangerous parts of the assignment.
A single mistake could expose both sides.
To maximize training opportunities, Minato occasionally divided the team.
One group would accompany him.
The other would operate independently.
Usually, Ren and Kakashi formed one squad while Rin and Obito accompanied Minato.
Other times, the arrangement changed.
However, every team carried a specially prepared Flying Thunder God kunai.
If something went wrong, all they needed was a signal flare.
Minato could arrive almost instantly.
At least in theory.
In practice, Ren's group never needed to use one.
Neither did Kakashi.
The two of them were simply too reliable.
Battles still occurred.
Just not as frequently as expected.
Reconnaissance wasn't about fighting.
Its purpose was gathering information.
The ideal mission ended without either side even realizing the other was present.
Whenever conflict became unavoidable, speed was everything.
Eliminate the enemy.
Leave immediately.
Avoid attracting reinforcements.
Capturing opponents alive was possible.
But much harder.
Especially when dealing with Sunagakure.
The Hidden Sand specialized in traps and poison.
Their shinobi often preferred death over capture.
Many carried suicide poisons.
Others used toxins capable of killing within minutes.
The danger never disappeared.
Ren still remembered the poison they had encountered earlier.
It had been both potent and difficult to identify.
Fortunately, there was one advantage.
Before leaving Konoha, Ren and Rin had spent time studying under Tsunade.
Because of that, they carried an impressive supply of advanced antidotes.
Whenever someone suffered a minor poisoning, treatment could be administered immediately.
The medicines weren't perfect.
But they were far better than what most frontline units possessed.
Outside of missions, daily life continued.
Food wasn't a problem.
Any competent shinobi could hunt.
Birds.
Rabbits.
Wild boars.
Fish.
The forests provided plenty.
Ren occasionally demonstrated impressive cooking skills, while Obito enthusiastically gathered firewood.
Soon enough, golden-brown meat would be roasting over open flames.
A Fire Style technique provided instant cooking.
Seasonings completed the process.
Even Kakashi occasionally admitted the food was good.
Though only after considerable pressure.
Shelter was manageable as well.
Finding safe resting locations wasn't difficult.
The biggest challenge was bathing.
There were no luxurious hot springs hidden in the wilderness.
No comfortable bathhouses.
Only cold mountain streams.
Whenever someone needed to wash, the others stood guard nearby.
Technically, Minato's sensory abilities made surprise attacks nearly impossible.
But he couldn't remain beside them twenty-four hours a day.
Basic precautions still mattered.
Especially on a battlefield.
Because in war, the moment someone became careless—
Could easily become their last.
And although the past two weeks had remained relatively peaceful...
Everyone could feel that something was changing.
Sunagakure's movements were increasing.
Enemy patrols were appearing more frequently.
The atmosphere throughout the entire region was becoming increasingly tense.
Like a storm gathering beyond the horizon.
Waiting.
Growing.
Preparing to strike.
And sooner or later—
Team Minato would find themselves standing directly in its path.
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