After seeing the ocean scenery for so long, it inevitably started to feel dull and monotonous.
Kei and Minato had been excitedly observing the sea for half a day on the first day. After that, most of their time was spent discussing their newly recruited disciples or exchanging insights on ninjutsu. Occasionally, they would practice techniques, comparing moves and strategies for battle.
Minato truly was a bona fide genius. The various traits he possessed were enough to make even someone like Kei, who had a system, green with envy.
[Spatial Insight (Purple)], [Ultra-Fast Reactions (Purple)], [Sealing Mastery (Blue)], [Sharp Mind (Blue)], [Fortune (Blue)], [Chakra Storage (Blue)], [Wind Release Mastery (Green)], [Handsome (Green)].
A total of eight traits—six of which were innate talents.
[Spatial Insight] allowed for a keen perception of spatial fluctuations, making it perfectly compatible with space-time ninjutsu. [Ultra-Fast Reactions] enhanced nerve response speed, physical reaction time, hand seal speed, chakra flow, and jutsu execution. [Sharp Mind] improved learning ability, tactical thinking, and even ninjutsu development and research.
[Fortune] increased luck, while [Chakra Storage] boosted chakra reserves and recovery.
The only trait where Minato fell slightly behind Kei was [Handsome].
"With this, who the hell else but Minato could become the Fourth Hokage?"
Every time he looked at Minato's traits, he couldn't help but feel envious. Forget the rest—even just [Spatial Insight] alone was enough to make him crave it. What transmigrator wouldn't want to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?
Unfortunately, despite arriving in the Naruto world, he hadn't gained any extraordinary space-time talent. His spatial abilities were barely enough to use summoning jutsu and storage seals—completely incapable of even touching the threshold of the Flying Thunder God Technique. If not for the system giving him a sliver of hope, he would have long given up on learning it.
Two and a half days passed in endless discussions and sparring between the two. The sea remained calm during this time, allowing them to reach the southern port town of the Land of Tea half a day ahead of schedule.
The sun was high in the sky when their ship docked. Taking precautions, they removed their Konoha forehead protectors and used the Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as ordinary carpenters before preparing to enter the town and gather intelligence.
Four ninjas with Kiri forehead protectors emerged from within the town. Leading them was a towering figure with waist-length orange hair, meticulously groomed, standing at an imposing two and a half meters tall. With the massive Samehada strapped to his back, who else could he be but Suikazan Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?
The three behind him were unfamiliar, but judging by their attire, they were likely Kiri ANBU elites, at the very least of jonin-level strength.
As the four Kiri ninjas approached, Kei and Minato instinctively exchanged a glance and put on fearful expressions, stepping aside with panicked faces like any ordinary civilian would.
The Kiri ninja didn't seem to notice anything amiss and walked past without hesitation. Watching them leap into the distance, Kei and Minato didn't immediately give chase. Instead, they entered the town first.
Under the influence of the Second Mizukag, Kiri had long upheld secrecy in its operations. Even after the Third Mizukage took power, this philosophy remained unchanged.
Kiri ninjas would never openly stroll through a town in such a blatant manner. Something was clearly off.
Sure enough, just as Kei and Minato stepped into town, more than ten 'civilians'—men, women, old, and young—began emerging from the alleyways.
A frail old woman, appearing to be in her seventies with silver-white hair, gave a few instructions to her subordinates before waving her hand. The group immediately scattered like arrows released from a bow, swiftly moving along the north and south sides in pursuit of the Kiri ninja.
Meanwhile, the old woman herself followed directly in the same direction the Kiri ninjas had gone.
Kei and Minato exchanged glances. It was obvious—this was a silent confrontation between Kiri and Suna.
With no way of knowing whether either side had additional reinforcements, the two disguised as carpenters quickly feigned fear and slipped further into the town.
After making several turns, they found a secluded alleyway where no one would notice them.
Kei formed a hand seal, activating the Yamanaka clan's secret perception jutsu to its fullest extent. In an instant, chakra signatures within a ten-kilometer radius flooded his mind.
"There are quite a lot of them…" he muttered before quickly shifting his hand seals again. Using the Mind Transmission Technique, he relayed the information directly to Minato.
The frequent clashes had clearly ignited tensions between Suna and Kiri. With over thirty chakra signatures detected, this was far beyond the scale of a typical border skirmish.
On Kiri's side, the four-man team led by Fuguki was evidently just bait. Hidden in the forests a few kilometers away, sixteen more ninjas lay in ambush.
Meanwhile, Suna had one person charging directly into the encirclement while twelve others flanked from the north and south, seemingly attempting a counter-ambush. Within the town itself, four more chakra signatures lingered—whether they were Suna scouts or Kiri reinforcements remained unclear.
"This scale of conflict…" Minato frowned as he analyzed the shared perception. Nearly forty ninjas engaged in direct combat wasn't just a personal grudge between ninja. A mobilization of this size had to be sanctioned by the higher-ups, which often meant the conflict between these villages had reached an irreconcilable point.
"Worrying won't change anything. Let's focus on our own mission." Kei wasn't particularly concerned about the clash between Suna and Kiri. Knowing that war was inevitable, his priority was figuring out how to complete their task—and whether to mix in a little 'personal touch' to subtly influence the course of the Third Great Ninja War.
"Understood. We'll go with Tactical Plan Two and wait for the right moment to enter the battlefield." Minato nodded, setting aside his concerns about the larger war and refocusing on their mission.
While still on the ship, they had devised several tactical approaches based on their abilities. Given the current situation, the second plan—allowing them to insert into the battle at any time while maintaining the flexibility to retreat instantly—was the most suitable.
"Alright." Kei reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a small cylinder engraved with intricate sealing patterns. Unscrewing the lid, he dipped his finger into the preserved blood inside before forming a series of hand seals and activating the Summoning Jutsu.
Unlike those hardened ninjas who would unhesitatingly bite their fingers or slice their palms with kunai, he still wasn't used to casually injuring himself even after more than a decade in this world.
Three black-feathered crows emerged from the chakra smoke, flapping their wings as they cawed noisily.
With a quick shift in his hand seals, Kei activated the Mind Clone Switch Technique. While still maintaining control over his own body, he simultaneously took over the three crows' consciousness. The once restless birds immediately fell silent, standing still in place.
Minato stepped forward, closing his eyes for a moment before pressing a hand gently against the belly of one crow, engraving the Flying Thunder God mark onto it.
Though he hadn't yet reached the level of his future battle against Obito, where he could mark an enemy in the midst of combat, his teleportation speed between pre-marked seals had already been honed to perfection.
With the marks in place, the three crows took flight under Kei's control, soaring towards the Kiri ambush site.
Before he could even get a proper view of the battlefield through their eyes, the moment the old woman clashed with the Kiri encirclement, the Kiri side had already suffered casualties.