"Renzo is here! Then let's head out immediately! The frontlines need us! I'll explain the mission in detail on the way!"
As soon as Minato saw Renzo arrive, he gave the order without hesitation. With that, their six-man squad set off in haste, racing toward the Iwa battlefield.
Land of Fire Border – Battlefield Frontlines
"Is the reinforcements still not here?! There are too many enemies! We can't hold out much longer!"
Yuhi Shinku fought desperately, using genjutsu to disrupt the enemy while simultaneously cutting them down with his sword. Even as he battled, he anxiously asked his nearby comrades.
"No, Captain! There's still no word on reinforcements! What do we do?!"
Desperation and confusion were evident in his comrade's voice.
They had been fighting for so long that only about 50 of them remained.
And those 50 were already at their limits.
Meanwhile, the Iwa forces outnumbered them by a massive margin—over a thousand enemies still stood against them, with more reinforcements on the way.
"Hold on just a little longer! Reinforcements will come! The Third Hokage won't abandon us!"
Shinku cut down another enemy, standing back-to-back with his teammate as they warily watched the enemy close in.
The consequences of losing this battle were something the Hokage couldn't afford, so reinforcements were inevitable.
However, Shinku also understood that the village itself was already stretched thin.
A few months ago, both Kumogakure and Iwagakure had launched attacks, and though the war with Sunagakure had ended, the overall situation was still dire.
They just had to hold on.
Two more hours passed...
"Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Summon!"
"Earth Release: Earth Spike!"
The battlefield was riddled with danger, and Konoha's forces were at an absolute disadvantage. Their numbers had dwindled further, and now fewer than ten remained.
"Retreat! Fall back to the third defensive line, now!" Shinku ordered.
The Iwa forces saw their chance to wipe out the Konoha unit completely and weren't about to let them escape.
"Kill them! Don't let them get away!"
Their assault intensified.
Leading the charge was the Iwa commander, Azuma Shibito. He personally launched an Earth Release technique aimed directly at Yuhi Shinku, the captain of Konoha's force.
Shinku found himself overwhelmed and quickly fell into a dire situation.
Just then, an Iwa-nin's hand shot out from the ground, reaching for Shinku's leg.
"Captain, watch out!"
The remaining Konoha ninjas cried out in warning.
"Body Flicker Technique! Move! Now!"
Thanks to their warning and his own constant vigilance, Shinku managed to evade in time.
He unleashed his most powerful large-scale genjutsu, paralyzing dozens of enemies for two seconds.
With sheer effort, he tore open a gap in the enemy's encirclement, allowing one of his comrades to escape.
Shinku coughed up blood, his genjutsu shattered, and his mind suffered severe backlash. Blood trickled from his eyes, nose, and ears.
"I pushed too hard… didn't I?"
A sense of regret flashed across his face, followed by a weak, bitter smile. He murmured, "Kurenai... looks like I won't keep my promise... Renzo, take care of Kurenai for me..."
Then, a wave of dizziness overcame him, and his vision faded to black as he collapsed.
"Earth Release: Earth Spike!"
Seeing his chance, Azuma Shibito smirked. However, wary of Shinku's genjutsu, he didn't approach directly.
Instead, he formed hand seals and slammed his palms into the ground, sending a barrage of deadly earth spikes surging toward Shinku's unconscious body.
A teammate tried to rush forward to save him, but two others held him back, dragging him toward the rear.
"Retreat! Don't let Captain's sacrifice be in vain!"
Just as death seemed inevitable, a terrifyingly sharp aura exploded from Shinku's body, spreading in all directions.
In an instant, it engulfed a ten-meter radius, reaching both the sky and the underground—leaving no blind spots.
Several Iwa-nin who had been too close were instantly shredded into pieces, their blood splattering across the battlefield.
But the surge of energy barely lasted two minutes before fading away.
"His trump card is gone! Together, finish him with Earth Spike!"
Shibito grinned and gave the order. He and over ten Iwa-nin prepared to launch another deadly attack at Shinku.
A uniquely shaped kunai tore through the air at incredible speed, reaching Shinku's side in an instant.
"We made it in time!"
A flash of golden light streaked across the battlefield, and in a blink, a hand caught the strange kunai.
It was Namikaze Minato.
The moment Renzo's mark on Shinku activated, he sensed the danger. And coincidentally, they were already within 200 meters of Shinku's location.
Without hesitation, Renzo had seized a Flying Thunder God kunai from Minato's hands and hurled it with incredible force, sending it precisely to Shinku's position.
Then, he shouted for Minato to act.
That led to Minato's dramatic entrance.
Shibito and the Iwa-nin were stunned.
"The Yellow Flash of Konoha?!"
Unfortunately for them, Minato wasn't here to fight—he was here to save someone. Without wasting a second, he grabbed Shinku and vanished in another flash, reappearing atop a tree not far from Renzo and the others.
A Flying Thunder God kunai was embedded in the tree's trunk.
"Minato-sensei! Are you okay?!"
Renzo, Kakashi, and the others arrived moments later.
"My father! How is he?!"
Kurenai gasped, seeing Shinku's bloodied face and unconscious body.
Minato exhaled, then reassured her, "Don't worry! I'm fine, and Shinku-san is alive! He's just unconscious. We need to get out of here and fall back to the third defense line!"
Relieved to hear that her father was still alive, Kurenai nodded.
"Minato-sensei, I'm in better condition. Let me carry my teacher. You still need to conserve your strength for battle!" Renzo stepped forward, taking Shinku onto his back.
"Also... I'm sorry for grabbing your kunai earlier."
Minato chuckled, shaking his head. "You did nothing wrong. If you hadn't acted so decisively, I wouldn't have made it in time. Honestly, I should be thanking you for saving a comrade."
A moment of admiration flashed in his eyes as he looked at Renzo.
"Alright! Let's move!"
With that, Minato led the group in a swift retreat.
Back on the battlefield, Shibito stomped in frustration. "Damn it! Just a little more! Damn you, Namikaze Minato! Next time, you won't escape! I swear, you'll all die!"