I, Konoha's Sage of Life

Asuma and Shisui were sprawled out on the ground, exhausted.

They were both frontline fighters.

Compared to Kurenai, their physical exertion and chakra consumption were much higher.

Kakashi, standing nearby, glanced at them, then at Obito. And then…

"What are you looking at, stupid Kakashi?! I fought just as hard as everyone else, okay?"

"Hmph."

Kakashi turned away without a word.

Obito wasn't exactly the smartest, but in direct combat, he wasn't half-bad—he had actually created a lot of opportunities.

However…

If it weren't for Rin and Kurenai supporting him, Obito would've been injured multiple times already.

And another thing—no matter how hard he tried to coordinate with Obito, their teamwork was nothing like Team One's.

He had clearly made an effort to work with Obito, so why wasn't it working?

That was what confused him the most.

—

"Sensei…"

Kurenai struggled to stand.

Kyoichi glanced at the bound bandits, then waved a hand. "No need to get up. Just rest."

"Is it all settled over there?"

Minato's shadow clone hadn't returned yet, so he wasn't sure what had happened.

"More or less. I'll leave the cleanup to you."

"…Huh?" Minato was stunned for a moment before realizing something wasn't right.

He was still thinking it over when, in the next instant, the air distorted.

A ripple of space, followed by the sudden arrival of his shadow clone—with another person in tow.

Yahiko looked disoriented.

A moment ago, everything had been spinning. Now, he opened his eyes to the scent of blood and the sight of eight Konoha shinobi surrounding him.

The first person he spotted was Kyoichi Kanda.

"What… what kind of jutsu was that?"

His heart pounded.

That was real teleportation!

And…

What shocked him even more was that Namikaze Minato's technique could transport another person.

As the leader of Akatsuki, he understood all too well the impact a jutsu like this could have on the battlefield.

No exaggeration—this technique could change the course of an entire war!

Konoha…

Was terrifying.

When he first met Kyoichi Kanda, he thought he had seen the true power of the great villages. But now, he realized he had still underestimated them—especially Konoha.

Kakashi tightened his grip on his short sword.

He recognized the forehead protector—this guy was from Amegakure.

"My name is Yahiko. It's an honor to meet you."

Yahiko gave a small bow.

They were kids, sure. But their captain wasn't.

Kyoichi had already sensed them from a distance.

With his chakra perception, keeping track of Konan and Nagato's movements was effortless. He had already figured out how Minato had handled the situation before arriving.

Minato was Jiraiya's student, a rising star among Konoha's Jonin. This small matter wouldn't cause any problems for him.

Besides…

Yahiko and the others were Jiraiya's doing to begin with.

If anyone had to take responsibility, it sure as hell wouldn't be him.

With that thought, Kyoichi let out a slow breath.

No problem.

"Jonin Kyoichi… about what you said earlier… could you… explain a little more?"

After some hesitation, Yahiko finally spoke up.

Kyoichi thought for a moment, then glanced at his system panel.

A reward notification had popped up earlier—he had assumed that was the end of it.

He hadn't expected Yahiko to come chasing after him for more.

More explanation?

After a pause, he replied, "I'm from Konoha. My way of solving things is different from yours. Why not take these questions and find the answers yourself? Think carefully—you're not a kid anymore. Even Asuma isn't as naive as you."

Asuma blinked.

Wait, do I seem naive?

He glanced at Shisui and Kurenai.

His teammates nodded in unison.

…Fine.

Scratching his nose, Asuma chose to remain silent.

Yahiko, meanwhile, felt like Kyoichi's words made sense… but at the same time, he didn't understand anything at all.

He scratched his head, struggling to form a coherent thought.

After a few seconds, he said, "But I really don't know what to do…"

"If peace were as easy as you think, the First and Second Hokage would have already achieved it. But think about it—why was there peace during the First Hokage's era?"

"…Because he was strong. No one dared to start trouble."

Yahiko had heard the legends of Hashirama Senju.

That man was a myth.

Hanzo only called himself 'Demi-God' because, compared to the 'God of Shinobi,' he wasn't even close. He wouldn't dare to make such a comparison.

Even though he wasn't from Konoha, Yahiko deeply respected that man.

"Exactly. If you want peace, you need strength first. Ideals and theories alone won't convince anyone. To put it bluntly, having power doesn't mean you have to bully others—it means you can make them sit down and talk to you."

"Like you and me, right now."

Kyoichi started his speech.

Or rather…

It wasn't exactly a speech. What he was saying was just pure, unfiltered truth.

"…I see… That does make sense."

Yahiko could tell that this was valuable insight.

Especially the part about 'power.'

It was true.

If Kyoichi hadn't been strong enough to subdue Nagato instantly, he wouldn't be standing here having this conversation—he'd be on the run instead.

After hearing those few sentences, it was as if a fog had been lifted from his mind.

"If you want to reach your goal, you don't always have to charge straight ahead. Sometimes, taking a detour makes things easier."

"…I understand now. I'll never forget your guidance, Jonin Kyoichi!"

Yahiko knelt on the ground, bowing deeply in the traditional dogeza position.

Minato was startled.

But…

After absorbing the memories from his shadow clone, he now understood the full picture.

Kyoichi's words had left a deep impression on him, too.

At first, they had seemed simple. But the more he thought about them, the more he realized how profound they were.

He had a feeling—what Yahiko took from this conversation would lead to a significant transformation.

And that…

Was both reassuring and concerning.

"…I hope you understand, Yahiko. I won't do anything that would bring shame to my teacher."

Yahiko spoke with utmost seriousness.

He knew Minato might be wary of him.

After all, Konoha was the strongest of the Five Great Nations, and his actions might threaten their interests.

Even Yahiko himself couldn't guarantee otherwise.

But…

He could guarantee that he wouldn't put Jiraiya in a difficult position or do anything to disgrace him.

From a distance, Kakashi and the others exchanged glances.

Was Minato-sensei… connected to this guy somehow?

"…To be honest, I don't know if you've actually understood anything. But you have a lot of people depending on you, and their needs won't be easy to balance. Go home and think it through."

Kyoichi glanced at Asuma and the others, signaling them to prepare to leave.

But—

"Kyoichi, don't go just yet. There are too many surviving bandits over there. We can't handle them all ourselves. Stick around and help out."

"…Ugh."

Fine…

Mission complete, and he even picked up an unexpected reward.

He had planned to just slip away quietly, but Minato caught him at the last second.

No getting out of this now.

Unfortunate.

Kyoichi sighed.

Minato smiled and turned to Yahiko. "I'll speak with my teacher about this. We'll see what he decides—I hope you understand."

"…I do. Please send my regards to Jiraiya-sensei."

Yahiko bowed deeply once more.

"I will."

****************************

Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.

p@treon/GodDragcell