Naruto: Senmei Asahi

At the same time Jiraiya was convening a combat strategy meeting, far away in Konohagakure, Tsunade—one of the Legendary Sannin—was already leading a force of two thousand Konoha shinobi toward the front lines.

Under normal circumstances, Tsunade would have remained at Konoha Hospital, providing critical care to the wounded who were sent back from the battlefield. Her medical ninjutsu was unparalleled, after all. But this was no ordinary time. The tension between Konoha and Iwagakure had reached its breaking point—both sides were preparing for a decisive confrontation. On such a battlefield, Tsunade's presence was indispensable. No matter how talented Asahi was in medical ninjutsu, he simply couldn't replace Tsunade—not yet.

Tsunade's unique ability to summon Katsuyu, the giant healing slug, allowed her to distribute chakra and medical treatment to hundreds of shinobi across a wide area. It was a battlefield miracle no other could replicate. Asahi, though exceptional, lacked the vast chakra reserves needed to pull off such a feat. For now, he was still in her shadow.

Not just Tsunade, but even the elite duo of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation had been recalled. By the personal order of the Third Hokage, Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi were withdrawn from the Kumogakure front and redeployed to support Tsunade.

Ever since the previous confrontation with Sunagakure, the precise and harmonious collaboration between Shikaku and Inoichi had earned the deep trust of the Hokage. Shikaku's razor-sharp intellect made him an exceptional field commander, while Inoichi's telepathic prowess allowed his strategies to be relayed instantly to all Konoha shinobi on the battlefield. In war, clarity and timing were everything.

Meanwhile, far to the northwest, in the shadowed halls of Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki received this information through his own intelligence network.

Onoki understood the truth of the current era. Every major village harbored the ambition to topple Konoha—the most powerful of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Yet, as much as they longed for its fall, none dared to act hastily. With Iwagakure now locked in a fierce standoff with Konoha, the other villages had adopted a wait-and-see approach, hoping to profit from Iwa's success or failure.

And so, with no risk of being ambushed from the rear, Onoki made his decision without hesitation: another five thousand shinobi would be dispatched to the front.

This was no half-measure. Except for essential personnel retained for village security, Iwagakure was going all-in. It was a bold, decisive gamble. The only thing standing in their way now was time—and the Konoha strike team tasked with cutting that very lifeline.

In this context, the mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge made perfect strategic sense. If Konoha could eliminate the bridge, those five thousand Iwa reinforcements would be stranded, unable to reinforce the front lines in time. It was a delicate race against fate.

…

Konoha Camp.

"I didn't expect you to volunteer for this mission." said Namikaze Minato, his tone carrying a hint of admiration as he regarded Asahi with calm, perceptive eyes.

"It's nothing. This mission is critical, and my skills are suited for it. I'm a Konoha shinobi. It's my duty to protect the village." Asahi's voice was calm, but his words held weight.

He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed uttering such idealistic words in front of Minato. After all, had he not known from previous knowledge that everyone—except Obito—would survive this mission, he would've never dared accept such a dangerous assignment.

Still, this was the perfect opportunity to change the Third Hokage's unfavorable opinion of him.

"You've learned the Flying Thunder God Technique?" Minato asked with intrigue, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Mm. I've grasped the fundamentals, but I can't use it with your level of precision yet, Senpai," Asahi admitted.

Unlike Minato, Asahi didn't possess superhuman reaction time. Even if he had mastered the technique in theory, putting it into practice during high-speed combat was an entirely different challenge.

"Impressive. You've progressed remarkably fast." Minato praised him genuinely.

"…Are we setting out now?" Asahi asked, smoothly shifting the conversation away. Being praised by someone like Minato made him a little uneasy.

"Yeah. We only have three days to complete the mission." Minato pointed into the distance. "Ah, good—Kakashi and the others are here."

As the trio approached, Uchiha Obito scowled. "He's coming too?" he said, frowning at Asahi.

Obito had always cherished his team's tight bond. The sudden addition of another person made him feel displaced—as if someone had intruded into his small world.

"This mission is tougher than normal. We need all the support we can get." Minato explained. "That includes you, Asahi."

"Tch… just don't get in our way, medical ninja." Obito crossed his arms and turned away with a huff.

"You'd better focus on not wetting yourself out there, 'genius of the Uchiha Clan,'" Kakashi said coolly without even looking at him.

"Yes! Asahi-san is already a Jōnin—he'll definitely be strong!" said Nohara Rin with enthusiasm.

Rin looked up to Asahi. She greatly admired his medical ninjutsu, and it had always been her dream to one day apprentice under Tsunade.

Obito was left momentarily speechless. Kakashi's jab had hit home, but Rin's praise was what truly crushed his spirit. He had only just been promoted to Chūnin, while both Kakashi and Asahi were already Jōnin. For someone as proud as Obito, this difference was humiliating.

"Everyone, I hope we can work well together on this mission." Asahi said, bowing slightly.

"Looking forward to it, Asahi-san!" Rin replied with a bright smile.

"Mm." Kakashi nodded as usual—calm, composed.

"Hmph." Obito simply looked away again.

"You've got quite a unique team." Asahi said to Minato, chuckling softly.

"Ahaha… yeah." Minato scratched the back of his head. Truthfully, managing the strained relationship between Kakashi and Obito had become one of his greatest headaches.

Just as the group was preparing to move out, a falcon descended swiftly into the camp, dropping a sealed scroll into the hands of a waiting shinobi.

The intelligence it carried changed everything.

A spy was active among the Five Great Nations. Both Konoha and Iwagakure had received intel on each other's movements. Onoki now knew Tsunade was headed to the front line. And Konoha, in turn, had learned that Iwagakure had dispatched five thousand additional shinobi.

This revelation was a disaster for the mission. If those reinforcements reached the front lines before the Kannabi Bridge could be destroyed, the mission would become meaningless. Jiraiya, recognizing the risk, was about to call off the operation.

But Minato didn't flinch. He assured Jiraiya that the enemy forces would not make it to the front lines in time.

When he emerged from Jiraiya's tent, his expression was firm. "Let's go." he ordered simply.

Minato led the team with deft precision, guiding them past enemy patrols and slipping through Iwagakure's defensive perimeter. Eventually, they crossed into the rugged terrain of the Land of Earth.

There, Minato came to a halt.

"Our target is the Kannabi Bridge. Destroying it will sever Iwagakure's supply and reinforcement line. But now, they've already begun moving their troops."

Minato turned toward the group. "I'm splitting us into two teams. Kakashi, you're team leader. Take Obito and Rin and complete the mission—destroy the Kannabi Bridge. Asahi and I will intercept and delay the reinforcements."

Only Minato had been informed of Iwa's troop movement by Jiraiya. Asahi, unaware of the full scope, merely nodded.

Had Asahi known that he would be tasked with confronting five thousand Iwagakure shinobi alongside Minato, he might have regretted joining the mission entirely.

Upon hearing the plan, Obito shot a glance at Kakashi, while Rin's eyes flicked between the two anxiously.

Both Minato and Rin had the same thought: 'Obito won't be happy about this. He's never accepted Kakashi's leadership.'

But to their surprise, Obito looked down silently for a moment, then raised his head and said clearly, "Let's go, Captain."

*****

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