Chapter 35: Long Live the Leaf Village

Is this... considered an invitation from Lord Roshi?

Mikawa thought he heard a note of appreciation in Lord Roshi’s voice.

To witness a battle between powerful shinobi was an honor any ninja could boast about for a lifetime, not to mention the invaluable experience one could glean from watching such a fight.

Lord Roshi had actually invited them to observe!

Although he didn't know who the opponent would be, for Lord Roshi to be this excited, it must be a formidable enemy.

Could it be Minato Namikaze?

Since this was Lord Roshi’s personal invitation, he would probably ensure their safety, right?

But did Lord Roshi have some other mission? Mikawa didn’t dare ask, afraid of that fierce and intimidating gaze.

Watching Lord Roshi's figure grow more distant, a flood of emotions surged in Mikawa’s chest—excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and fear.

Especially the words, “If you have the courage, follow me,” kept prodding his pride.

“I’m going to watch the battle!” Mikawa finally decided to follow.

He was just a civilian ninja, who’d spent half his life clawing his way up, and only managed to become a jonin through sheer grit and seniority. This was likely as far as his life would go.

But if he could latch onto the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, his fate would change entirely. Even if he could pick up a few stray techniques, it would be enough to last him a lifetime.

Follow!

Without a doubt, this was the best choice he’d ever made.

As Mikawa hurried after, the remaining Iwagakure ninja couldn’t resist anymore either; even a few of the severely wounded begged their comrades to carry them along.

This was a summit clash in the shinobi world—missing it would be a lifetime’s regret!

And so, Bai Mu led a long trail of Iwa ninja into the Land of Fire.

...

“Hey, what the hell are you doing? Why don’t we just run straight back?” Ebisu trembled with fear, glancing at the group of Iwa ninja following close behind.

“Think of all the shiny merit points!” Bai Mu replied nonchalantly.

“Still, it’s not worth risking our lives for merit...”

Bai Mu patted A-Fei. “Shut him up.”

A-Fei extended a tentacle and wriggled it around.

“Aaagh!” Ebisu wailed in despair.

“What’s going on?”

“Oops, wrong mouth,” A-Fei replied mischievously.

“How do you even get the wrong mouth...?”

“Oh shit! Just keep that thing away from me.” Bai Mu continued leading the Iwa ninja on a stroll through the Land of Fire.

...

“Reporting to Commander!” A contact ninja from the Yamanaka Clan rushed into the command tent.

“What is it?” Shikafuku Nara rubbed his tired eyes, waking from a brief nap—he hadn’t slept well in two days and nights.

“The main watchtower has a report!” the Yamanaka ninja replied.

Konoha had set up four main watchtowers along this border, each staffed with six Hyuga clan members conducting round-the-clock surveillance, as well as Yamanaka contact ninjas to relay information promptly to headquarters.

The four watchtowers couldn’t possibly cover every inch of the border perfectly—people make mistakes, after all—and scanning thousands of kilometers with the naked eye was no easy task. So, small incursions were inevitable from time to time.

“Patch it through.” At the mention of an incident, Shikafuku instantly perked up; minor matters would never be reported at this hour.

The Yamanaka contact ninja quickly performed a series of hand seals, linking to the main watchtower’s contact ninja.

Konoha’s tactical coordination was truly remarkable.

“Reporting, sir. From border sector D through G, there’s something strange happening...” the contact ninja’s voice echoed in Shikafuku’s mind.

“Strange?”

“A person resembling the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Roshi, is wrapping three of our ninjas in his tails, being followed by more than thirty Iwa ninja, wandering aimlessly in circles, and... and constantly flipping us off...”

There was something odd in the contact ninja’s tone.

“What do you mean ‘resembling’ Roshi? You can’t even distinguish a Jinchuriki with your Byakugan?” Shikafuku frowned.

“The appearance is identical to Roshi, but there’s no sign of that sinister Tailed Beast chakra—his chakra is actually very weak.”

“Hmm... Understood. I’ll send someone to check it out.”

“Regardless of whether it’s real or not... have Minato Namikaze go over.”

...

“Lord Roshi... I think we’ve been circling this spot for the third time now...” Mikawa, despite his fear of being scolded, had no choice but to speak up.

“Hmm? Really?” Bai Mu was starting to get anxious—he silently cursed the Konoha sentry for possibly dozing off. How could they not send an intercept team after all this time?

“Yes... Maybe we should head back.” Mikawa swallowed hard. Konoha’s watchtowers were no joke; every border crossing felt like a gamble with fate.

“Hmph, head back if you want... Wait, here they come!”

A flash of golden light—a dazzling entry by Minato Namikaze.

“It really is Minato Namikaze! If Lord Roshi can defeat him, we’ll never have to fear Konoha again!” Mikawa’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Indeed, you’re absolutely right,” Bai Mu nodded.

He turned, placed a hand gently on Mikawa’s shoulder, and murmured in a deep, low voice by his ear:

“Thank you for your trust. But... Long live Konoha.”

In Mikawa’s widening eyes, confusion, terror, and shock mingled as Bai Mu raised both hands and sprinted toward Minato, shouting:

“The enemy has been lured into the trap—close the net!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—dozens of Konoha ninja appeared from all directions, cutting off every escape route.

“Lord Roshi... defected? Are we being offered up as tribute?” Mikawa was still at a loss.

“And you are...?” Minato looked quizzically at the approaching Bai Mu.

“Bai Mu!” Fearing someone might attack him without realizing, Bai Mu dispelled his “Natural Illusion” transformation as he spoke, pulling Pakkun to stand in front of him.

“He’s on our side—do not attack,” Minato quickly ordered.

“That guy’s a jonin—don’t let him get away!” Bai Mu pointed at Mikawa.

“I...” Tears welled in Mikawa’s eyes. He looked at Minato, then at the fierce Konoha ninja surrounding him. His hands, which had been about to form seals, slowly moved to the back of his head as his knees buckled.

All thirty-four Iwa ninja were captured alive.

...

Outside the command tent, Bai Mu waited anxiously for his reward.

Surely this achievement would be enough for Shikafuku Nara to agree to him becoming a Konoha mercenary, right? That way, he could move about Konoha freely, build relationships, and pick up more missions.

However, inside the command tent...

Shikafuku Nara kept rubbing his temples, deep in thought.

“Lord Shikafuku? Is there an issue with Bai Mu?” Minato asked, perplexed. “According to Kakashi, he saved the Moonlight Hayate squad, their team, Guy’s squad, and now he’s captured so many Iwa ninja. That’s a major accomplishment by any measure.”

“That’s precisely why... Someone who goes out of their way to be helpful usually has ulterior motives,” Shikafuku sighed.

“You’re worried...” Minato hesitated.

“Exactly. I’m worried he’s a spy from another village. Who in this world is so selfless as to risk their life for us without compensation? We’re talking about the Four-Tails Jinchuriki here...” Shikafuku paced back and forth inside the tent.

“Well... but that’s just speculation,” Minato said, beginning to feel a headache.

“Konoha is walking on thin ice right now; we cannot be careless. Moreover, his transformation jutsu fooled even you, and he managed to trick over thirty Iwa ninja. If he really is a spy, the consequences could be disastrous.” As Konoha’s strategist, Shikafuku was more troubled than ever.

“So... what do you suggest?” Minato thought to himself how much easier life would be if the shinobi world was all about simple battles, without these mind-bending games of espionage. Fortunately, the Nara clan handled such things, sparing him the headache.

“If possible, the simplest solution would be to have a Yamanaka elite search his mind for intelligence... But that’s something almost everyone resists. After all, everyone has secrets they’d rather keep, not to mention the potential side effects.”

“Even if there were no side effects, I wouldn’t want my mind searched,” Minato chuckled. The little moments he shared with Kushina, their affection, and his corny love talk—those belonged to them alone.

“Exactly. So the best solution is...”

“He’s after money, isn’t he? Then let’s give him enough for disaster relief and send him home. We won’t accept him, nor will we harm him. Letting him leave safely is the best choice.” Shikafuku pounded the table, finally making a decision.