Naruto Birdcage

The next morning.

After receiving the news, Minato rushed back, but he appeared quite exhausted.

He had been alone, constantly harassing the main camp of the Kumo Ninjas outside the borders, almost having to face off against the Raikage's duo brothers every time.

He was pleasantly surprised by the results of the battle on the Konoha side and praised Makoto's achievements.

Makoto replied that it was everyone's effort.

This response made Minato reminisce about the first time he met Makoto.

He had praised Makoto for the intelligence that had brought victory to Konoha, and Makoto had given the same response as now.

News also arrived from the Daimyo, who had funded and entrusted various mercenaries within the Land of Fire to join forces in eliminating the remaining Kumo Ninja forces.

Looking at the current situation, it could only be said that they had successfully passed the first major hurdle, but more than 7,000 Kumo Ninjas still lurked beyond the borders, waiting for an opportunity.

Shikaku had considered seeking reinforcements.

But at this moment, in the ninja world, Iwagakure and Kirigakure had just fought against Konoha, Sunagakure was in a standoff with Kirigakure, and as for the smaller countries and villages nearby, who could pose a threat to Kumogakure?

Not long after Minato's return, the mist in the forest had not yet dissipated when a message came from the border: a large group of Kumo Ninjas was rapidly approaching, and their scale and movements were unmistakably aggressive.

The people of Konoha felt a sinking feeling.

It had been anticipated that after the defeat, Kumogakure would not give up easily.

Minato immediately planned to summon all available forces to the border to resist the Kumo Ninjas' invasion.

"Wait!" Makoto suddenly stopped Minato at this moment.

"Makoto?" Minato looked at him in surprise, unsure of his intentions.

"We can't go!" Makoto said.

Minato paused for a moment and then frowned.

"What did you say?"

Everyone's gaze turned toward them.

Inside the main tent stood Shikaku, Fugaku, and Inoichi, among others—high-ranking personnel from the frontlines, each of whom held a certain level of prestige within the village.

Makoto said, "Kumo Ninjas' forces could easily break through the border. They are waiting for us to come so they can wipe us out in one fell swoop."

Minato responded, "Even so, what are you suggesting? If we don't go, are we just going to let the Kumo Ninjas enter the country?"

"Exactly!" Makoto calmly replied.

Inside the tent, everyone exchanged uncertain looks, while some appeared lost in thought.

Minato's gaze swept over the group, his expression subtly shifting.

Charging directly to the border for a decisive battle with the Kumo Ninjas would be akin to courting death.

However, leaving the matter alone and allowing over 7,000 Kumo Ninjas to enter the Land of Fire would inevitably bring disaster to its citizens, which would be impossible to justify to the daimyo.

While Kumogakure's ninjas might pride themselves on their status and refrain from harming ordinary people, who could guarantee such restraint?

If the civilians suffered, who would bear responsibility for their plight?

Minato turned to Shikaku and asked, "Shikaku, should we retreat?"

Shikaku struggled to respond.

On one side were the citizens of the Land of Fire; on the other, the comrades of Konoha.

Was this a decision he had to make?

Yet if Konoha were to lose the battle, the citizens of the Land of Fire would still face the same fate.

After a long silence, he gave his reply:

"Right now, we cannot afford to lose even once."

It sounded ambiguous, but it was still a clear answer.

The tent fell into a heavy silence.

The grim situation weighed on everyone, and they all understood it was an inescapable dilemma.

Minato's expression grew calm; as the frontline commander, this decision was his alone to make.

He glanced once more at Makoto.

Shikaku had likely already figured all of this out, but he had chosen not to speak.

Was this boy acting out of ignorance or fearlessness?

Was he unafraid of becoming a scapegoat?

"Shikaku," Minato said with a steady gaze, "Take everyone and retreat to Kikyo Mountain."

Shikaku hesitated in surprise. "What about you, Minato?"

Minato calmly said, "Naturally, I'm heading to the border."

"Minato!" the people in the command tent called out urgently, trying to dissuade him.

Minato chuckled softly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going there to throw my life away—just to stir things up, as I've done before."

He added, "If the Kumo ninja pour into the Fire Nation's territory, the situation will only become harder to control."

Makoto slowly interjected, "The situation is already beyond our control. Retreating repeatedly isn't ideal, but it's about finding a way to win. As long as we're still alive, there's always hope."

Minato said nothing in response, only reached out to gently pat Makoto on the shoulder.

The Konoha forces began their preparations to move.

The camp's location near the border meant their destination, Kikyo Mountain, was a fortified castle stronghold.

Minato departed alone.

As the frontline commander, he had rarely directed battles from the frontlines, but he continued to accomplish what no one else could.

.......

Konoha, Uchiha Clan Grounds.

Mikoto pushed open the door and found that the person standing outside was none other than Kushina.

However, Kushina's face was full of worry, and it was unclear what was troubling her.

"Mikoto."

"Kushina?" Mikoto quickly invited her inside.

Itachi wasn't home—he had gone to the training grounds to practice—so Mikoto was the only one at home.

Kushina sat in the living room while Mikoto poured her a cup of water.

"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked.

"Have you heard about what's happening on the front lines?" Kushina asked.

Mikoto nodded. "I've heard. We won a victory and even captured the enemy's Two-Tails Jinchūriki."

News of a victory naturally spread quickly, and earlier that morning, after the injured had returned to the village, the story of the triumph on the battlefield quickly became the talk of the village.

Mikoto chuckled. "The village won a great victory. Aren't you happy?"

Hearing this, Kushina lowered her head, holding her teacup in both hands.

Seeing her like this, Mikoto pondered for a moment and asked, "Did something happen?"

Kushina slowly said, "In the letter Minato sent me, he mentioned that he's fought the Raikage duo brothers many times, and they're really tough to deal with... I've been thinking, the enemy's Jinchuriki are on the battlefield, causing us so much trouble, yet I can only stay in the village, unable to do anything."

Mikoto tried to comfort her. "Don't think like that. Minato doesn't want you to take unnecessary risks, and besides, the Nine-Tails is special. Being able to suppress it is already no small feat."

Kushina said bitterly, "I've tried many ways, and Minato has helped me too, but I just can't control it."

She could use the Nine-Tails' chakra, which significantly enhanced her strength, but it was far from enough.

Unable to fully achieve Tailed Beast Transformation, she would be just a powerful ninja on the battlefield at best, unable to turn the tide of battle.

Additionally, it came with extremely high risks, which was why the village had her stay behind.

If the village recklessly sent her into battle and the Nine-Tails broke free, the first ones to suffer would likely be the Konoha ninja themselves.

Having been sealed for so long, the Nine-Tails undoubtedly harbored a deep hatred for Konoha far beyond anyone else.

Mikoto gently held Kushina's hand and said softly, "Kushina, don't overthink it. It's not your fault."

The two of them chatted for a while, with Mikoto continuously comforting Kushina and trying to ease her worries.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Mikoto stood up and went to answer it, finding an Anbu standing outside.

"Hello," the Anbu said.

Mikoto nodded. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Lord Hokage has requested to see Uzumaki Kushina. Please have her go to the Hokage's office."

Mikoto couldn't help but turn back toward the room, meeting Kushina's startled gaze.

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