Winter went and spring came, the sun and moon changed, and since entering 47, the entire Third Shinobi World War had changed again.
First, the personal matters. Drawing for Jiraiya again added some chores for Otonashi. Coincidentally, he had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, leaving only the effort of dripping water wearing away stone. So, he devoted some energy to drawing doujinshi.
However, getting in touch with Jiraiya had great benefits. Although he didn't learn any ninjutsu, his safety in Konoha had increased several levels.
Think about it. With Minato's wedding, there were countless people observing in the dark. They weren't blind, of course they could see Otonashi and Jiraiya talking happily, and on top of that, the two met a few times later because of certain details. It was easy to create strategic miscalculations.
It was as if the two were researching something amazing.
The Third Hokage, two of the three Sannin, such a background was as hard as steel. Whoever had to think about it several times.
Admittedly, Jiraiya left the village to find Tsunade after receiving the first illustration, but as long as there was no news of their death, who would dare to openly touch Otonashi in the slightest?
"Jiraiya isn't an idiot. He's able to cooperate with me so well. He should have received some hints from the Third Hokage." Otonashi raised his head and looked at the melting snow outside the window.
It was obvious that it was a debt to his intelligence if he really thought Jiraiya was a silly old pervert. This one of the Sannin is very smart.
He stretched his back and thought about the recent situation, a trace of worry flashed across his face.
The war was rapidly expanding. Konoha, which had been far ahead, fell into passivity after Tsunade and Jiraiya left and Orochimaru became a shut-in. It was equivalent to the enemy not using a single soldier, and this side lost three Kage-level masters.
Moreover, perhaps it was the butterfly effect. Otonashi's activity in the Battle of Shirakawa did reduce many troubles for Konoha's main force, but it also allowed the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning to secretly unite, with the intention of taking advantage of his illness to kill him.
Iwagakure and Konoha had a series of great battles in the Land of Rain, but traces of Kumogakure also appeared on the battlefield, which made Sarutobi Hiruzen more old age spots recently.
With the two countries united, the Land of Water in the east was also ready to move, just as Minato had said.
Konoha was in an unprecedented crisis of combat power!
"The rest for most of the year should also end. If there is a survival crisis, even the most valued genius has to go to the battlefield." Otonashi looked at the hawk circling outside the window, his face shook, put on his vest, picked up his backpack, and picked up the long knife leaning against the table and pushed the door out.
He looked back at the still messy house and silently closed the door.
Ninjas were like this, with seamless connections between peace and war. Sometimes there wasn't even time to prepare mentally.
Locking the door, he followed the hawk to the east gate of the village, only seeing desolation all the way. The stores were almost all closed, and the passersby were wearing black clothes with tear stains on their faces, apparently just returning from a funeral.
This kind of repressive atmosphere formed a sharp contrast with the new buds on the trees. Along with a team of civilians transporting grain, he went out, and he saw several figures standing in the green grass.
"Teacher." He bowed to Hiashi Hyuga, looked around to the left and right, and asked, "Isn't Shisui coming?"
"Uchiha Shisui has been transferred to other troops and will go to the east with the Uchiha Police Force and the Hyuga family." Hiashi replied expressionlessly.
"So he went to the eastern front." Otonashi nodded. Personnel appointments even Hiashi didn't have the qualification for, let alone him.
Now, in addition to the southwest, Konoha was fighting on three fronts. Combat power was so tight that they were splitting up ninja squads.
Moreover, Shisui was obviously too talented, and the Uchiha family didn't want him to go elsewhere.
"So our Team 17 is nominally dead? We have to act with Minato-sensei and them?"
Otonashi pointed to the front, where the Seventh Team was resting under the tree.
"That's right, Otonashi." Without waiting for Hiashi to speak, Minato walked over and said gently, "This top-secret mission was supposed to be undertaken by us, but traces of cloud ninja have appeared on the battlefield, so the Third Hokage assigned Team 17, which has cooperated several times, to be under our command."
"This way, three, no, four Jonin should be able to ensure the mission proceeds smoothly."
Kakashi had already been promoted to Jonin, and he had never regarded Otonashi as a Chunin.
Otonashi didn't correct him, but frowned and asked, "Top-secret mission?"
"Yes, we'll talk in detail after the last member arrives."
There was still someone else?
Otonashi looked back and saw a short girl bouncing over, holding her knees and panting, "Mitarashi Anko, arrived!"
It really happened?
Otonashi looked at the girl who was secretly looking at him, and for a time, his mind was full of thoughts. Could it be an Orochimaru conspiracy? What changes would there be on this trip? What role did that Shimura Danzo play in this?
Uchiha, ANBU, Third Hokage, Danzo, Orochimaru...
For a time, he thought a lot. Fortunately, Minato and Hiashi Hyuga were both there. Anko was a little restrained and didn't dare to say a word of nonsense, only caring to wink at him.
Looking at Hiashi, the latter was still a poker face, and he couldn't read any emotions at all.
"Anko, join the ranks." Minato smiled and beckoned to everyone, "Let's talk as we go."
The military situation was urgent, and Minato, who had become a veteran of the battlefield, didn't want to waste a moment. The group marched non-stop for several hours before turning into a small road. After the surroundings were sparsely populated, Minato beckoned, and the entire team immediately stopped.
He saw Kakashi taking out a map from his backpack and spreading it on the ground, his face shaking, just like he change from nice guy to a battle.
"You've all heard about the events on the front lines, right?"
Everyone nodded. Just a few days ago, a thousand-strong unit from the Land of Earth had crossed the border from the neutral Land of Grass, with a tendency to outflank Konoha's main force in the west.
The front lines were stuck, and a surprise attack was launched from an impossible direction. The tactics were very similar to the Manstein Plan that Otonashi had seen in his previous life, but Konoha was not France after all, and had already begun to respond in just two days.
"The Third Hokage has gone to the front lines. The three Lords of Ino-Shika-Cho are leading Konoha reinforcements to resist these thousand Iwa ninjas, but they are too few, I'm afraid they don't have the power to do so."
Minato paused for a moment and looked at Otonashi, "So our small squad is going to directly insert behind the Iwa ninjas and destroy their supply lines."
"Using their own methods against them?" Hiashi nodded slightly, obviously already understood.
Konoha was going to replicate the same thing that the Iwa ninjas had done in the Battle of Shirakawa last year, cutting off the supply lines of these thousand enemies!
"Yes, this raiding force must have only brought a small amount of supplies. Once the supply is cut off, they can only retreat, so the western front will be safe." Minato nodded.
Otonashi already understood the plan. They were going to cross behind enemy lines and cut off their supplies. After all, no matter how good ninjas were at fighting, a thousand people had to eat a lot every day. Besides, they had to replenish kunai, explosive tags, and so on, right?
But he looked at his companions who were concentrating, feeling very puzzled. Apart from Kakashi and himself, the rest were burdens. It was extremely dangerous to carry out such a top-secret mission.
Besides, Minato alone could cut off the supply. That Flying Thunder God Technique was elusive. Even if hundreds of people were dispatched, they wouldn't be able to catch him.
However, he still kept silent. After these years of beatings from reality, he had long known that ninjas were not superpowered people who were crazy and cool in TV shows and games.
But a kind of soldier called "ninja", obeying orders is their duty.
"Otonashi, do you have anything to say?" The careful and considerate Minato looked over and asked proactively.
"Well, I just want to ask about the battlefield location and how to divide the team." Otonashi didn't ask meaningless questions, but instead focused on the battle.
"I'm responsible for supporting the three Lords of Ino-Shika-Cho, sticking the Iwa ninjas on the front lines so they can't return to support. Team 17 will infiltrate behind enemy lines and attract the attention of the enemy rearguard." Minato talked eloquently, and warned:
"There may be cloud ninjas there, please be careful."
"Yes." Otonashi nodded solemnly, thinking that this was probably the butterfly effect.
It was estimated that the war on the Konoha side was going too smoothly, and even though the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had deep hatred, they had reached some kind of tacit understanding. Back then, it was conceivable why Minato had gone to the front.
Without a master sitting in charge, the front may be defeated. At that time, bombing the bridge would be useless. He couldn't always hope that the moral character of Iwa ninjas was high and wouldn't help the enemy with food.
"What about us, teacher?" Obito asked impatiently.
"Team 7 is responsible for the main attack, and after we complete our operational plan, we will come out as a surprise soldier and blow up——"
Minato's finger pointed to a location on the map.
"Kannabi Bridge!"