Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 433 Tokens

Killer Bee held the strangely shaped trident kunai between his fingers. The cold metallic texture emanated from his fingertips, yet it seemed to carry a scorching heat.

This is more than just a token.

This is a coordinate, a warning, and even more so, a... certification.

This proves that Konoha is both qualified and capable of leading the course of this war.

Further away, Nara Shikaku yawned and lazily said to Akimichi Choza beside him, "Hey, Choza, it looks like the information exchange is about to begin. What a hassle, this means we'll have another meeting."

"A meeting is good!"

Choza Akimichi stuffed a soldier's ration into his mouth and mumbled, "We can have a midnight snack after the meeting. I brought some top-quality pork belly!"

"Eat your head, my foot!"

Yamanaka Inoichi ignored the two clowns. His perception was like an invisible network, covering the entire area and capturing everyone's chakra flow and emotional fluctuations.

In his perception, the Cloud Village ninja named Killer Bee possessed an immense amount of chakra, yet at this moment, it was firmly suppressed by Captain Minato's seemingly calm chakra.

That was a form of qualitative suppression.

It is the suppression between hunter and prey.

Finally, Killer Bee moved.

He didn't release the kunai, but spoke in that position, only this time, there was no hint of joking.

"A kunai that moves very fast."

Kirabi waved his hand, signaling his men behind him to relax.

He then carefully put the Flying Thunder God Kunai into his ninja tool bag with solemn movements.

Minato Namikaze's smile remained unchanged. He turned to the side and gestured for them to proceed, pointing to the simple map that had already been laid out beside the campfire.

"Since we are allies, we should have an open and honest talk."

Without any hesitation, Kirabi strode over and sat down in front of the map.

The atmosphere remained delicate.

Although the Cloud Village ninjas lowered their hand seals, their bodies remained tense. Meanwhile, on the Konoha side, the boisterous Obito Uchiha leaned close to Kakashi's ear and whispered something in his ear.

"Hey Kakashi, the way they look at us makes it seem like they're about to fight us at any moment."

Kakashi didn't even turn his head, replying in a voice barely audible to the two of them: "Well, if you had used the same energy you had for eating the barbecue on being on guard, we might be safer."

Obito was about to retort when Rin Nohara stopped him with a comforting gesture.

Beside the campfire, Killer Bee laid out all the predicaments facing the Hidden Cloud Village. His voice was deep, devoid of any rapping tone.

"Onoki's demolition squad launched a frontal assault, using Dust Release and large-scale Earth Release techniques to clear out our defenses. Our defenses and traps were as fragile as paper in front of them."

"The puppet army of the Third Kazekage Retsumon is even more troublesome. They are like venomous snakes, always finding the most cunning angles to cut into our forces and disrupt our supplies."

Killer Bee drew several intersecting red lines on the map with his finger, which were the collapsing defenses of Kumogakure.

"Our people... are risking their lives to fill the gaps. But at this rate, we can't hold out for long."

In the end, this man, who always concealed everything with sunglasses and rap, also had an uncontrollable heaviness in his words.

One of the Cloud Village Jonin following Killer Bee finally couldn't hold back any longer. He glanced at Minato Namikaze and spoke in a tone laced with suppressed hatred: "If it weren't for your Konoha... our Third Raikage wouldn't have..."

"shut up!"

Kirabi turned around abruptly and scolded.

The Cloud Village ninja fell silent instantly, but all the Cloud Village ninjas gathered there froze for a moment.

That is an indelible scar on Kumogakure.

The atmosphere at the camp instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Obito, Yahiko, and other young ninjas instinctively gripped their ninja tool pouches.

However, Minato Namikaze simply listened quietly, his gentle expression never changing.

He didn't avoid the topic of the Cloud Village ninja, but looked at him calmly, his blue eyes remaining completely still.

"The past cannot be changed. The Third Raikage was a respectable and powerful figure; I have heard of his deeds."

His voice wasn't loud, but it had a convincing power.

"But what we need to do now is prevent more sacrifices like his from happening. Our task is to maintain peace, not to settle old scores."

As Minato spoke, he turned his gaze back to the map, his finger lightly tapping the border between the Land of Rain, the Land of Grass, and the Land of Fire.

"I understand your predicament."

His demeanor underwent a subtle change at that moment; the warm, sun-like feeling gradually subsided, replaced by a sharpness and focus like a drawn blade.

"On the front lines, you are indeed at a huge disadvantage. Onoki and Retsumon are both experienced Kage. If they join forces, in your current state, a head-on confrontation will only lead to your death."

Kirabi nodded silently; it was an undeniable fact.