Just as Tatsumi was staring at the girl, Minato quickly helped Nawaki back to his side.
"Cough... Tatsumi, I think your kick was unnecessary. I could have dodged that attack," Nawaki said, visibly displeased.
Of course he was displeased—very much so.
No one wants their epitaph to read, "Here lies the grandson of the First Hokage—killed by his own teammate's cheap shot."
"…I didn't touch you. You fell on your own. Had nothing to do with me," Tatsumi muttered, still trying to hypnotize himself.
He looked at Nawaki as if he'd just seen a granny faking a fall in front of a car—completely spooked.
Nawaki thought, Damn it! Can't we just be good buddies for once?
Honestly, his chest wasn't hurting as much anymore. In a real battle like that, he probably wouldn't have dodged in time. But he knew if he didn't milk it a little, his pride would take a serious hit.
"The enemy's ninjutsu is truly impressive. As expected of a Jonin... He sent Nawaki flying in an instant," Tatsumi said, frowning seriously.
Minato shot him a strange look. No wonder Tatsumi was already a Chunin while they were still Genin. Just listen to the guy—completely shameless.
If there hadn't still been a clear sandal print on Nawaki's stomach, Minato might have believed him.
Tatsumi's ability to lie with a straight face was practically an art form. Maybe that's just how leaders are trained.
"Hm? You dodged my attack?"
The middle-aged man's voice cut through their conversation.
He narrowed his eyes, peering at them. Upon getting a clearer look at Tatsumi and the others, his brows furrowed. "Leaf ninjas?"
Earlier, the reconnaissance ninja in his squad had sensed someone approaching. He assumed they were just mercenaries hired by the Daimyo's faction.
He hadn't expected them to be from the Hidden Leaf. Given how stretched Konoha was on the battlefield, how could they spare manpower to deal with something like this?
This was bad. Could it be that the Leaf already knew about the Sand's secret dealings with the Land of Fire? For a moment, the Sand ninja captain was genuinely unsure.
"This is the middle of a Great Ninja War. Why are Sand ninjas in the Land of Fire?" Tatsumi asked, though the question was clearly rhetorical.
Unexpectedly, the man replied, "If I had to say… we're on a mission."
...Anyone could tell that the Sand captain was dodging the question.
While the man spoke, Tatsumi silently observed the team, hoping to glean useful intel. That was his true goal.
Judging by the man's bulky frame, he was likely a Wind Release specialist—a ninjutsu-type Jonin.
The young man in his twenties carried a massive scroll on his back—clearly a puppeteer. The girl standing protectively in the middle was probably the reconnaissance-type ninja.
But it was the other girl who truly caught Tatsumi's attention.
She wore a purple outfit and a Sand forehead protector. With kunai in hand, she scanned the area warily, her two orange-red bangs fluttering in the breeze.
Even though her appearance was still immature, Tatsumi immediately recognized her—Pakura, the future wielder of Scorch Release.
This was another battlefield genius Tatsumi had encountered. Iwa's Explosion Release hunter, Suna's Rasa… and now Pakura with her deadly Scorch Release.
At this moment, she was just a teenage girl—completely innocent. In fact, Pakura was still completely flat-chested.
But judging by her future… well, let's just say many flat chests hide explosive potential.
Still, despite her youth, Pakura was already quite beautiful. With Tatsumi's experienced eye, he'd rate her looks a solid 85.
So it wasn't surprising to see Nawaki staring at her, completely captivated.
Tatsumi even suspected Rasa had a crush on Pakura.
Maybe, after becoming the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa confessed, got rejected, and went crazy—ultimately betraying the village's hero. Otherwise, how could anyone explain such a brain-dead decision?
"Be careful. That girl's not simple," Tatsumi warned his teammates.
Scorch Release was a notoriously troublesome Kekkei Genkai. Among this squad, Tatsumi considered Pakura the most dangerous.
The Sand captain was equally surprised. He hadn't expected Konoha to already have intel on Pakura's abilities.
His expression darkened. Perhaps that mud-playing brat Rasa was right—there was a spy hidden deep inside their village.
His fury nearly reached the boiling point. With a flick of his hand, he launched an attack.
Shuriken!
Tatsumi tilted his head slightly and dodged the flying weapons.
"Go!"
In a warzone, a sudden encounter with enemy ninjas usually meant only one thing—combat to the death.
"Heh. Are Leaf ninjas all this fearless?" the Sand captain sneered.
"What's the point in wasting words?" Tatsumi shook his head, not bothering with a reply.
Once combat began, some of Tatsumi's worse habits faded away, replaced by a sharp, calculated presence—very similar to Orochimaru's cold composure.
It was this steady aura that made Mikoto and Nawaki instinctively trust him.
Before Tatsumi even finished speaking, he had already dashed forward.
Mikoto reacted just as quickly, following closely behind his fluttering cloak.
Minato and Nawaki charged in right after.
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