Chương 96: Twinkle, Twinkle, Yellow Flash

The slaughter concluded, and the grim labor of the cleanup began. The dead were gathered; the survivors were given the mercy of a finishing blow—be they from the Cloud or the Hidden Water. This was no act of wanton cruelty from the Leaf, but the cold reality of the Shinobi World. Intelligence could be harvested from a corpse just as easily as from the living.

In post-war negotiations, returning a body was a standard diplomatic exchange; returning a living prisoner was often an insult the recipient village couldn't afford to accept. A shinobi who had tasted captivity rarely found peace at home; they lived under the suffocating shroud of suspicion from high command and the whispered vitriol of their peers. It was a life worse than the grave. This wasn't like the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.

Back then, the Stone ninjas had surrendered the moment Onoki signaled his capitulation. Konoha had needed those survivors to act as a buffer against the Cloud, and under the Third Hokage's insistence, they were repatriated without interrogation, their loyalty preserved. Here, no such luxury existed. Hiashi Hyuga stood in the heart of the valley, cradling the hard-won victory in his palm. His gaze drifted to the shattered remains of the Great Wall bisecting the canyon.

"Who manifested this technique?" he asked, his voice carrying the natural authority of a Clan Head.

"It shows a rare tactical mind." A Hyuga Jonin, commander of the eastern blocking force, stepped forward.

"Lord Hiashi, it was the work of Dongye Zhen, a Chunin from Team Gekko. His ingenuity secured the terrain and drastically reduced our casualties while we awaited your arrival."

"Ah, the hero who bested the Mist?" Hiashi's expression softened into an appreciative mask.

"As expected of the premier genius of the new generation. Such versatility with elemental transformation is truly enviable. I understand he is quite close with Tokuma?"

"Indeed, my Lord. They were classmates. Even after graduation, they remain in frequent contact."

"Good," Hiashi mused, a flicker of competitive ambition behind his eyes. If Fugaku Uchiha can boast of a prodigy, so can the Hyuga.

"Instruct Tokuma to nurture that bond. It is a friendship worth preserving."

"Let nature take its course, my Lord," the Jonin replied smoothly.

"Tokuma is a good judge of character. My concern now is the remaining enemy forces. Only a fraction fell here; the primary host broke toward the northeast. Shall we initiate the pursuit?"

"Without delay. Leave the cleanup to the local Hot Water survivors—leave a small detachment to oversee them. The rest of us move out immediately." On the other side of the battlefield, Rocky the Husky stood before the Great Wall, staring up at the stone carving of his own head. He looked positively regal.

"Who manifested this technique?" the dog barked, puffing out his chest.

"It shows a rare tactical mind." Tokuma Hyuga didn't miss a beat.

"It was Zhen, obviously. No one else has the flair for this kind of spectacle." Inuzuka Maeko buried her face in her palms, cursing Zhen under her breath. By giving Rocky this "monument," Zhen had just guaranteed a month of insufferable arrogance. The dog would return to the village and tell every female Ninken that Konoha's victory was due entirely to his majestic, stone-carved presence. Why can't he be steady and reliable like Lady Tsume's Kuromaru? she wondered.

Zhen strolled over, wearing a grin that promised trouble.

"So, Rocky, am I a man of my word or what? Before long, your name will be legendary across the Leaf." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"I told you, don't call me 'Two-Ha'... actually, fine," the dog huffed, feeling magnanimous.

"Since you've shown me the proper respect, you can call me whatever you like. I forgive you. But listen, the carving is a good start. Next time, make it more majestic. I want the mouth open wider, the fangs longer, and the eyes piercing! And the fur—make it look like it's exploding with power!" Zhen felt a sudden, phantom headache. It was the "Client from Hell" syndrome. In his past life, he had been a graphic designer; the demands of a difficult client had once driven him to the brink of madness.

It seemed some things transcended reincarnation. A Hyuga Branch member flickered into existence beside them.

"Chunin Dongye Zhen, Lord Hiashi requests your presence."

"Lead the way." Zhen followed the scout to Hiashi Hyuga. Standing before the man, Zhen noted the striking resemblance to Hizashi—a mirror image of the father of the future 'Princess of the Leaf.' Hiashi greeted him with a practiced, warm diplomacy.

"Dongye-kun, I am told your sensory abilities are peerless. Did you perceive the enemy's split during the breakout?"

"I did, Lord Hiashi. A significant force moved northeast, likely led by Troy of the Magnet Release. Furthermore, the Kumo commander from this sector abandoned his post mid-battle. He's currently fleeing toward Troy's position."

"I see. Is he still within your range?"

"Vaguely, but yes."

"Excellent. Assemble a pursuit force with Team Gekko as the vanguard. We cannot let them escape." In truth, at the speed of a fleeing ninja, Teoshi and his inner circle should have vanished from Zhen's sensory net long ago. Standard "Range Sensing" is a high-precision radar within a fixed radius.

"Specific Target Sensing," however, operates over vast distances but requires a familiar signature and immense focus. It was the same technique Tobirama Senju used to track Madara Uchiha across provinces—a feat born of an intimate, if hostile, familiarity. Zhen wasn't quite at the Second Hokage's level of absurdity yet, but Teoshi hadn't reached the horizon either. As a Jonin, Teoshi's chakra signature was like a beacon in the dark, and Zhen—buttressed by natural energy—could feel the ripple of his wake.

The pursuit force blazed through the mountain forests of the Land of Hot Water. Team Gekko led the charge, flanked by several Hyuga Jonin. Hiashi was taking no chances; Zhen had been a hero under Fugaku Uchiha's command, and if the boy died under his watch, Hiashi would never hear the end of it. Mid-pursuit, Zhen suddenly banked northwest.

"Change of plans?" Yugao asked, keeping pace.

"Shouldn't they be heading for the coast?"

"The Cloud aren't stupid," Hayate countered.

"They saw us coming from the east. They know the ships are toothpicks by now. Their only hope is to cut northwest and rejoin their main host."

"But that puts them right in the path of our primary defensive line."

"Better than being cornered at the sea," Unken observed, pride flickering in his eyes at his students' quick wit. A moment later, Zhen skidded to a halt. He looked toward the clearing ahead.

"Lord Hiashi, the target has intercepted our defensive line. The breakout has begun."

"Move! All units, full speed!" But by the time they reached the clearing, the battle was already being rewritten. A Konoha patrol had engaged the Cloud survivors, but someone had arrived before the pursuit force. A rain of uniquely shaped, tri-pronged kunai had been scattered across the clearing. The Kumo ninjas had dodged them easily, but their faces weren't filled with relief. They were filled with a primal, bone-deep dread. That kunai design... Shit. It's over.

A flash of yellow light ignited in the center of the fray. A young man, golden hair shimmering like a halo, appeared amidst the enemy. What followed was a display of sheer, unadulterated slaughter. It was "Dynasty Warriors" brought to life. With Space-Time Ninjutsu paired with a reflex speed that was unparalleled in history, he didn't need flashy techniques. He simply ghosted through the ranks, a single, clinical flick of a kunai at every throat. To the onlookers, it was a blurred dance of light and blood.

To the Kumo ninjas, it was an inescapable nightmare. Against Minato Namikaze, there was no strategy. There was only the wait for the cold steel. The Leaf reinforcements stood like spectators at a show.

"It's Lord Minato!"

"The Cloud bastards are finished!"

"Behold... the Yellow Flash." The Third Shinobi World War was a period of profound suffering for Konoha, but it had birthed a superstar whose name struck terror into the hearts of nations. He was the man who had single-handedly broken the will of the Stone and the Cloud. He was the reason Onoki had issued an unprecedented order: Flee on sight, no consequences. He was the man the Fourth Raikage would spend the next decade trying to surpass. He was Minato Namikaze. But one man refused to yield to the legend.

Troy, the master of Magnet Release, raised his hands, his oversized, diamond-shaped shuriken beginning to hum with a lethal, metallic resonance. He wasn't done yet.