Just before their departure, Kakashi and Ginji finally got their signatures sorted.
They tossed the signed documents at Kawakaze and, without another word, joined the expedition alongside their friends.
"These little brats really can't stand staying at home, huh?"
Kawakaze chuckled, muttering under his breath. He didn't even bother looking at the papers before casually stuffing them into his chest pocket.
"Let them go," Tsunade said.
"There won't be many chances like this in the future anyway."
She knew that only by experiencing the cruelty of war firsthand would Kakashi and the others truly understand the value of peace.
These kids were undeniably the future pillars of Konoha.
"You're right."
"They should be heading out soon."
Kawakaze glanced toward Nawaki and Minato, who had just finished confirming the final headcount. It was time to move.
"Hm."
Tsunade simply nodded, choosing not to give any grand speeches. She just stood there, quietly watching.
To her, the outcome of this war was already set in stone.
Konoha would win.
"Move out!"
With Nawaki and Minato's command, the army split into two groups, each heading in opposite directions.
Nawaki led Kakashi and the others toward the Land of Rivers. Once they crossed it, they would enter the Land of Wind.
Minato, meanwhile, took Ginji, a squad of young shinobi, and Yahiko's group toward the Land of Hot Water.
There, the Konoha forces would rendezvous with Akatsuki's troops before launching their assault on the Land of Lightning.
...
"Uncle, I heard you fought the Fourth Kazekage once?"
Kakashi sidled up to Nawaki, curiosity evident in his tone. He wasn't sure where he had heard it from, but the rumor had piqued his interest.
"That was years ago."
Nawaki recalled teaming up with Minato during the Second Shinobi World War to take on Rasa. His eyes gleamed with battle spirit.
Back then, I couldn't beat you. Let's see how things go now.
"Was he strong?"
Kakashi pressed on, determined to get an answer.
"He was… alright, I guess."
"That guy was just cocky because he was a few years older."
"If Sunagakure had any better options, he wouldn't have become Kazekage in the first place."
"This time, I'll make sure he knows his place."
Nawaki still held some resentment toward that battle—it had been brutal.
The Third Kazekage had fallen, and Konoha had suffered heavy losses.
But no matter how he looked at it, the fact remained: back then, Rasa had been able to suppress both him and Minato.
...
"You never actually won against him, did you?"
Kakashi, knowing Nawaki well, picked up on his evasive phrasing and quickly put two and two together.
"What do you mean I didn't win?"
"He didn't exactly walk away unscathed either!"
Nawaki reacted like a cat that had its tail stepped on, immediately getting defensive.
"Haha! I knew it."
Seeing his reaction, Kakashi became even more certain that his guess was spot on.
In his mind, Rasa's threat level skyrocketed.
He didn't know the exact details of that past battle, but he did know just how strong Nawaki and Minato were when they fought together.
Even if Rasa hadn't outright defeated them, the fact that he had managed to suppress them was no small feat.
In Konoha, there were only a handful of people capable of handling both Nawaki and Minato at the same time.
And if Rasa had been formidable back then, after all these years, there was no way he hadn't grown even stronger.
"You don't know anything."
"Go, go, go. Go play somewhere else."
Nawaki waved Kakashi off impatiently. This kid was such a buzzkill.
"Uncle~"
"I have another question."
Kakashi wasn't so easy to dismiss. His voice turned sweet, sending shivers down Nawaki's spine.
"Spit it out and stop being disgusting."
Annoyed, Nawaki turned and shot Kakashi a glare.
"The One-Tails Jinchūriki is a monk?"
"Is he strong?"
Kakashi, being tactful, didn't bring up Rasa again.
"He's a monk, yeah."
"And yeah, he's strong."
At the mention of Bunpuku, Nawaki's expression turned serious.
In his opinion, Bunpuku was even more dangerous than Rasa.
Someone who had achieved perfect control over their Tailed Beast could easily suppress an average Kage-level ninja.
"How strong are we talking?"
Kakashi had heard of Perfect Jinchūriki before, but he had never seen one in action.
Sure, he knew his aunt was one, but Tsunade had never shown off that power in front of him.
So far, the only glimpse of Tailed Beast power he had seen was Rōshi's partial transformation.
But Rōshi's performance had been... underwhelming. Against Nagato, he had been completely outclassed.
Because of that, Kakashi had no clear understanding of what a Perfect Jinchūriki was truly capable of.
"Hmm... how do I put this?"
Nawaki paused, trying to phrase it in a way Kakashi could grasp.
Kakashi stared at him, waiting for an answer.
"Bunpuku, in full Tailed Beast form, could go toe-to-toe with my sister."
The moment Nawaki used Tsunade as a comparison, Kakashi understood.
What he didn't know was that back then, Tsunade hadn't yet mastered Wood Release.
If she fought Bunpuku now, it would be a 70-30 split in her favor.
In three minutes, she could tear Bunpuku into seven pieces.
"That strong?"
"Are we really prepared for this?"
"Feels like we might be underestimating the situation."
A hint of unease crept into Kakashi's heart. He wasn't at the level where he could take on anyone on equal footing yet.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"There's still someone who hasn't arrived yet."
"Kakuzu, the bounty hunter—he's not just some nobody."
"He and I can handle it."
Nawaki spoke with absolute confidence.
He didn't need Kakuzu to kill anyone—just stalling either Rasa or Bunpuku would be enough.
That would give him the opening to take down the other.
This wasn't arrogance; it was the confidence gained from countless battles.
If he couldn't even manage this, what right did he have to compete with Minato for the title of Fifth Hokage?
"Well, if you're that sure, I guess I can relax."
"But when you guys start fighting, make sure to keep me out of the blast zone."
Kakashi trusted that Nawaki wasn't the type to make baseless claims.
If he said he could handle Rasa and Bunpuku, then at the very least, he had a solid plan.
With that assurance, the unease in Kakashi's chest disappeared.
It wasn't himself he had been worried about—his real concern was that Konoha's forces might suffer heavy losses.
"You brat, you don't have legs?"
"You think I'm gonna be worrying about you in the middle of a fight?"
"Run on your own."
Nawaki chuckled and playfully smacked Kakashi on the head, knowing he was just joking.
"Alright, I'm out."
Kakashi ducked away and slowed his pace to rejoin his friends.
As soon as he caught up, he shared everything he had just learned from Nawaki.
At the mention of battle strategy, the group immediately perked up, diving into an enthusiastic discussion.
Meanwhile, on Ginji's side, things weren't nearly as lively.
Minato and Yahiko were chatting and laughing, leaving little room for anyone else to join in.
The overall atmosphere of the march was lighthearted.
Everyone knew—this war was in their favor.
With the commanders leading them, they were fully confident they could steamroll through the Land of Lightning.
With that kind of certainty, how could anyone feel nervous?
"...This doesn't feel like we're going to war."
Ginji finally voiced his thoughts.
There wasn't even the slightest tension in the air.
It reminded him of their previous staged battle with Akatsuki, which had also felt more like a performance than an actual war.
And to think he had begged Kakashi for ages just to get this chance to go to the Land of Lightning.
"Feels more like a field trip."
"Look at them, they've already started eating."
Satsuki pointed at a group of rather round figures—Akimichi clan members.
"When do they not eat?"
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Wasn't it common knowledge that the Akimichi ate wherever they went?
"Haha~"
"I brought snacks."
Kai pulled out a surprising stash of treats and started passing them around.
"Well, might as well."
Ginji tore open a bag of chips and casually handed it to Satsuki.
Who would've thought—he was actually a considerate guy!