"They'll be here soon! Minato-sensei is checking the supplies!" Renzo explained.
He then waited with Kurenai and Asuma at Konoha's main gate.
After about ten minutes, Minato's team arrived along with a large convoy of supply wagons.
"Hey there, Renzo, Kurenai, Asuma! Looks like we'll be working together on this mission!"
Minato greeted them with a cheerful wave as he walked over.
The three quickly responded.
"Huh? These three are tagging along with us? You gotta be kidding me! Sensei, is this even allowed?"
Obito blurted out in disbelief upon hearing that Renzo's team would be joining them for the mission.
He turned to the three and asked, "Wait, where's your squad leader? Don't tell me..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Kakashi and Rin—well aware of Obito's lack of a filter—grabbed him from both sides, with Kakashi even covering his mouth.
No matter how much he struggled, it was useless.
Kurenai's expression darkened as she glared at Obito, her eyes practically shooting daggers.
Even though he didn't say it outright, she could already guess that it wouldn't have been anything good.
"Alright, Obito! Knock it off!"
Minato stepped in to smooth things over, then explained, "Yūhi-sensei was assigned an important solo mission, and since one squad alone isn't enough for this mission, the Hokage decided that we should work together!"
He then turned to Obito and added, "Also, just so you know, Renzo and his team are now qualified to take on missions up to A-rank by themselves! Over the past two months, they've completed over ten B-rank missions—more than us! You should learn from them."
Minato was constantly worried about his own team.
Kakashi, because of his father's death, had become withdrawn and overly focused on completing missions at any cost.
Obito, on the other hand, was both weak and overconfident, which made things even harder.
And Rin... well, she was probably the only normal one in the squad.
"Hah? No way!" Obito exclaimed in shock.
Even Kakashi and Rin looked surprised.
"It's true! So you all better step up your game. In fact, Renzo's probably on par with Kakashi now!" Minato added, intentionally stirring things up to push Kakashi to improve.
As expected, Kakashi turned to Renzo with a serious look. After a moment, he said blankly, "After this mission, let's spar."
Renzo shrugged casually.
He had his eyes on some techniques from Kakashi's arsenal, and building a good relationship would make future exchanges easier.
"Alright, enough talk! Let's move out!"
With that, the squad set off, escorting the supply convoy.
Three days later, they neared Kikyo Castle, close to the Sand Ninja battlefield frontline. The closer they got, the more dangerous it became.
Within just half a day, they had already been attacked twice by enemy scouting squads.
"Everyone, stay sharp! The next stretch will be even more dangerous!" Minato warned.
Everyone nodded, fully alert.
After advancing another five kilometers—
Renzo's expression shifted. He immediately turned to Minato and said, "Minato-sensei! There's an ambush in the dense forest ahead! I'm not sure how many, but at least one of them is much stronger than me—probably a Jonin!"
Just moments ago, he had sensed an overwhelming feeling of danger from the left side of the forest.
It was his innate danger-sensing ability, a skill he had inherited from Eevee.
Minato was surprised at Renzo's sharp perception.
He raised a hand and signaled to the others, lowering his voice, "Everyone, Level One Alert! I'll check it out."
With that, he flicked several Flying Thunder God kunai toward the forest and vanished with a teleportation jutsu.
Seconds later, agonized screams echoed from the trees.
"It's the Flying Thunder God technique! That means... He's Konoha's Golden Flash—Namikaze Minato! Fight back!!"
"Wind Release: Thousand Blades Gale!"
"Wind Release: Divine Wind!"
More than ten Sand Ninja emerged from the trees, led by two elite Jonin, launching a fierce counterattack against Minato.
At the same time, another elite Jonin, accompanied by six Chunin, broke out of the forest and charged toward Renzo's group.
"Your opponent is me!"
Minato flung a kunai toward the elite Jonin, instantly teleporting behind him. A Rasengan formed in his hand and smashed into the enemy's back.
The elite Jonin was slammed into the ground, a hole blasted through his chest. Dead on the spot.
"Yamakita?! Damn it!"
The other two elite Jonin saw their comrade get taken down in an instant and shouted in fury. They unleashed powerful jutsu toward Minato while ordering the Chunin to attack the convoy.
"They're coming! I'll take on four of them. Kurenai, Kakashi—you handle one each!" Renzo quickly assigned the targets.
He ignored the supply guards—this was a battle for the actual fighters.
"Lightning Step: Double Flash!"
Renzo's body turned into a streak of lightning as he shot into the approaching Sand Ninja Chunin, zigzagging through them in a blur.
Before they could even react—
"Impact Punch: Double Strike!"
Two Sand Ninja's chests were crushed instantly, their lifeless bodies flung through the air.
That was the last thought of the dying Sand Ninja.
Lightning Step was a jutsu Renzo had developed by combining Eevee's Quick Attack with Lightning Chakra and the principles of the Body Flicker Technique.
It greatly enhanced his speed but put a heavy strain on his body.
Even with his years of training and fusion with Eevee and Pirate Renzo's physique, he could only manage a double flash before his legs would give out.
Seeing Renzo take down two enemies in an instant, Kakashi and the others were momentarily stunned.
"Renzo... is already this strong?"
But there was no time for shock—the enemy was upon them. They quickly engaged their opponents in battle.
"Tanaka?! Damn you!!"
"Wind Release: Wind Fist!"
The two remaining Sand Ninja near Renzo roared in grief, channeling Wind Chakra into their fists and launching a synchronized attack at him.