Chapter 53: A Sincere Gift, Facing a Midway Ambush
Notes:
Iwagakure is the Hidden Village in the Land of Earth, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Konoha, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure are commonly called Leaf, Mist, Cloud, Rock, and Sand.
Rogue-nin—missing-nin—are shinobi who have abandoned their villages, effectively criminals.
The Buddhist doctrine debate unfolded smoothly. When Chigo shared his understanding of Buddha, the gathered monks and believers listened in awe. Though many did not fully grasp his words, the depth and arcane truth behind them resonated profoundly.
The conference concluded by evening. At the eager insistence of the monks from the Hot Water Temple, Chigo stayed on for two more days before departing for Konoha.
During this time, Uchiha Tonan kept a close eye on Kakazu's movements. The rogue ninja maintained an unnervingly calm demeanor, rarely leaving the inn as if waiting for something—or someone. The implication was clear: they awaited the group's departure from the temple. As days passed, Tonan identified several more jonin-level rogue-nin scattered nearby—each became a target for his surveillance.
The group descended from the hilltop where the Hot Water Temple sat. Upon reaching Rose Street, Tonan suddenly asked, "May I take a moment to purchase something? Will you all wait for me?"
"Well…" Namikaze Minato glanced awkwardly at Chigo. Since they were on a mission, personal errands required their employer's permission.
Chigo offered a warm smile to Tonan. "Go ahead. We'll wait right here for you."
"Thank you very much, Master Chigo."
Tonan stepped into a quaint gift shop on the street, beginning to browse carefully. Today was February first. Escorting Chigo back to the Fire Temple would take roughly five days, with another two days to return to the village.
That meant, barring delays, they'd reach the village by February eighth—just in time for Sarutobi Hiruzen's birthday.
Tonan had written in his diary about giving Hiruzen a birthday present. To Tonan, the most important trait of an honorable person was fidelity to one's promises.
Choosing a gift for an elder required thoughtful consideration. The gift needed to convey sincerity, to touch the recipient's heart. Whether it was practical was secondary, but first and foremost, it had to be valuable—significantly more so than typical offerings.
He approached the counter and politely asked, "Excuse me, do you sell tobacco here? The kind used for a smoking pipe?"
The shopkeeper nodded. "You mean shredded tobacco? Yes, we carry it. Is it for a gift?"
"Yes, for my grandfather's birthday."
"What a dutiful grandson… Come, come, this one here…"
Before the shopkeeper could continue, Tonan waved a hand. "No need to show me everything. I want the most expensive tobacco available—something rare in the Land of Fire."
The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, then noticed Tonan's ninja headband and immediately masked his astonishment with a courteous smile. He retrieved a box from the top shelf.
"This is it. Sixteen thousand ryo. Thank you for your patronage. Would you like it gift-wrapped?"
Tonan nodded. "Yes, please. I'll add an extra thousand ryo for the most luxurious packaging. And please include a receipt listing the price as sixty-six thousand ryo."
"Excuse me?" The shopkeeper was dumbfounded again, speechless for a moment.
"You can do that?"
"I can."
"Good. Pack the receipt inside the box as well."
With a cheerful nod, Tonan paid. He then pulled a small scroll from his ninja pouch and sealed the gift box inside it. Ordinary shredded tobacco cost about a hundred ryo; the kind Hiruzen smoked went for around five hundred. Tonan smiled inwardly, already imagining the astonishment on Hiruzen's face when he received such an extravagant gift.
Coo coo.
Minato's party moved cautiously through a dense forest. Nearing the Land of Fire's border, the trees grew taller, thicker. The sky was darkening; dusk approached. Mist began to curl between the trunks, and the moist, cold scent of rain lingered in the air.
With each step, the soil beneath their feet sank slightly—a clear sign of recent light rain. Puddles dotted the forest floor, occasionally reflecting fleeting images of the group as they passed.
Swish!
Suddenly, kunai whistled out from the shadows, hurtling toward them.
"Enemy attack!" Minato was the first to react. With precision, he drew kunai and took point before Chigo, intercepting each projectile with swift parries.
Hatake Kakashi and Tonan moved instantly to guard Chigo's flanks. Minato's expression hardened; his ears twitched faintly, as if catching a subtle sound. He launched three more kunai toward the rear.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
The kunai thudded into tree trunks, causing three figures standing on the branches to leap away. One was a missing-nin wearing a Kumogakure forehead protector. Crossing his arms defiantly, he shouted, "Konoha ninja team, we only want this old man's head. If you're smart, get lost now."
These were rogue-nin from the Cloud, Mist, and Rock villages.
"I wonder if Minato can handle them," Tonan murmured, activating his Sharingan and donning a serious expression.
"Looks like you don't agree," the Cloud rogue grinned, addressing his companions. "I'll take care of the blonde jonin. You two handle the others. Don't even think about hogging the bounty."
The Rock rogue-nin snarled, "Why all the chatter? Just kill 'em all!"
"Earth Style: Mobile Core!" he roared.
Rumble.
The ground beneath them suddenly buckled. Tonan and the others leapt back as the earth where they had just stood collapsed into a deep pit.
Minato drew a kunai. "Kakashi, Tonan, get Master Chigo to safety. Leave the rest to me."
Tonan nodded, hoisted Chigo onto his back, and sprinted away with Kakashi. The Rock and Mist rogue-nin prepared to pursue, but Minato suddenly appeared atop a tree and thrust his kunai ruthlessly at the Rock rogue-nin.
"What speed… What jutsu is this?" The rogue-nin's pupils contracted in alarm. He barely managed to block Minato's strike with his kunai.
Minato held back further attacks, then vanished—reappearing behind the Cloud rogue-nin.
"Damn it, you're underestimating us!" the Cloud rogue shouted, punching at Minato with an electrified fist.
Bang!
The tree shattered. But just before the fist landed, Minato vanished again, emerging to precisely toss specially crafted kunai throughout the battlefield.
Each time he was about to be struck—or when anyone attempted to chase Tonan and the others—Minato repeated this hit-and-run attack pattern relentlessly.
The three rogue-nin were forced to focus entirely on countering him.
Not long after, Minato spotted a weakness in the Mist rogue-nin. With lightning speed, he activated Flying Thunder God Technique, appearing behind the foe and kicking him into a splash of water.
Bang!
Water sprayed everywhere.
"It's a water clone," Minato realized.
Alarmed, he hoped Kakashi and Tonan had already gained some distance from the Mist rogue.
"I can only handle these two right now. I'm counting on Kakashi and Tonan to hold the Mist rogue-nin off."