"By the way, Kakashi, don't use that jutsu again."
Minato Namikaze said to Kakashi.
"You saw it too—the speed of that jutsu can only be tracked with Sharingan's dynamic vision. And it places a tremendous burden on the body. Not everyone can handle it like Shimizu."
"I'll perfect it," Kakashi replied.
He had thought that developing this technique would bring him closer to Shimizu's level.
Unexpectedly, it had only highlighted the gap between them.
As for Shimizu copying the jutsu, Kakashi had no complaints.
They had developed it together—though Kakashi had put in more effort, Shimizu's insights into Lightning Release had helped him immensely.
Watching Kakashi remain so obstinate, Minato could only sigh inwardly.
Back then, the Third Hokage had entrusted Kakashi to him, asking him to guide Kakashi onto the right path.
The others remained silent and continued on toward the Konoha camp.
…
Samui slowly regained consciousness. The first thing she saw was a tea-colored braid swaying in front of her eyes.
"Lady Karui..."
"You're awake," Karui said.
She had injected chakra into Samui's chakra network to forcibly awaken her in case of emergencies.
Konoha's forces might pursue them at any moment—this was no place to linger.
"Mm," Samui nodded, rubbing her neck.
Just moments ago, Shimizu had injected a violent surge of chakra into the back of her neck, and she had immediately lost consciousness.
"We need to move, now," Karui urged.
Samui nodded and quickly followed.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on something.
Karui's body was splattered with blood.
It was likely from her earlier battle with Konoha's shinobi.
Lady Karui truly gave everything for Kumogakure.
Samui's respect for her rose to another level.
…
In the days that followed, Konoha increased its scouting around various outposts and camps to prevent frequent surprise attacks.
The nickname "Yellow Flash" began to spread across the shinobi world—alongside another emerging title:
"Blinking Shimizu."
It was rumored that this shinobi could use a Fire Release version of the Body Flicker Technique, allowing him to dash across the battlefield at staggering speed.
Together, he and Minato Namikaze were dubbed the Twin Flashes of Konoha.
This title had been deliberately spread by Konoha's top brass.
In wartime, it was crucial to boost morale—every shinobi needed hope, something to believe in. And so, these titles were born.
Some perceptive shinobi picked up on what this might signal.
Compared to the Yellow Flash, Blinking Shimizu's reputation wasn't quite there yet—it felt more like a buildup.
After all, Shimizu Uchiha was Minato Namikaze's subordinate, his student.
If the student was already this powerful, then the teacher had to be even more extraordinary.
Rumors began to circulate among Konoha's ranks—Minato Namikaze might be a candidate for the next Hokage.
And the Uchiha could potentially regain prominence, possibly as the Hokage's personal guard.
Just like Tobirama Senju and Kagami Uchiha back in the day.
"You're really something now, huh? Even got yourself a title," said Tekka Uchiha, visibly envious.
As a fellow Uchiha, he couldn't help but wonder: were they really the same age?
Didn't they both have Sharingan and excel at Fire Release?
Yet the difference between them was like the sky and the earth.
He sighed deeply.
"Just baseless rumors," Shimizu shook his head.
"Blinking Shimizu," huh? Wasn't that basically a knockoff of Shisui's title?
Even now, at such a young age, Shisui was already showing extraordinary potential, though he was still in the Academy.
Soon, he'd be entering the battlefield too.
But with this title already taken, what would Shisui be called?
Swift Shisui? Rapid Shisui?
"Oh, right. Sarutobi Asuma just arrived at the front too," Tekka said.
Even the Hokage's son—the crown prince of Konoha—was on the battlefield. This war was getting serious.
"Sarutobi Asuma's been stationed at the front lines for a while now," Shimizu replied. "Though he came in later than us and has mostly been working in logistics further in the rear."
Warfare required more than just combatants. Someone had to manage supplies, food, clothing—everything that kept a shinobi unit functional.
And all of it cost a fortune.
In the shinobi world, cutting off supply lines was standard practice.
Today, Kirigakure ambushes Iwagakure's food convoy. Tomorrow, Iwagakure retaliates and intercepts Kirigakure's supplies.
Currently, Asuma was working on supply transport. About one-third of Shimizu's peers had been assigned to that area.
"Alright, all done," Shimizu said, tightening the bandage on Tekka's arm. Tekka winced in pain, his face pale.
"If I hadn't blocked that hit for Dōka, I wouldn't be like this," Tekka grumbled.
When they got back, he definitely planned to squeeze some money out of Dōka.
"Mm," Shimizu nodded, watching him walk away.
Afterward, he packed up his things, ready to head out.
There were fewer patients today. The intensity of the fighting had lessened.
The major nations had entered a war of attrition—a drawn-out struggle for resources and endurance.
It was a contest of national foundations: could they sustain the daily drain?
The five great nations followed a one-country-one-village model. The daimyō and the Kage held equal authority.
In this kind of global-scale war, the daimyō couldn't sit idle—they had to pour endless funds into their hidden villages.
If the shinobi village lost the war, the nation faced consequences: ceding land, unequal treaties… or even total annexation.
For the average person, it might mean little more than a change in leadership.
But for the daimyō? They were always the first to fall.
Thus, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire threw money around like dirt.
Surviving shinobi earned far more than they ever had in peacetime.
It was perhaps the only silver lining in the war's dark clouds.
With that money, one could retire from the shinobi world, start a business, and live a peaceful life.
"Shimizu, there's a village nearby with heavy casualties."
Shizune approached him.
She had inherited Tsunade's compassion as a healer and couldn't bear to see people suffer.
"The reward they're offering isn't much… but could you go? I'll cover the difference later."
She looked apologetic.
It was a lot to ask of Shimizu, but she had other missions she couldn't abandon.
At the moment, Shimizu was between assignments and had the free time.
"No problem," Shimizu said.
Lately, he'd stayed put, running predictive simulations for the future.
With his current strength, unless he encountered someone at Kage-level or above, he could come and go freely.
He'd been feeling restless anyway—getting out for a bit didn't sound so bad.
It was only a day or two, and he could earn Shizune's goodwill.
Once he got close to Shizune, he'd naturally get to meet Tsunade.
From there, building a connection wouldn't be hard at all.
Networking was all about finding the right circles.
Once you had a reason to make contact, it was easy to establish a rapport.
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