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After settling Nagato and Konan, Minato began organizing the troops for deployment.
The original departure time had already arrived, but the unexpected attack from Akatsuki had caused a slight delay.
Given the intelligence of the 100,000 White Zetsu army, the scale of this expedition was unprecedented. Chūnin and Jōnin were naturally included, but even many experienced Genin had been mobilized. The total number of troops had surpassed 10,000.
Initially, Minato had been worried that such a large-scale mobilization would result in heavy casualties. As the Hokage, he found that difficult to accept. However, today, with Konan's generous sponsorship, he suddenly felt much more confident.
Every Genin could now apply for 100 explosive tags for free before battle, while Chūnin and Jōnin were allocated even more.
Furthermore, after each battle, units could request replenishments based on their achievements and losses.
To put this into perspective, the highest-ranked mission most Genin undertook was C-rank, which typically did not involve combat between shinobi. Even if they encountered bandits or rogues, standard weaponry was usually enough to handle them.
In other words, most Genin might not use a single explosive tag across ten missions. Considering how expensive they were, simply carrying five or ten for self-defence was already impressive.
But now? Every Genin had a full stack of 100 explosive tags. That was a fortune!
As a result, many nervous Genin, previously anxious about war, felt a sense of security just from the thick bundle of explosive tags in their pouches.
It turns out, most fears about war stem from a lack of firepower.
When you have so many explosive tags that you can practically throw them around freely, everything suddenly seems much less intimidating.
'Thank you, Sister Konan, for your generous sponsorship.'
"Man, the Fourth Hokage really went all out," remarked an old Genin carrying a massive iron pot on his back.
"Uncle Gousuke! Take care of us again this time!" A younger Genin greeted him cheerfully. He didn't really know how strong Gousuke was only that he was incredibly experienced and, most importantly, that his cooking was amazing. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
"Haha, no problem! My cooking won't let you down!" Gousuke patted the iron pot on his back confidently. Even Kakashi had asked him for cooking tips before.
Maruboshi Gousuke had once made a hasty decision in his youth that led to his comrade's death. Overcome with guilt, he swore to the Second Hokage that he would remain a Genin for life.
Both the Second and Third Hokage had taught him ninjutsu, yet he remained a Genin for fifty years. Though he could easily defeat most Jōnin, he still insisted on being a Genin.
Minato had given Gousuke the respect he deserved but also recognized his insistence on atonement. While he honoured his choice, he also saw value in letting him guide younger shinobi.
When Gousuke eventually retired, Minato planned to properly compensate him for his many years of service both in recognition and material rewards.
If an enemy ever assumed that a group of Genin would be easy to bully and sent a strike force to attack, they'd be in for quite a surprise when they ran into this particular "Genin."
With the distribution of explosive tags complete, the large army began departing in waves. Whether they were from noble clans or ordinary shinobi families, once they stepped out of the village gates, they were all Konoha shinobi fighting to protect the village and the ninja world.
Meanwhile, at the Hospital
Naruto wasn't part of the main army. Instead, he was at the hospital.
"Man, Kakashi-sensei, you're just weak," Naruto said, lounging by the bedside while munching on an apple, taking jabs at Kakashi.
"…Heh." Kakashi, lying in bed, slowly turned the page of his book, clearly uninterested in responding.
Shizune had already left with Tsunade and the medical unit. Since she had checked Kakashi's condition and confirmed he was fine, she had no problem letting him rest in the hospital.
By tomorrow, he'd probably be well enough to travel and catch up with the main force alongside Naruto.
"You're just showing off," Sakura muttered as she carefully peeled an apple with a knife. She was skilled at peeling the entire apple in one continuous strip.
After handing the peeled apple to Sasuke, Sakura, perhaps feeling a bit guilty, decided to peel one for Kakashi as well.
Sasuke was lying in the bed next to Kakashi. He wasn't in much better shape, but unlike Kakashi, his body was more resilient. He'd recover faster.
"Shouldn't you be heading out with the main force?" Sasuke asked Naruto.
A Jinchūriki was supposed to travel with the main unit for safety reasons. Kushina and Fū had already departed. By all logic, Naruto should've gone with them.
Of course, Sasuke's real reason for asking was that he was just as exhausted as Kakashi, and Naruto's taunting was getting under his skin. He wanted to find an excuse to get rid of him.
"I'm staying behind to give you guys a lift," Naruto said, stuffing his mouth with more snacks meant for Kakashi. "The rendezvous point is near the border. At their marching pace, they'll take a full day to get there. By the time you guys recover, I'll just teleport us straight to them."
Kakashi wasn't bothered. He was quite content having time to read without being interrupted. "That actually helps a lot. It'll save plenty of time."
"Saving time isn't an excuse for you to read that book!" Sakura snapped, yanking down Kakashi's mask just enough to shove a piece of apple into his mouth. "Just rest properly!"
"Mmm, tastes good. If only you could be a little gentler, Sakura," Kakashi said, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he smiled. He was clearly enjoying the attention of his students.
Naruto didn't make an effort to peek beneath Kakashi's mask, but he did notice that Sakura hesitated slightly before pulling it down just enough to see his mouth but not his full face.
Meanwhile, Sasuke tried to sneak a glance through the small opening Sakura created.
Yeah… When this war is over, I'm organizing a full-scale "Unmask Kakashi" event. Just like the old bell test…
Kakashi: You must be prepared to kill me if you want to take my mask!
We'll see if he still dares to say that when the time comes.
"I think the only way to make him rest is to knock him out," Naruto suggested with an evil grin.
"I refuse. If you hit me, I will die," Kakashi said flatly. He didn't trust Naruto's self-restraint.
He had a strong suspicion that Naruto would use this as an excuse for payback even if he had no idea what he'd supposedly done to deserve it.
"Yeah, Naruto, you're too reckless. Let me do it. I have at least nine different ways to knock him out. Nine." Sakura said, clearly willing to discipline Kakashi for ignoring medical orders. If nothing else, she was happy to scare him a bit.
"Please spare me," Kakashi groaned, flipping his book over his face.
He completely believed Sakura's words. In fact, he suspected she had more than nine ways. Between Sakura, Shizune, and Tsunade, medical ninjas were terrifying.
Rin never used to be this violent…
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