Naruto: This Uchiha is too innocent.

Frontline battlefield

Upon receiving the report of victory from the rear, Hiruzen Sarutobi roused himself and exclaimed "Good!" several times. He brandished his Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's staff), and the resulting gust of wind drew the attention of the ninjas outside the tent.

"The Hokage seems to be in a good mood."

"Yeah, that's probably it. These past few days have been so frustrating. Let alone the Hokage, I feel nauseous myself."

"So, what exactly happened?"

"Ah, I know that. The Sand Village ninja who invaded Kikyo Mountain have been defeated."

"Wow, that's awesome! Doesn't that mean we can go all out now?"

"Haha, hurry, hurry! I have a feeling the Hokage is about to launch a major operation."

Half a day later, Hiruzen Sarutobi issued the order.

"The army swept through, leaving not a single piece of armor behind!"

……

"The Third Hokage seems to be in a good mood."

During the grand march, Kushina looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was leading the army, and then turned to Minato and spoke.

Minato nodded. "Yes, because of the Sand Village ninja, we couldn't pursue the Iwa ninja army too far when they retreated. The Iwa ninja army understood this and attacked many times. A proper battle between the two armies turned into a guerrilla war. It's normal for the Third Hokage to get angry. Now, without any worries, we can drive the Iwa ninja back into our territory in one fell swoop."

Kushina picked at her ear, uninterested in Minato's long-winded speech. She didn't feel a strong sense of belonging to Konoha, and she wouldn't have come at all if Minato hadn't been on the front lines.

"Hmm, Sora went back too. I wonder if he was hurt..." she muttered, suddenly feeling worried about Uchiha Sora who had returned to the village.

"Kong is quite clever, so the chances of him getting hurt are very small. It's you who's been staying in logistics instead of coming with me to the most dangerous area."

"Ah, I won't listen, I won't listen, I won't listen!" Kushina covered her head and swayed like a bell, her face clearly saying, "Don't try to reason with me."

Minato paused, then shook his head helplessly after a long while, not continuing to speak, because he knew that if he did, he would get beaten up.

"Kushina's hitting isn't really hitting, so it's best not to make her angry..."

……

Iwa ninja army,

Huang Tu hurriedly approached Onoki and said anxiously, "Father, I just received news that Sunagakure has been defeated, and now Hiruzen Sarutobi is leading a large army towards us."

Onoki glared at him. "I've already said, I won't mind if you call me 'father' outside of work hours, but what are you calling me now?"

Huang Tu choked, his lips twitching. "Lord Tsuchikage, Hiruzen Sarutobi is currently leading his forces and attacking. Shouldn't we temporarily avoid his advance?"

The old man, Onoki, was clearly very unhappy. Why should they have to run away when someone attacks them?

Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Hokage, so isn't he the Tsuchikage? You're telling me to avoid his attacks?

"Why are you running away? Do you think I can't beat him?" Onoki glared at his son, feeling very annoyed by this behavior of boosting the morale of others while diminishing his own.

Huang Tu sensed the displeasure in his father's tone, and his body stiffened abruptly. After a long while, he spoke slowly, "Of course you're not afraid of Hiruzen Sarutobi, but who in our army will deal with Minato Namikaze?"

Let him? Don't be ridiculous. From the very first day they faced each other, he knew he was no match for Minato Namikaze. The reason was simple: in martial arts, speed is the ultimate weapon, and he couldn't even touch Minato Namikaze.

The title "Yellow Flash" resounded throughout the entire ninja world, and rumors even circulated that he was the fastest ninja in the world.

Hearing the helplessness in his son's voice, Onoki felt utterly disappointed. His name, Onoki, resounded throughout the ninja world, yet he had no one to rely on. This sorrow made him wish that Minato Namikaze wasn't from their village.

After a long while, Onoki sighed.

"Alright, alright, notify all team leaders to retreat."

As he spoke, he seemed to age ten years in an instant. He was already short, but now he looked even more dejected.

……

"The Iwa ninja army has begun its retreat!"

The retreat of a massive army of ten thousand men naturally did not escape the notice of the Konoha ninjas, and soon the news of the Iwa ninjas' retreat spread throughout the entire army.

The crowd cheered, their morale soared, and they pursued the Iwa ninja with even greater enthusiasm.

On the battlefield, morale can influence the entire battle situation, and can even lead to victory against overwhelming odds.

This is why there is an ancient saying that morale is crucial to an army, no less than that of a Kage-level powerhouse, and perhaps even more so.

"Tch, they're all cowards."

Upon receiving the news, Kushina curled her lip in disdain. As she spoke, a golden chain appeared in her hand, and she suddenly darted out, killing an Iwa ninja.

Not far away, a pellet accurately struck the abdomen of the Iwa ninja, who vomited acid and immediately fainted.

"Minato, that Jonin, is really strong."

"Minato, the Jonin, is so cool!"

"Minato, the Jonin, is invincible!"

The ninjas joined in the commotion, and for a moment, all that could be heard was Minato's call to action. Minato tried to say a few words, but they were all swallowed up by the cheers, and a helpless look appeared on his face.

Kushina leaned closer to him and said with a grin, "Minato, the Jonin, is invincible!"

Minato couldn't help but press her head down, "You, you just always go along with their commotion."

"Hmph, who told you to be so famous?" Kushina slapped his hand away, chuckled as she listened to the cheers of the surrounding ninjas.

"Speaking of which, you should have been the Fourth Hokage after the war ended, right?"

Minato thought for a moment, "Although the teacher has this intention, it is still uncertain when exactly."

Kushina pouted, "Damn it, my dream is shattered."

Minato smiled. He knew what Kushina was talking about. After all, Kushina had said at the Ninja Academy that her dream was to become the first female Hokage in the village.

Given the current situation, whether considering his strength or the support of the people, he is undoubtedly the next Hokage, thus shattering Kushina's dream.

"Fine, fine. Since I can't become Hokage, becoming Hokage's woman isn't so bad either."

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and whispered, "Minato, when you become Hokage, could you please not be so oppressive towards the Uchiha clan?"

She was well aware of the villagers' obvious alienation from the Uchiha clan. Because of Uchiha Sora, she was also angry about it, but unfortunately, she didn't have enough influence, and even if she wanted to change the situation, she was powerless to do so.

Upon hearing this, Minato immediately understood Kushina's thoughts. "We'll talk about it later."

The estrangement of the Uchiha clan cannot be changed overnight. The influence that began with the Second Hokage and spanned decades cannot be altered overnight.

"Hmph, I can't control what others do, but if Sora gets hurt because of this, I'll make you pay!" Kushina glared at him, flicked her bright red hair, and walked away without looking back.

Minato knew Kushina was angry, gave a wry smile, and quickly chased after her to comfort her...