Naruto: I Traveled with a Max Level Account Chapter 447

Missions involving extractions often come with intense battles.

It's not uncommon for enemies to arrive before the extraction team even has a chance to rendezvous with their target.

Landing steadily on an upturned rock, Maruboshi Kosuke refrained from approaching immediately.

His wrinkled, aged face turned toward the three figures ahead. He needed to confirm their identities first.

"You're quicker than I expected, senior."

Takuya took out the mission scroll given to him by Tsunade. Holding it up, he used Konoha's special technique to break the encrypted seal and unroll the scroll in front of Kosuke.

Only then did the vigilance in Kosuke's eyes fade.

Once the identities were confirmed, Kosuke let out a sigh of relief.

"So, you're little Tsunade's friend, Yagami Takuya?"

Considering his age and seniority, it was perfectly reasonable for him to address Tsunade as "little Tsunade." Most Konoha shinobi were his juniors, after all.

It had been ages since Takuya had heard anyone call her that. Tsunade's reaction to hearing it would undoubtedly be priceless.

Takuya's mouth twitched slightly as he put away the scroll and changed the subject:

"Senior, this isn't the place for idle chatter. Let's return to the Land of Fire. It seems Kusagakure has sided with Iwagakure."

Kosuke's kind and gentle expression turned serious.

"There are still quite a few Iwagakure shinobi tracking me. We need to leave now."

"I'll stay behind to cover our retreat."

Minato volunteered for the rearguard duty.

Takuya waved him off.

"Pakura can handle it. There's no need for you."

While Takuya would've enjoyed seeing Minato cause trouble for Iwagakure, rearguard duty was more fitting for Pakura.

Moreover, Pakura needed opportunities to contribute—it would help her integrate into Konoha.

Minato blinked in confusion, but before he could say anything further, Takuya had already turned to leave, leaving Minato awkwardly misreading the situation.

Not long after the trio departed, a sizable Iwagakure shinobi unit caught up to them.

Facing dozens of pursuers, including two jonin leading the group, Pakura didn't give them a chance to react. She launched her most powerful attack, raining indiscriminate destruction upon them.

The Iwagakure shinobi, still focused on tracking Kosuke's movements, were caught off guard as fiery orbs descended from the sky.

Under such conditions, the devastating power of Scorch Release exceeded expectations.

Iwagakure's forces were thrown into disarray, with many dead or severely injured. The surprise attack Pakura delivered was nothing short of catastrophic.

"Scorch Release... Pakura!!!"

Only after suffering heavy casualties did the Iwagakure shinobi realize who had ambushed them and caused such devastation.

Standing on a tree branch, Pakura glanced dispassionately at the carnage she had wrought. Without a word, she turned and left.

Her mission was simple: act as the rearguard.

Rearguard missions could take many forms, but the typical approach was to delay and block the enemy, preventing them from continuing their pursuit.

Pakura, however, had annihilated over half the pursuers. Faced with such losses, the remaining Iwagakure shinobi lacked the courage to chase her further.

Chasing Pakura meant risking total annihilation—a gamble they were unwilling to take.

After finishing her task, Pakura left without looking back.

Takuya and the others weren't moving particularly fast. Before long, Pakura caught up to them.

"How did it go?" Takuya asked, glancing back.

"A squad led by two jonin, but no elite jonin. Over half were killed or injured. They shouldn't pursue further," Pakura replied after some thought.

Takuya grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Well done. I'm sure their heads are still ringing from the shock."

A squad of dozens, ambushed mid-pursuit and losing half their number in an instant—no one could take such a blow in stride.

Without an elite jonin to lead them, even the thought of chasing Pakura would be sheer folly.

Pakura wasn't an easy target by any stretch.

Minato burst into laughter, and the relaxed atmosphere brought a smile to Kosuke's face as well.

Trailing behind Takuya, Pakura's lips curled slightly upward. It was clear she was in good spirits.

The conversation shifted to Iwagakure.

Takuya couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Ōnoki.

"Ōnoki really is something else. With no suitable successor, he's held onto the Tsuchikage's seat for so many years. That can't have been easy for him."

Compared to the Third Hokage and his contemporaries, Ōnoki was much older. Yet one had to admit, Ōnoki was the kind of person who only grew craftier with age.

Unfortunately, his advanced years inevitably limited his strength.

But with no appropriate heir in sight, Ōnoki had no choice but to endure.

Minato tilted his head curiously.

"Iwagakure's military is strong, and they have plenty of capable shinobi who can hold their own. Why do you say there's no suitable successor?"

This question had sparked much speculation over the years.

Some believed Ōnoki was simply too ambitious to relinquish power.

Others thought he was secretly grooming an heir.

There were also rumors that Ōnoki intended to pass the title to his son, Kurotsuchi. As the Tsuchikage's son, Kurotsuchi's lineage gave him a significant advantage.

Kosuke chuckled knowingly.

"Iwagakure isn't lacking candidates; it's just that Ōnoki's standards are too high."

"How high are we talking?"

This claim piqued everyone's curiosity, even Pakura's.

Old man, if you're going to bring this up, you might as well explain it outright. Why drag me into this?

Takuya sighed inwardly, caught between amusement and exasperation.

"Ōnoki has grand ambitions. He hopes to cultivate someone capable of wielding Dust Release to succeed him. But his vision is bound to fail."

The idea of grooming a Dust Release user as a successor was nothing short of delusional.

Minato's expression turned peculiar.

"Well, I think it's clear why Ōnoki hasn't found a successor. His expectations are way too high."

Pakura opted to remain silent, her thoughts aligning with Minato's sentiment.

Kosuke, on the other hand, continued to chuckle.

History would prove Minato correct. Even by the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, no second Dust Release user had emerged to take Ōnoki's place.

"Good thing Konoha doesn't require mastering Wood Release to become Hokage. That would've been a nightmare."

Thinking of Konoha's history, Minato couldn't resist poking fun at the idea.