Because of Jiraiya's recommendation, and even more so because of Minato's own outstanding qualities, he had already been firmly recognized by the Third Hokage as the next Hokage.
As a result, the selection of Minato's personal guard unit was naturally composed of shinobi who were both powerful and absolutely reliable.
The guard unit consisted of three members.
Without exception, all were jōnin.
The first was Hagoromo.
If one were to summarize his traits as a shinobi, "youth" would not even make the list. Reaching jōnin-level strength meant his abilities had already been acknowledged—his age was no longer something that drew special attention.
So what was Hagoromo's most defining trait?
Lightning Release.
And more precisely, the extreme offensive power that came with it.
According to publicly known intelligence, after accumulating chakra for a certain amount of time, he could unleash a decisive finishing move. When pushed to that point, his single-target attack power was terrifying—if it hit, virtually no one could withstand it.
His second defining trait was fūinjutsu.
More accurately, offensive sealing techniques.
In fact, this referred to a single technique in particular—
A modified version of the Four Symbols Seal.
Hagoromo frequently used this technique as a trump card, both offensively and defensively. Its advantages were obvious: once activated, it was nearly impossible to counter.
Its disadvantages were equally clear.
It consumed an enormous amount of chakra, and its area of effect was so large that it easily caused collateral damage. These limitations severely restricted when and where it could be used.
Under Kushina's instruction, Hagoromo was also proficient in many other sealing techniques. However, most fūinjutsu required prior preparation, making them impractical in the rapidly shifting conditions of the battlefield.
The remaining two members of the guard unit were also familiar faces to Hagoromo—shinobi he had previously carried out missions with.
The second guard was Aburame Shibi.
A shinobi of the Aburame Clan, known for his ever-expressionless face and mastery of insect manipulation. He was an elite jōnin with exceptionally balanced overall ability.
Objectively speaking, in many situations Shibi was even more useful than Hagoromo.
He was one of the rare true all-rounders: reconnaissance, offense, defense—he excelled in every category.
The Aburame Clan's insect techniques required little explanation in terms of combat utility. Beyond that, Shibi could deploy kikaichū for long-range reconnaissance and tracking, sometimes outperforming even the Hyūga Clan's Byakugan in specific environments.
He could also use specialized insects for medical purposes—treatment, detoxification, and accelerated wound recovery were all within his capabilities.
Shibi could serve as a frontline combatant or as an exceptional support specialist. Combined with his extreme calmness, he was one of the few shinobi during the Third Great Ninja War who could frequently carry out solo missions—and succeed at them with remarkable consistency.
In short, he was one of the rare shinobi whose legacy would not be surpassed by the next generation—at least not easily.
The final member was Akimichi Chōza.
The Akimichi Clan's Expansion Techniques were a special form of taijutsu-ninjutsu hybrid, combining both offense and defense.
Unlike Shibi, who often operated alone, Chōza normally belonged to the elite fixed formation known as Ino–Shika–Chō. However, due to his assignment as Minato's guard, that team had been temporarily disbanded.
Both Shibi and Chōza were mature shinobi in their mid-twenties.
Combined with Hagoromo—young in appearance but with the mindset of a seasoned veteran—the three formed a highly stable and complete combat system.
Team composition was about more than just strength.
Hagoromo was Kushina's student and already had a close relationship with Minato. Meanwhile, both Shibi and Chōza came from clans firmly aligned with the Third Hokage.
In terms of trust, there were no concerns whatsoever.
With Namikaze Minato himself at the center, this four-man unit could operate smoothly on virtually any battlefield. They could execute missions effortlessly—and even in extreme crises, withdraw intact.
Compared to Minato's former team of young shinobi, this new unit's combat strength was several magnitudes higher.
As for the sole survivor of Minato's previous squad—
Jōnin Hatake Kakashi was ultimately placed into ANBU by Minato's own decision.
Given Kakashi's current mental state, he was indeed ill-suited for frontline combat. A twelve-year-old ANBU operative—that record would likely stand for a long time… until a certain Uchiha eventually broke it.
Perhaps Kakashi's role in history was simply to keep setting increasingly absurd records of youth.
Once the new squad had been formed and briefly familiarized themselves, they quickly returned to the battlefield.
In the peace agreement signed with Kirigakure, Konoha did not reap the same extensive benefits it had once gained from Sunagakure. The situations were fundamentally different.
But at this point, peace itself was all Konoha sought.
During this period, forces that had originally belonged to Orochimaru were gradually reassigned to Jiraiya's front. From that moment onward, the main burden of Konoha's operations was concentrated there.
The Land of Fire did not border the Land of Water. After follow-up plans were completed, only a small reconnaissance force would remain in that direction.
Now, Konoha's remaining enemies were:
A half-crippled Iwagakure
And the stubborn Kumogakure
Naturally, Konoha's priority was to deal first with Iwagakure, whose situation was already dire.
Shinobi warfare did not rely on supplies the same way ordinary armies did.
But that merely changed whether one starved in seven days or ten.
More critically, shinobi forces were extremely dependent on medical supplies. Without medical support, combat effectiveness collapsed.
Once their supply routes were severed, Iwagakure could no longer sustain large-scale logistics. Small-scale deliveries were insufficient to support their forces stationed in the Land of Grass.
Yet even after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Iwagakure showed no sign of withdrawing.
For Iwa shinobi, being defeated in this manner was likely unbearable.
But such stubbornness was meaningless.
Without supplies, there was no combat power. A single solid push from Konoha's front would be enough to make them realize how foolish it was to persist.
Even Ōnoki the Fence-Sitter would not sacrifice thousands of shinobi for pride alone.
What Konoha needed to do now—
—was push that front.
"Soon, we will launch an assault on the Iwagakure front," Minato said, crouching before Hagoromo and the others.
"And it will be a direct, open attack. We're not concealing our movements this time."
"In terms of numbers, our force is only mid-sized compared to the enemy. But the purpose of this operation is not immediate gains—it's to make Iwagakure understand our determination."
"Iwagakure will be driven out of the Land of Grass."
"Next, our squad will move first."
Minato's expression showed that he had already put past events behind him.
And even if he hadn't—
On the battlefield, they would never affect him.
The Konoha force assigned to this operation numbered only around eight hundred.
Their strategy was simple:
Attack → Engage → Withdraw.
Repeat.
Over and over, until Iwagakure could no longer endure it.
Rather than a single decisive strike, this was sustained harassment. Under these conditions, an Iwa force lacking food, medicine, and morale had only one possible ending.
Retreat.
Konoha made no effort to hide its movements.
This was a true frontal operation.
Iwagakure shinobi were already visible ahead.
The clash was imminent.
Within Minato's squad, responsibilities were clearly divided:
Aburame Shibi: reconnaissance and perimeter security
Akimichi Chōza: active defense
Namikaze Minato and Hagoromo: offense
If one were to rank the fear Minato inspired across the villages, Iwagakure would unquestionably be first.
After all, the very man who had destroyed their supply lines was now appearing at the front.
The moment Minato stepped onto the battlefield, a visible disturbance rippled through the Iwa ranks.
Then—
Minato led Konoha's forces into the attack.
Hagoromo followed closely behind him.
"Is that… the Yellow Flash of the Leaf?" an Iwa shinobi murmured uncertainly.
"It is the Yellow Flash!"
When Minato began scattering Flying Thunder God kunai across the battlefield and vanishing in flashes of light, cutting down enemies instantly, his identity was finally confirmed.
"Wait—hold on! That Lightning Release brat next to him… is he even faster than the Yellow Flash?"
"That's impossible! No one is faster than the Yellow Flash!"
"At most, maybe just as fast…"
"Look carefully—Minato's still faster."
An Iwa squad leader listened to the chaotic chatter with a dark expression.
He said nothing.
After all, that was why he was the squad leader.
Reporting the situation mattered more than arguing.
So—
He turned around and ran.
"Damn idiots! That guy following the Yellow Flash is White Yaksha! Are you idiots here for a picnic?! Stop arguing and run!"
"Who's faster doesn't matter—both of them are faster than you!"
"Still standing there talking? Want to die?!"
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