This time, when he returns to the village, he should be promoted to Jonin, right?
Shinichi led a group of nearly three thousand people on the way back to Konoha while thinking to himself.
More than twenty days ago, when he followed the first large-scale medical and logistics support unit to the southwestern front, he was just a highly anticipated genius newcomer in the team, a key medical backbone who needed protection with the rank of Special Jonin.
And now, more than twenty days later, as he embarked on the return journey, his status was already different.
He was no longer merely a support personnel, but the overall person in charge and highest commander of this returning force of nearly three thousand ninjas.
Although his official rank is still Special Jonin, no one on the team, from senior Jonin to ordinary Chunin, has raised any objection; in fact, they all consider it perfectly natural.
All coordination, dispatch, security arrangements, and handling of unexpected situations naturally revolved around him as the core.
Why? Because in those short twenty-odd days, he had done too much and carried too much
From issuing a warning of an enemy attack even before arrival and shattering the plot of the Village Hidden in the Sand's ambush to Konoha's medical and logistics unit, to being appointed in a critical moment as acting head of the medical and logistics unit, optimizing the entire logistics system and improving efficiency, even personally testing poisons and repeatedly cracking Chiyo's poison techniques to save countless comrades.
Then, at the most critical moment, he took the initiative to lure away the Village Hidden in the Sand's ace, Pakura, and hundreds of elite troops, relieving enormous pressure on the defense line.
In the end, he even staged a stunning feat of striking straight at the enemy's heartland, destroying the enemy's command center, and seizing the banner.
Each and every one of these achievements is a real and remarkable feat worthy of being recorded in battle reports and merit books.
Its significance and far-reaching impact have long surpassed the scope of ordinary combat achievements that a Special Jonin or even a regular Jonin can accomplish.
If someone were to rank the individual contributions on the southwestern front, Shinichi could easily be considered among the top three.
First, there is Jiraiya. As the supreme commander, he bears the greatest responsibility and rightfully deserves the greatest credit.
Secondly, strictly speaking, it should be Shinichi Higashino.
But the reality is that Tsunade can only be ranked second.
Although Tsunade spent most of her time chasing after Pakura, it was he who truly stayed behind to handle medical and logistical matters.
But Tsunade is his teacher, and theoretically, all his achievements can be attributed to Tsunade.
Therefore, Shinichi can only be third.
"Speaking of which, isn't the Village Hidden in the Cloud about to make its move soon?"
Shinichi raised his head and looked northeast. The first battle at Kikyo Pass had ended, the Village Hidden in the Sand offensive had been thwarted, and they were unable to launch another decisive offensive in the short term.
In the coming period, the southwestern front will enter a relatively calm stalemate. Sporadic small-scale conflicts will continue, but a real major battle is unlikely.
And in the northeast… Shinichi withdrew his gaze and silently calculated his next plan.
Upon returning to the village, his promotion to Jonin is a certainty.
But what happens after the promotion?
He didn't plan to stay in the village for long.
The first thing he would do after promotion would be to apply for transfer to the frontline against the Village Hidden in the Cloud.
In the original timeline, why was Minato Namikaze able to ascend to the position of Fourth Hokage with overwhelming public support?
The most important factor was his outstanding military achievements.
During the Third Shinobi World War, he made outstanding contributions by using the Flying Thunder God Technique to turn the tide of battle on various battlefields!
He was present on almost every major front against the Village Hidden in the Stones, the Village Hidden in the Cloud, and the Village Hidden in the Mist!
After the battle, the name Yellow Flash resounded throughout the Five Great Shinobi Countries, and everyone in the Shinobi World knew of him.
His military achievements and prestige made him the obvious choice to become Hokage after the war.
Shinichi was well aware of this.
So.... He must do more.
He intends to fight this war from beginning to end.
He has already left his mark on the southwestern front. If he has the opportunity in the future, he will return to this place, preferably to personally lead the war against the Village Hidden in the Sand and bring this front line to a perfect climax.
The northeastern front, he would go.
The northwestern front, he would also go.
The southeastern coast, he would still go.
Four major battlefields.
Every battlefield, he would traverse.
Every battlefield, he would achieve astonishing feats.
Only in this way can he accumulate enough prestige after the war to rival or even surpass that of Minato.
Only in this way could he possess true confidence in the competition for the position of Hokage.
Thinking of this, Shinichi felt inexplicably excited.
That peer, who was hailed as a super genius and whom he had given the title of having the potential to become Hokage, he defeated and surpassed, establishing his reputation as a genius, and went on to leave Kakashi, another genius, far behind.
This time, his target is Minato Namikaze.
That man, known as the Yellow Flash, will become famous throughout the Shinobi World in the future.
That Jonin, who was ten years older than him, had already become the most dazzling star in Konoha.
The one who, in the original timeline, would become the Fourth Hokage.
That ninja whom Jiraiya described as someone who, "Compared to him, everyone else seemed inferior."
The excitement came so suddenly and so intensely that his body trembled slightly.
Shinichi took a deep breath, his expression returning to its usual calm. He began rapidly searching his mind for all the information about the Village Hidden in the Cloud: their fighting style, preferred Ninjutsu, possible tactics, their strongest members, and even their geographical environment and potential weaknesses.
At the same time, he began to consider how, upon returning to Konoha, he could most effectively persuade the third Hokage and the Konoha Council to agree to let him, a newly returned and supposedly deserving of commendation and rest, the youngest Jonin, to immediately head to another, potentially even more dangerous battlefield.
...
Three days later, in the early morning, the thin mist had not yet dispersed, and the breath exhaled condensed into white vapor in the air.
The gates of Konoha finally appeared in the team's field of vision.
From afar, a dense crowd had already gathered at the gate.
The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood at the forefront, draped in a Hokage Robe. Behind him were his advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, followed by the heads of various clans and a dense crowd of villagers.
In the crowd, some people started waving, others started shouting, and the voices were initially chaotic but soon merged into one.
"They're back!"
"Look! The one at the front is…?"
"Shinichi! It's Shinichi!"
The shouts grew louder and louder, and more and more people joined in the cheers.
When Shinichi led the team into the village, the crowd completely erupted. The morning light fell upon him, illuminating that young and resolute face, then a tremendous cheer that resounded throughout the entire village burst forth from the crowd.