Hyuga Kaze nearly choked on his own breath, grabbing Xin's hand and pulling him along in a panic. "Xin-sama, please, this is no time for jokes! There are too many enemies for us to leave anyone behind. We're almost at the border; we just need to buy more time!"
"It's too late," Xin said calmly, raising his hand and calling out, "Everyone, stop! Prepare for battle!"
Suna's forces were determined to wipe them out. They had pushed themselves to the limit, rushing to encircle the group before they could reach the border outpost.
With a group full of injured, there was no way to significantly increase their pace. The escort team itself was small, not even a full squad.
Knowing Xin's overwhelming capabilities, Tsunade hadn't assigned many to accompany him, feeling it wasn't necessary.
Even if Xin had to escort the group alone, she was confident he could handle it.
Who would've expected Suna to jump out at this moment?
"Let's take these dogs down!" One of the shinobi shouted.
"Send them crawling back to the Land of Wind to eat sand!" Others joined in, their voices rising with determination.
Even the injured, those still capable of moving, grabbed their weapons, ready to fight. The rising morale was infectious, even making Xin feel a surge of adrenaline. But he couldn't let them charge into battle recklessly; otherwise, the mission would fail.
"Kaze, take command of the others. Keep a lookout for stragglers or infiltrators. I'll handle the rest."
"But, Xin-sama... agh!"
Watching Xin rush off on his own, Kaze wanted to follow, but he knew he couldn't. He grit his teeth, stamping his foot in frustration before turning to the others.
"Anyone who can move, follow me! We need to keep the perimeter secure and stop any enemies from sneaking through! The rest is up to Xin-sama!"
Though reluctant, they had no choice but to trust Xin. Whether or not he could handle the situation, they had to believe in him.
Jumping onto a large rock, Xin surveyed the approaching enemy forces, scanning for Chiyo.
He swore that once he found her, he'd make her regret ever crossing paths with him.
The Third Kazekage had danced before it was time for Chiyo to join him in that performance. After all, Suna's reputation was already in shambles. A little more disgrace wouldn't make a difference.