"Kushina, you absolutely must be alright!"
Takeshi sped through the forest, beginning to reflect on himself.
He finally realized that his actions had caused immense harm to Kushina.
After all, Kushina was still just a little girl, longing to be with friends, and there was nothing wrong with that.
He couldn't just strip her of her personal freedom and make decisions she disliked, simply because of her identity.
What was the difference between this behavior and those two old sly foxes, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura?
One used the excuse of caring for his friends, and the other, the safety of the Village.
Takeshi had fallen into a trap; he was so concerned about Kushina's safety that he subconsciously wanted to find the safest solution for her.
But this wasn't a game; it was a real world.
At least for Takeshi's current perception, and for the people in this simulated world, it was a real world.
Takeshi no longer intended to restrict Kushina; he would respect her choices and decisions.
He would give her the right to decide her own life.
Bang, bang, bang!
Just then, he suddenly detected sounds of combat not far away.
Takeshi's eyes immediately sharpened. "Damn it, is Kushina in danger?"
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
A large amount of sand surged from the ground, coiling around her legs.
Seeing this, Kushina suddenly accelerated, using the Body Flicker Jutsu, narrowly escaping the sand's embrace while dodging a Wind Release Ninjutsu that attacked her head-on.
Boom!
A deep indentation was carved into the large tree behind her.
Sweat dripped from Kushina's forehead; facing the siege of several people, she felt very strained.
In the instant she was momentarily distracted, another Sunagakure Ninja appeared behind her to her left.
A kunai instantly lunged out!
Kushina quickly turned and raised her hand to block.
Clang!
The sound of weapons clashing rang out, and the immense force made Kushina stumble. The opponent seized the opportunity and struck again, cutting her left arm.
Substitution Jutsu!
Kushina grunted in pain, and at the same time, immediately steadied herself and formed hand signs.
The next second, her body vanished, reappearing on another tree branch.
"Heh heh... The little one is quite capable, isn't she?"
The Ninja casually flicked his kunai and chuckled mockingly.
"Hey, Sakaki, this brat is my prey!"
The Ninja who had previously been injured by Kushina's rock throw said, somewhat exasperated.
"I'm going to make her understand what pain is!"
"This little one has Uzumaki blood."
The Third Kazekage's gaze fell on Kushina's long red hair, and he suddenly warned.
"Don't kill her; we need her alive."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
Uzumaki blood was a hot commodity these days; the bounty for her alone was already rampant in the black market.
Even if the Hidden Sand Village had no use for her, they could sell her for a high price.
It was well known that the Hidden Sand Village was most lacking in money. Kushina, this mobile vault with Uzumaki blood, was one of the most coveted resources for them.
"Damn it!"
Kushina clutched the wound on her left arm, panting.
She had been fighting this group for a long time, consuming a large amount of Chakra, yet she still hadn't caused them much harm.
In fact, the Sunagakure Ninja who came to participate in the Konoha raid were at least Chunin level.
With so many Chunin and Jonin-level Ninja cooperating, Kushina, a Genin who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy, naturally found it difficult to cope.
Unless she possessed a large summoning beast or wide-range attack Ninjutsu, it would be difficult to break through.
But given Kushina's current state, she couldn't do it.
If this continued, she would eventually be captured.
"Perhaps I really should have listened to Takeshi and not come to the front lines."
She suddenly felt regret.
If she hadn't been stubborn and followed, and then ran off in a huff with Takeshi, she might not have encountered such a situation.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
The Sunagakure Ninja moved again. Kushina's face changed drastically at the sight, and she immediately began to defend herself.
"Uzumaki blood is truly insane!"
The Sunagakure Ninja couldn't help but exclaim; it was their first time seeing someone who poured out Chakra like it was free.
Not only did countless Chakra chains gush out, but Kushina was also incredibly resilient, like an unkillable cockroach.
It made the Sunagakure Ninja doubt their lives.
However, fortunately, through continuous consumption, Kushina's Chakra finally ran out.
Her small body was bound by sand, her limbs tied and suspended in the gap between the trees.
"Hahaha, finally I can properly torment you."
The Sunagakure Ninja who had previously been hit by Kushina's rock took out a kunai and approached her step by step.
At this moment, in addition to the leg injury he had sustained earlier, he also had many other injuries on his body.
These were all inflicted during his fight with Kushina, which made him even angrier.
He, a Chunin, was actually beaten so badly by a little girl; what a disgrace!
"Is... is this how it ends?"
Kushina felt exhausted, her head drooping, her eyelids feeling incredibly heavy.
With her limbs already bound, she couldn't turn the tables; capture was inevitable.
For some reason, in this final moment, the image that flashed through her mind was of the guy who made her so angry.
"Takeshi..."
She closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted, murmuring softly.
"Ah!"
The next second, a scream rang out.
"Hmm?"
Kushina's body was freed, and then she felt herself floating, as if someone had picked her up.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw the face that brought her immense comfort and familiarity.
"I'm sorry, I'm late."
Takeshi held her tightly in a princess carry.
Seeing the shocking wounds on her body, he felt a pang of heartache.
"I'm sorry..."
However, Kushina seemed not to have heard him, merely snuggling her head into his embrace, her small hands clutching Takeshi's collar tightly, as if afraid he would disappear.
"I should have listened to you and left here early to return to the Village."
Takeshi was stunned; he hadn't expected the once incredibly proud girl to utter such disheartened words.
"No."
Takeshi gently stroked the girl's fiery red hair and said softly, "You're not wrong, I am. I shouldn't have taken away your choice."
"But I really can't beat them."
Kushina's body trembled slightly, her head still resting on his chest: "And I was almost captured by them."
"No, they won't capture you."
Takeshi patted her head and said warmly, "With me here, I will protect you."
"Really?"
"Really."
Kushina lifted her head, staring at Takeshi with eyes brimming with tears.
"Then... will you always protect me?"
Takeshi's heart trembled. He paused and said, "With me here, no one can harm you."
The moment their serious gazes met, Kushina's pretty face instantly flushed red. Only then did she realize she was still in his arms.
"Who... who needs you to protect them!"
She quickly squirmed and broke free, feeling hot all over and a little unsteady on her feet, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
"I... I am Uzumaki Kushina, a Ninja who will become the first female Hokage!"
She had returned to her original vibrant, sunny girl self.
"Alright, my Hokage-sama."
Takeshi smiled and said.
In truth, he couldn't always protect Kushina, as he could only live until he was twenty.
Once the mission progress was full, he would have to leave.
However, as long as he was alive, he would not let Kushina suffer any more harm.
Takeshi summoned Lady Katsuyu with Summoning Jutsu to heal Kushina's injuries.
As for him, he was ready to unleash a massacre on the Ninja who had harmed Kushina!