"What do we do now? Keep firing signal flares for help?" Obito asked nervously.
"It's too late, and there might not be any other Konoha teams nearby," Hizashi shook his head slightly.
"Are we just left to pray?" Rin's voice was despondent.
"I'll go rescue him. Hizashi-sensei, you take them back to Yugakure first," Setsuna volunteered.
If it were Sunagakure forces, he might hesitate, but since the enemy were Kumogakure's Ninjas, he had fewer reservations.
If there were simply too many enemies, he could always escape using his Sky Dancing Art.
The real trouble, however, was convincing Hizashi to agree to his proposal.
'How do I convince Hizashi-sensei?' Setsuna hesitated internally about whether to reveal his ability to fly, only to hear Hizashi nod decisively and reply, "Alright, we'll do as you say."
"Huh?" Setsuna was stunned by how readily Hizashi agreed, 'Did Hizashi-sensei trust me that much?'
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin also looked at Hizashi with shocked expressions, 'What was this Hyuga Jonin thinking? He actually agreed to let his student risk a rescue mission while he stayed in the rear?'
Hizashi, of course, noticed the kids' strange looks, but he couldn't explain properly. He could only brace himself and say, "Let's all head back. I believe Setsuna can definitely bring Minato back."
…
The forest was filled with a bloody mist, the very air carrying a sweet, metallic scent.
Minato leaped and dodged through the forest while retrieving a soldier pill from his pouch and swallowing it.
His nearly depleted Chakra Reserves recovered slightly, but the worry on Minato's brow did not dissipate.
Although soldier pills could restore Chakra, the effect diminished with each successive use in a short period. If he couldn't escape this blood-soaked forest soon, the outcome awaiting him would not be good.
Just then, a figure wreathed in lightning dropped from a tree, striking towards Minato like a thunderbolt.
However, even with his senses greatly weakened, Minato managed to teleport away at the critical moment.
The ground where Minato had been standing cracked and exploded like a spiderweb. The figure stood on the scorched earth and praised, "Your name is Namikaze Minato, right? To be able to dodge me, with the fastest speed in the Ninja World, again and again is truly impressive. I will remember your name as an opponent after your death."
Minato held a kunai, observing the surroundings while speaking, "You must be A, the son of the Third Raikage. While your speed is indeed fast, calling it the 'fastest in the Ninja World' might be an exaggeration. I have, at the very least, seen a Ninja faster than you."
"Impossible!" A refused to believe it. "Not even my old man can do that. His physique is stronger than mine, but his speed isn't faster."
Minato said no more, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to flee again before the other Kumogakure's Ninjas could catch up.
"What a troublesome opponent. If we weren't enemies, I'd like to fight him fairly to see who truly holds the title of the Ninja World's fastest." A shook his head slightly, sensing that Minato wouldn't last much longer.
"We should still hurry. If he accidentally breaks out of the Blood Mist Array, finding another opportunity like this won't be easy," said Blue B, the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, who had caught up.
A nodded, then suddenly heard a nearby Ninja shouting while pointing at the distant sky, "What is that?"
A looked in the direction he pointed. Even with the blood mist obscuring the view, he could see a majestic green dragon blotting out the sky.
"What kind of monster is that? A summon?" A was shocked. Wherever the green dragon passed, the ground churned, ancient trees were snapped, and giant trees were uprooted, dancing in the air like kites with cut strings.
"Not good, the Blood Array!" A realized the danger. The bloody mist permeating the forest was being scattered by the violent winds, and long-lost sunlight streamed down.
Not only that, the green dragon was heading straight for them. Some Kumogakure's Ninjas who couldn't avoid it in time were swept screaming into the air.
Seeing the disaster approaching, A instantly entered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"B, throw me up!"
"Got it." As A's foster brother, Killer B naturally understood A's intention and grabbed him, hurling him upwards.
"Lightning Straight!"
Propelled like a railgun, A accurately struck the green dragon.
Boom!
The green dragon exploded violently. The uncontrolled air currents swept out in all directions.
Broken branches and leaves rained down like a storm upon the groaning earth. The entire forest looked as if it had been plowed by a giant harrow, with fallen trees piling into chaotic embankments, even blocking the forest streams.
Witnessing this shocking scene, the Kumogakure's Ninjas cheered.
"As expected of A-sama! So reliable!"
"I thought I was going to die!"
However, A, who had landed steadily on the ground, showed no joy on his face. He frowned and muttered, "Seems like Taijutsu... Konoha Ryujin? But it's not quite like the Konoha Ryujin from the rumors."
Just then, a person walked out from the remnants of the forest. He moved as if on a stroll, making no attempt to hide, his steps crunching on broken branches… completely contrary to a Ninja's need for stealth.
"Minato-senpai, are you there? I've come to rescue you!"
Watching the other party call out loudly and walk right past him, A's tense expression finally broke, 'What was this baffling guy doing?'
Although his identity was uncertain, the Konoha's forehead protector on his forehead was unmistakable.
"Looking for death! Lightning Release: Lightning Bolt!"
A condensed Lightning Attribute Chakra in his right elbow and charged at the other party at top speed.
"Elbow!"
The person shouting loudly in the forest was, naturally, Setsuna.
Seeing A coming at him with an elbow strike, Setsuna leaned his right shoulder towards the incoming elbow.
Boom!
It was like thunder cracking. Setsuna was 'elbowed' back a few meters, while A was sent flying backwards like a cannonball, planting headfirst into the soil.
"How is this possible?"
"A-sama was sent flying!"
The Kumogakure's Ninjas who witnessed this were incredulous. For A to lose a physical clash to someone other than the Third Raikage was simply unbelievable.
Elsewhere, Minato, who had heard Setsuna's call, appeared at the right moment. Noticing the dispersed blood mist, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Setsuna, the blood mist is gone. We can escape..." Minato spoke rapidly, only to hear Setsuna finish his sentence, "... we can counterattack."
"Counterattack?" Minato was stunned, 'There were over a hundred pursuing Kumogakure's Ninjas, including powerhouses like the Raikage candidate and the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki. Did you really think the two of us could counterattack?'
Setsuna nodded: "Minato-senpai, your Flying Thunder God Technique combined with my Taijutsu... if we attack together, which of these Kumogakure's Ninjas could possibly stand against us for even a single clash?"
Minato felt tempted. Indeed, he and Setsuna could be considered the ultimate assassin and the ultimate warrior. Working together, they could definitely achieve a synergy greater than the sum of their parts.
Moreover, anyone who had been tricked and hunted for so long would feel angry. He wasn't a saint, so of course he wanted payback.
"Alright, I'll follow your lead!" Minato pulled out hundreds of senbon from his pouch, scattering them across the forest. Flying Thunder God's marks now covered the entire battlefield. The prey's counterattack was about to begin!