Before the Third Raikage arrived, a slightly plump figure came running over frantically. Seemingly broken, he shouted at A, "Idiot! Fool! How could you let go? That Namikaze Minato was clearly running out of Chakra, otherwise he wouldn't have just been standing there watching!"
A glanced at Caz but said nothing.
Of course, he knew Minato's Chakra was probably nearly depleted, but he couldn't gamble his life on a vague possibility.
Moreover, the calm and composed demeanor Setsuna displayed gave him a feeling that the opponent might still have a trump card. Forcibly keeping that monster here might not be a good idea.
Caz was still raging impotently: "I sacrificed all my followers to Jashin-sama to create the Blood Mist Array, and you still let that Namikaze Minato escape! That guy knows the Flying Thunder God Technique! I won't be able to sleep soundly ever again!"
The more Caz thought about it, the more frightened he became, filled with regret. He cursed incessantly: "Useless! All of you are useless! How could I ever trust you worthless..."
Before he could finish, A's large hand, like a palm leaf, slapped him, spinning Caz's head a full 360 degrees.
"Fool!" A looked coldly at Caz's corpse, 'Even if I can't handle that Chiaki Setsuna, I can certainly kill you.'
Disbelief was still in Caz's eyes. The strong vitality of a Jashin's follower allowed him to mutter with unwillingness, "I was the employer... Even in the world of villains, there's supposed to be honesty, right?"
Soon, the light in Caz's eyes completely faded. A still felt unsatisfied.
After all, if this bastard hadn't sought them out, they wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses today.
As for self-reflection? He never engaged in that kind of mental drain.
A nearby Kumogakure's Ninja hesitantly asked, "A-sama, shouldn't we have interrogated him about the location of the Sword of the Thunder God first?"
"I forgot." A slapped his forehead. The sword of the Second Hokage was the price Caz had offered.
Another Kumogakure's Ninja nearby comforted, "I heard the Sword of the Thunder God was recovered by Konoha long ago. That Caz was probably lying to us?"
But A shook his head: "If the old man hadn't verified the Sword of the Thunder God's authenticity, how could he have agreed to that guy's employment? As for the Sword of the Thunder God in Konoha, it was probably a forged tool they created back then to stabilize morale. Its power might not even compare to the Lightning Blade: Kiba of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
After a pause, A added, "Forget it. In the end, it's just a powerful tool. True strength still relies on one's own power."
A strong desire to win burned in A's eyes. He had never imagined before that pure physical strength, without relying on Chakra, could reach such a level.
It ignited a powerful desire within him. He wanted to become stronger, to achieve a physical level like Setsuna's.
…
On the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water, Setsuna and Minato's figures flashed into view.
Minato looked around and let out a light laugh, his voice tinged with relief. "It's a good thing you scared off the Raikage's son. Otherwise, my remaining Chakra might not have been enough to use the Flying Thunder God Technique with both of you."
"Yes, indeed fortunate." Setsuna smiled slightly but didn't specify for whom this fortune was.
If the Raikage had truly arrived with a large force, he might have had to resort to flying into the sky and using the Kikoho.
Of course, it was best not to use it. He didn't want to attract the Sage of Six Paths' attention because of this power so different from Chakra.
Although he might just be fighting air, it was better to be safe than sorry.
With the weight off his mind, Minato expressed his sincere gratitude: "Setsuna, thank you so much this time. Without you, I really don't know how I would have escaped."
Setsuna, however, shook his head: "If you hadn't taken the blame for me killing those three Kumogakure's Ninjas, Minato-senpai, they might not have targeted you so specifically."
Minato smiled: "Even without you, Setsuna, I would have killed them."
"Alright, going back and forth like this just makes us sound distant." Setsuna laughed. "Let's go find Hizashi-sensei and Kakashi and the others first."
…
Meanwhile, underground in a civilian house in Yugakure.
A naked body climbed out of a blood pool, his eyes filled with hatred. His clenched fists even cut into his palms. "Damn Kumogakure barbarians! How dare they treat me like this! I will not let them off!"
After raging impotently for a while, he finally calmed down. "Although the plan didn't develop as I imagined, it can't be considered a complete failure. At least the hatred between Kumogakure and Konoha has deepened. Especially Kumogakure… they never reflect on themselves and they will definitely blame the Konoha's Ninjas."
"As long as the two countries go to war, turning the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost into their battlefield, into a meat grinder, I can take the opportunity to sacrifice all the dead from the war to Jashin-sama. That way, I might just obtain the immortal body of eternal life!"
Thinking of that legend of the Jashin's faith, Caz's eyes burned with intense heat. Nothing was more tempting than eternal life and immortality.
He stepped out of the blood pool, but before he had taken more than a few steps, his nose fell off his face. This made him frown. "This body isn't fully refined yet. It can't last long. Damn it! It's all because of that Kumogakure scum! I need to perform a blood sacrifice now, to ask Jashin-sama to bestow his blessing and grant me stronger vitality."
With this in mind, Caz let out a soft sigh. "I have to initiate it early. Let my hometown make its final contribution for me."
…
In Yugakure, inside a tavern.
Faced with Hizashi, who sat as calmly as a meditating monk, Obito couldn't sit still anymore. "Hizashi-senpai, shouldn't we try to rescue Setsuna-san and Minato-sensei?"
"I've already sent a summon to notify the village. What we need to do now is wait. This way, once Setsuna rescues Minato, we can regroup as quickly as possible." Hizashi said with an air of practiced calm.
"But..."
"No buts. If you go, you'll only be a hindrance to both of them. The same goes for me if I go." Hizashi had a very clear understanding of himself. If he went to rescue them, the outcome would likely be him needing rescue instead.
Just then, screams and commotion suddenly erupted from outside.
"Ah! Help!"
"Why are you doing this? I don't even know you!"
Hearing these shouts and sounds of killing, the group curiously went outside. They found that the previously peaceful Yugakure had suddenly turned into a scene reminiscent of hell on earth. Ninjas and samurai were killing people everywhere.
"What's going on?" Shizune was shocked by the scene before her, 'These people were actually attacking unarmed civilians.'
"Are they bandits?"
"No." Hizashi's expression was very serious. "Yugakure's defense force is completely outmatched. Those people are hired Rogue Ninjas and samurai."
"Never mind that, let's go help people!" Obito said urgently before rushing forward.
"Wait..." Hizashi tried to stop them, but found the other kids had also charged out.
Hizashi sighed inwardly, 'We are Ninjas, not a chivalrous hero who fought for justice. We shouldn't really get involved in this kind of thing.'
But these kids clearly didn't think the same way, so he had no choice but to act as well.