"Say, Minato... when exactly did you leave a Flying Thunder God formula on me?"
As the two moved through the desolate landscape searching for Hagoromo, Kushina suddenly stopped and narrowed her eyes at Minato.
"Uh, well... about that..."
Minato hesitated. He could practically see the gears of distrust turning in Kushina's head. It was as if she suspected him of using the mark to do something—well, unseemly.
"It hasn't been long! Just, you know, during our last meeting. It was purely a precaution... for situations exactly like this, so I could find you as quickly as possible..." Minato explained, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Really?"
"Really."
It had to be true. It was true. Mostly.
Even though it was barely zero degrees Celsius outside, Minato felt strangely hot. In truth, he had placed the mark on her the very first time he mastered the technique. After the Cloud Village kidnapping incident years ago, he had vowed never to let her out of his "reach" again. But looking at her current expression, he figured honesty wasn't the best policy. Telling her he could effectively monitor her location at any time was a one-way ticket to a legendary Uzumaki punch.
Kushina gave him one more long, scrutinizing look from head to toe before finally turning back to the task at hand. Minato exhaled a long, shaky breath.
Kushina generally trusted Minato's character, even if her instincts screamed otherwise.
A certain silver-haired, dead-eyed teacher once taught the world that all men are beasts.
Minato's own teacher was Jiraiya—a man whose "habits" were more famous than his Ninjutsu.
Fortunately, Hagoromo's safety was the higher priority. "Let's just keep moving. I hope he isn't in any real danger!"
Despite their urgency, the search did not go well. Three days passed without a single sign of Hagoromo. Kushina's anxiety was reaching a fever pitch. Hagoromo had saved her life with that chaotic, experimental Reverse Summoning; if he died because of it, she would never forgive herself.
"This isn't working," Minato said on the third day.
While the environment seemed relatively safe—no enemy ninjas and no signs of life—they were still deep in a strange territory. If the space was suddenly sealed or the coordinates shifted, even he might have trouble getting them out. They needed to speed this up.
Minato tapped his forehead protector, realization dawning on him. Why were they trying to do this with just the two of them?
"Kushina, wait here for a moment."
He vanished and returned a short while later, but this time, he wasn't alone. Kushina didn't recognize the newcomer, but her eyes lit up instantly.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Minato, you're a genius!"
Minato offered a modest smile. It wasn't genius; they had simply been stuck in a mental rut. He turned to the man beside him. "Hyuga, I'm counting on you."
When it comes to search and rescue in the shinobi world, the Hyuga Clan is the gold standard. It was such a simple solution that they had overlooked it in their panic.
"I understand, Minato-sama," the Hyuga ninja replied. He had been briefed on the mission and knew exactly what was at stake.
"Byakugan!"
The veins around his eyes bulged. "Forty kilometers to the southeast... I see residual chakra traces."
Minato and Kushina shared a glance and bolted toward the coordinates at a speed that blurred the landscape.
They arrived at the site and quickly scanned for enemies. Finding none, they examined the ground.
"The battle happened about two days ago," Minato analyzed, his eyes scanning the charred earth. "There are Fire Style scorch marks everywhere. Looking at the destruction... he was fighting something big." He turned to Kushina. "Can you confirm this is Hagoromo's chakra? I thought he was primarily a Lightning user."
Kushina nodded, her expression grim. "Hagoromo has both Lightning and Fire natures. I taught him Fire Style myself. He's actually quite good at it, but he usually complains that it lacks the 'precision' and 'lethality' of his Lightning. He only uses Fire when he's trying to preserve energy or... when he can't use Lightning."
Her voice trembled slightly. This was the first trace they had found in three days. The fact that he was using Fire Style—his secondary element—suggested he was in no condition to use his main strength.
The traces of battle stretched further into the distance, leading toward a cluster of ancient stone structures.
They followed the trail for several more hours until the Hyuga ninja suddenly came to a dead stop.
"I've found him!"