"Kushina, Yukina, Chiba, and Hirohiko are in your hands. Move them as far away as possible."
Seeing his wife beside him turn away decisively, buying him a five-minute buffer, Minato Namikaze drew a slight breath and spoke softly.
"Mm."
Kushina nodded lightly at her husband's words, but did not stop moving. She walked straight to Hirohiko and picked him up.
"Yukina, Chiba is in your hands."
At the same time, she spoke to Yukina.
"Yes!"
Yukina had already gone to Chiba at once and supported him against her body. Hearing Kushina's words, she nodded instinctively.
"Wait for me to come back."
After hearing Yukina's response, Kushina did not hesitate. She turned her head and glanced lightly at her husband, who remained motionless with all his attention on the enemy across from them, then lowered her voice.
"Yeah."
Minato Namikaze nodded at that, with no intention of trying to dissuade his wife.
When his wife had looked at him just now, he had seen the look in her eyes as well. That unyielding determination, the crispness in her voice—everything proved that she would never back down.
She would not retreat behind them. Right now, although they had no choice but to stay because Chiba was being held hostage, if Kushina were sent back, Chiba would likely die immediately.
One of Uchiha Nobuhiko's curse mark conditions was that they could not slack off. Watching the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki leave would basically count as slacking off.
Things were not that simple.
Uchiha Nobuhiko's curse mark conditions had, in truth, already locked Kushina here.
Since they had chosen to stay and save Chiba, Kushina could not possibly avoid this battle.
*Was Uchiha Nobuhiko doing that deliberately just now? Did he deliberately get angry so he could leave the Flying Thunder God marking area? If he