"Where had these rats come from? So they were barbarians from the Cloud Ninja."
Ninomiya Hao stepped out slowly, shielding Kushina. Minato and Otoha flanked Kushina on either side, both vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
After glancing at the straw-hatted man and the others, Ninomiya Hao's eyes turned incomparably cold. "What, you highland barbarians who live on mountain winds want to start a war with Konoha?"
"Enough nonsense. Kill them."
The straw-hatted man gave a cold laugh and charged forward with his longsword raised. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and in an instant, he had reached Ninomiya Hao. His blade came crashing straight down.
Clang!
The shrill collision of weapons rang out as Ninomiya Hao and the straw-hatted man became locked in battle. Clanging echoed without end. The others could only see two black shadows racing like wind and lightning. Whenever they crossed paths, the earth beneath them was gouged into deep trenches by scattered lightning or wind blades.
No one dared approach within fifty meters of the two men.
Avoiding the center of the battle, the remaining eleven Cloud Ninja rushed at Kushina and the others from both sides.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Technique."
Otoha rapidly formed hand seals and spat out an enormous fireball that rolled forward, igniting the buildings. Violent flames surged skyward, and the wooden houses quickly caught fire. In an instant, the area became a sea of flames, forcibly driving back the five Cloud Ninja coming from the left and forcing them to circle around.
As for the six approaching from the right—
"Adamantine Sealing Chains."
Kushina formed hand seals with both hands. Four glittering golden chains shot out from behind her back, dancing through the air like four enormous golden pythons. They rang out in a series of clattering crashes as they wildly lashed at