Because they feared Shinji's Mangekyō Sharingan, Tsunade and the others didn't dare pursue him too closely. With the boost from the Breathing Technique, Shinji quickly left his pursuers behind.
After racing at full speed for a long time, Shinji finally reached the border of the Land of Fire.
By now, the sky had long since brightened. The sun had risen high, bathing the earth in brilliant sunlight.
Naruto, whom Shinji had been carrying the whole way, had also woken up. He rubbed his eyes groggily, and only after a moment did he come around. Then he shouted, "You bastard! Put me down!"
Shinji shifted his gaze and glanced at Naruto. "Quiet!"
In an instant, Naruto froze as if he'd been struck by lightning.
He wasn't a Perfect Jinchuriki yet. Kurama was still sealed in his mental world, so even a simple genjutsu from Shinji was enough to temporarily subdue Naruto.
Just then, the pursuers behind Shinji caught up again.
From far away, Sasuke shouted, "You coward! How long are you going to keep running?"
Shinji looked back at Sasuke. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't get worked up just yet."
"You—"
Sasuke was at a loss for words, his face turning bright red.
Shikaku, who was part of the squad, moved up beside Tsunade and quietly warned her, "Lord Tsunade, it looks like he's trying to lead us somewhere."
Shizune hurriedly said, "We're about to leave the country. Where is he trying to escape to?"
"He's heading toward the Wind Country!" Tsunade paused, puzzled. "If his target is the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, his best option would be to shake us off immediately, not lead us all the way to his hideout!"
Shizune grew tense. "Could it be a trap?"
Shikaku shook his head. "There have been plenty of