Boom, boom, boom.
Hearing the explosions up ahead, even Sakura, who was a little timid, and Naruto, who was usually so carefree, grew nervous.
Even so, they didn't stop. They steeled themselves and hurried toward the source of the explosions.
Sakura asked, "Naruto, do you think Sasuke will be okay on his own?"
Naruto thumped his chest. "Don't worry. If Sasuke can't handle them by himself, I'll step in and help!"
"You?"
Sakura shot Naruto a look, then turned her worried gaze back toward the path ahead.
Before long, they finally made it through a dense patch of grass and reached the battlefield.
The sight before them left them stunned.
Sasuke was leaning against a large tree, panting heavily. His body was covered in wounds, and half of him was stained red with blood!
Sakura had never seen anything like it. She let out a shriek and fainted, falling stiffly to the ground.
Naruto was badly shaken, too. "Sasuke, are you okay?"
"It's just a few minor injuries," Sasuke said.
Although he looked horrifying, he really had only suffered a few flesh wounds. The deepest was the one from earlier, when Night Owl had pierced a tree and injured his shoulder. The rest were all scrapes.
After all, Night Owl and the others wanted to capture him alive.
Night Owl's expression tightened as he looked at Naruto.
His Red Eye had revealed the Nine-Tails inside Naruto. He knew the blond boy before him was Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
He didn't want to get tangled up with Konoha's Jinchuriki right when the Akatsuki Organization and the Five Great Shinobi Villages were at each other's throats. He quickly ordered his subordinates, "What are you standing around for? Get that brat!"
Night Owl's three subordinates didn't waste any time. They immediately pounced on Sasuke.