Ambush

As soon as he finished speaking, Naruto suddenly transformed into a Rain Ninja wearing a gas mask. "Who has the scroll? There's no other way—we'll have to take it by force."

The Rain Ninja drew a kunai and charged toward Sasuke at high speed.

Sasuke snorted, forcefully pushed off with his feet, leaped into the air, and began forming hand seals.

"Fire Release, Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

He spat out five fireballs in succession at the Rain Ninja, but the Rain Ninja easily dodged them. The two crossed paths in midair with shuriken in hand. The Rain Ninja suddenly turned and fled. Sasuke had only taken two steps in pursuit when he saw Naruto tied up with ropes on the ground, desperately calling his name.

"Hey! Sasuke!"

"Seriously, you're nothing but a useless idiot who causes trouble!"

Though he said that, Sasuke still used a shuriken to cut the ropes binding Naruto.

The Rain Ninja turned back with a sneer, took out three throwing knives, and flung them at Sasuke.

"An opening. What luck!"

Sasuke, standing on a tree trunk, hurriedly ducked beneath it. The throwing knives struck the trunk, and Sasuke suddenly saw flames—the Explosive Tags attached to their handles were burning.

"Damn it!"

BOOM!

Amid the smoke from the explosion, Sasuke was blasted down to the ground. He had barely climbed back up when a kunai was pressed against his throat. The Rain Ninja sneered. "Move even an inch and I'll kill you. What good luck. Hand over the scroll obediently!"

Just then, Naruto broke free of the ropes, picked up the kunai Sasuke had used to cut them, leaped into the air, and hurled it straight at the Rain Ninja!

"Tch!"

The Rain Ninja reluctantly jumped back. Naruto landed on the ground and looked up