Rescue

With Akaseki around, tracking down the hair became much easier.

Once he was sure Minato wasn't planning to defect, Akaseki felt safe accompanying him to track down the people who had abducted Kushina...

Just before they were about to leave the Forest of Death, Akaseki and Minato finally spotted their targets!

"Three enemies. They look like Cloud Ninja, and their chakra definitely isn't at Jonin level," Akaseki said after confirming their numbers.

As for "look"...

Two had dark skin, and one had fair skin. They were obviously from Kumogakure!

They hadn't tied on their Forehead Protectors, but even their clothes were in Kumogakure's style. Even if they were discovered, Kumogakure would just claim they were rogue ninja. They clearly had no intention of hiding their identities.

Kushina's hands were bound behind her back, and she was being escorted along, seemingly about to be taken beyond Konoha's borders.

Fortunately, Kushina hadn't given up. She kept secretly pulling out strands of her distinctive red hair to call for help, while pretending she couldn't walk quickly. No matter how much the others kicked and punched her, she kept dragging her feet...

The ropes they had used to bind her seemed to absorb chakra, so the Cloud Ninja escorting her didn't dare carry her and run, either.

"Let's move. I'll draw their attention first, and you—" Minato suggested.

"Wait. I already sent a signal... reinforcements should be here soon!" Akaseki was more cautious and didn't want to attack right away.

But Minato shook his head. "We can't. We're about to leave the Forest of Death. Beyond it, we'll already be outside Konoha. We don't know how many Cloud Ninja might be lying in ambush out there. Once we leave, it'll be much harder to rescue her."

The Forest of Death was Konoha's Training Ground 44...

The barrier around it was also Konoha's outer barrier!

Once they left the Forest of Death, they would be completely outside Konoha's borders. Who knew how many powerful ninja might be lying in wait to receive them?

Akaseki thought Minato had a point...

At least in the Forest of Death, the enemy Jonin wouldn't dare barge in recklessly.

"Why are they taking so long... Fine, but I'll attack with Genjutsu first. You go rescue her." After complaining about how long reinforcements were taking, Akaseki agreed with Minato.

Minato had suggested going in first because Akaseki had come along at his request, so he was willing to take on more of the danger.

But Akaseki had his own plan. An ambush with Genjutsu would tie up the enemy more effectively!

"Right!" Minato agreed at once.

"Sharingan, activate!" Akaseki opened his "2+1" Sharingan.

Then the single Tomoe in Akaseki's right eye glowed an even deeper crimson, and slowly began to spin...

"Demonic Illusion: Fox Illusion Technique!"

Two Elite Chunin from Kumogakure and a Special Jōnin were impatiently urging the stumbling Kushina onward.

"Keep moving! Stop dragging your feet. No one's coming to save you!" Soku barked.

The special ropes kept draining Kushina's chakra, leaving her almost completely depleted. Her condition was already terrible. Her uneven steps weren't all an act, and her eyes were gradually losing focus, yet she mechanically continued pulling out strands of hair to call for help.

"Stay alert. We're about to leave Konoha's borders. Once we get outside... we'll have made it!"

"With a member of the Uzumaki Clan, our Kumogakure can control the power of a Tailed Beast, too..."

"Hm? Something's wrong... it seems like we—"

"What is it?"

Ah—

The three Kumogakure ninja had been walking in circles because of the Genjutsu, "Demonic Illusion: Fox Illusion Technique." It took them a while to realize it!

Unfortunately, Akaseki's Genjutsu wasn't strong enough yet. Otherwise, he might even have made the three of them walk all the way back to Konoha.

The next moment, a flash of gold—Minato Namikaze ambushed one of them, driving a Kunai straight into his neck, while grabbing Kushina by the arm with his other hand and throwing her to the side...

Whoosh—

Before the Cloud Ninja could react, they saw Kushina vanish the instant she touched the bushes.

"Damn! It's Genjutsu!"

"Release!"

Soku, the first of the three Cloud Ninja to be ambushed, was now clutching his neck and rolling on the ground. Without prompt aid from a Medical Ninja, he clearly wouldn't survive.

Seeing this, the other two quickly disrupted their chakra and broke the Genjutsu.

The trees around them shifted at once. At the same time, the vanished Kushina appeared lying in a clearing, while another Konoha Ninja stood in front of her...

"Damn... two little brats!" The Cloud Ninja Boku realized that both Konoha Ninja, including the one who had ambushed them, looked like children.

"Be careful! That brat's from the Uchiha Clan." The other Cloud Ninja, Hope, saw Akaseki's eyes and immediately warned him sternly.

But while Hope was distracted by Akaseki's eyes...

Crack—

With a sharp crack, Hope turned around in a daze and saw that Boku, despite being ready and facing the yellow-haired brat one-on-one, had been kicked flying into a tree after just a few exchanges!

Sizzle—

Before Boku could react after crashing through the tree, Minato pursued him while forming the hand seals "Dog—Dragon—Together"—Wind Style: Gale Palm!

The "wind blade" produced by Minato's Gale Palm was much longer than it had been a month and a half ago...

Boku had no prior information about Minato. He thought it was an ordinary Gale Palm and assumed the wind pressure would drop sharply if he kept his distance. So, after scrambling backward, he didn't take it seriously—and ended up with a deep gash across his chest and abdomen.

"You..." Boku clearly hadn't expected a child to master the shape transformation of Wind Release chakra to such an extent. The injury had severely affected his fighting ability.

Meanwhile, over on Hope's side...

"Got time to look somewhere else?" Akaseki said, his hands forming one seal after another.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

As soon as Akaseki blew out the Fire Style chakra, it became a massive fireball thirteen or fourteen meters across, its heat waves rolling toward Hope...

That was what it looked like from a third-party perspective.

To Hope, who was already quite close, it was a sea of flames surging toward him!

And where did the third-party perspective come from?

"Minato Namikaze is impressive. He also has a clean background and no clan holding him back. Sarutobi..." Danzo watched Minato greedily.

"Call me Lord Hokage!" Sarutobi's attitude made the answer clear.

"I just think it's rare to find such a talented civilian ninja. Most importantly, the moment he realized a comrade was in danger, he pursued the enemy without hesitation..." Danzo said, refusing to give up.

Sarutobi's expression turned stern. "That's why Jiraiya is teaching him now. I'm perfectly satisfied."

When Danzo said nothing, Sarutobi continued bluntly, "I said Jiraiya is teaching him now. Didn't you hear me?"

Realizing Sarutobi was about to lose his temper, Danzo quickly replied, "Yes, Lord Hokage. You're wise."

But after assuring Sarutobi that he wouldn't approach Minato, Danzo paused, then added, "We must keep an eye on Akaseki, though! He immediately followed the future Jinchuriki when he saw she was in trouble, clearly harboring ill intentions—and he's very talented, too!"

Sarutobi: ...

Do you even hear yourself?