The dust kicked up by the Stone Ninja blowing apart the mountainside had yet to settle when Uzumaki Kuming's Shadow Clone charged toward the figures in the smoke. Kuming himself followed right behind it.
Hyuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku followed close behind Kuming, charging into the smoke as well. Minato and Dai stayed at its edge, waiting to ambush anyone who came out.
Hiashi and Fugaku possessed dojutsu Kekkei Genkai, while Uzumaki Kuming had Mind's Eye of the Kagura. The smoke wouldn't hinder any of them in battle. Minato and Dai, however, had no such abilities. That was why only Kuming and the other two went inside.
Without sensory abilities, Dai and Minato could only wait outside the smoke for it to clear—or for someone to come charging out.
Not long after Kuming and the others entered, the clash of weapons rang out from within. The sharp clangs set Minato and Dai on edge.
"Pfft, pfft~" Soon, white smoke began to mingle with the pale yellow smoke as Kuming's Shadow Clones started disappearing in droves.
Before long, a piercing scream rang out from within the smoke.
"Ahhh~~"
"Damn you, little—"
"Thwack!"
Cries of pain and furious shouts rose from the Stone Ninja in the smoke. Even amid all the noise, Minato could clearly hear kunai stabbing into flesh. Several Stone Ninja fell to the ground, and when Minato saw how tall they were, his face brightened.
"Damn it! It's the enemy! Stay alert, all of you!"
"Wind Style: Breakthrough!"
Soon, a Stone Ninja roared from within the smoke. The next instant, a violent gust erupted from its center and scattered all the dust and smoke.
"Whoosh!"
Before the smoke had even cleared, Kuming, Fugaku, and Hiashi swiftly retreated and reappeared beside Minato. Fugaku no longer held a kunai. In its