The Chase!

"Wait, what's this heart-pounding feeling? Am I just worrying over nothing, or has something really happened?"

Li suddenly felt a pang of dread just as he was about to get home. It lasted only a moment, but it left him flustered. He pulled back the foot he'd been about to step through the door with.

"Could something really have happened to Kushina?"

The more Li thought about it, the more unsettled he became. At last, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and headed back. Konoha wasn't that big, after all. If he was just worrying over nothing, he could call it a walk to clear his head. But the closer he got to Kushina's home, the more agitated he felt. Without realizing it, he began to walk faster, until he was sprinting.

When he reached Kushina's home, Li immediately saw that the courtyard gate, which had been shut tight, stood open. He didn't stop to think and hurried inside. The courtyard was quiet.

"Kushina!" Li gritted his teeth, realizing something had probably happened. He had only left a short while ago. Even if Kushina had decided to rest, she would have needed at least half an hour to wash up, but barely ten minutes had passed. Now there was no one in the courtyard, and Kushina's door stood wide open. Li ran over and peered inside. It was empty, and even the bedding was neatly arranged.

"Sand Ninja!" A murderous glint flashed in Li's eyes. Kushina was his one weakness, and no one was allowed to touch her. Without another thought, he leaped out of the gate and chose a path to follow. There was only one route that avoided Konoha's heavily guarded areas: the road to the back hills. That land lay near the Uchiha Clan Compound, a place Konoha didn't want to deal with and the Uchiha disdained.

Sure enough, after a short pursuit, Li entered the back hills and spotted a strand of red hair on the ground. It stood out against the dry branches scattered everywhere. Li picked it up, certain he was on the right trail.

"Ding! Main quest issued: Retrieve the kidnapped Kushina Uzumaki. Quest complete: 5,000 points awarded. Quest failed: 5,000 points deducted from the host. If the host lacks sufficient points, items of equivalent value will be deducted!"

Hearing the system prompt, Li narrowed his eyes slightly. He gave it no further thought. Right now, all he wanted was to rescue Kushina. He would have done so even without the quest.

"Haha! Konoha's shinobi are such fools. They think keeping an eye on Elder Chiyo and the others will prevent anything from happening. Little do they know, a large group of shinobi is waiting outside Konoha to receive us and help us secure this suitable Jinchuriki. Once we complete this mission, Lord Kazekage will personally receive us when we return to the village. Then our good days will begin!" The Sand Ninja carrying the bound Kushina couldn't help laughing smugly. He'd never imagined it would be this easy.

"Hmph. The Hokage of Konoha is probably still keeping his eyes on Elder Chiyo and the others," another shinobi chimed in.

The Sand Ninja's plan was simple. When they came to sign the war reparations treaty, they split into two groups. One, led by Elder Chiyo, was responsible for signing the treaty. The other was assigned to kidnap Kushina. Of course, the two Genin were only there to scout. Even if they were discovered, they could make excuses and get away with it. After all, they were only two Genin. If Konoha didn't want to start a war, they wouldn't investigate too closely. But apparently, the two Genin wanted to make a name for themselves, too. When they saw that Kushina had no one guarding her, they took the opportunity to snatch her.

Kushina's hands and feet were bound, and a rag had been stuffed into her mouth. She struggled nonstop, letting out muffled sobs. She felt terribly wronged. Li had only just reminded her to be careful before leaving, and then someone had come to kidnap her.

I wonder if Li will come save me. Did he see the strand of hair I left behind? But he probably won't. He already went home. Maybe he's sleeping comfortably right now. Nobody in Konoha likes me. Nobody cares about me. The wind will probably just blow away the hair I left behind! The more Kushina thought about it, the more upset she became. Her eyes turned red, and if her mouth hadn't been stuffed, she would have burst into tears.

"We're close now. They should be just up ahead!" After picking up a strand of hair from the ground, Li felt that it was still faintly warm. It couldn't have been dropped long ago. With that thought, he stopped dawdling and sped up again. They weren't far from Konoha's outskirts. If he didn't hurry, rescuing Kushina would soon be impossible.

In the forest near Konoha, dozens of shinobi hid behind tree trunks, watching the village entrance warily. They were waiting for the right moment to steal Kushina away.

"We're almost out of Konoha. Once we're out, our mission will be a complete success. Lord Kazekage is sure to promote us!"

Hearing the shinobi's words, Kushina was so anxious that tears nearly spilled from her eyes. She knew she probably wouldn't be saved today. Once they left Konoha, even if its shinobi discovered she was missing, it was anyone's guess whether they would come for her. And even if they wanted to, they might not be able to rescue her.

"That's far enough, you rats!"

At that moment, Li finally caught up. He leaped in front of the two Genin and blocked their path. He'd been running for so long that he was a little out of breath. Fortunately, he'd been training his stamina regularly; otherwise, he might not have caught them.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

When Kushina saw Li appear, her eyes widened. She desperately tried to call for help, but with her mouth stuffed, all she could manage was a muffled cry.

"Kushina!" Seeing her trussed up with a gag in her mouth, Li's eyes widened. He glared at the two Sand Ninja and said coldly, "You have two choices. First, let the girl go right now, then kill yourselves. Second, I kill you with my own hands!"

The two Sand Ninja had been startled when someone blocked their path, thinking a Konoha shinobi had discovered them. But when they saw it was just a little kid, they both laughed. The Sand Ninja carrying Kushina pointed at Li and said disdainfully to his companion, "Hey, this guy doesn't even have a Forehead Protector, and he wants us to kill ourselves. Did I hear him wrong, or did he say that wrong?"

Li looked like a six- or seven-year-old kid, one who hadn't even left the Academy yet. Hearing a kid like that tell them to kill themselves was as ridiculous as a little lamb telling a tiger to kill itself.

"Are you going, or am I?" The Sand Ninja who wasn't carrying Kushina turned to his companion with a grin.