Dying in Battle

"Hoo~" Both of them let out long sighs before collapsing onto the ground.

Since their chakra was nearly depleted, neither of them intervened in their companions' ongoing battles. Though the fighting had ceased, they did not lower their guard. To prevent a sneak attack, they sat facing each other ten meters apart, a silent, mutual understanding between them.

"Hey, what's your name?" Rasa asked, a smile that could have been genuine or mocking playing on his lips.

"Is there any need to ask?" Contrary to Rasa's expectations, Uchiha Matsuri did not answer, responding instead with an icy, detached tone.

"Of course there is! You're the first peer I've encountered who could fight me to a standstill for so long. That's why I want to know your name," Rasa chuckled.

Hearing Rasa's unabashedly arrogant response, Uchiha Matsuri replied coldly, "Uchiha Matsuri."

"Good name!" Rasa instantly turned into a chatterbox. "That red eye you used earlier must be the Sharingan, right? I heard it's the bloodline limit your Uchiha Clan is most proud of. I never expected to experience it firsthand today; it really is impressive!"

"..."

"I heard there's a young genius in your Uchiha Clan, I think his name is... yes, Uchiha Fugaku. At first, I thought you were him!"

"..."

Time ticked away, and the two remained locked in this bizarre conversation while keeping their guard up against one another.

Nearby.

Minato Namikaze, having rescued Kushina Uzumaki, was wreaking havoc with the newly mastered "Flying Thunder God Technique," completely turning the tide of the battle in an instant.

"Is he human or a ghost?! How could he be this fast?!" A Sunagakure Ninja's expression gradually shifted to one of despair.

Within a minute, the eight or nine ninjas surrounding Kushina Uzumaki had been slaughtered by Minato Namikaze.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the completely suppressed Nohara Shin, Minato Namikaze threw another special kunai and flashed instantly to Nohara Shin's side.

Seeing the "Yellow Flash" heading their way, the Sunagakure Ninjas surrounding Nohara Shin raised their guard. The defeat of Rasa and many other Sunagakure Ninjas earlier clearly signaled that this person was powerful and terrifying.

Seeing the enemy prepared, Minato Namikaze showed no reaction; he simply threw a special kunai and lunged forward in a sprint.

In less than half a minute, all the Sunagakure Ninjas around Nohara Shin had fallen to the ground.

Seeing the crisis averted, Nohara Shin collapsed to the ground, exhausted, gasping for air.

"Thank you, classmate Minato." Even the usually boisterous Kushina Uzumaki set aside her prejudices and bowed in gratitude.

"Don't mention it, we're all classmates, no need for such formalities. The Third Hokage sent me to rescue you all; frankly, saving you was my mission," Minato Namikaze replied with a smile.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Minato Namikaze asked anxiously, "Why are only the three of you here? Where is Senior Kato Dan?"

"Senior Dan stayed behind to hold off the enemy over an hour ago so we could break out of the encirclement," Nohara Shin said weakly. "He should be at the exit of the Scarlet Valley, about ten kilometers away. Minato, you need to go quickly!"

"Understood." Minato Namikaze didn't waste any more words, utilizing the advantage of his Flying Thunder God Technique to race toward Kato Dan, ten kilometers away.

"Finally gone." A faint, imperceptible smile touched the corner of Rasa's mouth.

"Matsuri, Kushina, are you two alright?" Uchiha Matsuri asked with concern.

With all attention shifted to their injured teammate, this was, without a doubt, a perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Taking advantage of the fact that Uchiha Matsuri, Nohara Shin, and Kushina Uzumaki were off-guard, Rasa quietly crept toward Uchiha Matsuri's back. When he was about five meters away, Rasa suddenly drew a shuriken and lunged at Uchiha Matsuri.

"Look out!" Sensing Rasa's scheme, Nohara Shin shouted and threw himself toward Uchiha Matsuri.

Puchi.

Nohara Shin tackled the unsuspecting Uchiha Matsuri, but Rasa's shuriken struck true, slicing directly across Nohara Shin's neck.

"..."

From the joy of surviving a brush with death to the sudden, jarring turn of events, Uchiha Matsuri experienced a violent emotional rollercoaster in the span of five seconds.

Seeing Nohara Shin's wound bleeding uncontrollably, Uchiha Matsuri immediately stepped forward and used his last ounce of strength to perform medical ninjutsu.

"It's useless, Uchiha Matsuri," Rasa sneered. "I coated that shuriken with a special poison concocted by Senior Chiyo. Ordinary medical ninjutsu can't save him!"

Seeing that Uchiha Matsuri and the others ignored him, Rasa huffed and said with a hint of regret:

"Actually, you should feel lucky that you have a companion willing to sacrifice his life to save you. But from my perspective, it's a real shame I didn't kill you just now..."

"Shut up." Uchiha Matsuri roared, his voice raspy.

"Heh."

After the medical ninjutsu was applied, Nohara Shin's wound did not heal as expected; instead, it began to ooze black, putrid blood.

"I told you, my shuriken was coated in Senior Chiyo's deadly poison. Even if Tsunade of the Sannin were here, it would be difficult to completely neutralize this toxin," Rasa said triumphantly.

"I told you to shut up." Uchiha Matsuri finally lost his patience and screamed hysterically.

"Fine, fine. Since you don't want me here, I'll take my leave." With that, Rasa sprinted toward the depths of the Scarlet Valley.

In truth, during the earlier battle, Rasa had intentionally held back ten percent of his chakra to ensure his escape after the assassination. However, facing the now-alert Uchiha Matsuri and Kushina Uzumaki, Rasa ultimately abandoned the gamble and fled into the "labyrinth" of the Scarlet Valley before Minato Namikaze could return.

Watching Rasa's retreating figure, Uchiha Matsuri felt an intense, burning rage; he wanted nothing more than to chase him down and tear him apart. However, the total exhaustion of his chakra left his entire body abnormally weak, making it impossible to intercept Rasa.

"Matsuri, Kushina," Nohara Shin said weakly. "It was truly great being your comrade. But now, I have to go first."

As blood continued to pour from his wound, Nohara Shin's consciousness began to fade. Knowing he was about to pass away, he offered a bleak smile: "If... if there is a next life, I really... really hope we can fight side by side again..."

Nohara Shin was dead.

He had been killed by Rasa while trying to save Uchiha Matsuri.

Though he refused to believe it, Uchiha Matsuri had to face the cruel reality that his companion had fallen in battle.