A forest on the northeastern border of the Land of Fire.
Amid the dense woods, three Hidden Cloud Village Chunin bounded rapidly between branches, carrying unconscious Uzumaki orphans on their backs.
Every landing was swift and precise, displaying the caliber of elite shinobi.
They were less than ten minutes from the designated rendezvous point.
With their objective nearly achieved, a trace of relieved delight crept onto their tense faces.
Though risky, the mission had gone exceptionally smoothly. They would surely earn great credit upon their return.
But before that delight could fully settle, the team's dedicated sensory ninja abruptly paled.
His pupils contracted sharply, as though he had detected something utterly terrifying closing in at tremendous speed.
"Enemy! Extremely fast, closing in! Chakra level... extremely high!"
His voice shifted slightly with alarm.
"At our current speed, we can't escape! We'll be caught in a minute at most!"
The air froze. A fierce look flashed through the eyes of another Chunin, a rugged-faced man, and he spat:
"Can't escape? Then let's show him what the Hidden Cloud Village can do!
Send a signal! Tell the rendezvous team the situation has changed. We'll engage the enemy here and wait for reinforcements!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!" Without hesitation, the third Chunin raised his hand and fired a specially made signal flare into the sky.
The dazzling flare screamed through the canopy and burst into a clearly visible blaze of light high in the dark sky.
It also emitted a distinctive chakra pulse-the Hidden Cloud Village's emergency distress and identification signal.
After sending the signal, the three did not remain where they were. Instead, they accelerated again, charging several hundred meters farther ahead.
They chose the edge of a clearing where the trees were relatively sparse and the ground gently uneven.
They quickly and carefully laid