Tianyi leaned against a tree trunk, using the brief respite to quickly steady his breathing and take a second Ration Pill.
Although his fatigue had yet to fade, his keen senses immediately detected several familiar chakra signatures approaching at high speed.
He had barely opened his eyes when several figures landed silently around him like falling leaves.
The man in the lead had silver hair sharp as blades and a mask covering his face. Though the short sword on his back remained sheathed,
he naturally exuded a keen edge that seemed capable of cutting through anything. It was Hatake Sakumo.
Four formidable ANBU followed behind him, keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings.
Hatake Sakumo's gaze swept quickly over Tianyi's slightly pale face and the sweat on his forehead.
Without wasting words, he asked in a low voice, "Tianyi, what happened? Where are the Uzumaki Clan survivors and the Hidden Cloud Village shinobi?"
Tianyi drew a deep breath, suppressing his exhaustion, and delivered a clear, concise report:
"Lord Hatake, all three Uzumaki survivors have been rescued safely.
Two were sent directly to safe house three inside the village using Flying Thunder God. Their conditions are stable.
The other was carried by Ninja Academy student Minato Namikaze.
They have also been transferred to safe point two using Flying Thunder God. Minato is injured and needs medical support."
He paused briefly before continuing:
"The Hidden Cloud Village squad that crossed the border consisted of one Jonin, three Chunin, and four elite reinforcements who arrived afterward, for a total of eight.
All seven aside from their captain have been confirmed eliminated.
Their captain... was extremely powerful. He had mastered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and both his speed and defense were exceptional.
My attacks struggled to penetrate his defenses. After a brief exchange, he