Then We Can Only Abandon Them!

"Sensei! Something's very wrong here!"

Obito Uchiha shouted.

His Sharingan spun rapidly as he stared fixedly at the endless stream of enemies rushing toward them. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his forehead.

There were already over a hundred people on the battlefield whom he had killed himself!

The intelligence had to be wrong!

"What's going on? Why are there more and more of them?"

Obito Uchiha swung the silver steel blade in his hand as he spoke.

By now, the blade in his hand had long been dyed crimson with enemy blood, as though it had just been fished out of a pool of blood. The Flying Thunder God Kunai once hanging all around his waist had also been nearly exhausted in the fierce battle, with only a few left.

Minato Namikaze's expression turned extremely grim. His face, which usually wore a gentle smile, was now filled with solemnity and concern.

He clenched his lips tightly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the encirclement gradually closing in around them.

"Obito, it looks like we really have been surrounded..."

Minato Namikaze took a deep breath and spoke gravely.

At that moment, a dense series of sounds rang out—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Countless concealed weapons shot toward the two of them like raindrops.

"Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Roar Type Three!"

Minato Namikaze rapidly formed hand seals. Golden light streaked together like lightning, forming a massive, dazzling wheel of light.

Then, the light wheel spun forward at astonishing speed. Dozens of ninjas were instantly blasted away by its overwhelming force wherever it passed, coughing blood and crashing heavily to the ground, their heads severed from their bodies!

However, the battle was not over.

In that brief opening, Minato Namikaze swiftly placed his fingertips lightly against the ground and activated his unique sensory ability.

At that instant, everything around him seemed to become crystal clear. Not even the slightest rustle of grass in the wind could escape his keen senses.

It would have been better if he had not sensed anything. The moment he began, even Minato Namikaze, who was always calm and composed, was startled!

Because within Minato's sensory range, Iwagakure ninjas densely filled an area several kilometers in every direction!

The chakra levels emitted by these ninjas varied wildly, but their sheer numbers were simply staggering.

Moreover, with his years of combat experience and sharp intuition, Minato Namikaze could clearly sense that what he saw before him was likely only the tip of the iceberg!

Farther away, more Iwagakure ninjas were undoubtedly still rushing over without end.

Minato stared solemnly at Obito before him, his brows tightly furrowed.

He had already realized how grave the situation was. Although the enemy numbers were immense, escaping would not have been difficult with the Flying Thunder God Technique he had mastered.

With his abilities, even fleeing the scene together with Obito Uchiha was entirely possible.

However, Minato Namikaze now discovered that every Flying Thunder God mark he had previously left outside as an escape route had inexplicably lost its connection!

Those marks could never disappear on their own.

That left only two possibilities:

First, they had been destroyed.

Second, they had been moved somewhere much farther away, beyond the range of his senses.

But Flying Thunder God marks could not disappear, so there was only one possibility.

"Damn it! I've expended chakra too quickly. I can no longer sustain an ultra-long-distance transfer..."

Minato's voice was low.

Obito Uchiha, standing nearby, keenly caught the change in his teacher's expression. Knowing something was wrong, he hurriedly focused and checked the Flying Thunder God marks on himself.

He would not have known if he had not checked, but once he did!

Obito Uchiha was shocked as well, because even his Flying Thunder God marks had lost their connection, as if they had vanished into thin air!

"Minato-sensei, what do we do..."

Obito asked in a low voice.

Minato's expression grew even more solemn at his words.

"Let's hope there aren't too many enemies coming. Let's hope Konoha's ninjas can send reinforcements soon..."

Even Minato Namikaze, brilliant as he was, could only leave things to fate now that he had run out of options.

Obito Uchiha's heart lurched upon hearing that!

Minato-sensei, I thought you had some kind of trick up your sleeve!

Am I really going to die here?

Damn it, don't mess up my new account!

At that moment, the Iwagakure ninjas had finished gathering!

They began attacking Minato Namikaze and Obito Uchiha!

"Hokage-sama! This is terrible!"

"According to our intelligence network, Onoki has mobilized ten thousand ninjas to surround and eliminate Minato Namikaze and Obito Uchiha!"

An ANBU member hurried into the Hokage's office.

Onoki had mobilized ten thousand ninjas!

Such a massive operation could not possibly escape Konoha's notice!

Since it was wartime, Konoha's four elders were gathered in the Hokage's office.

"Has Onoki gone mad? Is Kannabi Bridge really that important?"

Homura Mitokado adjusted her glasses as she spoke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff from his pipe, his face full of worry. "Onoki is targeting Minato and his student!"

"What should we do? We don't have enough ninja forces to rescue them!"

Koharu Utatane said.

"Danzo! How many usable ninjas does your Root have?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly looked toward Danzo at the side.

"Because of the recent Eight-Tails rampage in the Hidden Cloud Village, I dispatched many people. We're stretched thin as well!"

"Besides, my people are only skilled at espionage and assassination. They are completely unsuitable for a frontal battlefield."

Danzo Shimura spoke blandly.

He was clearly unwilling to send his own people to their deaths.

Ten thousand people—how many ANBU and Root members were there altogether?

If they were sent over now, what would that be if not suicide?

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a helpless expression. He suddenly clenched his fists, as though he wanted to head to the battlefield himself!

But he quickly deflated again.

"Alas!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes as though making a major decision!

"Then we can only abandon them!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said helplessly.

His tone was filled with resignation.

Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado showed no unusual reaction upon hearing this.

At this point, this was the only option.

Most of Konoha's forces were already engaged in battle. The Konoha ninjas on the Iwagakure battlefield could not possibly number ten thousand.

It would be far too unwise to sacrifice the overall strategy just to save those two.

Furthermore, Konoha currently did not have anyone capable of holding off ten thousand alone.

Hiruzen Sarutobi counted as half of one.

The Three Sannin together could barely count, but each of them was currently fighting their own battles.

"Hiruzen, it's good that you have this resolve. Minato and his student truly are a pity..."

Danzo Shimura said blandly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart was filled with helplessness. He did not want to abandon Minato and his student either.

After all, in his eyes, Minato could already barely be considered among the candidates to succeed him.

The Two Lights of Konoha, the Yellow Flash and the Blood-Red Flash, had both been promoted by the ANBU under his orders.

"But what if the jinchuriki learns that you stood by and watched Minato Namikaze die, then suddenly goes on a rampage?"

Danzo Shimura asked sinisterly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened. "Nothing will happen. There are many ANBU around Kushina, and besides, Minato died for the village. She will not vent her anger on the village."

Only then did the three slowly nod.