Can Those Who Should Leave Get Away?

Thunder rumbled within the clouds. Through the curtain-like rain, Minato stared at the man on the steps, his expression growing grave.

"His hair color has changed, and there are some strange adornments on his face, but that face is undoubtedly... Mizuki."

His gaze lowered slightly. When he looked up again, he said something startling. "Are you Sasori of the Red Sands?"

"..." Mizuki said nothing.

Minato Namikaze said in a low voice, "The latest intelligence indicates that the intruder may possess a puppet body."

"Controlling puppets made from living people, in plural numbers, while hiding the main body somewhere out of sight... among puppet masters capable of such a feat, the only one I can think of is the Hidden Sand Village's famed genius, Sasori of the Red Sands!"

His instincts really were sharp... If not for Pain's technique, that would have been almost the only possible answer.

Through Human Path Mizuki's mouth, Nagato smiled. "Who knows~?"

"More importantly." Minato's expression hardened slightly as he raised a hand and said earnestly, "Could you give me the thing on your back? It is the culmination of Konoha's predecessors' hard work. If you simply take it away, I'll be in quite a bind."

Human Path glanced toward the enormous scroll behind him!

Splash! The rain rippled, and the blond figure was already right before him!

So fast! With just a slight shift, he surpassed even Kakashi at full speed...!!

Fortunately... I had prepared for this as well!

He abruptly twisted aside, brushed past Minato, leaped down from the steps, and landed in the open space. Smiling, he said, "Charging in so recklessly... aren't you underestimating me a little too much?"

Minato turned around and said calmly, "Next time, I won't let you dodge."

Whoosh! Azure chakra gathered in his raised palm, spinning and compressing... until it became a perfectly rounded sphere!

Human Path's pupils widened. "That technique is..."

Whoosh! Minato flashed forward, appearing within arm's reach. His thoughts raced: If... Mizuki had not been made into a Human Puppet by Sasori of the Red Sands, but was instead being controlled by someone else through genjutsu or something similar... then perhaps Mizuki was still alive. This attack should avoid his vital points!

He spun through the air, aiming for "Mizuki's" left shoulder!

Rasengan!!!

"If I can't dodge it, then I won't..."

Boom!!! The Rasengan... struck Human Path's arm. Almost at the same instant, he thrust out his right hand and pressed it against Minato's chest. His five fingers curled inward as his twin eyes abruptly focused!

—Human Path!

Whoosh!

"What...!? What is this feeling!?" Minato's pupils contracted sharply. At that instant, an extreme sense of danger surged through him!

Whoosh! A trace of white light had just emerged before Human Path's fingers when Minato vanished from the spot...!

"Such quick instincts." Human Path glanced at the spiral wound left by the Rasengan on his shoulder. The wound itself was insignificant, but the string of black curse markings upon it made his pupils narrow deeply.

"A Flying Thunder God mark." He smiled helplessly. "This body is done for... completely done for, this Pain..."

He removed the Scroll of Seals and set it upright beside him.

"Though it was not the primary objective of this trip, it is an exceedingly rare spoil. Before this Pain is destroyed, I need to find a way to transfer it to my main body!"

He looked up at the sky beyond the rain curtain. The Yata Crow circling overhead beat its wings and swooped toward this place!

I hope it makes it in time!

In Konoha, at an abandoned house far from the residential area, Minato lay beside a Flying Thunder God Kunai embedded in the muddy ground. Recalling the danger just now, lingering fear filled his heart.

"In that instant, it felt as though something like my soul had been pulled a little way out of my body, accompanied by a feeling of weakness. That was close. One second later, and I probably wouldn't even have been able to use Flying Thunder God to escape..."

He sat up from the mud and fell into thought.

"Come to think of it, is that kind of ability really something a ninja can accomplish? At the very least, I don't believe Sasori of the Red Sands' Puppet Technique could achieve that."

"If it isn't Sasori of the Red Sands, then who could it be? Shamon, the Second Kazekage who created Puppet Technique, or Monzaemon, the first puppet master?"

"No... those two should have died long ago."

"Perhaps I should not have assumed from the beginning that the other party was a puppet master from the Hidden Sand Village. The ninja world is full of talent. In places we do not know, there are always beings who cannot be judged by existing common sense."

"From that brief exchange, I determined that his soul-pulling ability is activated through contact with his palm. As long as I stay alert and do not let him grab me, this enemy will not be difficult to deal with!"

He gripped the Flying Thunder God Kunai beside him and stood up, examining himself. A helpless smile appeared on his handsome face.

"Oh dear... my cloak is all muddy. Even though I took over all the housework during Kushina's pregnancy, she always insisted on hand-washing this Hokage cloak herself."

"I'm going to cause her trouble again..."

His smile faded. Minato looked solemnly into the distance. "Let's put an end to this disturbance quickly and return to Kushina's side!"

At this very moment, every second mattered to Human Path!

"Hurry!!"

Fortunately... the Yata Crow arrived in time!!

Human Path picked up the Scroll of Seals and hurled it into the sky with all his strength. The Yata Crow opened its pointed beak and clamped down on it...!!!

Whoosh! Minato flashed out, just in time to witness the scene.

"Are you planning to use aerial support to take away the Scroll of Seals?"

"Don't think you'll get away with it!!!" He hurled a Flying Thunder God Kunai into the sky with all his might... At the same moment the pointed beak caught it, he flashed out with a whoosh, grabbing the scroll!

Whoosh! The next second, he teleported back to the ground with the Scroll of Seals.

Seeing the tear on the Scroll of Seals, he looked up at the sky. Something was clearly clenched in the Yata Crow's beak.

Minato narrowed his eyes. "Did it tear off several pages from the final volume with its beak before I teleported back?"

On the Yata Crow's back, Pain Rin looked at him from afar... then turned around and flew toward the skies beyond Konoha!

Minato did not pursue her. Instead, his gaze shifted to "Mizuki."

In his heart, the safety of a companion took priority over the village's forbidden techniques.

"Mizuki, whether you were made into a Human Puppet or controlled by some other means, I cannot simply leave you alone. Sorry, but I may have to hit you a little hard—at least hard enough that this body of yours cannot get back up for a while!"

Minato slung the Scroll of Seals over his back, gathered another Rasengan, and drove the kunai in his hand into the ground by his feet. Whoosh! He flashed out from the Flying Thunder God mark on "Mizuki's" shoulder!

"You've come, then it's time to say goodbye!"

Human Path Mizuki smiled, tore off his upper robe, and revealed Explosive Tags plastered all over his body, their fuses hissing with flames!!

"What!?" Minato's pupils abruptly shrank. He had never imagined that the other party would intend to use a method that would take them both down together!

Of course... it was not mutual destruction!

This was an insurance measure Nagato had asked Konan to add. If Pain encountered a certain-death situation from which he could not escape, he would self-destruct and be completely annihilated, preventing Konoha from deciphering Pain's most crucial intelligence through research!!

Rumble rumble rumble...!!!

Within the bursting blaze... Human Path Mizuki was blown to pieces!!

Whoosh!!

Minato teleported out from the kunai behind him.

"..." As the flames faded, Minato looked at the torrential rain and the scorched, mottled forehead protector lying in the crater left by the explosion. His gaze grew heavy.

Swish! Clenching his fist, he fixed a sharp gaze on the Yata Crow's retreating figure!

"No matter who you are, anyone who harms my companion, I will never forgive!"

He bit his finger and formed hand seals with blood!

—Summoning Technique!!!