The three moved quickly, taking Kushina with them as they retreated into the distance.
They were no fools. They would not let their guard down simply because someone else had invaded Konoha and drawn its people away.
Until they had successfully taken Kushina out of the Land of Fire, they would not relax.
Still, they were excited by how smoothly the mission had gone and failed to notice Kushina's little movements.
Kushina obediently followed the three, but secretly dropped strands of her distinctive long red hair onto the ground, leaving clues in the hope that someone would find her trail.
Yet she also felt sad. In the end, she was only an outsider. No one would likely risk their life to rescue someone who did not belong.
It was late at night. Dark clouds obscured the moon, making the forest path especially dim.
Even experienced ninja had to proceed carefully.
Suddenly, an afterimage flashed past, and one of the Kumogakure ninja disappeared.
"What's going on?!"
The other two turned around, only to see their companion lying on the ground. They saw nothing else.
The next moment, another man fell.
The jonin leading the team realized that someone was ambushing them from the shadows.
They had been careless, too excited by their success to react to the ambush.
The jonin leader immediately grew tense and leaped into a tree with several quick bounds.
He warily scanned his surroundings.
But he failed to notice the figure approaching from behind.
Minato struck cleanly and decisively, landing a blow to the back of the man's head.
The blow knocked him unconscious instantly, and he fell from the treetop.
Having successfully dealt with every enemy, Minato jumped down from the tree.
At that moment, the clouds overhead parted, revealing the moon. Moonlight spilled onto the