He had seemed to escape successfully after weathering the destructive aftermath of the Main Cannon's blast from beyond the skies, but in truth, he had already suffered severe injuries. His haki was all but depleted, and he could not fight at full strength again anytime soon.
Silence lingered in the cave for a moment before Kisame spoke first, his voice utterly resolute.
"Langwei, we're leaving for Konoha right now."
Langwei slowly raised a hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and nodded solemnly.
"I was thinking the same thing."
"The Celestial Dragons are incredibly powerful individually, and they also have a devastating weapon like the Black Ship backing them up. The two of us alone have no chance of rescuing Sarada from them."
"Our only option now is to seek Konoha's help. Only with Naruto and Sasuke's strength will we have a chance."
Neither wasted a moment. After briefly regulating their breathing and barely stabilizing their injuries, they rose at once and raced toward Konoha at full speed.
They ate and slept in the open as they hurried onward. Just after emerging from a vast stretch of remote mountains and dense forest, partway through their journey, a group of familiar figures suddenly appeared on the road ahead.
All Five Great Kage were present. Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side at the front, with Orochimaru accompanying them and a host of elite Konoha guards surrounding the group. They were on their way to attend the meeting in the Land of Rain.
The two groups met head-on and stopped instantly. The atmosphere abruptly froze.
The moment Kisame saw Sasuke, he stiffened. His gaze immediately settled on him, and he called out urgently.
"Sasuke!"
Sasuke swept his gaze over the group, immediately picking out Kisame before turning to the