Although Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga had finally managed to reunite and had so much they wanted to say, this was not the time.
Their companions were still fighting. The two of them could not stay here pouring their hearts out to each other.
So after exchanging a few words, they prepared to leave and regroup with Sakura and the others.
Naruto lowered his head and said softly, "Can you walk? We need to head back. Hanabi's been rescued, and everyone's waiting for us."
His Sage Mode senses had already detected Hanabi Hyuga's chakra gathered together with Sakura's and the others'.
That meant Sakura and the others' rescue operation had gone smoothly.
Now all that remained was for the two groups to reunite.
Hinata blinked hard, forcing back her tears, and nodded. "I can walk."
The two left the room without any hesitation.
Hōmon poked his head around the doorframe, glanced at the two of them, and tactfully refrained from saying anything else, simply reporting, "No enemies outside for now. What's our retreat route?"
"Back the way we came. We'll meet up with Sakura and the others."
The three left the room and hurried down along the route they had taken in.
Hōmon led the way, while Naruto walked in the middle, shielding Hinata and occasionally glancing back to make sure no one was pursuing them.
Traces of fighting still marked the Castle's walls and floors. Puppet wreckage lay everywhere, and the smell of burning hung in the air.
As they rounded a corner, Naruto suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Hōmon immediately went on guard.
"Nothing." Naruto shook his head, his gaze falling on the battered window at the end of the corridor.
Through the window, he could see that the battle in the sky was still raging. Shikamaru and