Sakumo carried an unconscious child on his back, secured tightly to him with rope, and held two delicate-featured minors, one in each arm. Unsurprisingly, they had been "kidnapped" too.
Most of the members of Sakumo's ANBU squad behind him were similarly loaded. The children already outnumbered the entire squad.
Now their squad was running for their lives, naturally because their Captain Sakumo had gotten too greedy...
"Brothers, hang in there!"
"Our ship is hidden just ahead! Once we're aboard, the mission will be half done!"
Sakumo darted and weaved through the trees, showing no sign that he was carrying three children. If he hadn't only had two hands, he could surely have "kidnapped" more.
His Takahashi brother had made it very clear: if they didn't kidnap the children of the Kaguya and Yuki Clans and bring them back to Konoha, the children would most likely not survive.
How could Sakumo, a father himself, harden his heart to that? After days of lying low, they had finally seized an opportunity and raided the Yuki Clan's home base!
This wasn't human trafficking. They were saving these children!
Even if all of them had limitless potential and possessed Kekkei Genkai rarely seen in the Shinobi World.
"Captain! They're catching up!" an ANBU shouted from behind.
Sakumo kept recalling the place where they had landed and hidden their ship. It was less than fifteen kilometers from the Kaguya Clan Grounds.
"Hang in there! We're almost there!"
Sakumo hitched the child on his back higher. For an excellent shinobi, memorizing maps and determining his own position were basic skills.
Sakumo judged that the ship was just a little farther ahead!
Whoosh!
Sakumo led the charge out of the damp, dense forest and reached the stretch of coast where they had landed.
The large merchant ship