"Little wife, let's go. You handle the bandaging, I'll handle the fighting."
"Huh?"
Sakura cried out. Before she could react, an irresistible force pulled her forward.
"Boss! Wait for me!"
Seeing this, Naruto moved to follow without a second thought.
A hand pressed down on his shoulder. It was Kakashi's.
"Let him go."
Kakashi sighed and put away the map.
"We can't keep up with his pace. Stick to the original plan. Hopefully, we'll get there before he tears apart the entire Land of Wind."
Meanwhile, Sakura could only hear the wind roaring past her ears as the scenery beneath her raced backward.
Goten held her firmly in his arms, her feet off the ground, as they flew at high speed several meters above the earth.
It was an experience unlike anything she had ever known.
Instinctively, she clung tightly to Goten's waist and buried her face in his firm, warm chest, feeling his powerful heartbeat.
Apart from the howling wind, everything around them was silent.
The sensation was both frightening and thrilling, making her heart race and her cheeks burn.
"Hey, hold on tighter."
Goten's low chuckle sounded above her head.
"I'm not responsible if you fall."
He deliberately paused, his tone turning a little wicked.
"But if you want to try 'flying,' I can let go right now."
"No!"
Sakura turned pale with fright and wrapped her arms and legs around him like an octopus, terrified that he really would let go.
Feeling the softness in his arms and the trembling of the girl's body, Goten let out a satisfied, wicked chuckle.
They were moving at an astonishing speed. In just fifteen minutes, they had left the main group far behind.
Soon, they entered a canyon with complex terrain.
Goten abruptly stopped in midflight, then slowly descended to