Hashirama and Mito stood back to back.
Hyūga Tenshu was tied up fighting a Wood Clone.
Off to the side, Kaguya Bone led that pack of lunatics charging at them again, howling.
"Today really is..." Hashirama gave a bitter smile.
"Talk after the fight." Mito formed hand seals with both hands, and golden chains danced through the air again.
Rena carried Ryuto on her back, weaving through the chaotic battle.
Shouts of battle and explosions filled her ears.
Shuriken and kunai flew past her, sometimes nearly grazing her.
The two Uzumaki ninja guarding her kept deflecting attacks with sealing jutsu or taijutsu.
"Left!"
"Watch out above!"
Rena could spare no attention for anything else. Only one thought filled her mind: run, get Ryuto out of here.
Lying on her back, Ryuto could feel her shoulders trembling and her rapid breathing.
But there was nothing he could do.
His sea of ki was completely empty, and his body felt as heavy as lead. He could not even move a finger.
This helplessness felt worse than the last time Madara had beaten him to the brink of death.
At least back then, he could still risk his life to fire a Tri-Beam.
Now, he was nothing but a burden.
"Rena..." He wanted to say something, but his voice was so faint that even he could not hear it.
"Don't talk, Ryuto. Save your strength!" Yet Rena seemed to have heard him, answering between gasps.
Without stopping, she dodged an incoming fireball and rushed into a relatively sparse stretch of woods.
The exit was just a short distance ahead.
Underground.
Black Zetsu flowed through cracks in the rock like a mass of viscous shadow.
His perception remained locked onto several key targets aboveground.
Hashirama and Mito were covering the retreat.
The