Arrival in Rōran

Koki's pupils suddenly contracted, a torrent of blood surging in the dark depths, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the pressure surged like a tide.

The ninja who witnessed this scene was astonished. Knowing the legendary eyes of the Uchiha Clan, he involuntarily stepped back and hastily kept his distance from Koki.

He leaned forward, his gaze locking onto Koki like an arrow, and asked warily, "A member of the Uchiha?"

Koki was speechless; at this moment, his mind was completely occupied by the enemy before him.

Suddenly, lightning flashed in his hand, blue light leaping in his palm, crackling like electric snakes.

Upon seeing this, the ninja immediately stood up, swiftly Hand Seals, and slammed his fist into the ground, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

Koki sensed danger approaching; his combat experience and intuition told him that there was no time to hesitate.

He soared into the sky like an eagle, and in an instant, sharp sand spikes erupted from the spot where he had just stood.

Those sand spikes were as sharp as blades; if Koki hesitated even slightly, he would be mercilessly pierced.

He lowered his eyes slightly in mid-air, his Sharingan spinning rapidly, capturing the enemy's every move.

At the same time, the Lightning Blade transformed into a blade of light, carrying an invincible aura, and headed straight for the Iwa ninja.

However, the ninja seemed to have been waiting for a long time and was prepared for Koki's Lightning Blade.

He nimbly ducked down, disappearing into the ground like an eel, causing Koki's attack to miss.

Koki frowned, his feet firmly planted on the ground, his eyes blazing Sharingan relentlessly searched for any trace of the enemy.

Just then, Koki quickly turned around and looked at Minato.

Minato's gaze was fixed on the fierce battle between Koki and the sand beneath his feet, which began to ripple outwards like waves on a mirror-like lake.

Before Minato could even realize it, his feet were already deeply mired in the mud. He struggled desperately, but it was as if he were stuck in a quagmire, unable to extricate himself.

Koki turned around swiftly, without the slightest hesitation, and her Lightning Blade plunged rapidly into the flowing sand.

As the blue blade touched the quicksand, a hissing sound filled the air, as if two enormous forces were clashing.

In a strange instant, the quicksand froze, and the inexplicable suction force seemed to be instantly severed by Lightning Blade's sharp energy.

Immediately, Koki's figure blurred as she reached out and gripped Minato's arm tightly. With a powerful leap, she pulled him away from the danger and back to solid ground.

The defeated, mysterious ninja emerged swiftly from the sand like a ghost, attempting to find a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

Koki reacted swiftly, like lightning, relying on his combat instincts and explosive speed to rush to the mysterious ninja. His blood-red Sharingan pierced the opponent's pupils like a sharp sword.

The moment the ninja touched Koki's Sharingan, his body trembled violently as if struck by lightning.

His eyes were wide open, filled with terror and helplessness, as if he were witnessing the most horrific sight in the world.

Immediately, his gaze lost focus, and his consciousness dissipated rapidly like water from a burst dam.

His body slumped down, like an empty shell devoid of a soul, and collapsed to the ground with a thud, sending dust flying.

Koki stared at the mysterious ninja, her Sharingan gleaming like blood, about to interrogate him about his motives and the forces behind him, when fate played a cruel joke on her.

Suddenly, Koki's eyes burned, as if a spark had suddenly ignited in her pupils, followed by that familiar and intense burning pain.

The pain was incredibly fierce, as if it wanted to tear his soul apart.

"Ugh..." In shock and pain, Koki felt an endless emptiness instantly drain all the strength from her body.

His legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, powerless to move.

He clenched his teeth, which clicked as he tried to resist the indescribable pain.

One hand was tightly covering his eyes, his fingertips trembling slightly from the pain, while the other hand gripped the ground, his fingertips sinking deep into the sand, crushing the grains into powder.

Seeing Minato's strange expression, Koki's heart tightened, and his face turned ashen. Without a moment's hesitation, he shot across the sand like an arrow and ran away.

"Koki, what's wrong! Are you alright!" Minato knelt on the ground, his eyes filled with deep worry and sorrow.

He quickly reached out and gently embraced Koki, being careful not to let him fall.

Koki parted her lips slightly, breathing rapidly, her face as pale as snow, devoid of color. Each breath seemed to be stinging, extremely difficult.

He was unable to speak, and could only let out a few weak and painful groans from his throat.

He slowly raised his head, and the dark, oppressive wall of wind before him surged forth like a demon descending from the heavens.

The sandstorm roared like a raging beast, swirling sand and dust, threatening to engulf them in boundless darkness.

"Teacher, quickly... get out of here..."

Koki sensed that several more people were rushing towards them. With all her might, she spoke in a low and weak voice, then lowered her head helplessly and curled up in pain.

Without thinking twice, Minato carefully picked up Koki and flew swiftly toward the cave on the rock face.

However, before they even reached the cave, several sharp whooshing sounds pierced the air from behind and suddenly attacked.

Minato had no time to look back; his fighting instincts allowed him to turn in mid-air in an instant, skillfully avoiding the fatal blow.

Immediately afterwards, several sharp wind blades swept past from the side, bringing with them a chill.

The Explosive Tag above leaped in the gale, burning even more fiercely.

Minato hugged Koki tightly, drawing him into his embrace and offering him the strongest protection.

Looking back, several figures appeared and disappeared in the sandstorm, rapidly approaching, determined not to give up.

Sure enough, quite a few more people arrived!

Minato felt a heavy weight in his heart. Koki's body trembled uncontrollably, writhing in extreme pain. The agony, like being bitten by thousands of ants, almost made him faint.

But he remained resolute and did not utter a sound.

Minato saw it all, felt the pain in his heart, and a surge of anger rose within him.

The relentless attacks caused Minato to sway unsteadily in the air, his body shaking accordingly.

This made it even more unbearable for Koki. Looking at Koki's increasingly pale face, Minato's heart was filled with a mixture of pain and anger, and an unprecedented desire to kill surged in his chest.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He turned sharply, glaring at the figures, his expression turning cold and resolute.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to leap down and kill several people. His primary task was to find a peaceful place for Koki to rest and avoid the impending sandstorm.

Minato gently supported Koki with one hand, carefully maintaining his balance to alleviate his pain.

With his other hand, he nimbly flung out Explosive Tag. Seeing this, the ninjas were forced to retreat repeatedly, no longer daring to approach easily.

Minato turned his head away, ignoring his pursuers.