The black threads pierced several of Naruto's Shadow Clones at once, instantly dispersing them.
"Damn it, I have to eliminate every one of these clones. I won't let even a single Shadow Clone steal one of my hearts."
Hidan destroyed Naruto's last Shadow Clone.
"What a freaking waste of time! I'm gonna grab that bastard and hack his legs right off!"
"Take it easy, Hidan. Once we corner him, we'll get our chance. He won't get far carrying an injured Two-Tails Jinchuriki. Soon enough, he'll need somewhere to treat her wounds."
Hidan grinned.
"Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's chase him down."
******
Naruto knelt on the ground, panting heavily. He had just dragged himself and Yugito out of the lake partway up the mountain.
He reached out to check Yugito's pulse and sighed in relief. It was weaker than he'd hoped, but steady enough.
"C'mon, Yugito… wake up."
Naruto frowned as he took in Yugito's wounds.
Her top was covered in slashes, exposing wounds of varying depth—Naruto guessed they were caused by Hidan's scythe—as well as some stab marks. She had lost a lot of blood.
"This is a disaster... What am I supposed to do?" he muttered, brushing Yugito's hair away from her face.
Naruto stood up carefully and lifted Yugito into his arms before setting off again.
Her condition could get worse—he needed to find shelter fast.
"Nine-Tails, got any ideas? I'm completely clueless here. I'm not used to running away."
The Nine-Tails snorted.
"There's a safehouse belonging to Root about two hours away. You used it during missions here when you were a kid."
Hope flickered in Naruto's eyes as he looked at Yugito.
"Hang in there, Yugito. We'll find a safe place soon."
Guided by the Nine-Tails, Naruto carried the unconscious Yugito across the hills toward safety.
"Why isn't she healing? If it were me, at least some wounds would've started healing by now."
The Nine-Tails chuckled.
"Not all Jinchuriki share the same traits. Your rapid regeneration, immense chakra reserves, innate strength, and endurance are the result of your bond with me. That woman has characteristics of her own."
"Damn it! I'm no Combat Medic—I only know basic first aid. I can keep her alive temporarily, but if we're attacked again, we're finished."
Naruto kicked aside a jagged rock, revealing a hidden trapdoor at ground level. He leapt down with Yugito, and the entrance closed behind them, plunging them into darkness.
Feeling his way along the stone wall, Naruto remained highly alert.
As he passed through an entryway, the chamber flared to life as torches ignited along the walls.
Naruto gently laid Yugito on the floor against the wall and slumped beside her, exhausted.
He pulled out a scroll from his pocket, broke the seal, and reached for a package marked with a medic symbol.
"Brat," the Nine-Tails' voice sliced through the silence, "focus on taking care of that girl first—and send a message. I don't want us caught because of your carelessness."
Naruto frowned, bit into his thumb, and formed the required hand seals:
[Summoning Jutsu]
Kumogakure – Dawn
Jiraiya was sprawled out on a futon, fast asleep.
At dawn, a faint pulling sensation at the back of his head woke him up.
He instinctively sat upright, bit his thumb, and performed a sequence of hand seals.
[Summoning Jutsu]...
Then he immediately collapsed back onto the futon and fell asleep again.
An orange frog about the size of a human appeared in the room wearing a blue vest. He looked around to find his summoner already fast asleep.
"Jiraiya, wake up!" he shouted. After calling several times with not even a toe twitching from Jiraiya, he continued.
"Seriously, get up! Naruto is in big trouble now and he needs help!"
At the sound of Naruto's name, Jiraiya immediately sat bolt upright, still groggy.
"What? Naruto? What happened to that brat?"
Rubbing his eyes, he noticed the large frog in the room.
"Gamakichi, what's the situation? Was it me who summoned you?"
Suddenly, a stream of warmth splashed against Jiraiya's face.
"What the hell?!"
"Are you awake now?" Gamakichi asked impatiently. "Great! Now listen closely. Naruto and the injured Two-Tails Jinchuriki are stuck outside Kumogakure. Two Akatsuki members are after her. Get up, I'll take you to where he summoned me from!"
Jiraiya's expression turned serious upon hearing "Akatsuki."
"Let me get dressed, and then we're leaving right away."
******
## With Naruto and Yugito ##
Naruto had already dressed Yugito's wounds.
She still needed medical attention. Judging by the severity of her injuries, there could be nerve damage in her arm.
For the past hour, he had been inspecting weapons in preparation for Fugaku and Kakuzu tracking them down again.
Yugito's breathing changed rhythm, signaling she was regaining consciousness.
"Welcome back, Yugito-chan," Naruto said softly, smiling. "We almost lost you for a moment there."
Hearing Naruto's voice, Yugito's eyes widened slightly.
"Naruto-kun? What happened to those two Akatsuki members? Did you beat them?"
Naruto managed a grim smile.
"If only that were true. All I could do was rescue you and run. They messed you up pretty bad... Blood everywhere."
Yugito grimaced bitterly.
"What if I told you most of that blood wasn't mine?"
Painfully attempting to sit up, she was gently pressed back down by Naruto.
"You need rest. Unlike me, you can't heal that fast. Medical treatment is still necessary."
******
## With Hidan and Kakuzu ##
"Just where the hell did that little punk go?" Hidan shouted angrily.
He and Kakuzu trudged through the wild terrain around Kumogakure.
"We're stuck in the middle of nowhere—only saw one guy and a damn goat go by!"
"He didn't head toward Kumogakure, and he didn't run far either. Right now, he's definitely hiding somewhere."
Hidan glanced at Kakuzu suspiciously.
"Hiding? Are you sure?"
Kakuzu nodded.
"I'm certain. For him, hiding is definitely his best choice now."
The two continued their search for Naruto and Yugito among the mountains.
"We need to find them soon," Kakuzu muttered under his breath.
Kumogakure will soon realize something is amiss. They will find the remnants of our battle.
******
## Kumogakure - Raikage Office ##
"You're saying Yugito is missing!" A bellowed, slamming his fist down on the desk. "How could someone take Yugito without anyone noticing?!"
The Raikage's aide spoke up:
"Darui and C discovered signs of a massive battle outside Kumogakure, but there's no trace of where she or her attacker went after the battle concluded."
"Who could do this to Yugito? B isn't in the village. We must launch an immediate, full-scale search for her."
"My apprentice was with her," Jiraiya said as he pushed open the office door.
A turned toward Jiraiya, struggling to contain his fury:
"How would you know? This can't just be a coincidence—the day after you tell me about an organization kidnapping jinchuriki, she disappears."
Jiraiya stood firm facing the towering Raikage:
"Naruto saved her from those who tried to take her away. They're now stuck somewhere outside Kumogakure. If he gets ambushed, he'll be at a serious disadvantage."
"Then what are we waiting for?" A said. "Take me to your student and Yugito."
Jiraiya sighed, leaning against the doorframe wearily:
"I wish it were that simple, but my summons are poor at tracking. If even you haven't found their trail, then Naruto must have done an excellent job covering their trail during the escape..."
A looked at his aide:
"Order our men to spread out into the countryside looking for Yugito and Naruto. Intercept and interrogate anyone who might have seen them."
The aide gave a sharp nod and rushed out of the office.
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