"Mm," Sawako nodded shyly in Ebara's arms.
It was her first time so close to a man.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, carrying Kushina, caught up, seething.
"You damn skirt-chaser!" he growled at Ebara.
Sawako's beauty and figure had him drooling.
He'd hoped for a chance to get close to her, but Ebara beat him to it.
Ebara, unfazed by Jiraiya's curses, smirked. "I predicted your prediction. Mad?"
Their carefree banter stunned Kushina and Sawako.
"Um, I don't know if I should say this," Kushina said, staring at Ebara, "but aren't we escaping?"
Ebara nodded. "Yup. Didn't you notice we're carrying you and running?"
"You look like you're on a field trip," Sawako said, blushing.
"You're imagining things," Ebara said. "Look ahead. Still feel like a picnic?"
He slowed down.
Twenty meters away, torches blazed.
Flame Shadow Tomo Hikari stood with dozens of ninjas—mostly genin and chunin, with four jonin, including Tomo.
"Where are you off to?" Tomo asked, eyes cold.
Not just because of Kushina's importance (Chapter 49), but because Ebara's blatant rescue was fearless.
"Just playing a game with her," Ebara said, nodding at Sawako. "If I caught her, we'd… you know. I was looking for a nice grove to settle the bet."
Sawako didn't fully grasp "you know," but Ebara's sleazy look made it clear.
Her tension gave way to embarrassment.
Shameless jerk, she thought.
"You're not leaving," Tomo said. "If you do, Yoen Village and the Land of Mountains lose face. That could spark trouble with Earth."
Ebara nodded earnestly, then gave Tomo an "innocent" look. "What if I wipe you all out? No trouble then, right?"
Tomo's face darkened. "Big words!"
"You think Yoen has no one capable?"
Ebara scoffed. "Just a bunch of trash."
His words ignited the Yoen ninjas' fury.
"What did you say?" Tomo roared.
"Don't get me wrong," Ebara said. "I'm not just targeting Yoen. I mean the whole ninja world—except Iwa—is trash!"
"Die!" Tomo snapped, waving his hand.
His ninjas surrounded Ebara's group, cutting off escape.
"Ebara…" Jiraiya whispered, moving closer.
They set Kushina and Sawako down to fight.
"What?" Ebara asked quietly.
"That power you used earlier—can you still use it?" Jiraiya asked.
He knew Ebara's thunderous strength (Chapter 51) wasn't his own.
It was like a temporary boost, akin to Jiraiya's Sage Mode.
With Ebara's personality, if he had that power, he'd have shown off in Konoha long ago.
"Sort of. A few minutes left," Ebara said vaguely.
Jiraiya said, "Then… I'll break through with them. You hold them off."
Ebara cut him off. "No way. I'll take them. You stay."
Jiraiya: "???"
"I don't know how you got that power, but it should handle them, right?" Jiraiya asked.
Ebara nodded. "Not hard. But it's not worth it."
"Why?"
Ebara said righteously, "Friends can be replaced. That power? Once it's gone, it's gone."
Friends? Disposable!
Jiraiya: "!!!"
You're leaving me?
Kushina and Sawako were stunned, especially Kushina, as if a new world of shamelessness had opened.
"You skirt-chasing bastard!" Jiraiya cursed.
Ebara patted his shoulder. "Don't you always say you're destined to save the ninja world? This is your test. Go for it!"
Ignoring Jiraiya, he activated the Second Tsuchikage Mu Experience Card.
His hands flashed through seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Core Shift!"
The ground under Ebara, Sawako, and Kushina shot up fifty meters.
He placed his hands on them.
"Earth Style: Lightweight Rock Jutsu!"
This jutsu reduced weight, letting Mu and Onoki fly (Naruto canon).
Feeling Ebara's hand placement, Sawako's face reddened.
He'd grabbed her right "peak."
"Sorry," Ebara said, moving his hand… to her left "peak."
Sawako: "…"
Kushina rolled her eyes. "Shameless!"
"Shut it, baggage!" Ebara snapped.
If not for her, he'd have both hands free…
"Is the jutsu done?" Sawako asked, blushing.
"Done," Ebara said, unfazed.
"Then why…?"
"Oh, just checking your heartbeat. All good?" he said cheekily.
"You're not saving your friend?" Sawako asked, panicking, changing the subject.
Tomo's ninjas were attacking Jiraiya, some climbing the pillar's side, parallel to the ground, charging them.
"Friend? Barely know him," Ebara said.
Sawako: "…"
"Let's go," Ebara said, leaping into the sky with Sawako and Kushina.
Yoen's attacks couldn't reach them.
They could only watch helplessly.
After dropping Sawako and Kushina in a safe spot, Ebara said, "Stay here. I'll come back."
Teasing aside, he wouldn't abandon Jiraiya.
He'd taken them first because they'd be a liability in a fight.
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Prison!"
Rock pillars rose, caging Sawako and Kushina.
Sawako's eyes flashed coldly, but she feigned panic. "What's this?"
"Protection from other threats," Ebara said calmly.
He formed more seals.
"Earth Style: Rock Clone!"
"This clone can hold its own."
Then he rushed back to the battlefield.
As he left, Sawako's gaze turned icy, shedding her frail demeanor for a sharp edge, like a different person.