"Got her. Let's move."
"Konoha ninjas are nothing special."
The Mist ninjas sprinted through the night, carrying the bound Kushina. As they ran, they mocked Konoha's competence.
In their eyes, an unsupported bloodline ninja wasn't worth Konoha kicking up a fuss.
Would they really tear up a freshly signed treaty for this? Pushing too hard might offend the Cloud and break the stalemate on the battlefield.
Right now, the Cloud held all the cards. Their decision could tip the scales of victory however they pleased.
So what if they snatched a little "trophy"? As long as they didn't cause a huge scene, once they got the Uzumaki girl back to the Cloud, Konoha would have to swallow the loss in silence.
Bound hand and foot, Kushina looked defiant. No matter how the Cloud ninjas threatened or cajoled her, she remained silent, looking for a chance to escape.
But she hadn't even graduated from the Academy yet. Against three adult Cloud ninjas—physically imposing "black-skinned athletes"—her struggles were futile.
Kushina could only hope the village would discover her missing and send a rescue team soon.
But for some reason, the image of that "little blonde" kept popping up in her mind, refusing to leave.
---
Inside Konoha.
After dropping Kushina off, Minato Namikaze felt a nagging unease in his heart. It was a premonition, like he was about to lose something precious.
This feeling was rare. He couldn't pinpoint the cause. Anxious, he suddenly noticed a large number of ANBU agents dashing through the village, searching for something.
Watching the ninjas weaving through the streets, Minato suddenly remembered the last time he felt this way: when his parents went on a mission and never came back.
He spun around and sprinted back to Kushina's house.
The house was dark, as if she had already gone to sleep.
The silence was eerie. Driven by his anxiety, Minato stepped up to knock.
Creaaaak—
His hand barely touched the door before it swung open on its own.
"Kushina?"
Minato called out tentatively. No answer. His voice echoed slightly in the empty house.
He walked in slowly. The room was a mess. There had clearly been a struggle—signs of multiple people.
"Did the ANBU take Kushina?"
"Don't be stupid. If the ANBU took her, why would there be a struggle?" A calm voice spoke right next to Minato's ear.
"Who... Night-nii? Why are you here?"
"I saw you didn't go home and ran back here instead. I thought you were gonna confess your love, so I came to watch the show."
"I wasn't..."
"Cut the crap. If I'm right, Kushina was kidnapped during the chaos. If we don't chase them now, by the time we get to the Cloud Village, she'll have two kids."
Night interrupted Minato's denial. That single sentence kickstarted Minato's nervous system.
"There's red hair here. Kushina's hair." Minato calmed down instantly, his sharp eyes spotting the clue. "She left a trail in this direction."
Night nodded. As long as his cousin stayed calm and didn't overthink things, he was incredibly reliable. He didn't even need Night's hints.
The two followed the trail of red hair all the way to the village border. There, they saw ANBU agents still searching the area.
"What do we do?" Minato was thinking of a strategy, but Night just walked right up to them.
The ANBU saw Night and Minato. Even if they didn't know them personally, they recognized them as village kids. They relaxed slightly and warned them to go back home.
Night put on a panicked face. Minato, taking the cue, looked equally distressed and stammered:
"O-officer! Our friend has been kidnapped!"
"I understand. The ANBU will handle it. You two head back immedi—"
As the ANBU spoke, Night suddenly exploded into action. He threw a heavy punch straight into the agent's gut. The blow was heavy; the ANBU grunted and collapsed, knocked out cold.
"Huh?" Minato gaped.
"Don't 'huh' me. If we waste time explaining, they'll just drag us back to the village."
Night flashed into the forest. Minato, feeling that assaulting an officer was definitely breaking the rules, gritted his teeth and followed.
With his sensory perception, Night knew the Cloud ninjas were taking a short break in the forest ahead. Carrying Kushina was slowing them down.
The three Cloud ninjas had just recovered their stamina and were about to move out. Even though they were still deep in the Land of Fire, they were confident they were undetected. Konoha wouldn't realize anything until morning.
Suddenly, the previously compliant Kushina started struggling violently. The Cloud ninjas weren't having it and prepared to knock her out.
A golden flash erupted from behind the tree Kushina was tied to! A sharp kunai slashed through the air, and a Cloud ninja's hand fell to the ground, severed at the wrist.
"AHH! Enemy attack!"
The scream alerted the other two. They rushed over, staring at their teammate's stump and scanning the surroundings with intense killing intent.
But the forest was silent. Only the wind rustled the leaves. The severed hand on the ground was a shocking sight.
One ninja stood guard while the other bent down to bandage his comrade.
Before he could finish, the bushes rustled. A figure wearing an ANBU Captain's uniform walked out slowly.
"Kidnapping a Konoha ninja? Surrender now. My squad has surrounded this area."
"Heh! Cut the crap! Does Konoha want to break the treaty we just signed?" The leader of the Cloud ninjas bluffed confidently, threatening the "captain."
Rustle, rustle.
More noise from the bushes. Minato stumbled out, looking dusty and disheveled, like he had just arrived in a hurry.
"Minato? Get out of here!" The "ANBU Captain" shouted urgently.
Seeing the "Captain" so worried about the newcomer, the two able-bodied Cloud ninjas exchanged a look. They understood immediately.
They attacked simultaneously. One lunged at the "Captain" to block him, while the other went for Minato, intending to take him hostage.
The ninja blocking the "Captain" felt a sudden alarm when the "Captain" didn't dodge or block.
The next second, a scream came from behind him. He turned to see the harmless-looking Minato burying a kunai into his teammate's chest with lethal precision. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Meanwhile, the "ANBU Captain" in front of him was slashed by his blade—and POOF, vanished into a cloud of white smoke.
Shadow Clone!
Shocked by the instant reversal, the remaining Cloud ninja didn't have time to react before two large hands burst from the earth and grabbed his ankles.