"Got her!"
Seeing Tsunade swallowed by the toxic mist, Parashia—who had been feigning a desperate pursuit—skidded to a halt. His face lit up with a look of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
While he had been willing to pay any price to kill or capture Tsunade, achieving success with minimal casualties was a outcome he certainly wouldn't refuse.
After discovering Tsunade's location, he had meticulously crafted this trap. He feared that if she felt cornered with no hope of escape, she might go on a suicidal rampage and take him with her. To prevent that, he first applied maximum pressure with a full-frontal assault, only to "accidentally" leave a slight opening before she reached her breaking point.
He wanted to give her hope. He wanted her to stop thinking rationally in her desperation and act purely on survival instinct, driving her straight into the "weakest" point of his line—which was, in reality, a meticulously prepared ambush.
Dan Kato's sudden suicidal gambit had caught him off guard, but it had unintentionally produced the same result. Although it cost Parashia one Jonin, it lent a layer of authenticity to the "opening" that no amount of acting could have achieved, dispelling any suspicion Tsunade might have had.
Tsunade's summon—the one that spat acid capable of melting tempered steel—had given him a brief fright, making him think his plan would fail at the finish line.
Fortunately, Lizide, the puppet master responsible for the final capture, was a step ahead. Many of the steel wires used to weave the "Aegis" net were actually hollow, pre-loaded with a lethal, proprietary toxin. When the acid dissolved the metal, the poison was released instantly as a concentrated gas, catching Tsunade completely off guard.
Of course, Parashia reminded himself, all of this was only possible thanks to his own brilliant tactical oversight.
"Wind Style: Gale!"
Brimming with pride, Parashia wove a set of signs after a nod of confirmation from Lizide. He conjured a powerful gust of wind to disperse the toxic clouds, eager to claim his prize. But the moment the mist cleared, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Where was Tsunade?
How could a woman that size just vanish?
And where was that big, disgusting, slimy slug?
"FIND THEM! SEARCH EVERYWHERE!" Parashia shrieked. His voice was so high-pitched with fury that it actually cracked, ending in a distorted, undignified screech.
Forcing himself back to consciousness, Dan Kato's first sensation wasn't pain. Instead, he felt a crushing sense of being smothered and squeezed. His chest, in particular, felt as though two massive mountains were pressing down on it, making it nearly impossible to draw a breath.
He moved instinctively, trying to shift his stiff limbs and find some air. As he did, the "mountains" pressing against his chest seemed to quiver.
They were... surprisingly soft.
Just as his brain began to grapple with the mystery of an object that could be simultaneously "majestic" and "yielding," he heard a faint, slightly ragged sound of breathing right next to his ear.
Dan finally snapped into full awareness. He felt the warmth of someone's breath against his skin, smelling faintly of lilies. He finally realized where he was, and more importantly, exactly what those "two mountains" pressing against his chest were.
The tips of his ears turned a vivid scarlet. His entire body began to flush with a sudden heat, and his mind started to wander into territory it had no business being in. He quickly regained his senses, forcing himself to hold his breath as much as possible.
Recalling how Katsuyu had enveloped him before they fled, he realized that he and Tsunade were currently hidden inside the slug's body, traveling underground to evade the Suna pursuit.
He had to stay still.
However, the realization that his goddess was effectively pinned on top of him, her breath ghosting over his neck, made the corners of his mouth twitch upward in an irrepressible smile—despite the fact that they were currently in a life-or-death situation.
"Whew."
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tsunade let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief. As she relaxed, Dan felt the "majestic and soft" pressure shift again, providing a perfect, if agonizing, illustration of the duality of her form.
When they finally broke the surface, greeting the gloomy sky and the fresh, damp air of the Land of Rain, Dan actually felt a twinge of disappointment. He felt like Katsuyu had traveled just a bit too fast.
"Dan, how are you? Can you use chakra to travel at high speeds yet?"
Tsunade's face was slightly flushed. Knowing that the Suna Jonin wouldn't be fooled for long, she forced herself to regain her composure and immediately checked on her companion.
"I can. Katsuyu helped stabilize my wounds and restored a good amount of my chakra," Dan replied seriously, pushing his wandering thoughts back into the depths of his mind.
"Good!" Tsunade nodded, her words coming out in a rapid-fire clip. "Parashia and the others will assume we're heading straight back to the headquarters. They'll focus their search and blockades on the roads leading to the camp."
She paused, staring directly into Dan's eyes. Her voice was low and heavy. "Dan, do you trust me?"
"Do whatever you need to do, Tsunade. I'll always support you."
Dan didn't miss the opportunity to offer her a gaze full of unwavering sincerity.
"Good!"
To his slight disappointment, Tsunade didn't seem moved by his romantic overture. She was already in "Commander Mode," making decisions with lightning efficiency.
"Jiraiya is still in the Land of Rain. I know his general location. We're heading to him first!"
Dan felt an immediate, sharp prick of jealousy at the mention of his rival. As a man who had spent years "chasing" his goddess, his radar for competition was top-tier. However, even he had to admit that in their current state, another Sannin like Jiraiya would be the ultimate reinforcement.
After sending off a revitalized and determined Akiren, Nawaki let out a long, weary sigh.
"Hatani, thank you."
"Don't thank me. I'm just doing what I can to give us a better chance of making it out alive," Hatani replied. He shook his head slightly and let out a soft sigh of his own.
He couldn't be one hundred percent sure that Akiren wouldn't betray them again, but he was willing to take the gamble. He chose to give Akiren a chance—and in doing so, he gave himself the chance to trust a comrade.
"Heh. If you really want to thank me, then just live. Make sure you get back to the village in one piece."
Seeing that Nawaki was about to launch into another emotional speech, Hatani cut him off with a light chuckle.
"Yeah. We're definitely making it back," Nawaki agreed, his expression one of solemn conviction.
"Alright, enough standing around. Let's move. Check the bodies and see if they have anything useful."
Hatani didn't want to waste another second. He trotted over to the deceased Asayu to begin his second-ever experience in "looting."
As it turned out, Amegakure really didn't have the foundation required to become a Sixth Great Village.
A high-ranking Chunin's personal stash consisted of exactly three shuriken and five paper bombs. That was it.
Even worse, the village that claimed it would one day rival the Five Greats couldn't even afford to issue Soldier Pills. In a Chunin's shinobi pouch, Hatani found three rice balls wrapped in leaves.
Hatani grumbled as he picked up a rice ball and took a massive, spiteful bite.
Wait... actually, this is delicious!
"Huh? What's this?"
Just as he was chewing the rice and preparing to dispose of the body, he noticed something odd. In the lining of the Chunin's flak jacket, there appeared to be a hidden, reinforced compartment.