"What do we do now? Should we keep firing signal flares for help?" Obito asked anxiously.
"It's too late for that, and there might not be any other Konoha squads nearby anyway," Hizashi replied, shaking his head slightly.
"Are we just supposed to pray, then?" Rin's voice was low and defeated.
"I'll go rescue him. Sensei Hizashi, you take them back to Yugakure (The Village Hidden in Hot Water)," Setsuna volunteered, offering himself up.
If the enemy had been from the Sand Village, he might have hesitated, but since the opponents were Kumogakure (The Cloud Village) ninja, he had fewer reservations.
If there were too many enemies, he could simply use the Sky Dance Technique to escape.
The real challenge was convincing Hizashi to agree to his plan.
"How do I talk Sensei Hizashi into this?" Setsuna wondered, momentarily debating whether to reveal his flight technique, when he heard Hizashi nod decisively. "Alright, we'll do as you say."
"Huh?" Setsuna was stunned by how quickly Hizashi agreed. Did his sensei trust him that much?
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin all looked at Hizashi with shock. What was wrong with this Hyūga Jōnin? He was actually agreeing to let his student risk his life to save someone while he himself stayed behind.
Hizashi knew the youngsters were looking at him strangely, but he couldn't explain. He simply stood his ground and said: "Go on, all of you. I have faith that Setsuna will bring Lord Minato back."
The forest was saturated with bloody mist, and the air itself carried a coppery, sweet scent.
Minato was leaping through the forest, dodging attacks, while pulling out a few Soldier Pills (Hyōrōgan) from his pouch to ingest.
(As seen in the previous two chapters, Soldier Pills can restore chakra.)
His nearly depleted chakra was somewhat replenished, but the worry on Minato's brow remained.
While Soldier Pills restore chakra, the effect decreases with each consecutive use in a short period. If he couldn't quickly escape this bloody forest, his fate would definitely not be a pleasant one.
Just then, a figure wreathed in lightning chakra jumped down from a tree like a bolt of thunder, slamming fiercely toward Minato.
However, even with his sensory abilities severely dampened, Minato managed to Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God Technique) away just in time.
The ground where Minato had been instantly cracked open like a spiderweb. The figure stood on the scorched earth and praised, "Your name is Minato Namikaze, isn't it? It's genuinely impressive that you keep dodging my top speed. I will remember the name of my opponent after you're dead."
Minato held a kunai, surveying his surroundings as he spoke, "You must be A, the Third Raikage's son. While your speed is fast, calling it the 'absolute fastest' is a bit of an exaggeration. At the very least, I've met a ninja who is faster than you."
"Impossible!" A didn't believe it for a second. "Even my father couldn't do that. His physical power is greater, but his speed isn't faster than mine."
Minato didn't waste any more words, using the Flying Thunder God Technique once more to teleport far away before the other Cloud Ninja caught up.
"He truly is a tough opponent. If we weren't enemies, I would love to fight him fairly to see who is the fastest in the Shinobi world," A muttered, shaking his head. He sensed that Minato wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
"We still need to hurry. If he manages to stumble out of the Blood Mist Formation, it won't be easy to find such a good opportunity again," said Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, who had caught up.
A nodded, but then suddenly heard a nearby ninja pointing to the sky in the distance and shouting, "What is that?"
A looked in the direction the ninja was pointing. Even with the bloody mist obscuring his vision, he could still make out a massive azure divine dragon covering the sky.
"What kind of monster is that? A Summoning Jutsu?" A was stunned. Wherever the giant blue dragon passed, the ground tore up, towering ancient trees were snapped in half, and massive trunks were ripped out by the roots, dancing in the air like kites with broken strings.
"Crap, the Blood Mist Formation!" A realized that the bloody mist covering the forest was being completely dispersed by the violent wind. Long-awaited sunlight streamed down.
Not only that, but the azure giant dragon was hurtling towards their position. Several Cloud Ninja who couldn't get out of the way fast enough screamed as they were swept up into the air.
Seeing the catastrophe approaching, A instantly activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
"Bee, launch me!"
"Got it, fool ya, yeah!" As A's adopted brother, Killer B naturally understood A's intention. He grabbed A and hurled him forward.
"Liger Bomb!"
A, accelerated by B's throw, shot out like an electromagnetic cannon, accurately striking the azure giant dragon.
BOOM!
The azure giant dragon exploded, and the uncontrolled air currents swept out in all directions.
Broken branches and leaves hammered the devastated ground like a rainstorm. The entire forest looked as if it had been plowed over by a giant implement, with fallen trees piled into a chaotic dam that even blocked the small stream running through the area.
Witnessing this stunning display, the Cloud Ninja all cheered.
"As expected of Lord A! So reliable!"
"I thought I was going to die!"
However, A, who had landed steadily on the ground, showed no joy. He frowned and muttered, "That seemed like Taijutsu... is it the Konoha Dragon God? But it doesn't quite match the rumors."
Just then, a person walked out of the remnants of the forest as casually as if they were out for a stroll, making no effort to hide. Their steps crunched on the broken branches—a complete failure of ninja stealth.
"Minato-senpai, are you there? I've come to save you!"
Seeing the opponent shout so loudly as he walked right past him, A's tense expression finally broke. What in the world is this inexplicable fool doing?
Though he couldn't be sure of the person's identity, the Konoha headband on his forehead was unmistakable.
"You're asking for death! Lightning Release: Lightning Stream Violence!"
A concentrated his Lightning Release Chakra on his right elbow and charged the opponent at top speed.
"Iron Mountain Impact!"
The person shouting in the forest was, of course, Setsuna. Seeing A "elbowing" him, Setsuna smoothly drove his right shoulder into the direction of the enemy's elbow.
CRASH!
Like a clap of thunder, Setsuna was sent sliding back a few meters, while A was blasted backward like a cannonball, crashing headfirst into the dirt.
"How is that possible?"
"Lord A was knocked flying!"
The Cloud Ninja who witnessed this were completely incredulous. A had lost a physical collision against someone other than the Third Raikage—it was unbelievable.
On the other side, Minato, hearing Setsuna's call, appeared at the right time. Noticing that the bloody mist had dispersed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Setsuna, the mist is gone, we can esca..." Minato's voice was quick, but Setsuna immediately finished the sentence for him: "...we can counterattack."
"Counterattack?" Minato was taken aback. There were over a hundred pursuing Cloud Ninja, including strong opponents like the Raikage candidate and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. Did Setsuna really think they could counterattack with just the two of them?
Setsuna nodded: "Minato-senpai, with your Flying Thunder God Technique combined with my Taijutsu, if the two of us go all out, how can these Cloud Ninja possibly stand a chance?"
Minato's heart was stirred. It was true. He and Setsuna could be seen as the ultimate assassin and the ultimate warrior combo. Together, they could achieve an effect where one plus one is much greater than two.
Besides, anyone who had been manipulated and hunted for this long would be angry. He wasn't a saint, and of course, he wanted revenge.
"Fine, I'll follow your lead!" Minato pulled out hundreds of Senbon (throwing needles) from his pouch and scattered them through the forest like a goddess scattering flowers. Now that Flying Thunder God markers were spread across the entire battlefield, the hunted prey was about to fight back!