"Okay… I get it…"
Kushina finally said, her face slightly flushed as she turned her head to the side.
Yagami stared at her for a long moment.
It wasn't until Kushina started to feel embarrassed under his gaze that she realized—he was making sure she truly meant it.
Only then did Yagami finally relax.
With Kushina's promise, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The situation now was completely different from yesterday.
If Kushina followed him into what was coming next, he wasn't confident he could protect her properly.
"By the way," Yagami said suddenly, "let me give you something."
Thinking about the prolonged and fierce battle that was likely ahead, he raised his hand and placed a small object into Kushina's palm.
"Eh?"
She looked down, blinking.
"What… are you giving me a bean?"
Seeing the green bean resting in her hand, Kushina tilted her head in confusion.
Still, she instinctively closed her fingers around it.
"Don't underestimate it," Yagami said calmly. "This thing is a treasure that's extremely rare in the ninja world."
Seeing the doubt on her face, he continued explaining.
"I only have three of these in total. They're that precious."
"Even in yesterday's battle, I couldn't bring myself to use one."
"Recover all stamina and injuries… instantly?"
After hearing his explanation, Kushina's eyes widened in disbelief.
Who would've thought that such an ordinary-looking bean could have such an absurd effect?
Realizing its value, Kushina hurriedly took out a handkerchief and carefully wrapped the Senzu Bean inside.
"You silly girl, what are you doing?"
Yagami stared at her, completely speechless.
"This is for saving your life when you're in danger!"
"You wrapped it up so carefully—will you even be able to use it in time if something happens?!"
Seeing her treat it like a treasured keepsake, veins instantly popped on Yagami's forehead.
Kushina jumped slightly at his scolding.
She hurriedly opened the handkerchief again and took the Senzu Bean back out.
Only then did she realize—she had instinctively tried to preserve it instead of thinking about actually using it.
Her face heated up in embarrassment.
"S-Sensei… what about me…?"
Hearing about the bean's miraculous effects, Kakashi—who had been standing nearby—looked at Yagami with unmistakable anticipation.
"Didn't you used to love Military Ration Pills?"
Yagami raised an eyebrow.
"That was before…" Kakashi replied with his signature dead-fish eyes.
"Now I feel like trying one of those today."
Seeing the hope shining in Kakashi's gaze, Yagami suddenly felt at a loss for words.
I only have three of these things in total, he thought with a forced smile.
And this shameless little brat actually wants one from his sensei.
"You're dreaming, Kakashi," Yagami said sternly.
"And kids shouldn't rely too much on drugs. I'm saying this for your own good."
Then, after a brief pause, he added while turning his head away,
"Military Ration Pills are in the safe category. You can take them if necessary."
Even Yagami felt a faint sense of shame as he said that.
Kakashi's forehead twitched.
"…Sensei," he said hollowly, "you were the one who told me before not to take Military Ration Pills."
"Why did that suddenly change?"
Yagami didn't answer.
He simply turned and walked away.
Which only made Kakashi even angrier at his shameless sensei.
Sunagakure Forces
"Lord Ebizō, we're almost at Kikyo Castle!"
A Sand shinobi running near the center of the formation turned back and called out.
Ebizō wasn't a frontline combatant—he was the commander of this operation.
Because of that, he had already fallen back from the vanguard and was now moving under the protection of the main force.
Ebizō nodded, then turned his head slightly.
"Tell the sensory ninja to scout Kikyo Castle."
"Yes!"
The shinobi acknowledged the order and quickly rushed ahead.
It didn't take long before he returned, accompanied by a sensory-type ninja.
"Lord Ebizō," the sensory ninja reported immediately.
"The buildings inside Kikyo are already empty."
"At the moment, there are only one hundred and five people remaining in the entire city."
"But two of them possess unusually large chakra signatures."
"…Hm?"
Ebizō's brows furrowed slightly.
That description sounded familiar.
A flash of realization crossed his mind.
From the information Guizhi had brought back earlier, Yagami and Kushina both possessed abnormally massive chakra reserves.
So they really were inside Kikyo Castle.
"Notify everyone," Ebizō said decisively.
"Enter combat readiness."
Before the order could fully circulate—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted at the front of the formation.
Smoke and fire burst outward as several Sand shinobi running at the front were instantly swallowed by the flames.
The entire unit came to an abrupt halt.
"What happened?!"
Ebizō stopped as well, craning his neck to look ahead.
Soon, a Sand shinobi rushed back toward him.
"Lord Ebizō!"
"There are numerous detonating tag traps ahead. Should we detour?"
Ebizō stared at him, then sighed heavily.
"Detour?"
"Are you a pig?"
"So many of us are here, and you're afraid of a few traps?"
"Use Wind Style and blow it all away!"
The shinobi who had been scolded shrank his neck and hurriedly ran back to relay the order.
"Wind Style—Great Wind!"
"Wind Style—Great Wind!"
"Wind Style—Great Wind!"
Hundreds of Sand shinobi formed hand seals simultaneously.
The same basic Wind Style ninjutsu was unleashed together toward the trapped area.
Rumble—!!!
The combined force erupted like an S-rank technique.
Detonating tags, steel wires, and hidden mechanisms were instantly torn apart and scattered.
The violent gale swept through the area without mercy.
Even massive, lush trees were ripped straight from the ground.
The terrain was completely devastated—like land that had just been ravaged by a natural disaster.
Seeing the massive cloud of smoke and dust ahead, Ebizō nodded in satisfaction.
With a wind like that, not only would every trap be destroyed—
The smoke and debris would also be blown straight toward Kikyo Castle, creating pressure and distraction for the Konoha shinobi inside.
And he wasn't wrong.
The overwhelming dust cloud did indeed press heavily on Kikyo Castle.
But under Yuhi Shinku's loud and casual remarks, the tension quickly settled.
"Move forward!"
With the trap zone completely flattened, Ebizō gave the order once more.
The Sand shinobi advanced again—vast, orderly, and unstoppable.
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