"Go, head for the back." Sasuke directed the other two toward the rear staircase.
Naruto said as he ran, "Sorry, Sasuke. I messed up."
Sasuke, seeing that the fire had successfully spread, replied impatiently, "It's fine. As long as the fire is lit, they'll have no choice but to use the back exit."
Just then, Hinata activated her Byakugan to survey the situation inside the building.
Chaos erupted within. Some tried to extinguish the flames, but thanks to the oil, the fire spread with incredible speed. The fire on the lower floors grew larger, becoming impossible to put out.
Under Gato's orders, his men formed a protective detail around him and retreated upstairs. They went from the fourth floor to the fifth, then down a staircase at the back.
It was a winding staircase. Gato's subordinates ran ahead, unlocking the doors on each landing.
The three members of Team 7 were already waiting for them at the bottom.
Sasuke drew his shuriken and threw them upwards, trying to thin out the enemy's numbers.
"You little brat! Just wait 'til I get down there!"
A few of the thugs became living targets, and several of them were hit and fell on the stairs. However, two Grass ninja consistently protected Gato, deflecting any weapons Sasuke threw their way. Sasuke changed his focus to their underlings instead.
By the time the thugs reached the second floor, they could no longer bear the intense heat and leaped down from the staircase, screaming as they charged at the trio.
Naruto formed a hand sign. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a series of pops, a crowd of shadow clones appeared.
"These guys are nothing but scum! Don't let a single one get away!"
"Alright!" Naruto's clones roared, charging toward the dozen or so thugs with overwhelming spirit.
The two ninja beside Gato spoke up. "They're just a bunch of kids. Let's take them all on."
The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle. Hinata's expression was tense, but she still assumed her Gentle Fist stance to face the enemy.
Gato was a short old man with sunglasses, a cane, and a handlebar mustache, giving him a cunning appearance. He loosened his bow tie and said to the two Grass ninja beside him, "Stop hovering around me and finish them off quickly. I have a feeling there are more than just these few."
"The reinforcements haven't arrived yet. We need to leave this place immediately."
Seeing the pathetic state of their subordinates, the Grass ninja knew they were the only ones who could handle these opponents. "Be careful, boss," one said as they both drew their blades and moved forward.
Only two young thugs remained by Gato's side. One was Mitsutani Kosuke, and the other was Mitsutani Yuma, two brothers. Though only fifteen or sixteen and harmless in appearance, they were actually quite sharp. They had already discerned that despite their youth, the three ninja before them were not to be underestimated.
While the others charged ahead, they had stayed back. The current situation made them more inclined to use protecting Gato as an excuse to remain by his side, unwilling to advance. After all, Gato's backup had yet to arrive, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
By now, Team 7 had nearly wiped out all the thugs.
Minato had already returned and was watching from a tree branch, a blood-stained kunai in his hand. He had gone to the seaside warehouse alone and eliminated all the reinforcements. Gato's backup was never coming.
After Sasuke's barrage of shuriken, only about twenty survivors remained. Ordinary men were at a clear disadvantage against ninja. They lacked the speed and strength, and to make matters worse, they were surrounded by Naruto's shadow clones.
Sasuke cut them down one by one with his sword, showing no mercy. Naruto, on the other hand, tried to spare some of their lives. Hinata was the most compassionate, merely knocking her opponents unconscious. She had faced three of them, and all three now lay unconscious on the ground.
Seeing this, a glint appeared in Minato's eyes. But he remained silent in the tree, quietly observing.
This was Hinata's first time in a battle like this, and the sight of bodies strewn everywhere made her deeply uncomfortable. Although she hadn't expended much physical energy, she felt a sense of fatigue.
"Hinata, you stay back and rest. Let me and Sasuke handle these two," Naruto said quickly, noticing her discomfort. He then charged forward.
Only Gato, his two young aides, and the two Grass ninja were left standing.
Sasuke and Naruto each engaged an opponent, and a fierce fight began.
Sasuke was quite pleased with his plan for the day. "Naruto, let's see who can finish their opponent first."
Still embarrassed about his earlier mistake, Naruto retorted, "Hmph, you're so arrogant, Sasuke. You're on!" Before the words even left his mouth, he created several more shadow clones and swarmed his enemy.
Sasuke just snorted. Without using any ninjutsu, he charged in directly with his Sword of Kusanagi.
"You two brats dare to look down on us!" The Grass ninja on the left, infuriated, quickly formed a series of hand seals. "Ninjutsu, Black Snake Flame!" Black smoke erupted from his body, forming into a snake that lunged at Sasuke. He followed right behind it, slashing with his sword.
The Grass ninja on the right immediately followed suit. "Wind Style: Raging Sand Jutsu!" He exhaled a small whirlwind, kicking up dust and sand toward Naruto's shadow clones.
A confident smirk appeared on Sasuke's face as his eyes instantly transformed into the three-tomoe Sharingan. He didn't even bother to look at the black snake, swinging his sword directly through his opponent's body.
"Hmph. Using genjutsu in front of an Uchiha!" The Grass ninja coughed up blood and collapsed, staring intently at Sasuke's eyes, shocked that such a young boy possessed a fully matured Sharingan.
On the other side, however, something unexpected happened. The whirlwind unleashed by the Grass ninja only kicked up some dust and wasn't a real threat to Naruto, who merely lost a few shadow clones.
But at that precise moment, one of the thugs Hinata had knocked out regained consciousness. He woke to see his comrades lying on the ground all around him. As a desperate man who had lived on the edge for years, the sight didn't scare him. He grabbed a nearby sword and swung it at the closest person—Naruto.
"Naruto, look out!" Hinata cried in terror.
*Schlick!*
Hearing the warning, Naruto leaped aside, but the blade still managed to slash his calf. The Grass ninja in front saw his chance and pressed forward. Sasuke immediately threw his Sword of Kusanagi to block the opponent's advance.
A red chakra cloak manifested around Naruto, and he finished off the attacker with a single swipe of his claws.
Seeing Naruto injured, Sasuke flared with anger and quickly formed hand seals. "Lightning Blade!" Blue light erupted from his hand, accompanied by a piercing, chirping sound. Sasuke ran the remaining Grass ninja straight through with the attack.
Meanwhile, Hinata rushed forward and, with an angry cry, struck the thug who had attacked Naruto in the chest with a Gentle Fist blow. The man immediately coughed up blood, his life clearly fading.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Hinata hurried over to him, her face filled with worry.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Naruto said, waving his hand dismissively. The wound on his leg looked nasty, but it wasn't serious. It was nothing compared to the minor injuries he'd gotten while training with Kawasaki.
Still, being out in the field, it was best to treat it quickly. He was on good terms with the Nine-Tails now.
"Kurama, I'm counting on you," he said. Ever since talking with Minato, Naruto had started calling the Nine-Tails by his real name.
Kurama snorted. "You got injured fighting enemies like this, brat? If Kawasaki finds out, you're in for it."
Naruto just grinned. "Kawasaki isn't here, is he? And I promise I'll let you watch the new Princess Fuun movie when we get back."