Something… feels off.
Uchiha Gen's footsteps faltered.
The way here had been eerily quiet; only now did people start to appear. Had something drawn everyone away from the Senju estate?
[Haruno Sakura (Academy Student) unequipped.] [Uchiha Madara (Youth) equipped!]
A pair of crimson Sharingan eyes surfaced. Gen glanced around, then cast a Sensory Ninjutsu. Coupled with the Sharingan's perception, he gathered every scrap of nearby intelligence within a few breaths.
The next second, he spun on his heel and sprinted straight back toward the Senju estate.
At that very moment, Uzumaki Kushina—returning by another path—was staring in horror at several masked, black-clad figures blocking her way. This was the Senju estate; how had intruders slipped inside?
Where were big sister Tsunade and Grandma Mito? Where were the Anbu stationed here? Why was no one around?
"Grab her and pull out—now."
The tallest of the masked men rumbled the order. Still an Academy student, not even a Genin, Kushina was overpowered in moments.
Two minutes later.
Uchiha Gen vaulted the mottled stone wall of the Senju compound, landed inside, and lifted a strand of red hair from the ground.
Damn—looks like I'm a step too late.
His Sharingan spun, its keen sight laying every detail bare. The traces were fresh; the kidnappers had left in a rush, too hurried to clean up. Their methods were crude—either they hadn't noticed the clues Kushina left or, in their haste, had simply ignored them.
Following those clues, Gen tracked them to an alley outside the compound. While sprinting in pursuit, he formed hand seals. Mid-run, a sleek, glossy-feathered crow appeared at his side.
"Fly to the Elder and Orochimaru-sensei. Cloud operatives are covertly abducting villagers—request backup."
Gen addressed the crow captain; the bird beat its wings skyward, and Gen flickered ahead with the Body Flicker Technique.
Meanwhile…
A handsome blond boy on his way home spotted a few scarlet strands on the ground and a slightly older figure moving in the direction the hair pointed.
"That's… Uchiha Gen from the year above me. And that red hair—only Kushina has hair like that!"
Minato Namikaze's eyes flashed with worry, then hardened. He sprinted after Gen.
Gen, of course, noticed Minato tailing him.
Tch. No wonder they call you the Yellow Flash of the future. Even now you can almost keep up. Even without the Flying Thunder God, your raw speed's already top-tier.
Two blurred forms raced onward. The Cloud team had timed everything tightly and moved fast. Gen and Minato chased them all the way out of Konoha but still hadn't caught them. Night crept in; a crescent moon rose above the hills.
Gen halted and, with standard Academy tactical signs, signaled to Minato behind him.
"Stop."
"Hide."
"Follow."
"I go left, you right."
"I distract, you rescue."
Minato nodded, slipping into the grass like a shadow, silent and unseen.
"We've cleared Konoha's borders—we can ease up a bit."
"Better not relax too much."
"Relax. At this distance, we'll hit the border by tomorrow. The Raikage has set up a pick-up team. When this pays off, imagine the rewards!"
"Heh, Konoha's brass are idiots—the plan worked. We snagged an Uzumaki girl; the village's future Jinchuriki is chosen. When the commendations come, I'll get access to stronger jutsu. Jonin rank? Just a matter of time."
The three Cloud shinobi chatted quietly while walking, glancing around, clearly elated.
"Break's over. Move out—stay sharp."
The tall Cloud captain rose, checked the sky, and gave the order.
To pull Konoha's attention, every high-profile member of the Cloud envoy group had stayed behind, leaking rumors about the Sage's tools and the Second Hokage's corpse to lure away Uzumaki Mito and Tsunade. That left only the weaker operatives for the actual abduction. Hence the captain's lingering worry.
So far, though, everything had gone smoothly.
Swish!
Swish!
Two blurred forms flashed in, instantly cutting down the two rearmost Cloud ninja.
"Who's there?!"
Startled, the Cloud captain leapt onto a high branch with Kushina slung over one shoulder. At that instant, a figure with a shinobi sword shot forward like a gale, scarlet eyes gleaming.
"Sharingan!"
The Cloud ninja cried out, reflexively blocking Gen's strike while trying to avoid meeting those eyes.
The Sharingan's fame echoed through the ages; everyone knew never to look an Uchiha in the eye. He was being overly cautious. Gen's single-tomoe Sharingan offered little Genjutsu boost, and Gen himself wasn't focusing on illusions; to avoid alerting the enemy earlier, he hadn't used any.
Sparks flew as the two blades clashed with fierce force. Kushina stared blankly at the Uchiha youth who had appeared with a sword. Before she could react, her body lightened—Minato had pulled her to safety.
"We're here to save you, Kushina."
Minato gave her a gentle, reassuring smile. Moonlight shimmered on his golden hair as it fluttered in the night wind.
Nearby, Gen crossed blades with the Cloud ninja, the two flashing through the trees, steel ringing without end.