26 - Redheaded Damsel, Yellow Flash
"Let's go over now. If we delay, I'm afraid they'll have already destroyed the research data," Kei sneered in disdain, expressing his contempt for Kiri's obsession with secrecy.
After all, Kiri was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
But their way of doing things always carried an inexplicable sense of pettiness.
Take this Summoning Island, for example.
Nominally, it belonged to the Land of the Sea.
However, the Land of the Sea had long since abandoned this region due to its geographic location. Situated at the far northeastern edge, beyond which lay only the endless ocean, the area was further made uninhabitable by its dangerous wildlife. Ordinary people could not safely settle there.
Logically speaking, an island filled with powerful beasts that could serve as summoning creatures should have been highly valuable.
Yet Kiri went to great lengths to establish a research facility here.
That kind of value should have made the Kiri higher-ups pay serious attention to it.
Even if they had concerns about territorial claims, given that the Land of Water and the Land of the Sea had some distant ties, outright occupation might not have been appropriate.
But setting up a nominal collaboration to properly guard the island should have been reasonable, right?
So how did Kiri handle it?
They relied on the island's remote location. Unless someone deliberately sought it out, it would be nearly impossible to discover.
Instead of openly securing the island, they secretly spread rumors.
Using nonsense like "whoever steps on the island will lose all memories" along with some minor genjutsu tricks, they scared off the residents of nearby islands, ensuring no one dared approach.
They also strictly ordered all Kiri ninjas who knew about the island to stay away unless absolutely necessary, minimizing the risk of exposure.
Then, they hid the research facility deep in the dense forest, right at the center of the island within a volcanic zone.
To top it off, they stationed an elite jonin squad ready to destroy all evidence and flee at a moment's notice.
This... This was secrecy for the sake of secrecy.
Hmm... Perhaps Madara was secretly manipulating everything behind the scenes, preventing Kiri from growing too powerful, which is why they handled things so sloppily?
That thought suddenly popped into Kei's mind, and the more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed.
Otherwise, he truly couldn't understand, why would Kiri's leadership be so brainless as to set up such a strategy?
"Get ready. Your first time experiencing a long-distance Flying Thunder God might feel a bit uncomfortable."
Hearing that the enemy was preparing to destroy the research data, Minato furrowed his brows slightly.
Even though Konoha didn't have a dedicated summoning beast research program, such research was still highly valuable.
If they could obtain complete data, it would undoubtedly benefit Konoha.
Placing a hand on Kei's shoulder, he closed his eyes, locked onto the Flying Thunder God kunai's coordinates within the research facility, and activated the teleportation technique.
Swish—
The sensation of spatial distortion and detachment passed in an instant.
Boom—!
Before Minato and Kei could even steady themselves at the entrance of the research facility, a deafening explosion shook the entire volcano.
"Raaagh—!"
A bizarre, ear-piercing beastly roar echoed.
An unknown force, carried by the sound, rapidly spread across the island.
The creatures already howling in rage and fear on the island completely lost their minds under this mysterious influence.
Some fled, while others charged straight toward the volcano.
As the creatures rampaged, the entire island began to tremble violently.
"Shit! Hurry up! Or your wife's done for!"
Kei had just activated a wide-area sensory jutsu.
The moment he sensed the scene inside the research facility, he grabbed Minato and immediately used the Body Flicker Technique.
---
Inside the research facility, several researchers watched in feverish excitement as the creature in the incubation chamber slowly awoke.
With just a simple stretch, it shattered the facility's walls.
The Kiri ninja squad, who had been preparing to destroy all the research data, froze in place upon witnessing this. Their expressions shifted from duty to anticipation as they leisurely observed the monstrous being.
Kei's target on this mission, Hinako, was kneeling within a complex sealing formation, hands forming seals, ready at any moment to use a sealing jutsu to restrain the so-called Ultimate Summoning Beast.
"Wait, you actually found me a wife?!" Minato was suddenly yanked by the collar and dragged along at high speed. As Kei used his Body Flicker Technique repeatedly, Minato's body swayed in the rushing wind.
Hearing his friend's words, he, who had always thought it was just a joke, suddenly became flustered.
Wait a minute... Weren't they here to destroy Kiri's summoning beast research facility?
This—this—this... was actually about finding him a wife?!
Long red hair draped over her shoulders, delicate facial features as if sculpted to perfection, a voluptuous and curvaceous figure, and a temperament as gentle as water...
Are you seriously telling me this wasn't a setup?
"Kiiyaaah—! Kiiyaaah—!"
A strange, high-pitched beastly roar, like a sonic wave, shook both Kei and Minato's eardrums.
Immediately after, they heard screams, cries of pain, and desperate pleas for help!
Kei carried Minato as they sped forward.
At the same time, he narrowed his sensory range down to just the volcanic area.
By concentrating his perception to such a small area, the clarity of everything within it increased dramatically. Maintaining this high-precision sensory jutsu, he formed a one-handed seal once again, and instantly transferred everything he sensed into Minato's mind.
The grotesque monster that wrapped its tentacles around two researchers and stuffed them into its mouth.
The terrified researchers collapsing to the ground, some even losing control of their bladders.
Four ninjas using combination jutsu to attack the monstrous creature.
A young woman desperately unfolding her Adamantine Sealing Chains, her brows tightly furrowed.
Adamantine Sealing Chains?
A young Uzumaki woman?!
Within his highly precise perception range, Minato could even "see" the girl's graceful and elegant figure, her long hair flowing in the wind, and her beautiful face tinged with fear.
Kei wasn't lying this time?!
Even though he knew Kei had deliberately shrunk the sensory range to make him "see" more details...
But...
For once, this guy wasn't messing with him?
No, no...
With how much of a troll Kei was, how could he not be messing with him?
"Kiiyaaah—!"
Another strange and chilling screech echoed.
Through his sensory abilities, Kei witnessed the Ultimate Summoning Beast devour nearly half of the researchers.
The four ninjas' combined ninjutsu attacks were completely absorbed by the beast. In fact, the monster used that energy to grow new, grotesque appendages and retaliate with elemental ninjutsu!
Except for the leading jonin, who managed to escape injury by transforming into a puddle of water, the remaining three ordinary ninjas, caught completely off guard, were instantly killed by the beast.
"Help me—someone, please save me—!" A trembling female voice echoed in both Kei and Minato's minds.
Her overwhelming emotions were transmitted directly into their hearts.
The moment that voice fell, Minato, who was previously being carried by Kei in a princess carry, suddenly twisted his body and broke free from Kei's grip.
Then, moving even faster than Kei, he vanished into the tunnel in the blink of an eye.
Even though their sparring matches on the ship had already proven that Minato, even without the Flying Thunder God Technique, was slightly faster than him with the Body Flicker Technique... But that speed just now, was that really just slightly faster?