Rescue

The several strands of pure red hair lying quietly on the ground were like the dawn in the dark night, extraordinarily dazzling.

Upon seeing the hair, Yuji's grim expression softened slightly. He quickly picked up the strand of hair and examined it for a moment. Confirming it was Kushina's hair, the killing intent in his eyes grew sharper.

Without hesitation, he returned the hair to its original spot. Fortunately, he had the habit of carrying a ninja tool pouch with him, from which he took out a kunai and inserted it into the soil next to the strand of hair. He then stood up and pursued the enemy ninja who had abducted Kushina.

He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could rescue Kushina on his own. It would be a miracle just to delay the enemy, so the hair must be left behind to mark the direction for the approaching Konoha ninjas. He could only leave the kunai to make the mark more visible, but he couldn't leave more obvious marks along the way, as that would slow his progress.

Who exactly was Kushina…?

After spending over a year with her, Yuji couldn't understand why enemy ninjas would dare take such a risk to infiltrate Konoha Village just to abduct a girl who had recently graduated from the Ninja Academy. The war had only just slightly subsided, and any small mistake could reignite the war with a single spark.

The only thing he could be sure of was that Kushina possessed something of great value to the enemy.

Searching for the hair along the way had wasted quite a bit of time. Fortunately, Kushina's hair was pure red rather than black, so it wasn't as hard to find once night fell.

Even so, after chasing for several hours, Yuji still hadn't seen anyone. If this continued, once the enemy crossed the border, it would be too late to stop them.

Meanwhile, the Cloud ninjas who had abducted Kushina had been moving at full speed since the beginning, but Kushina, who lacked their stamina and endurance, finally couldn't hold on as they neared the border.

"Useless." The Cloud ninja who was dragging Kushina cursed coldly, looking ahead at the tall figure and asking, "Lord Kuroyumi, we're almost there. Konoha's people won't be able to catch up. Should we slow down?"

The Cloud ninja named Kuroyumi had a rough face with dark skin and a sinister cross-shaped scar over his right eye. His expression was as cold as ice, giving him an aura of extraordinary sharpness.

Hearing his subordinate's question, Kuroyumi paused. He realized that the Konoha ninjas were unlikely to catch up, and since his three subordinates had also grown tired after traveling at full speed for hours, he agreed to his subordinate's suggestion.

He glanced at Kushina, whose head hung low as if she could collapse at any moment, and coldly said, "Slow down. The border is near. Don't be careless."

"Yes," the three Cloud ninjas relaxed. The intense full-speed travel had indeed fatigued them, and Kushina, with her relatively weaker stamina and endurance, would likely have died if she weren't from the Uzumaki clan, whose physical traits helped her survive the journey.

What they didn't know was that someone was following them closely behind like a lone wolf.

Half an hour later, the Cloud ninjas, who had switched to walking, seemed relaxed, as if the difficult task was already done. Their vigilance had significantly decreased, but only Kuroyumi, with his cross-shaped scar, remained alert.

In contrast to the Cloud ninjas' ease, Kushina, her consciousness beginning to fade, was filled with despair.

"Someone... help me."

Through her blurry vision, all she could see was the dark path, and suddenly, a vague figure appeared.

Black hair, black eyes, blending with the night, clear yet blurry. The figure in the night seemed to shimmer in and out of focus, its face now clear, now hazy, like it was close yet still cold and indifferent.

"Yu... Ji."

A faint light appeared in Kushina's dim eyes, and her weak voice trembled as she called out his name.

"Yu... Ji?" The Cloud ninja holding Kushina heard the muffled murmur and couldn't help but look back at her.

"Stop!"

At that moment, the leader, Kuroyumi, suddenly stopped, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword as he swiftly turned to face behind him.

Seeing Kuroyumi's reaction, the other three knew someone was following them. Their hearts skipped a beat, and they quickly looked back into the dark night. They saw a figure jumping from the trees and landing near them, like a god sent from the heavens.

"One person? A kid?" Seeing that the pursuer was just a small Konoha ninja, the three Cloud ninjas relaxed slightly. They had feared a larger group of Konoha ninjas was chasing them.

"Finally caught up."

Yuji, breathing slightly heavier, looked at the familiar figure ahead and called out loudly, "Kushina, are you alright?"

Unlike before, his voice was filled with anxiety and urgency, instead of the usual cold indifference.

Hearing this familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Kushina, thinking she had seen a mirage, slowly turned her head and indeed saw Yuji.

"Yu... Ji!"

It seemed as though seeing Yuji meant salvation. Her eyes widened, and a flicker of joy flashed across her dirt-streaked face.

"Did you think you were saved?"

A cold voice suddenly shattered Kushina's delusion.

Kuroyumi stepped over Kushina and looked coldly at Yuji, his voice full of disdain, "Nice expression. Since you dared to chase after me alone, you must have prepared to die, right?"

With that, Kuroyumi slowly drew his short sword, his gaze becoming as cold as ice.

"Take the target quickly across the border. I'll deal with this brat. If nothing unexpected happens, there will likely be more pursuers."

"Yes!"

Although they didn't understand why Kuroyumi would take the trouble to stay behind just to deal with a kid, they obeyed the command, dragging Kushina and quickly speeding up.

"Damn!"

Yuji fixed his gaze on the short sword in Kuroyumi's hand, his expression solemn. His goal was only to delay the enemy. If Kuroyumi chose to stay behind to deal with him, that would be the best outcome. However, in his mind, the one left behind shouldn't be the strongest person just because he was a kid.

But, unexpectedly, the strongest person was the one who stayed behind!

The short sword that gleamed in the moonlight as it passed through the trees was like the scythe of death in Yuji's eyes.

There was no doubt that the Konoha ninjas who had died were all killed by this man with a swift slash to the throat—clean and decisive. However, the Konoha ninjas had many smaller injuries before their deaths, so it could be inferred that Kuroyumi's sword hadn't been fast enough to prevent them from reacting. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ambushed them from the shadows.

"No chance... No, it's just very, very low."

Yuji's face was grim. It wasn't just that he was being restrained by this man; surviving against him seemed almost impossible. This meant he couldn't stop Kushina from being taken away.

Silently, Yuji took out a kunai and gripped it tightly, gritting his teeth and forcing his gaze away from the abduction of Kushina. Instead, he focused on the man whose killing intent was now palpable, making the air around them seem thick and heavy.

Kuroyumi seemed confident. He didn't act immediately, but instead looked at Yuji, whose breathing had calmed, his eyes flickering with approval. The fact that Yuji had caught up and still maintained steady breathing proved that this little kid wasn't simple. As for age, it was never a true measure of strength.

Unfortunately, this little genius from Konoha was still too young. By rushing here so recklessly, the price he would pay would be heavy.

"Do you know why I stayed behind?" Kuroyumi raised his arm slightly, a murderous intent filling his face. "Because I know the others aren't your match. Unfortunately, you've run into me. Die here!"

Just as he was about to strike, a fast-moving figure landed next to Yuji. Yuji, fully focused on Kuroyumi, didn't notice the figure until it was already by his side.

Yuji's heart raced, and as he was about to attack, the figure's voice stopped him.

"Where is Kushina?" Minato's gaze was fixed on Kuroyumi, his expression just as solemn as Yuji's. After just one glance, he knew that the man ahead was extremely strong.

"Another kid." Kuroyumi furrowed his brow. If it had been a Jonin from Konoha, it would have been understandable, but he hadn't expected two kids to come after him, and they both seemed formidable.

Seeing Minato catch up, Yuji's eyes lit up, and he pointed in a direction, speaking in an irrefutable tone, "Kushina is being held by three Cloud ninjas. Hurry up and pursue them. I'll handle this man."

"But..." Minato hesitated. He didn't believe Yuji could handle this man and feared that Yuji might get killed.

"You can't waste any time," Yuji replied.

Minato gritted his teeth, realizing Yuji was right. He turned and sprinted toward the distance.

"Now, I'm going to take you down." Kuroyumi stood tall, a chilling expression on his face. "Not even your greatest ninja will stand a chance against me!"

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