12dz Chapter 528 What's going on? What happened at the front lines?
Chapter 528 What's going on? What happened at the front lines?
Zhang Hai flicked non-existent blood off his blade and retorted, "Your speed is truly outrageous, Minato. I've barely locked onto my target, and you've already flashed past. At this rate, I'll be out of work." His tone was relaxed, but he was inwardly astonished by Minato's speed. Even his most prized stealth and close-range abilities paled in comparison to Minato's.
Minato smiled, but a hint of worry lingered in his smile: "I need to complete the mission here as soon as possible before I can go to the front lines. The situation there is far more dire than we imagined." He gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with concern for the battlefield.
"What's wrong? What happened at the front?" Zhang Hai keenly noticed Shui Men's change in mood and immediately asked.
Minato sighed, squatted down, and used a twig to draw a few simple lines on the ground. "It's Hanzo of the Salamander." He said gravely, "That man known as 'Demigod,' his fighting style is far too cautious. He always takes advantage of Amegakure's complex terrain, laying layers of traps and poisonous fog to avoid large-scale direct confrontations with us. In every small-scale conflict, he manages to make us pay a heavy price by using the terrain and poison."
Zhang Hai's expression also turned serious. Hanzo the Salamander—this name was like a heavy stone in the ninja world, weighing people down and making it hard to breathe. His poison skills and cunning were universally acknowledged as making him difficult to deal with.
"Our Konoha has suffered heavy losses. Although we haven't been completely routed, the prolonged stalemate is disadvantageous to us. Lord White Fang is also unable to provide much support due to his need to keep the rear under control. Now, both sides realize that a decisive battle is probably inevitable." Minato stood up, his eyes resolute, carrying an aura of impending power. "Therefore, I must rejoin the team as soon as possible."
Just as the two were talking, a faint sound came from not far away. Minato frowned, vanished from his spot in an instant, and the next second, he had a subdued Kumogakure ninja in his hand. Zhang Hai quickly followed, holding a kunai to the other's throat.
"Speak! What are you doing in Konoha? How many companions do you have?" Minato's voice was icy, completely devoid of the gentleness he had shown earlier.
Yun Ren's lips trembled, but his eyes still held a hint of stubbornness. Zhang Hai realized that he wanted to bite his tongue and commit suicide, so he immediately used special acupoints to seal the other's movements.
Minato skillfully used genjutsu to break through the Cloud Ninja's psychological defenses. A moment later, the Cloud Ninja's eyes glazed over, and he stammered out a shocking piece of information: "The Land of Lightning... the Land of Lightning has sent three Jonin... their target is... Kushina!"
"Kushina?!" Zhang Hai and Minato exclaimed almost simultaneously. Kushina, the girl with long, fiery red hair, was Minato's lover and best friend. She possessed the Nine-Tails sealed within her, a vital strategic asset for Konoha, and also a unique physique of the Uzumaki clan, granting her immense chakra and life force. The Hidden Cloud Village's target was her!
"When did they make their move? Where is she now?" Minato asked urgently, no longer bothering with further interrogation.
Yunren replied weakly, "Just... just a short while ago... we were only responsible for providing support from the outside and transporting her away..."
Ignoring everything else, Minato dispelled the genjutsu on the Cloud Ninja, leaving him limp on the ground. The two immediately transformed into two afterimages, sprinting towards Konoha Village at top speed. The Flying Thunder God Technique was activated repeatedly beneath Minato's feet, each step covering a vast distance. Zhang Hai also exerted all his strength, pushing his Body Flicker Technique to its limit, closely following behind Minato.
However, when they rushed back to Konoha, they were met with devastating news.
"Lord Minato! Lord Zhang Hai!" A Konoha ninja ran over anxiously, panting, "Lady Kushina... has been captured! We chased after her for a while, but she was too fast and had a special barrier for cover, so we couldn't catch up!"
Shuimen and Zhang Hai's hearts sank simultaneously. In the end, it was still too late.
"Tell me the direction, and any traces they left behind!" Minato asked calmly, though his voice suppressed anger, reason still prevailed.
After listening to the brief report provided by the pursuing ninja, the two quickly began their analysis.
“The direction of their retreat is wrong.” Zhang Hai frowned, gesturing on the map. “If they were heading back to Yunyin Village, they should have gone northeast and crossed the border directly. But they chose to… bypass the rear of our frontline combat zone and take a remote mountain road to the south.”
Minato pondered for a moment, then his eyes sharpened: "You're right! They're trying to bypass our defenses, advance in a roundabout way, and make contact far from the battlefield to prevent us from launching a large-scale interception. Once they successfully bypass the battlefield and enter the heart of the Land of Lightning, it will be difficult to catch them."
"So, they haven't reached Kumogakure yet, or rather, they're not going straight back to the village at all," Zhang Hai added. "This means we still have a chance!"
Without further ado, the two resumed their pursuit. Kushina's signature feature was her long, fiery red hair, and even in the darkness, the few strands of red she deliberately left out became their best guide.
Soon, after traversing a dense forest, the two found Kushina in an open area of a valley. She was bound and being escorted by three Jonin dressed in Kumogakure uniforms. These three Jonin possessed a composed demeanor, clearly elite members of Kumogakure.
“Three people…” Zhang Hai muttered to himself, his chakra beginning to recede and enter a state of concealment.
Minato's eyes were sharp as a blade. Without the slightest hesitation or consultation with Zhang Hai, his figure blurred instantly. Almost the instant Zhang Hai finished speaking, he transformed into a golden lightning bolt and charged towards the three Cloud Ninja Jonin!
"I'll draw their fire, you block their retreat!" Minato's voice echoed in the air, and he himself had already arrived in front of the Cloud Ninja.
Zhang Hai understood Minato's meaning. Without a word, he compressed his chakra to its limit, his entire being seemingly merging into the surrounding rocks and vegetation, silently circling behind the three Cloud Ninja. He wanted to ensure that none of the three Cloud Ninja would escape!
Minato's figure streaked across the night like a golden trail, so fast it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Three Cloud Ninja Jonin, escorting the bound Kushina, turned sharply at the sound of air being cut, their pupils contracting as they assumed a defensive stance. However, their reaction was ultimately a fraction too slow.
The Cloud Ninja at the front didn't have time to form hand seals. He only felt a flash of golden light before his eyes, followed by a tremendous force in his chest. Before he could even see Minato's movements, he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the tree trunk behind him. He spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately fainted, losing his ability to fight.