Minato's words clearly reached everyone's ears, turning the faces of all present a shade of pale green. They all understood that once Minato spoke those words, he had made his final decision; there would be no wavering now, as all attempts at persuasion had already been exhausted.
The ninjas at the scene didn't know how to describe their current feelings. They were grateful for what Minato was doing for them, but as comrades who had battled together, each was a person of strong spirit. They could neither endure nor accept that Minato was sacrificing himself this way to maintain their safety.
But now...
Minato needed to give such an order!
They couldn't possibly defy Minato's command, especially if Sakumo also remained silent. This left them feeling helpless and frustrated, with a powerful sense of futility overwhelming them.
If only someone would speak up...
They would willingly risk their lives for Minato.
"Of course!"
Juzo nodded, his face breaking into a smile. He was clear that with this, their mission was nearly a success.
The other six members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen also smiled, not expecting the task to be resolved so quickly and bloodlessly, saving them much trouble.
"Can they leave first?"
Minato stood quietly, looking back at the Konoha ninjas behind him. If these people left, he could fully engage in battle with the enemy.
It seemed like Minato was being taken hostage, and the Konoha ninjas wanted to save him, but in reality, the Konoha ninjas were the true hostages. If these "hostages" could leave, he would have nothing to worry about. Even if he died here, he would have no regrets.
Minato was indeed a noble soul willing to sacrifice everything for Konoha and Kushina, who was his world! He would ensure nothing happened to her as long as he was with her.
"This..."
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, although agreeing to this and stating the Konoha ninjas could leave, the Konoha ninjas were unwilling to leave without trying to change the situation. Leaving would feel like surrendering and giving up everything here.
"Let's go!"
Sakumo then took the lead in stabilizing the morale. He understood Minato had made his decision and saw deep resolve in his eyes and an unusual calm on Kushina's face, suggesting they might have a plan. The best course of action now was to follow Minato's instructions.
The Konoha ninjas gasped as Sakumo spoke, realizing there was no turning back.
Damn it!
The Konoha ninjas felt deep sorrow and frustration, their sense of powerlessness peaking. They couldn't bear to endure this anymore, especially as their strength limited them.
At this moment, a peculiar thought crossed everyone's mind.
If only their powers could match those of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Then they wouldn't be threatened this way, and Minato wouldn't need to follow them. Everything could happen from a different angle, and perhaps Kirigakure wouldn't dare send such forces.
For a moment.
Every person there silently made a decision.
If they could return safely to Konoha this time, they would take advantage of an opportunity to train harder, striving to reach a new level of strength and not be as lax as before.
Everyone has their moments of laziness.
Everyone has times when they aren't fully committed.
Ninjas are no different!
Most ninjas spend their lives in rigorous training.
But how many really train to their fullest...
Many ninjas, even during the Chunin Exams, don't give their all in preparation, just participating to see if they pass, and if not, there's always next time.
In the entire Anime world of Naruto, only Might Guy and Rock Lee truly put forth every effort in their training...
Everyone else still holds something back!
The ninjas of Konoha were no different.
They had gone through many years of experience, but they hadn't truly given their all. Now that they needed strength, they couldn't muster it, feeling the sting of being unprepared.
In their hearts, they silently vowed to train harder once they returned.
Suddenly.
The Konoha ninjas, following Sakumo, turned to leave.
Sakumo walked at the front, not because he had a poor relationship with Minato, but because if he didn't lead the way, the others would still stay, none willing to leave first.
Kushina took a deep look at them.
"Be careful on your way."
Kushina couldn't help but speak up, her senses alerting her to the presence of Konoha ninjas' chakra moving in their direction.
She needed to figure out the Konoha ninjas' intentions!
So she couldn't be explicit.
But she still wanted to remind them.
Her words, however, went unheeded as just another casual caution—something heard every day, like when children in Konoha are told to be careful when they go out to play.
Such cautions were commonplace and not taken seriously.
"Sigh..."
Kushina sighed silently, having done all she could. The rest was up to fate because she couldn't protect everyone; she only wanted to protect Minato. After all, her energy was limited, and in her heart, she harbored a slight hope that if something did happen, it would provide conclusive evidence against the perpetrator, should it indeed be someone from Konoha, which could be useful later.
If these people had stayed, it would take at least half an hour for the Konoha ninjas to reach this location.
But now, as one group advanced and the other retreated...
The distance was shortened, and they might meet in about fifteen minutes.
As for what would happen then...
She could no longer ponder too deeply!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Konoha ninjas, following Sakumo, quickly disappeared, moving as if fleeing for their lives.
"Sakumo-sama, are we really just going to leave like this?"
After some time had passed, one of the Konoha ninjas asked slowly, feeling a strong sense of injustice. After all, Minato had saved them twice, and now they were abandoning him. It seemed wrong, and they felt uneasy and guilty, but they had to obey the command to leave.
As the question was raised, everyone's eyes turned to Sakumo, eager for his response.
Since they had just escaped danger and weren't immediately pressed, they could now afford to discuss their earlier confusion in more detail.
"Yes."
Sakumo simply nodded, his tone honest and sad, his message clear without any ambiguity, and then looked at the questioning ninja.
"Now, the best thing we can do is to stay away from there and not cause more trouble for Minato. If I'm not mistaken, he wouldn't have left Kushina behind without a contingency plan."
"A contingency?!"
Everyone was shocked by Sakumo's words; they hadn't considered this angle, especially not thinking about Kushina in this context.
Although Kushina had shown many exceptional qualities...
They had just survived a war and hadn't had the time or focus to consider these issues, thus naturally overlooking this critical point. Now, thinking calmly, they realized Kushina's powers might indeed be formidable; her sensory abilities alone were not something ordinary people possessed.
For a moment.
Understanding dawned on everyone, yet they were still filled with confusion and questions, awaiting Sakumo to clarify further.
"If you were Minato, knowing the opponent was employing a scheme, would you really choose to comply?"
Sakumo cut right to the heart of the matter.
This was where the contradiction lay.
Everyone thought Minato was sacrificing himself for their sake, which wasn't entirely wrong, but a calm analysis revealed more.
"Minato's agreement to these demands indicates he must have some confidence. I felt this initially but was only partially sure once I saw Minato decide to let Kushina stay. Then the question arises, if you were in a difficult situation, knowing the dangers, would you let Kushina leave, or would you have her face the risks with you?"
Sakumo hit the core of the issue again—why keep Kushina there?
"This..."
The Konoha ninjas were suddenly speechless. They had thought the situation odd but had not delved deeper. Now, reflecting on it, it wasn't just strange; it was bewildering.
Any sane person wouldn't act this way.
Minato was no fool.
On the contrary.
He was extremely clever.
So, it was clear Minato had done this deliberately!
A chilling thought!
As Sakumo guided them to the correct way of thinking, everyone's thoughts rapidly evolved, considering the significance of Minato's actions.
A question mark popped up in everyone's minds—they guessed Minato's actions had a purpose, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Their confusion deepened.
"If I'm not mistaken..."
Sakumo began again, his eyes reflecting a wise glow. He had been pondering this question all the way here, and after much thought, he could only come to one conclusion.
"You saw Minato enter Sage Mode."
"Kushina also entered Sage Mode."
"They have undergone the same training."
"So, is it possible..."
"Kushina's strength is not inferior to Minato's!"
Sakumo stated each point, believing he was addressing something crucial. Many had overlooked this detail because Kushina was a 17-year-old kunoichi.
This wasn't about gender bias, as Konoha and other villages had many female ninjas. But top-tier combat prowess was indeed rarer among women.
This instinct had caused everyone to overlook Kushina's capabilities. Now, remembering this, they were struck by a realization.
It seemed...
There might indeed be such a possibility!