"Tatsuma, you must hold on!" In the jungle, faint explosions could be heard in the distance, and Minato's expression became increasingly anxious.
Even though he trusted his friend, Minato couldn't imagine Tatsuma dealing with dozens of Chunin and two Jonin by himself and winning. All he could do was hope that Tatsuma could hold out a little longer.
Hold out until he found reinforcements. Minato was starting to regret why he had gone to find Tatsuma alone. He had thought he could help Tatsuma, but the result was Tatsuma having to hold off the enemy for him, giving him a chance to escape.
Thinking back to his previous blind confidence in being able to support Tatsuma, Minato felt ashamed, his cheeks burning hot.
He exerted all his strength to run towards the main road behind the defensive line, although Tatsuma's location was also in the rear, it was far from the main road, so it was not the focus of Konoha's support.
The main road, a distance away from where Tatsuma was, although not as straight in terms of projection, was situated around the main road. If the Sand Ninjas broke through, this would be the best choice.
Therefore, the Konoha ninjas lying in ambush here are much more numerous than the team led by Inuzuka Makoto. The village's support is also prioritized here, rather than the squad where Tatsuma is located.
Finally, after overcoming the obstacles of the forest, Minato saw the Konoha team and quickly joined them. Minato anxiously looked at a Byakugan user and said, "Hyuga Itsuki-sama, the team where Tatsuma and Inuzuka Makoto-sama are located has encountered pursuit from Hoshi of the Hidden Sand Village. Only Tatsuma remains, with the rest of the team either injured or fallen."
Initially alert due to Minato's arrival, the team became solemn after his words. Apart from one or two Byakugan users still observing the surroundings with their Byakugan, everyone else involuntarily turned their attention towards him.
Hyuga Itsuki exchanged a glance with one of the clan members observing Minato, and the Byakugan user nodded lightly. After confirming Minato's identity, Hyuga Itsuki spoke up, asking, "Did you come from over there? How many enemies are there?"
Minato nodded and then said, "There are still about forty Sand Ninjas alive, aside from Hoshi, there's also one Jonin, the rest are all Chunin."
"Forty,"
Upon hearing this number, everyone fell silent. Tatsuma was just a Genin, remarkable to even face Chunin-level opponents, but against forty Chunin and above...
No one believed Tatsuma would survive. Rushing to his aid now might not only fail to save Tatsuma but also potentially lead to a breach, allowing the Sand Ninja team to successfully break through.
However, no one dared to utter the words of refusing assistance. Such words were simply against the Will of Fire.
Seeing everyone silent and unresponsive, Minato became even more anxious. At this moment, a young man with a fierce and sinister appearance spoke up, "Minato Namikaze, lead the way!"
Upon finally hearing a response, Minato was so excited he almost shouted. He turned to look at the Uchiha ninja and gratefully said,
"Thank you, Uchiha Fugaku Senpai!"
Seeing Uchiha Fugaku unexpectedly agreeing to Minato's request, and several other members of the Uchiha Clan also stepping out of the group, the Hyuga Clan ninja's faces instantly turned grim.
Because if word of this incident got out, it would be a blow to the reputation of the Hyuga Clan.
It wasn't just the Uchiha Clan choosing to help while they stood by, but the key figure, Sakamoto Tatsuma.
In a sense, Tatsuma owed them, the Hyuga Clan, a debt of gratitude because he prevented an incident of Byakugan leaking out.
Although Hyuga Itsuki and a few other Hyuga ninja knew that Tatsuma not only blinded Hyuga Miyako but also took his life, if every Hyuga ninja were given the choice, they would prioritize the Byakugan above their own lives.
So they all knew that Tatsuma's actions that day were surely to fulfill Hyuga Miyako's will, making him a benefactor of the Hyuga Clan, which was not incorrect.
It was ironic that when such a benefactor needed help, they chose to stand by, while the unrelated Uchiha Clan intervened. If this were to be disclosed...
Behind Hyuga Itsuki, two young men with extremely similar appearances exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward and said, "Father."
Beep beep~
Just then, a communicator on the body of a Yamanaka ninja in the group rang. The Hyuga youth reluctantly halted what he wanted to say, and when the Yamanaka Ninja finished receiving the message, he immediately came to Hyuga Itsuki's side and said, "Itsuki-sama, the Sand Ninjas breakout team has just changed direction and headed southwest."
Upon hearing this, Hyuga Itsuki glanced to the south. The southwest side where he was located was precisely the direction of the Sand Ninjas team. That direction was also where Minato was heading.
Hyuga Itsuki's expression turned serious, and he exclaimed loudly, "Hyuga Clan! Follow me to support Sakamoto Tatsuma!"
Uchiha Fugaku, who had already started moving, flashed a hint of disdain on his face, while Minato didn't think much of it, expressing gratitude, "Thank you, Hyuga Itsuki-sama."
In an instant, both the Sharingan and the Byakugan users sprang into action. The Konoha ninjas who had been lying in ambush here felt a bit awkward all of a sudden.
They exchanged glances, then gritted their teeth and followed suit. After all, their mission was to confront the Sand Ninjas breakout team head-on. It was just a change of battlefield; the mission still needed to be executed.
The Uchiha and Hyuga ninjas moved extremely fast, and before long, Minato fell behind. Despite his anxiousness and desire to return to Tatsuma's side as quickly as possible, the gap in strength couldn't be easily bridged by sheer will alone.
However, Minato didn't lose heart. The faster the Uchiha and Hyuga moved, the more likely they were to save Tatsuma. He wished Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Itsuki could teleport to Tatsuma's side.
Meanwhile, in the distant battlefield where Tatsuma was, the situation was far less tense than Minato had imagined. At this moment, it should be the Hidden Sand Village feeling anxious, not Konoha.
Hoshi's body was devoid of strength, resembling a lifeless corpse. If it weren't for Tatsuma pulling at his collar, he would likely have collapsed on the ground.
As Tatsuma looked at the unconscious Hoshi before him, he felt a surge of anger welling up inside him, not from the negative emotions brought by the Nine-Tails Chakra, as he had already completely depleted it by now.
This anger came from the depths of his heart, the most genuine and "sincere" fury.
"Rasengan!"
Tatsuma had no interest in saying more to the unconscious Hoshi. He lifted Hoshi's collar with his right hand, while his heavily scarred left hand formed a blue sphere of chakra.
"Stop!!"
Suddenly, a sharp cry came from afar, and Hoshi, still unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes and reached out towards Tatsuma.
"Inner Sparrows!!"
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