Swish!
Between the mountains, Minato carried Nawaki and kept moving forward, but his speed wasn't fast. The previous battle had consumed more than 70% of his chakra. If he were traveling alone, it would be fine, but carrying Nawaki caused his physical strength to deplete faster, and his speed couldn't be fully utilized.
Still, the young man refused to give up, his azure eyes filled with determination. Ever since he recovered his past memories, he was resolved to change the fate of those who had perished. Nawaki, the youngest among them, had limitless potential. In Minato's eyes, Nawaki was the only one who could inherit the powerful Water Release ninjutsu of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Beyond this, Minato and Nawaki shared a strong bond in this life, and Minato would never allow his companion to die.
In the past, despite being known as the Flash, Minato had lost too much: disciples, family. This time, he refused to let it happen again!
At this moment, the effects of Jiraiya's special training method became clear. Even though Minato's chakra was greatly depleted, and his physical strength drained, his endurance remained formidable.
Meanwhile, his sensor abilities were focused in one direction. Minato had calculated the shortest route to meet up with Jiraiya and the others. As long as he kept moving forward, he would eventually encounter them.
The person who could counter Chiyo's poison was, of course, Tsunade! The only female ninja among the three Sannin, Tsunade would later be known as the strongest kunoichi in the ninja world.
The chakra fluctuations of Nawaki, who was on Minato's back, had become incredibly weak under his sensor abilities. But perhaps due to the Nine-Tails' chakra, Minato could still feel Nawaki's will. Nawaki didn't want to die, and there were still many things waiting for him to accomplish!
In fact, given Chiyo's level of poison, if it were at full potency, Nawaki would have died within a short time. However, after entering the Land of Rain, the constant rainfall had weakened the poison. Additionally, Chiyo had diluted the poison to supply it in greater quantities for large-scale use.
The Konoha ninjas who had been hit by the Sand Ninja's shuriken earlier didn't die immediately. They were forced to use their chakra to fight, which accelerated the poison's spread.
Nawaki was different. Minato not only sealed the poison but also slowed its spread by preventing Nawaki from using chakra or making any strenuous movements.
If all went well, there was a real chance they would reach Tsunade in time to save Nawaki.
However, just as Minato was calculating their chances, he suddenly sensed unfamiliar chakra fluctuations through his sensor.
"Damn it!" Minato cursed inwardly, darting into the jungle. He extended his sensor abilities and said solemnly, "There are about twelve people, and three of them have chakra levels at Jonin rank!"
Minato recalled how, when he and Sakumo and other Konoha scouts had gone to reinforce the battlefield earlier, they had encountered a twelve-man Sand Ninja team on sentry duty. Because of Sakumo's strength, the Sand Ninja hadn't been able to send a message, and they were wiped out.
"It seems they deployed more forces nearby to prevent Konoha ninjas from escaping and reporting the news."
Minato instantly understood the Sand Ninja's strategy. Chiyo's ambush was well-planned, and they intended to silently wipe out Konoha's reinforcements in the forest. This level of preparation sent a chill through Minato.
This also raised a more troubling question: how had the Sand Ninja known the exact location of Konoha's reinforcements?
The answer was clear—there had been a leak!
And the leak had come from within Konoha itself!
Minato's pupils narrowed as everything fell into place. The Konoha forces had been exposed earlier, and now their reinforcements had been ambushed. All of this was due to a spy.
"Damn it!"
He was furious, but he had to suppress his anger. The immediate priority was figuring out how to avoid the dozen Sand Ninja and rendezvous with Jiraiya.
But there was no guarantee they wouldn't encounter more Sand Ninja after taking a detour.
More importantly, any delay would allow the poison in Nawaki's body to spread further. Even if they found Tsunade, she might not be able to save him if too much time passed.
"What should I do!?"
For the first time since his rebirth, Minato felt powerless.
The core issue was that he hadn't had enough time to recover his strength. If he still had sufficient chakra, he might have a chance.
But in his current state, there seemed to be no solution.
Swish!
In the forest, the faint sounds of the approaching Sand Ninja reached Minato's ears, but all he could do was hide himself and Nawaki.
He glanced at Nawaki, who was fading fast, and clenched his fists tightly.
"If only I had enough chakra..." Minato murmured. A plan formed in his mind, but with his current strength, he couldn't execute it. Unwillingness surged through Minato's heart and echoed deep within his soul.
"Haha, the Fourth Hokage. I told you, even if you came back, you wouldn't be able to change anything!"
A mocking voice emerged from the depths of Minato's soul, intensifying the storm of emotions in his azure eyes.
It was the voice of the Nine-Tails, taunting him.
Just when Minato's frustration was at its peak, a familiar yet strange voice echoed from deep within his soul.
"That's not necessarily true. We still have a way!"
Minato's pupils shrank. That voice—it was unmistakable. It was his own voice from the future, the voice of his grown-up self!
Minato was stunned, but the voice continued, now with a faint smile:
"This power is yours, Nine-Tails!"
An indescribable feeling surged within Minato, causing him to suddenly close his eyes. At the same time, a familiar yet strange energy began to rise rapidly from within his body.
"Chi!"
In the next moment, Minato's eyes snapped open, glowing with a substantial chakra light. His once-azure blue eyes had now turned blood red.
But the most striking change was that his pupils had transformed—now resembling the fox-like eyes of the Nine-Tails!
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