The last remaining Kumogakure ninja felt a surge of panic rise beneath his fury, cold and suffocating as it crept up his spine. Even his captain—who had activated Lightning Release chakra mode and pushed his body to its limit—had been cut down in an instant. If that was the case, then what was he? Nothing more than at laid out on a chopping block, waiting for the blade to fall.
The thought darkened his expression. His gaze snapped toward Uchiha Obito, who was still lying helplessly on the ground nearby, his body barely able to move under the lingering effects of Lightning Release.
In the next instant, the Kumogakure ninja vanished.
With a flicker of motion, he used the Body Flicker Technique and reappeared beside Obito, moving so quickly it was almost impossible to track. Before anyone could react, he grabbed Obito by the collar and yanked him up, pressing a kunai tightly against his throat.
"You two—don't move!!" His voice was hoarse, strained, and edged with madness. "Otherwise, I can't promise my hand won't slip."
He looked like a cornered animal, eyes bloodshot, breath uneven—ready to lash out even if it ant dying in the process.
"Zoro-kun… what do we do?"
Nohara Rin's voice trembled slightly as she stared at the thin line of blood already forming on Obito's neck, where the blade pressed just a little too close.
The Kumogakure ninja's hands were shaking uncontrollably. One wrong move—one wrong word—and Obito could die instantly.
"No need to worry. It's already over."
Zoro's tone was calm, almost indifferent, as his gaze shifted slightly toward another part of the forest, as if he had already sensed sothing approaching.
"Over?"
Rin blinked in confusion, unable to understand what he ant. If her thoughts could take form, question marks would have been floating above her head.
Seeing that neither Zoro nor Rin made a move, the Kumogakure ninja hesitated for a split second. His pupils trembled faintly.
Maybe… he really could make it out alive.
Tightening his grip on Obito, he began retreating step by step, dragging his hostage with him as he slowly tried to leave their line of sight.
Just as he was about to disappear into the forest—
A gentle voice sounded beside his ear.
"Let go of my student."
!!!
The Kumogakure ninja's entire body froze.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across his back.
He hadn't sensed anything.
Not a footstep. Not a shift in the air. Nothing.
Which ant—
The person behind him had appeared in an instant.
Despair spread across his face as realization hit him. He rembered the blond shinobi from earlier—the one who had moved like a flash of light, cutting through their formation and eliminating half their forces before they could react.
Thinking of that, his expression twisted. In a final act of desperation, he tightened his grip, preparing to slit Obito's throat.
"Pfft!"
But the mont he moved, a sharp pain shot through his arm.
Blood burst from his wrist.
Namikaze Minato had already severed the tendons with a precise strike, rendering his hand useless.
"I told you to let go."
Minato's voice was calm, but there was no room for refusal. His kunai rested lightly beneath the Kumogakure ninja's throat—steady, controlled, and absolute.
At the sa ti, Zoro and Rin stepped forward, closing the distance.
"Minato-sensei, did sothing happen earlier?"
Zoro asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
Beside them, Rin had already crouched down, her hands glowing with dical chakra as she treated the shallow but dangerous cut on Obito's neck.
"I'm fine. I was careless and fell into their trap." A faint trace of apology appeared on Minato's face. "More importantly, were either of you hurt?"
His expression soon shifted to one of quiet confusion.
The enemy's setup had clearly been designed to restrict him specifically. That ant they had prior knowledge of his abilities.
But how?
"Tell ," Zoro said coldly, his gaze fixed on the captured ninja. "How did you know we would pass through here at this ti?"
"Hmph."
The Kumogakure ninja gave a dismissive snort.
He glanced at the kunai pressed to his throat, then laughed faintly—a dry, mocking sound.
Then, without hesitation, he leaned forward.
The blade sliced through his own neck.
Blood erupted instantly, spilling down his chest as his body collapsed, life fading away in seconds.
Silence fell over the group.
Even Minato paused briefly before speaking.
"Though he was an enemy… he wasn't lacking in resolve."
Hearing that, Zoro's expression remained unchanged.
As expected of Minato—almost flawless in every aspect.
The only problem was that sotis, his thinking was too idealistic.
"Zoro… you awakened a single tomoe? Congratulations."
Minato's words made Zoro pause slightly.
A single tomoe?
Drawing Wado Ichimonji, Zoro tilted the blade and used its smooth, white surface as a mirror.
Reflected back at him were eyes dyed crimson.
Within each pupil, a single black tomoe rotated slowly.
His originally cold, youthful face now carried sothing sharper—an almost imperceptible killing intent that hadn't been there before.
Was it the pressure of life and death?
Or… sothing related to Rin?
"You did well, Zoro. Relax for now."
Minato glanced at the headless corpse nearby, then placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder in approval.
Even if he had been the primary target of the ambush, the failure still lay with him.
If not for Zoro's actions, the mission would have failed—and worse, his students might have died here.
An ambush involving ten elite jōnin… even for soone like Minato, it was not sothing to take lightly.
With no further attacks, the group resud their mission and quickly escorted the prince of the Land of Iron to a safe location.
A contingent of armored guards from the Land of Iron arrived to receive him. Without offering so much as a word of thanks, they took the prince and prepared to leave.
Obito touched the wound on his neck, his expression sour.
"What an ungrateful guy. We risked our lives for him, and he didn't even say thanks."
As if hearing that complaint, the prince suddenly stopped and turned around.
His face was still pale, clearly not fully recovered from the earlier attack.
Seeing him walk back, Obito's expression stiffened imdiately.
He wouldn't… cause trouble over that, right?
Minato also stepped forward slightly, placing himself between Obito and the approaching prince.
Under everyone's tense gaze, the prince approached with several guards clad in heavy iron armor. The faint killing intent emanating from them made the air feel heavier.
But what followed was not what they expected.
Without a word of reproach, the prince extended his hand toward Zoro.
"Thank you for drawing your blade earlier. If you have the chance, you are welco to visit the Land of Iron."
In his palm was a token engraved with the character "Iron."
There was no doubt—it was sothing of personal significance.
After a brief exchange, the group from the Land of Iron departed, disappearing into the distance.
Only then did Obito let out a long breath.
Good thing nothing happened.
"Obito, don't speak carelessly in the future. Fortunately, the prince seems to have a good impression of Zoro. Otherwise, it could have affected the village's reputation."
Minato's tone carried a hint of reprimand.
Hearing this, Zoro could only feel a trace of helplessness.
Minato truly was the perfect inheritor of the Will of Fire.
If the day ever ca when Zoro had to tear away all pretense with Hiruzen Sarutobi, then facing Minato would be sothing he wanted to avoid.
But as a mber of the Uchiha clan, peaceful coexistence with the Third Hokage… was never truly an option.
"Yes, Minato-sensei."
Obito nodded quickly, then looked toward Zoro with gratitude.
Most of that gratitude, however, ca from Zoro saving Rin earlier.
—
At the sa ti, as Zoro and his team completed the escort mission—
Deep beneath Konoha, in a hidden underground chamber, shadows gathered.
A man wrapped in bandages sat upon a stone throne.
After listening to the report from the masked shinobi beside him, he slowly crushed the cup in his hand.
Fragnts fell to the ground.
A cold glint flashed through his visible eye.
"When that brat returns… bring him to ."
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