Granny Chiyo herself was leading the charge - what a formidable force!
A thought flashed through Raj's mind: 'I can transform my Chakra into a horse! If I run fast enough, those Jonin won't catch me!'
"Too many of them," Minato observed, his composure wavering slightly.
He wouldn't have been worried if there were fewer enemies, but facing thirty or forty ninjas... Had Orochimaru's forces raided Sunagakure's main base?
"Teacher, I'm fast and proficient in Earth Release Ninjutsu. I can hold them off a bit longer."
"Meow~ I have a secret technique... We could strike a blow before retreating."
Raj and Kakashi echoed their support.
Retreating now was out of the question. So many Jonin meant a mountain of mission points!
The sight made Raj's eyes practically glow with greed.
"Alright, Obito, take Rin and retreat toward the Land of Rivers. We'll avoid the Iwagakure route. Move out now - immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
Obito felt conflicted. He had arrived full of enthusiasm, eager to test his Sharingan's limits and unlock his potential.
But facing thirty to forty ninjas, all at least Elite Chunin level... Using the Great Fireball Technique or the Sharingan would expose his abilities, and relying solely on taijutsu would likely result in a beating.
'Never mind. I'll try opening the Eight Gates next time.'
"Rin, let's go," Minato said.
The two of them left first, while the remaining three crouched down to discuss their strategy.
"Can you use Underworld Swamp or Earth Flow River?" Minato asked.
Kakashi shook his head. Both techniques were too advanced for him to have mastered yet.
"Then Earth Flow Rampart it is... but no personal markings this time!" Minato added sternly.
During a previous mission, Minato had noticed Kakashi's Earth Release defensive ninjutsu had a flaw: he insisted on carving random personal symbols into his barriers.
If he had that much time to spare, he could have moved into a better position!
After scolding him, Minato turned to Raj.
"What kind of Secret Technique is it? What does it do?"
"It's an explosive-type Secret Technique, meow~ It can be used in combination with another jutsu of mine," Raj replied vaguely.
"Alright. I'll engage in close combat, using Fire Release and Wind Release to cover their retreat. You guys cover my escape... We move in three seconds."
Minato's hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
The five Anbu ninjas were closing in rapidly.
The night's darkness favored their ambush tactics.
Three... two...
Before Minato could even count to one, Raj saw him vanish with a whoosh.
Even without the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato's Body Flicker Technique was so fast that only Raj's enhanced feline vision could catch a glimpse of his shadow.
Kakashi could only envy Minato's speed, which was nearly instantaneous. Even with Lightning Release Chakra enhancement, he couldn't move that fast.
"Watch out for ambushes!" Chiyo shouted, manipulating her two puppets to encircle Minato while the other Sunagakure ninja formed hand seals to unleash their Ninjutsu.
The moment Minato appeared, a barrage of hidden weapons and Ninjutsu rained down on him and the Anbu ninja.
But in the blink of an eye, a flash of sword light...
Before the ninja could even scream, his head had already hit the ground.
"Kill him!" Chiyo roared, her fury ignited by the sight.
The scene eerily mirrored the moment her son had been swiftly cut down by a single, lightning-fast strike - and to make matters worse, this ninja also had silver hair.
"I'll handle him, Lady Chiyo. You continue the pursuit," a Jonin declared, drawing his blade and charging forward.
But a second later, he met the same fate as his predecessor, falling victim to Minato's Body Flicker Technique and a single, decisive slash.
Without hesitation, Chiyo launched a Signal Flare.
They were near the border. The moment the flare was spotted, Sunagakure ninja would immediately rush to reinforce them, and six Jonin were already stationed at the border.
Surrounded from all sides, the fugitives had no escape.
The Anbu ninja didn't linger for a second. Knowing the identity of their rescuer, they understood that this small force couldn't possibly contain him.
Their only goal was to escape.
Although Chiyo was temporarily restrained, not all the ninja were focused on fighting Minato.
In reality, only a third of the ninja remained to deal with Minato, while the rest, led by several Jonin, continued pursuing the five Anbu ninja.
They hurled explosive tags, using the blasts to drive the Anbu toward a specific area.
That area was where Sunagakure had set up a series of traps.
By forcing the five Anbu ninja into that zone, they could buy time and coordinate with the other ninja arriving from the opposite side to form an encirclement.
Meanwhile, Raj began working diligently nearby.
"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked.
"Quiet! I'm casting a Secret Technique, meow!"
Kakashi was momentarily bewildered, but he quickly saw Raj leap into the air, execute a backflip, and hurl an object forward.
While airborne, Raj unleashed a powerful water stream enhanced with Wind Release Chakra from his mouth.
The water stream carried the unidentified object toward the Sunagakure ninja pursuing the Anbu.
'What the heck is that thing?' Kakashi wondered.
'And didn't Teacher say we were supposed to cover his retreat? Why is he attacking early...?'
Kakashi's mind raced, but his hands moved swiftly. Matching Raj's attack, he activated Earth Flow Rampart.
If he didn't coordinate, their plan would fall apart.
His hand seals were swift.
Moments later, Raj's water pillar subsided, and the Earth Flow Rampart abruptly rose.
The five Anbu ninjas, who had barely regained their footing, nearly fell again, but their teammates' support kept them upright.
Minato recognized the situation the moment he saw the water pillar.
He immediately formed hand seals, created a Shadow Clone, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport back to Raj's side.
Then, in quick succession:
"Meow~ Art is an explosion!"
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted, forming a miniature mushroom cloud.
Flames engulfed the area, consuming people and puppet parts alike.
And it wasn't just them. The Earth Flow Rampart itself collapsed under the force of the blast.
Had the five Anbu ninjas atop the wall not been highly trained and exceptionally skilled, they would have been thrown from their perch.
"What... what kind of Ninjutsu is that?!"
They whispered to each other as they fled for their lives.
The explosion had been terrifying, seemingly an explosive Earth Release technique.
As far as they knew, Konoha had no ninja capable of such a technique.
"Forget it for now. Getting out is the priority... this way."