Yōkō sighed in relief; his life was saved.
A cry from a Spear Egret sounded behind him.
Yōkō quickly turned his head and saw a Spear Egret's beak blocking a steel senbon needle for him.
"Don't lose focus! These are Kiri-nin elites!"
Uzumaki Yuka landed beside Yōkō.
Her high-slit skirt fluttered in the wind and mist.
Her toned legs were right before Yōkō's eyes.
At this moment, Yōkō thought Uzumaki Yuka was extremely beautiful.
"Sorry, the Squadron Leader's death distracted me a bit."
The Guardian Ninja and the Uzumaki ninja joined the fight.
Countless chakra chains shot out, clanging against Momochi Zabuza's Executioner's Blade.
Momochi Zabuza was forced to retreat step by step.
More Kiri-nin emerged from the mist.
Uzumaki Yuka shouted in a low voice, "Let's go! Leave this to them! The two of us need to protect Princess Kushina!"
Yōkō's eyes brightened. His mission was to serve as the rearguard. Now that the Daimyō's Guardian Ninja were handling the rearguard, he wasn't exactly abandoning his mission.
It was the perfect opportunity to report the situation here to Battalion Commander Yellow Dog.
Yōkō followed Uzumaki Yuka as they left. They ran over two hundred meters before finally breaking out of the mist.
The view opened up before them.
The Green Sparrow Battalion was engaged in fierce battle with a group of Kumo-nin about a hundred meters to the side.
The Yellow Dog Battalion was closely following Uzumaki Kushina's group, preparing to intercept another group of Kumo-nin.
Seeing this, Uzumaki Yuka was about to charge towards the Kumo-nin to block the path behind Uzumaki Kushina.
Yōkō calculated his own strength. No good, there were too many Kumo-nin; he could still very likely die. He needed to think of something.
He said to Uzumaki Yuka:
"Yuka! Princess Kushina is only 7 years old!
Her build is very petite! Your large Spear Egret can easily carry her and fly!
That's the best way to get her out of the encirclement quickly!"
It was a move to redirect the threat. As long as Uzumaki Kushina wasn't here, the Kumo-nin and Kiri-nin naturally wouldn't be focused here either.
If Kushina died, then so be it; his own life was more important.
Uzumaki Yuka understood. Yes, why fight the Kumo-nin head-on? She now had flying summons and could fully utilize the aerial advantage.
Flight capability was a rare ability in the ninja world; 99% of ninja couldn't attack airborne targets.
Uzumaki Yuka summoned the giant Spear Egret and had it fly towards Uzumaki Kushina.
"Sixth Grandfather! I've newly contracted flying summons! Let Princess Kushina leave first!"
The Head of Uzushiogakure's Sealing Unit, Uzumaki Yuka's sixth grandfather, eyes lit up.
This was a good method.
Everyone else could die here, but Kushina must escape.
Kushina had a special physique and held great promise to become a Jinchūriki, even a perfect Jinchūriki.
As long as Kushina became a Jinchūriki, Uzushiogakure would advance in strength, just like Takigakure which possessed the Seven-Tails.
Uzumaki Kushina was thrown into the air.
The 3-meter-long Spear Egret let out a cry and grabbed Uzumaki Kushina by the shoulders.
Uzumaki Kushina flew into the sky, her hair a strikingly bright red, redder than that of any other Uzumaki ninja.
Yōkō quickly looked towards the Kumo-nin.
Just as he expected, the Kumo-nin noticed their mission target flying away and diverted a large force to pursue Uzumaki Kushina.
The pressure on the Yellow Dog Battalion suddenly decreased.
After two months of fighting in the Land of Waves, the Yellow Dog Battalion was now a remnant force, with over half dead or wounded.
"Battalion Commander! The Land of Whirlpools Daimyō's Guardian Ninja have joined the battle! They are holding off the Kiri-nin! Squadron Leader Brown Bear has unfortunately sacrificed himself!"
Yellow Dog glanced back at the thick mist not far away and said, "I understand."
Two squadrons had been wiped out, and the remaining two were also remnants. From a battalion of over 60 people, only 19 remained now.
The Anbu casualty rate was too high.
"Follow the summon! The Uzumaki Princess is the primary target!"
Yōkō followed at the very rear of the battalion.
There was good news: his squadron leader was gone. As long as Battalion Commander Yellow Dog didn't give him direct orders, he was completely free.
Thanks to Uzumaki Kushina's petite size, the Spear Egret could maintain its speed and fly swiftly.
The situation changed. Previously, the Konoha Anbu was blocking the Kumo-nin. Now it became the Spear Egret and Uzumaki Kushina at the front, the Kumo-nin in the middle, and the Konoha Anbu at the rear.
The Kumo-nin desperately ran forward, forced to split their forces to delay the Konoha Anbu.
One Kumo-nin squadron after another was sent to the rear as rearguard.
Yōkō stayed at the rear of the battalion, carefully looking for opportunities to strike.
A Kumo-nin was sent flying, staggering backward.
Yōkō seized the chance, Body Flickered behind the Kumo-nin, and using the force of his fall, drove his ninja sword through his chest.
Pulling out the sword, Yōkō disappeared back among the Anbu.
The nearest squadron leader, Black Gorilla, glanced sideways slightly. This Anbu with the fox mask had chosen his moment to strike perfectly.
His own squadron had suffered heavy losses. After the battle, he would try to get him transferred over.
In the continuous fighting, Yōkō gradually grew more familiar with the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique.
His Body Flicker became faster and faster.
He also discovered a small trick.
When jumping, concentrating chakra in the calves and feet increased speed. But when landing, he also needed to concentrate chakra in his legs.
This way, he could instantly stabilize his posture upon landing and enter a combat stance.
The battle moved from the seaside deep into the interior of the Land of Waves.
Under Uzumaki Yuka's control, the Spear Egret deliberately flew towards areas with complex terrain.
Rocky beaches, swamps, high mountains, and steep ridges.
The pursuit became increasingly difficult.
After eliminating three Kumo-nin squadrons, the Kumo-nin finally gave up.
Without the Kiri-nin's help, the Kumo-nin alone couldn't stop the Uzumaki ninja and the Konoha Anbu.
After continuing for several more hours, Battalion Commander Yellow Dog selected a hidden mountain col for the team to rest.
Uzumaki Yuka was enjoying the praise from the Head of the Sealing Unit; her flying summon had become the key to the battle.
With this summon, Uzumaki Yuka had leaped past the Chūnin rank, possessing strength equivalent to a Special Jōnin.
She occasionally turned her head to glance at Fox, who was feigning sleep while holding his ninja sword in the distance.
Fortunately, Fox had warned her in advance; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to bring the reinforcements in time.
Uzumaki Yuka wouldn't tell the Head of the Sealing Unit about Fox. Fox was a spy sent by the Senju clan into the Konoha Anbu; the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
Only when meeting someone of the level of the Senju clan leader or elders could she try to broach the subject indirectly.
The Senju clan would absolutely never admit to planting a spy within the Anbu; it was a major crime.
Unconsciously, the impression Fox gave Uzumaki Yuka had become one of mystery and reliability.
Every time they met, she could see Fox display new abilities. Fox's Body Flicker Technique, for instance, had surprised her.
That was clearly the level of skill one would have after practicing the Body Flicker Technique for at least two and a half years.
"Yuka sister, this white bird is so pretty."
Uzumaki Kushina stood on her tiptoes, barely reaching the height of the Spear Egret's slender legs. She stroked the Spear Egret's feathers, unable to put her hand down.
"I wonder what kind of summon I'll have in the future. The feeling of flying is wonderful."
Uzumaki Yuka said, "Princess Kushina, you will definitely have an extremely powerful summon in the future, perhaps even a Tailed Beast."
After a brief rest and consuming some Military Ration Pills, the team continued, detouring through the Land of Fire towards the Land of Whirlpools.
Yōkō watched Kushina's retreating figure with great concern, unsure if he could safely survive the impending annihilation of the Uzumaki clan.
(End of Chapter)