"By the way, Minato—when exactly did you leave a Flying Thunder God marker on me?"
As the two continued searching for Hagoromo's trail, Kushina suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to Minato with narrowed eyes.
"…Ah, well—this…"
Yes.
For once, Namikaze Minato hesitated.
And in Kushina's gaze, he clearly sensed a hint of distrust.
As if she suspected he'd been using the marker to do something… questionable.
"N-no, not long ago," Minato hurriedly explained. "Just the last time we met. It was purely a precaution—so that if something like this happened, I could find you immediately."
"…Really?"
"Really."
It had to be really.
Because it actually was true.
That said, Minato felt two cold trails of sweat run down his temples.
Strange… the temperature was barely above freezing today. Why did it feel so hot?
In truth, Minato was a little guilty. Not because he had impure intentions—but because he had placed a Flying Thunder God marker on Kushina the moment he first mastered the jutsu.
Purely for her protection. That much was fact.
After all, incidents like the Kumogakure kidnapping attempt had already happened once. But judging by Kushina's tone now, Minato felt it would be wiser not to be too honest—otherwise, he might very well end up eating a punch.
After all, from Kushina's perspective, such a marker could easily feel like being monitored at all times.
Kushina scrutinized him from head to toe once more, suspicion written all over her face—before finally withdrawing her gaze.
Minato immediately let out a silent sigh of relief.
All things considered, Kushina did trust Minato's character…
Even if she had thoroughly questioned the suspicious parts.
First: Namikaze Minato was a man.
And some silver-haired, naturally permed, dead-fish-eyed individual had once taught the world that all men are beasts.
Second—and more importantly—Minato had a very famous teacher: Jiraiya of the Sannin.
In Kushina's eyes, Jiraiya wasn't famous for his strength—but for his personality and hobbies.
Fortunately, Hagoromo's situation was more urgent than nitpicking details.
"Anyway, let's move faster. I hope Hagoromo hasn't run into serious danger."
Once Kushina said that and turned away, Minato's lingering sense of dread finally faded. He discreetly wiped the sweat from his face.
Even so, the search did not go smoothly.
Three entire days passed without any sign of Hagoromo.
Kushina's agitation grew more obvious by the hour.
No matter how reckless Hagoromo could be, he had carried her off the battlefield. That improvised reverse summoning—messy as it was—had saved both of them.
If Kushina was safe but Hagoromo wasn't, she would never forgive herself.
"This won't work."
On the third day, Minato finally concluded that staying in this unfamiliar area was no longer an option. While the place felt almost like a subspace—and showed no signs of enemy ninja activity—it was still enemy territory.
If space were sealed here, escape might become impossible.
In short, they needed to accelerate the search.
The solution came instantly.
Minato raised his right hand and tapped his forehead protector, suddenly realizing how foolish they had been.
Why insist on searching with just the two of them?
They could ask for help.
"Kushina, wait here for a moment."
He said it quickly and vanished again—this time for noticeably longer.
When Minato returned, however, he brought someone with him.
The moment Kushina saw the newcomer—even though she didn't recognize him personally—her eyes lit up.
"Right! Why didn't I think of this sooner?" she exclaimed. "Minato, you're a genius!"
Minato smiled helplessly.
It wasn't that he was particularly clever—both of them had simply fallen into a mental blind spot.
He turned to the person beside him.
"Hyūga—sorry to trouble you."
Ahem.
When it came to reconnaissance in the shinobi world, if you wanted the best, you went to Konohagakure's Hyūga Clan. It was that simple.
Why they hadn't thought of it earlier was anyone's guess.
"I understand, Lord Minato," the Hyūga ninja replied calmly. He had already been briefed on the situation.
"Byakugan."
Moments later, he spoke again.
"Forty kilometers southeast—there are traces of residual chakra."
Kushina and Minato exchanged a glance, then immediately rushed toward the indicated direction.
With three shinobi whose average strength exceeded jōnin level, their speed was extraordinary.
They reached the area quickly.
After confirming there were no enemies nearby, they began carefully examining the site.
"The battle occurred roughly two days ago," Minato judged. "There are widespread traces of Fire Release. Judging by the terrain damage, he seems to have been fighting something, not just a human opponent."
For someone of Minato's caliber, this kind of battlefield analysis was effortless.
"Kushina—can you confirm whether this chakra belongs to Hagoromo?"
"I thought Hagoromo specialized in Lightning Release," Minato added. "Can he use Fire Release too?"
Kushina nodded.
"He has both Lightning and Fire chakra natures. I taught him Fire Release myself. While he excels at Lightning Release, he's actually very proficient with Fire Release as well."
She paused, then continued.
"He's just dissatisfied with Fire Release's destructive efficiency. Lightning suits him better, so he usually relies on it in combat. But yes—I can confirm this is his chakra."
Fire Release excelled in range and area damage, but in most cases, its single-target lethality fell short of Lightning Release. That was one of the reasons Hagoromo favored lightning jutsus.
The more important reason, of course, was simple:
His Lightning Release was absurdly good.
If not for his injuries, he likely wouldn't have relied on Fire Release at all.
Kushina's voice carried clear excitement.
This was the first solid trace they had found in three days.
Since the fight had occurred only two days earlier, Hagoromo clearly hadn't had the chance—or the condition—to erase the battlefield traces. To a Hyūga's Byakugan, the residual chakra was glaringly obvious.
The signs of combat continued deeper into the distance.
The three pressed on.
After several more hours, the Hyūga ninja suddenly stopped.
"I've found him."
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