At that moment, a mocking voice rang out: "What's this? Judging from the situation, did you lose?"
Anya immediately recognized the speaker and replied with annoyance, "Go test him yourself, little pepper. He's as stubborn and repulsive as a stone wall."
Minato and his two companions stepped out from the shadows. With Minato leading, their speed was naturally much faster.
Dan Kato stepped forward and asked, "Should we capture him?"
"No need," Anya replied, watching the retreating figure with a hint of sympathy. "As long as he exists, Iwagakure will be even more convinced the attackers came from Kumogakure. At that time, even if the Tsuchikage suspects otherwise, amidst public outrage, he won't have room for further consideration."
Kushina noticed his expression, tugged Minato aside, and whispered, "Look at this shorty with spiky hair—he looks like such a troublemaker. You'd better keep your distance in the future."
With their level of skill, Kushina's words were naturally heard clearly by everyone present. Minato looked uneasy, while Dan Kato just stared at the two of them, clearly confused.
Anya shrugged it off, deciding not to argue. "Let's go. The mission is complete. We should head back now."
After all, White Fang's decisive duel had likely already begun.
Before they even approached the battlefield, blazing heat scorched the air, and deafening growls and roars echoed from ahead.
They hurried forward in a rush. They saw a group of Konoha ninja forming a barrier along the perimeter, while the heart of the battlefield had become a vast pool of molten lava. The once-mighty forest had been utterly obliterated. Lava and deep gouges scarred the ground—clear evidence of an intense clash.
"Strange, why don't I see any Iwa ninja here? Everyone present seems to be from our side," Anya muttered, observing the surroundings with mild surprise.
The two fighters in the center had reached their final clash. Roshi had fully transformed into his tailed beast form, four enormous tails rising behind him. His entire body was wrapped in a dark red chakra cloak. A massive flame built up inside his maw, completely covering every escape route available to White Fang.
[Blazing River of Firestorm!]
A colossal volcanic eruption surged like rushing water upstream straight toward White Fang. However, White Fang's tanto gleamed with dazzling silver light, and suddenly his entire body merged with the blade itself, slicing through the flaming river like an arrow splitting it in two.
The remaining blade energy even tore through Roshi's chakra cloak. Then, a young man dressed in purple, with a ponytail and thick beard, came crashing down from above, landing heavily on the ground. Now, his chest rose and fell rapidly as he gasped for breath, lacking even the strength to stand up once more.
White Fang approached with his blade drawn and extended a hand toward him.
Without saying a word, Roshi calmly closed his eyes, peacefully awaiting death.
Unexpectedly, White Fang sheathed his sword and pulled him up instead.
Roshi opened his eyes wide in confusion, staring at White Fang, asking, "Why?"
White Fang smiled, patting his shoulder gently and replying, "We've agreed beforehand—a fair duel without taking lives. Furthermore, you saved me yesterday. This match has been exhilarating. Thank you."
White Fang turned toward Kurenai, saying, "You must be Kushina Uzumaki."
Kurenai blushed with excitement, replying, "Lord White Fang, so you actually know me!"
However, her expression dropped immediately when White Fang continued, "Yes, I know. You're still a genin, aren't you? You won't be participating in this operation."
"What? Why not? I'm also part of Konoha! I should fight too!" she protested strongly.
White Fang patiently explained, "It's a chase operation meant for Chunin and higher-ranked ninja to participate. You've already completed an S-rank mission. Upon returning to the village, you'll be promoted to chunin. There's no need to rush into this battle."
"Oh fine..." Red then went to Minato and whispered, "Be careful."
Minato responded with a warm smile, "Don't worry. I will come back victorious."
Roshi gripped White Fang's hand excitedly and said, "Looks like I didn't save the wrong person yesterday. You're a true man, hahaha."
After fighting each other, the two men unexpectedly developed mutual respect.
White Fang announced loudly, "The result has been decided. Release the barrier."
The surrounding Konoha ninja lowered the barrier, naturally making way for Roshi back to Iwagakure.
Roshi laughed heartily and said, "No need to go back. I actually snuck out without telling Tsuchikage. I never liked him anyway. Today's battle settles our debt to the village. From now on, wherever my feet take me becomes my home. Let's meet again when fate permits."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Roshi turned and walked away in the opposite direction of Iwagakure without ever looking back.
Seeing this scene, White Fang waved his hand. The Konoha ninja immediately vanished from sight. Anya came running out joyfully with several others, flatteringly saying, "Teacher, you were amazing! That sword slash earlier was breathtaking. It would have been perfect if only it had hit slightly more precisely."
White Fang could clearly see through Anya's subtle intentions. He replied indifferently, "You want to ask why I didn't kill him outright, right?"
Anya nodded. "After all, we never expected he'd desert the village. A perfected Jinchuriki is just as powerful as a Kage-level fighter—a threat we can't afford to ignore on the battlefield."
"Killing him wouldn't solve anything," White Fang said almost imperceptibly while glancing at the sky. "The tailed beast would just be recaptured by someone else."
Instantly understanding, Anya sighed deeply with admiration, "I guess my thinking wasn't deep enough."
"How'd the mission go?"
Anya smiled confidently and said, "The Iwa ninja will retreat within two days."
"Good." White Fang perked up. If not for Iwagakure's internal conflict, he would have faced immense pressure in this battle. Even dealing with a flying Tsuchikage alone would've been extremely difficult.
Now that Anya completed his mission successfully, White Fang gave orders, "I'll cover for you these two days. Try your best to eliminate as many enemy ninja as possible."
"Roger that!" Everyone was full of enthusiasm.
"Wait." Dan Kato interrupted, "Anya, you'd better not take action. Your sword style is too recognizable. Once identified, our efforts will be wasted."
Anya realized the truth in Dan's words and regretfully nodded.
Once Minato and Dan Kato had left, Anya turned to Little Pepper and said, "Hey, now that I got you out, isn't it time you kept your promise? I won't force you—if you don't want to admit it, I'll let it go. I don't like fighting with girls."
"Hmph, who said I wouldn't keep my promise? I'll teach you, but if you're too stupid to learn, don't blame me." Little Pepper angrily replied, then rolled up her sleeves and grabbed hold of Anya's sleeve, pulling him away.
At the sight of it, White Fang could do nothing but sigh helplessly. He knew his student had fallen back into her old ways—every time she saw a powerful technique, she always wanted to master it herself. This time, she was likely aiming for the Uzumaki [Sealing Technique]. Still, he believed Anya would show restraint when necessary, so he didn't try to stop them.
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