Meanwhile, Ren was being pursued by the Third Mizukage and his Anbu, who had caught up and merged with the previously chasing Anbu squad, forming a fan-shaped encirclement around Ren.
"Water Release: Water Whip!"
The Anbu on both sides attacked simultaneously, water streams appearing out of thin air from their palms, condensing into whips that whistled towards Ren.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I mean, isn't this a bit much?!"
Ren noticed over a dozen water whips swirling in the air behind him, and his scalp tingled. He could only speed up, not daring to show the slightest bit of slack.
Although the Water Whip's primary purpose was restraint, its damage was not to be underestimated, let alone with such a large number. Countless tree trunks were snapped in Ren's wake, yet not a single whip struck him.
"How can this guy run so fast?"
"Weren't you quite arrogant earlier? Now you can only run?"
Feeling a loss of face in front of the Mizukage, the Anbu began to verbally attack Ren, who ignored them completely, focusing only on his frantic escape.
What a joke! Now, running was his only option. With the Third Mizukage leading the pursuit, turning back to fight was a dead end. Only a fool would be provoked into returning to their death.
"Hmph, let him run. Not far ahead is a dead-end trap, and then we'll see where he runs!" The Third Mizukage's narrowed eyes widened slightly as he spoke calmly.
The Anbu, who had been somewhat anxious, instantly quieted down. Only now did they fully realize the situation.
There were two layers to the trap circle mentioned earlier, and this trap circle, with its inner and outer layers, protected the Three-Tails. The only way in or out was the path they had taken.
As for the direction Ren was currently heading, he would soon reach the edge of the trap zone, which was filled with countless hidden weapons. Even the Third Mizukage himself would have difficulty getting out if he entered.
"Mizukage-sama, according to intelligence, this guy's fighting style is extremely similar to ours, and the alarms for both defensive lines he passed through were not triggered. This..."
Although the Anbu did not finish his sentence, the Third Mizukage understood his meaning, a cold glint appearing in his eyes as he leaped through the trees.
"I know. We'll discuss this later. The top priority is to retrieve the Three-Tails!"
"Yes!"
As everyone responded, their hearts skipped a beat, and they secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
It seemed the Mizukage was truly enraged this time. After this incident, the Anbu would surely face a "great purge." Who knew how many would survive...
In the lobby of Kirigakure Hospital, the usual bustling crowd was now somewhat quiet. Whether they were there for consultation or about to be discharged, everyone's gaze was fixed on one spot.
"Doctor! Doctor!" Captain Ao, carrying Shiro on his back, stood in the lobby, shouting anxiously. When the surrounding people saw the two individuals in Anbu uniforms, they all took two steps back, clearing a space around them. Unanimously, expressions of awe appeared on their faces.
"Over here! Don't shout loudly in a public place!"
The crowd automatically made way in the direction of the voice. A Medical Ninja wearing a forehead protector quickly approached the two. He was about to continue scolding them, but upon seeing the Anbu uniforms, his expression immediately softened, and he asked with concern,
"Quick, there's a stretcher over there. Lay him down first."
With the help of two enthusiastic villagers, Shiro was placed on a stretcher. The Medical Ninja then squatted down to examine his condition.
"There's no life-threatening danger, but this situation still requires surgical treatment."
A moment later, the Medical Ninja, having finished his diagnosis, stood up and spoke to Ao while signaling the arriving nurses to take Shiro to the operating room.
"It's good that there's no life-threatening danger. Thank you, Doctor. I'll trouble you with the surgery later!"
Just as Ao let out a sigh of relief, a helpless voice came from behind him.
"Captain Ao, could you please move aside? There's another injured person here!"
"Uh..."
Ao turned around in surprise, only to realize that the Anbu carrying Shina had just arrived. It was then that he remembered that in his eagerness to save Shiro earlier, he had inadvertently pulled away from the two who were following him, rushing straight to this spot.
"I'm sorry, Doctor, there's another one here."
"Take them both to the operating room. I'll call another colleague to check on her condition."
The doctor turned and left after speaking. Shina was also placed on a stretcher, carried forward by Ao and the other Anbu.
"Alright, just put them here. You two, please wait outside." The Medical Ninja unceremoniously pushed the two out, then let another Medical Ninja, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, inside. The surgery then began.
"Captain Ao, I'll leave this to you. My mission is complete, and I need to report back to my captain." The Anbu stood up and bid farewell to Ao. After all, the mission his captain had assigned him was complete, and there was no point in him staying here. It was better to return to his squad as soon as possible.
"Okay, thank you. Be careful on your way." Ao watched him leave, then sat down by the door, waiting. Looking at the tightly closed door and the light that had come on above it, his heart was filled with mixed emotions...
Meanwhile, inside the operating room, two doctors were preparing to operate on the injured individuals in front of them. A wall separated the two operating tables to prevent interference with the colleague performing surgery together.
"Then, let's begin!"
The Medical Ninja responsible for treating Shina had just picked up the scalpel and bent down to begin when he saw the previously unconscious patient suddenly open her eyes.
Before the other party could react, a Kunai slashed across his throat. Then, Shina flipped up from the operating table, flashed behind him, and clamped her hand over his mouth, preventing him from making any sound.
The Medical Ninja reacted by struggling violently, but the blood gushing from his neck caused him to gradually lose strength. The scalpel in his hand fell directly, but Shina reacted quickly, catching the scalpel with the back of her foot, kicking it up, and catching it with her hand. She gently placed it aside.
Seeing that the other party had lost his breath, Shina lifted him onto the operating table, covered him with a white cloth, and then turned to look at the wall next to her, as if waiting for something.
Soon, a door in the middle of the wall opened, and the heavily injured and unconscious "Shiro" appeared outside the door, looking calmly at Shina.
"The plan is proceeding smoothly."
As "Shiro" spoke, he formed hand seals. With a gathering and dispersing of white mist, a face entirely different from "Shiro" was revealed—it was Ren!
"Next..." The latter glanced at the tightly closed operating room door and the two deceased Medical Ninja, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "It's time to make a run for it."