Thus, the incident came to an end in a way that was unexpected, yet somehow inevitable.
Unexpected, because of the ferocious demeanor Uchiha Hatoha had displayed—so much so that even Kyoichi had subconsciously assumed that bastard would never retreat just because Konoha's reinforcements arrived.
And yet, the fact was—
Hatoha did retreat.
When the others saw the lineup of reinforcements—Third Hokage, Orochimaru, Minato, Shisui, along with a host of elite ANBU—they instantly understood Hatoha's "withdrawal." Faced with such an extravagant formation, if you didn't flee immediately, were you waiting to be beaten to death or captured alive?
"…That guy," Kyoichi muttered, "isn't a coward."
Unlike the others, he didn't believe that the unknown Uchiha had retreated out of fear of Konoha's overwhelming reinforcements. That man… gave him a feeling of sheer madness. Their earlier exchange had made it clear enough: not only was he powerful, he also possessed tremendous nerve.
Not just anyone would dare to risk near-certain death to sever an enemy's finger mid-fight.
And yet this pawn chosen by Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu had done exactly that—risking being killed by both Kyoichi and Ringo Ameyuri just to forcibly take out Hōzuki Mangetsu.
That kind of courage was impossible to ignore.
Madara and Black Zetsu's eye for talent was, as ever, frighteningly sharp. Even after missing out on Uchiha Obito, they had still managed to unearth another prodigy from the Uchiha clan… or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the Uchiha truly were overflowing with talent.
If the Uchiha clan could somehow be lured to Kirigakure—
Give it a few years,
And perhaps the seat of the Five Great Villages' leader could belong to the Kirigakure.
Of course, that was nothing more than idle fantasy.
The difficulty of abducting the Uchiha was far too great. Konoha would never allow it, and neither would Madara and Black Zetsu lurking in the shadows. Most likely, the Uchiha were still destined for that near-annihilation.
"Ameyuri, let's go. We'll find Elder Anjō first—…hm? Ameyuri?"
Kyoichi had no intention of walking straight up to the Hokage. He planned to regroup with Oniyuzu Anjō and the others first; what to do next should be decided by Elder Anjō, the advisor and head of the delegation. Acting on his own wouldn't be appropriate.
However—
At that very moment,
Ringo Ameyuri's presence suddenly plummeted off a cliff.
The girl who had just moments ago been fighting at full throttle alongside him collapsed limply, as if her strength had been cut away. Her eyes were tightly shut, blood dripped steadily from her nostrils, and her breathing had grown so faint it was almost imperceptible—like the last flicker of a candle in the wind, liable to be snuffed out at any second.
"Damn it!!"
Kyoichi's face darkened as he cursed aloud.
This was completely beyond expectation.
She had been so full of vitality just moments ago—how could she suddenly be on the brink of death?
Had she been struck by some hidden move from that unknown Uchiha?
Or was it—
Something else?
There was no time to think, nor time to regroup with Anjō and the others. Kyoichi made a snap decision, scooped up the deeply unconscious Ringo Ameyuri, locked onto Minato's chakra signature, and sprinted toward it at full speed.
"Minato-senpai!!!"
He shouted as he ran, instantly drawing the attention of the surrounding Konoha shinobi.
"…?"
Minato looked at the charging Kyoichi in confusion. Beside him, Shisui had already grasped his blade, taking up a guarded stance.
"Minato-senpai —please help save her!!!"
By the time Kyoichi reached them, his shout had changed.
"Save her?"
Minato's gaze dropped to the woman in Kyoichi's arms—Ringo Ameyuri—and his brows lifted slightly. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later," Kyoichi said urgently. "But please—on account of me holding back Konoha's missing-nin and protecting Nara-senpai and the others—send my companion to Konoha Hospital for treatment!"
He spoke loudly, deliberately so.
Not only Minato and Shisui heard him clearly; the surrounding Konoha shinobi—including the Third Hokage—heard every word.
"…All right. Let's go."
Minato's eye twitched slightly, but he didn't waste time on words. He reached out and grabbed Kyoichi by the shoulder.
Kyoichi didn't resist.
The moment Minato's hand landed—
The world blurred.
In the next instant, an entirely different scene filled Kyoichi's vision.
A snow-white ceiling and harsh fluorescent lights overhead. Spotless, gleaming floors beneath his feet. The sharp scent of disinfectant in the air…
This was Konoha Hospital.
Kyoichi recognized it immediately. He'd been here before.
He just hadn't expected to return like this.
Fate was fickle indeed. Aside from the gods, perhaps no one could truly claim mastery over their own destiny.
"Kyoichi, what are you standing around for? Bring your companion—follow me."
Minato urged him on.
Kyoichi didn't ask questions. Cradling Ringo Ameyuri, he followed closely behind Minato at top speed, the two of them heading straight to the chief physician's office on the third floor.
Minato pushed the door open without hesitation.
"Dr. Kōyaku, there's a patient of special status who needs your immediate attention!"
Inside the office sat an elderly man whose hair, eyebrows, and beard were all pure white, his age unmistakable.
"It's you, Minato," the old man said, lifting his gaze from his book. He then looked at Kyoichi and Ringo Ameyuri. "Put the patient on the bed first."
He stood as he spoke. Despite his advanced age, his movements were steady and vigorous, devoid of any frailty.
"Kyoichi, don't worry," Minato said. "You and your companion are lucky—Dr. Kōyaku happens to be on duty tonight. You may not have heard of him, but just know this: more than half of Tsunade-senpai's medical ninjutsu was learned from him."
"Don't spout nonsense, you brat," Kōyaku muttered. "That girl Tsunade isn't something a mediocre old man like me can compare to. What she's achieved is thanks to her own talent and effort. If anything, it was I who learned quite a bit from her."
As he grumbled, his hands were already at work, examining Ringo Ameyuri on the bed.
Then—
The old man sucked in a sharp breath.
A complex expression appeared on his face.