"Tatsuma, you have to hang in there!"
Deep within the forest, the muffled echoes of distant explosions reached Minato's ears, and the anxiety on his face deepened.
Even with his absolute trust in his friend, Minato didn't dare imagine a scenario where Tatsuma could single-handedly defeat dozens of Chunin and two Jonin. His only hope was that Tatsuma could hold out just a little longer—long enough for him to find reinforcements.
Minato was already drowning in a sea of remorse. He cursed himself for thinking he could help by going back alone. He had intended to be Tatsuma's backup, but instead, Tatsuma had ended up staying behind to hold off the enemy just to give him a chance to escape.
The memory of his earlier confidence—that blind belief that he could actually support Tatsuma—made Minato's cheeks burn with a flush of shame.
He poured every ounce of strength into his stride, sprinting toward the main thoroughfare of the rear defensive line. While the area where Tatsuma was fighting was technically part of the rear, it was far removed from the main road and thus hadn't been a priority for Konoha's reinforcement efforts.
The main road was the primary target for any Suna units attempting a breakthrough. Consequently, the number of Konoha shinobi stationed there was vastly superior to the small squad led by Inuzuka Shin.
Finally, after weaving through the dense foliage, Minato spotted the Konoha encampment. He practically skidded into the center of the unit, his eyes darting frantically until they landed on a ninja with the distinct, pale eyes of the Hyuga.
"Hyuga Mitsuru-sama!" Minato gasped, his voice tight with urgency. "Tatsuma and Inuzuka Shin-sama's squad are under pursuit by Sajin of the Sand. Everyone else has fallen; Tatsuma is the only one left!"
The unit, which had momentarily bristled with caution at Minato's sudden arrival, instantly went cold. While a few Hyuga kept their Byakugan fixed on Minato to verify his identity, the rest of the shinobi couldn't help but look toward the direction he had come from.
Hyuga Mitsuru exchanged a look with a clansman. The latter gave a small, subtle nod, confirming that Minato's chakra and identity were legitimate. Only then did Mitsuru speak.
"You came from that direction? How many enemies are we talking about?"
Minato nodded quickly. "There are about forty Sand shinobi left alive. Aside from Sajin, there's one other Jonin. The rest are all Chunin."
"Forty..."
The number hung in the air, followed by a heavy silence. Tatsuma was a Genin—talented, yes, perhaps even at the level of a Chunin—but facing forty Chunin and two Jonin?
No one believed he was still alive. If they rushed over now, not only would they likely fail to save him, but they might also compromise their own position, allowing the Suna forces to successfully break through.
And yet, no one dared to voice a refusal. In the Leaf, refusing to rescue a comrade was... well, it wasn't the "Will of Fire."
Seeing the hesitation, Minato's panic began to boil over. Just as he was about to plead again, a young man with a sharp, somewhat stern expression stepped forward.
"Namikaze Minato, lead the way!"
Minato nearly cried out in relief. He turned to the Uchiha shinobi—who had been on the receiving end of several "cold glares" from the Hyuga throughout the campaign—and said gratefully, "Thank you! Uchiha Fugaku-senpai!"
Seeing Fugaku agree and watching several other Uchiha shinobi detach themselves from the main group, the expressions of the Hyuga ninjas turned sour.
If word got out that the Uchiha had charged in to save a comrade while the Hyuga stood by and watched, it would be a devastating blow to the clan's reputation.
But it wasn't just about PR. It was about Sakamoto Tatsuma specifically.
In a very real sense, the Hyuga clan owed Tatsuma a debt. He was the one who had prevented a major catastrophe—the theft of a Byakugan.
While Hyuga Mitsuru and a select few knew that Tatsuma had not only destroyed Hyuga Miyako's eyes but also taken his life, every member of the clan would tell you that they valued the secrecy of the Byakugan more than life itself. They understood that Tatsuma's actions that day had been a fulfillment of Miyako's final wish. To call him a benefactor of the Hyuga was no exaggeration.
To stand by while such a benefactor died, only to have the Uchiha—who had no connection to the boy—sweep in to play the hero? The thought was intolerable.
Behind Mitsuru, two young men who looked remarkably similar exchanged a glance. One stepped forward. "Father..."
Beep! Beep!
At that exact moment, a communication device on a Yamanaka ninja's hip chirped. The Hyuga youth bit back his words as the Yamanaka finished receiving the message and hurried to Mitsuru's side.
"Mitsuru-sama! The Suna breakthrough unit just changed course. They're heading southwest!"
Mitsuru glanced south. His position was on the southern flank, which placed the Suna unit's southwest directly... in the direction Minato had just come from.
Mitsuru's expression hardened. "Hyuga Clan! Follow me! We are moving to support Sakamoto Tatsuma!"
Uchiha Fugaku, already on the move, let a flicker of disdain cross his face. Minato didn't care about the clan politics; he just bowed his head. "Thank you, Hyuga Mitsuru-sama!"
In an instant, the "Red Eyes" and the "White Eyes" were in motion. The other Leaf shinobi who had been assigned to the ambush were left standing there awkwardly. They looked at each other, grit their teeth, and followed. Their mission was to engage the Suna breakout anyway; they were just changing the scenery.
The Uchiha and Hyuga were incredibly fast. Before long, Minato found himself falling behind. No matter how much his heart ached to be back at Tatsuma's side, the gap in raw power couldn't be closed by willpower alone.
He didn't let it discourage him. The faster Fugaku and Mitsuru moved, the higher the chance Tatsuma would survive. He prayed they could practically teleport to his side.
However, miles away at the actual battlefield, the situation was far less dire than Minato imagined. In fact, if anyone should have been panicking, it was the Hidden Sand.
Sajin was a broken man. He hung limp in Tatsuma's grip like a dead eel; if Tatsuma hadn't been clutching him by the collar, he would have slid into a heap on the ground.
Looking at the man, Tatsuma felt a ball of fire smoldering in his chest. This wasn't the artificial rage of the Nine-Tails—that chakra was completely spent. This was his own, genuine, "sincere" fury.
"Rasengan!"
Tatsuma had no interest in talking to an unconscious man. He held Sajin up with his right hand, while his scarred and bloodied left hand conjured a brilliant, golden sphere of grinding chakra.
"STOP!!!"
A piercing scream erupted from the distance. Suddenly, the "unconscious" Sajin snapped his eyes open. With a final, desperate surge of strength, his hands shot up, locking around Tatsuma in a crushing embrace.
"Uchi-suzume!"