Hyuga Kei's words left the others bewildered. Inuzuka Shigeru asked in surprise, 'What are you saying? Why are you telling us to just wait here? Lady Momoka and Masaki are dealing with that monster! Do you have any idea how powerful that thing is?'
Inuzuka Shigeru's voice was urgent. He felt they should either take everyone back to the camp immediately or go back to help Senju Touka and Fūmori Masaki, not stay here like spectators doing nothing.
'I know. That guy's Chakra is like a lantern in the night, so bright it's almost blinding my eyes,' Hyuga Kei squinted. 'However, it seems he can't fully control that Chakra. Though I only saw it for a moment, the flow within his Chakra Network is a complete mess. I should see it more clearly if I get closer.'
Hyuga Kei stood up and started walking towards the grain storage area. The others were immediately shocked. If Kumogakure Ninja and samurai emerged from the storage area now, there would be trouble. They hurried over to stop Hyuga Kei.
Hyuga Kei, however, waved his hand dismissively and said, 'Don't worry. If I'm not mistaken, the Kumogakure Ninja have no time to come out and deal with us. They might not even be able to save their own lives.'
'I see,' Ōnoki said, beginning to understand. 'If what you say is true, and that person using the Nine-Tails Chakra cannot fully control it, then it's difficult for him to maintain his sanity. Whether it's you Konoha people or his own Kumogakure comrades, they'll all be treated as enemies.'
After sealing the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, Iwagakure had attempted to utilize the power of a Jinchuriki. However, not everyone is suited to seal a Tailed Beast. Even if one can withstand the Tailed Beast Chakra, they often endure the Tailed Beast's mental influence. A single misstep, and the Jinchuriki would go on a rampage.
In Konohagakure, Uzumaki Mito's immense Chakra completely suppressed the Nine-Tailed, and there was never even any mental influence. Therefore, their understanding of a Tailed Beast's rampage was not deep. Other nations had already suffered greatly from this. Plans to cultivate the mental fortitude of Jinchuriki and perfect Sealing Techniques were proposed one after another. It could be said that Ōnoki understood better than any Konoha Ninja what a person unable to control Tailed Beast Chakra would be like.
'Correct. Ginkaku's movements have become completely erratic; he should be completely berserk.' Because Ginkaku had moved, Hyuga Kei could see him clearly from this distance. He observed carefully this time and said to the others, 'The reason we shouldn't go help Lady Momoka and Masaki is that with our skills, dealing with Ginkaku—even a berserk one—would only cause trouble for them. We might even end up dragging them down. However, Lady Momoka and Masaki can maneuver around him, find an opportunity, and escape. The reason to wait here is to provide timely treatment for Lady Momoka and Masaki. Lisa, you should prepare yourself.'
'I understand,' Senju Risa quickly nodded.
'But, are we really just going to watch from here?' Inuzuka Shigeru was unwilling. Because they followed the Ninja code of conduct, he and the others hadn't hesitated and had withdrawn directly. But as comrades from the same Village, he was also worried about Fūmori Masaki and Senju Touka who had stayed behind to cover their retreat. Now, since they weren't planning to go back, he felt he should at least do something.
'Ōnoki, can you use that Ninjutsu called Dust Release to finish off Ginkaku? With its power, it should be possible, right?' Sarutobi Kōnosuke asked.
Ōnoki shook his head. He was confident in the power of Dust Release to kill Ginkaku, but there was a significant problem. He said, 'No. That guy is too fast. I can't aim accurately. Unless someone can pin him down in one spot, then I can directly envelop that area with Dust Release.'
Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Kōnosuke felt it was impossible. Who could restrain such a monster in one place? The First Hokage might be able to, but he wasn't here. With just them, even Senju Touka or Fūmori Masaki couldn't keep Ginkaku from leaving a single area.
Hyuga Kei listened to Ōnoki's words while observing the situation in and around the grain storage area.
Although they were allies now, there was no guarantee they wouldn't clash fiercely in the future. The power of Dust Release made him vigilant, so he tried to glean methods to counter it from Ōnoki's few words. For now, he only knew this one weakness: it wasn't fast.
'Everyone, just wait. This is the only thing we can do. If we want them to return, the best way is for us not to interfere,' Hyuga Kei said.
Everyone nervously watched the grain storage area. Although it was possible to find a way to escape from a completely irrational enemy, and Senju Touka and Fūmori Masaki had the ability to hold their own against Ginkaku, whether they could truly escape safely was still unknown.
Hyuga Kei spoke with confidence, but inwardly, he was still somewhat uneasy. He had been using his Byakugan to watch the situation inside. Seeing Ginkaku's frenzied movements and Fūmori Masaki and Senju Touka constantly dodging and looking for chances to counterattack was sometimes truly hair-raising, almost making him cry out. However, Fūmori Masaki and Senju Touka, with their exceptional skills, turned danger into safety, leaving him with only a scare.
It was at times like these that Hyuga Kei truly understood the strength of Senju Touka and Fūmori Masaki. The former, needless to say, was a senior Ninja who had survived the Warring States Period. And Fūmori Masaki lived up to the name of the Second Hokage's disciple.
Seeing Fūmori Masaki and Senju Touka coordinate their movements and shake off Ginkaku's pursuit, and the now targetless Ginkaku turning the unfortunate Kumogakure Ninja into his prey, Hyuga Kei let out a sigh of relief and said, 'It's over. Lady Momoka and Masaki have both escaped.'
Hearing this, Inuzuka Shigeru and the others immediately cheered. Ōnoki didn't react like the others, but he also felt a slight relief inwardly. He held quite a favorable impression of Fūmori Masaki; if he had really died, Ōnoki would have found it regrettable.
The group then went to meet Senju Touka and Fūmori Masaki. Except for Hyuga Kei, everyone else was startled by their appearance. Senju Touka and Fūmori Masaki were covered in wounds that looked as if they had been burned by high heat. Senju Touka could only be supported by Fūmori Masaki, her face covered in blood.
Senju Risa hurried forward to prepare treatment, but Fūmori Masaki said, 'This isn't the right place. Let's go into the woods.'
'But...' Looking at Senju Touka's injuries, Senju Risa quickly said.
'Listen to him,' Senju Touka said slowly. Just uttering these few simple words caused her sharp pain. Senju Risa quickly obeyed and headed into the woods with the others.
After everyone reached the woods, Fūmori Masaki carefully laid Senju Touka flat on the ground and said to Senju Risa, 'I'm counting on you.'
Senju Risa nodded and immediately began treating Senju Touka. Meanwhile, Fūmori Masaki took out bandages, applied the simple ointment he carried with him, asked others for some more, and wrapped his own wounds.
Hyuga Kei asked, 'Are you alright? The wounds caused by Ginkaku seem to be eroded by Tailed Beast Chakra as well. Our Hyuga Clan has a unique medical method using the Gentle Fist. It should be able to stop the wounds from worsening further.'
'Then I'll trouble you,' Fūmori Masaki said. He hadn't known the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist had such an application. It was probably a secret technique within their clan. The Hyuga Clan had a very ancient history, said to date back a thousand years, and was called the oldest Ninja Clan. The applications of the Gentle Fist were likely diverse, not just the ones he had seen in the comics.
Hyuga Kei pressed a few points near Fūmori Masaki's wounds. Fūmori Masaki felt a surge of Chakra enter through his pressure points, impacting his Chakra Network, which had become clogged due to the Nine-Tails Chakra. Curious, he moved a bit. If he had tried to do this himself, it wouldn't have been so easy. A clogged Chakra Network made it difficult for one's own Chakra to flow, but it was easier from the outside.
Fūmori Masaki looked at Senju Touka. Even with Medical Ninjutsu being used, her wounds were healing very slowly. He said to Hyuga Kei, 'Can you help guide Lady Momoka's Chakra flow?'
'No. This method uses my Chakra to forcefully impact the network. Your body is still in decent condition and can withstand it, but Lady Momoka's injuries are too severe. If I tried, it would damage her Chakra Network,' Hyuga Kei shook his head.
Fūmori Masaki fell silent. During the battle with Ginkaku, Senju Touka had used genjutsu multiple times to create opportunities for him. To affect the berserk Ginkaku, Senju Touka had repeatedly concentrated her Chakra, and even then, the results weren't great. For this, she had actively stepped forward to block attacks—a method almost never chosen by a genjutsu specialist.
Fūmori Masaki knew this was because Senju Touka was honoring her promise to Satomi, to ensure he returned safely. She was willing to sacrifice her life to create chances for him.
Looking at the severely injured Senju Touka, Fūmori Masaki prayed in his heart that she would survive. Didn't she still want to see his and Satomi's child in the future?
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Senju Touka's breathing gradually steadied, but she fell unconscious. Senju Risa let out a sigh of relief and said, 'Her life is secure for now. Once we're back at the camp, we'll have better medical facilities.'
Fūmori Masaki relaxed and said, 'That's good. Let's prepare to head back. This mission can be considered successfully accomplished. No one died. Although some warehouses weren't destroyed, they should all be finished under Ginkaku's attacks.'
In terms of results, this mission could indeed be considered a complete success. They even brought back a prisoner, and an important figure within Kumogakure at that. Because of everything else that had happened, Inuzuka Shigeru had almost forgotten about her.
Seeing that Sora was still unconscious, Fūmori Masaki had Hyuga Kei seal the Chakra pathways within her body. That way, even if she was pretending to be asleep, she wouldn't pose a threat.
To avoid aggravating Senju Touka's injuries, the group didn't retreat quickly. But they also didn't need to worry about pursuers; Kumogakure had to deal with the berserk Ginkaku first. Thus, the group encountered no obstacles and returned to the Konoha camp.