Kakashi asked about what had happened. Tonbei sighed and recounted everything in detail.
Four shinobi claiming to serve Obito had infiltrated the area, intending to steal the Tsuchigumo clan's secret technique. They were stopped by Utakata, who had entered a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
Kakashi's expression darkened. "You're certain they said they served Obito?"
If that was true, Obito was clearly scheming something again.
"Absolutely," Tonbei confirmed. "I heard them loud and clear. They called him Lord Obito. Their leader—that pile of meat on the ground used to be him.
They were at least jōnin level. If Utakata-sama hadn't erupted with his power, the young lady would've been taken for sure."
As he listened, Kakashi grew thoughtful. Trouble was clearly brewing. He turned toward the blonde girl.
"And she is?"
"She's the heiress of the Tsuchigumo clan and the current inheritor of our secret technique," Tonbei explained.
Hotaru gave a graceful bow to greet them.
Meanwhile, the medical-nin had finished treating Utakata, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and returned to the group. Discreetly, the medic gave Kakashi a signal—it confirmed the man in the bed was none other than the Six-Tails' jinchūriki.
Kakashi thought to himself: This place isn't safe anymore. We need to move the Six-Tails jinchūriki and the secret technique's successor to a secure location.
The Akatsuki must've sensed the Six-Tails' appearance by now. They might already be on their way here. The longer they stayed, the more danger they courted.
"We're leaving immediately," Kakashi said without hesitation.
He turned to Tonbei. "Both Obito and the Akatsuki have likely set their sights on this place. It's no longer safe. You need to come with us."
Tonbei wasn't a fool—he nodded. "Very well. We can take refuge at the Tsuchigumo clan's ancestral grounds. The villagers there will protect us."
But Kakashi shook his head firmly.
"That won't be enough. The Akatsuki's strength isn't something a small clan or a handful of shinobi can handle. Their threat level is something only great nations can deal with. Our only option now is to head straight for Konohagakure. Otherwise, we might not get another chance."
Tonbei's eyes widened—was it really that serious? But he trusted Konoha, and in the end, he accepted the plan.
"No time to waste. We move out now," Kakashi ordered. "Naruko, you'll carry Utakata. Kurotsuchi, look after Lady Hotaru."
Kakashi almost slipped and said Naruto's real name, forgetting that he was still in female form—not exactly ideal for this kind of task.
"Got it," Naruto replied without hesitation. He never cared much for those details, and stepped forward to pick up Utakata.
But Chōjūrō quickly intervened. He couldn't stand by and watch any longer.
"Miss Naruko, allow me," he said, hurrying over to take on the task himself.
"I'm fine, really," Naruto said, giving his full chest a confident pat. "I can handle it."
Chōjūrō's face flushed a deep red. "Utakata is one of us—from Kirigakure. It's my duty to look after him."
Hearing that, Naruto immediately thought of his bond with Sasuke and gave up his insistence.
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, then."
Naruko's simple compliment had Chōjūrō energized as if he'd just been supercharged. He handed his twin swords, Hiramekarei, to a fellow Kirigakure shinobi and hoisted Utakata onto his back with renewed strength and purpose.
Little did Naruto realize how his usual acts of kindness, now expressed through the lens of a beautiful girl, were effortlessly stringing poor Chōjūrō along like a top-tier flirt.
Once everyone was ready, Kakashi gave a final warning.
"The enemy may set up an ambush along the way. Stay alert."
...
With Utakata still unconscious, the group set out at full speed toward Konoha. The atmosphere in the group was heavy, silent, and focused.
Unbeknownst to them, their current path would soon intersect with two very dangerous enemies—the Immortal Duo. If they kept going this way, a confrontation was inevitable.
...
As they traveled, Utakata—slung over Chōjūrō's back—slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he saw was the Mist shinobi carrying him.
As a former Kirigakure rogue ninja, his first instinct was clear—he'd been captured by the Mist's ANBU. Without hesitation, he tried to reach for a weapon and land a lethal blow.
But Kakashi had anticipated this and ordered all of Utakata's weapons removed in advance. Utakata then tried to reach for Chōjūrō's gear pouch.
However, this team was full of highly trained shinobi. His movement didn't go unnoticed.
Shira, a taijutsu specialist from Sunagakure, had been bringing up the rear. The moment Utakata twitched suspiciously, Shira was on him—grabbing his wrist with a vice-like grip.
(Shira, a taijutsu prodigy from Sunagakure, is much like Konoha's Rock Lee—unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. As a child, he was bullied for this weakness, so he trained tirelessly to master taijutsu. He eventually created his own ultimate technique: the "Seven Heavenly Breaths," which enhances his power through specialized breathing, rivaling the Eight Gates.)
"What do you think you're doing?" Shira shouted.
The rest of the group halted and turned to look.
There, to their surprise, was Utakata—now awake and with his hand inside Chōjūrō's gear pouch.
Especially Chōjūrō—his face went pale. If Shira hadn't reacted in time, he'd probably be a corpse by now. He quickly lowered Utakata and glared at him, still shaken.
Utakata struggled fiercely but couldn't break free from Shira's hold. He glared back at Chōjūrō, his eyes full of hostility and rage.
"It's a misunderstanding! A big one!" Tonbei rushed forward. "These people are here to help us. They're part of the allied unit from the Six Great Nations—Team Dusk!"
Hotaru hurried to Utakata's side and gently supported him.
"Sensei, it's true. They're helping us escape from our enemies."
Kakashi stepped forward, calm and steady.
"Utakata, you've just regained consciousness. Your mind might still be unstable. But we came here to help you escape your situation. There's no need to be so tense."
Though still breathing heavily, Utakata began to calm down, little by little.
He turned to stare at Kakashi, clearly recognizing him as the team's leader. His voice was firm.
"Don't waste your effort on me. Just return my weapons, and I'll find my own way out."
He knew all too well that going with shinobi from the Five Great Nations would only lead to one thing—endless captivity.
"I'll go with you, Sensei," Hotaru said without hesitation.
"No, my lady—you mustn't risk your life like that!" Tonbei cried in panic. If anything happened to her, he'd never be able to face their late leader in the afterlife.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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