"Speaking of which, Minato... exactly when did you leave a Flying Thunder God marker on me?"
While searching for Kamishiro's trail, Kushina suddenly stopped, looking at Minato as if she just realized something.
"Uh, well, about that..."
Yes, the future Fourth Hokage hesitated.
Did he just spot a terrifying gleam of distrust in Kushina's eyes? She was looking at him like he had used his teleportation jutsu for some perverted, ulterior motive!
"N-not that long ago! Just the last time we met. It was purely a safety precaution... so I could find you quickly if an emergency like this ever happened!" Minato scrambled to explain.
"Really?"
"Really."
It had to be the truth. Obviously, it was the truth.
Though for some reason, two distinct beads of cold sweat rolled down Minato's face. Weird. The temperature was barely above freezing today. Why was it so hot all of a sudden?
Okay, fine. Minato was feeling a little guilty. He didn't have any weird intentions, but purely for her safety, he had actually stamped a marker on her the very first day he mastered the Flying Thunder God jutsu.
It was strictly to protect her! Especially after the Hidden Cloud's kidnapping attempt years ago. But judging by Kushina's current tone, Minato decided that absolute honesty was a terrible policy right now. If he told her the exact truth, he was definitely getting punched.
After all, a jutsu like that basically meant Minato could monitor her location 24/7. Anyone would be pissed.
Kushina narrowed her eyes, scanning Minato up and down suspiciously before finally retracting her terrifying glare.
Minato let out a massive sigh of relief.
Overall, Kushina trusted Minato's character... though she still had her entirely justified suspicions.
First of all, Minato was a man. And as a certain silver-haired, naturally wavy, dead-fish-eyed samurai once taught the world: all men are beasts.
Second—and this was the most damning evidence—Minato's teacher was Jiraiya of the Sannin. And in Kushina's eyes, Jiraiya wasn't famous for his legendary strength; he was famous for his legendary hobbies.
Fortunately, finding Kamishiro was the priority right now. Kushina didn't have the time to interrogate him over minor details.
"Anyway, let's hurry! I just hope Kamishiro isn't in any danger!"
The moment she turned her back, that creeping sense of impending doom finally faded from Minato's chest. He discreetly raised a hand and wiped the cold sweat off his face.
But despite Kushina's urgency, things did not go smoothly.
Three full days passed, and they still hadn't found a single trace of Kamishiro. Kushina's anxiety was skyrocketing.
Sure, his methods were completely reckless, but Kamishiro had literally dragged her off a doomed battlefield. His chaotic Reverse Summoning had saved both of their lives. She was perfectly fine, so if something happened to him, the guilt would crush her.
"This isn't working!"
By the third day, Minato realized they couldn't just wander blindly around this unknown dimension. Although there were no traces of enemy ninja and the environment seemed relatively safe, they were still essentially behind enemy lines. He could teleport Kushina out instantly if necessary, but he didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
They needed to speed this up.
Then, the obvious solution finally hit him. Minato facepalmed hard.
He and Kushina were being absolute idiots. Why were they stubbornly trying to track Kamishiro using only their own senses when they could literally just call in a professional?
"Kushina, wait right here for a second."
He didn't even wait for her to respond before vanishing again. This time, he was gone a bit longer.
When he finally returned, he had brought someone with him.
Kushina didn't recognize the newcomer, but her eyes instantly lit up.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! Minato, you're a genius!"
Minato smiled helplessly. He wasn't a genius; they had just been trapped in a massive blind spot.
Looking at the ninja beside him, Minato nodded. "Hyuga, I'm leaving it to you."
(Ahem. If you need the best trackers in the ninja world, you look for Konoha's Hyuga Clan. It was such a blindingly obvious solution. They really had been too rigid in their thinking.)
"Understood, Lord Minato." The Hyuga ninja had already been briefed on the situation before teleporting in. He knew exactly what he was looking for.
"Byakugan!"
Veins bulged around his pale eyes. A moment later, he pointed. "Forty kilometers to the southeast. I see residual chakra traces."
Kushina and Minato exchanged a sharp look before sprinting in that direction.
With the average speed of their three-man squad far exceeding the Jonin level, they covered the distance rapidly. Upon arriving, they confirmed the area was clear of enemies before carefully inspecting the scarred terrain.
"A battle took place here roughly two days ago. The area is covered in Fire Style scorch marks, but judging by the cratering, it looks like he was fighting some sort of massive creature," Minato analyzed instantly. For a ninja of his caliber, reading a battlefield was elementary. "Kushina, can you confirm this is Kamishiro's chakra?"
Minato was slightly confused. "I thought Kamishiro was a Lightning Style specialist. He can use Fire Style?"
Kushina nodded, her voice tight. "Kamishiro has dual affinities for Lightning and Fire. I taught him Fire Style ninjutsu myself. He's actually incredibly proficient with it, but he usually complains that standard Fire jutsu lacks focused destructive power compared to his lightning. He almost exclusively relies on Lightning Release in combat... but I am certain. This is his chakra."
While Fire Style was fantastic for massive Area-of-Effect damage, its single-target lethality couldn't compare to high-voltage Lightning Style. That was why Kamishiro constantly spammed lightning.
But the main reason he hadn't used lightning here was obvious: his injuries. Without his Lightning Release active, he had been forced to rely on Fire Style.
Kushina's voice trembled with excitement. This was the first concrete trace they had found in three days.
Since the battle had happened two days ago, Kamishiro clearly hadn't had the time to scrub his tracks. To a Hyuga, the residual chakra was as bright as a flare. However, analyzing the craters and scorch marks painted a grim picture: Kamishiro had clearly been on the losing end of that fight.
The trail of destruction stretched off into the distance.
The three of them followed the battle scars. A few hours later, the Hyuga ninja suddenly stopped.
"I've found him!"