Konoha Village, Ninja Academy.
As the school bell rang, the students cheered with relief; the day's classes were finally over!Like a flock of happy little birds, they chirped and rushed out of the classroom, heading towards their parents.
Kushina was no exception.She quickly packed her schoolbag, slung it over her shoulder, and prepared to go home alone.During this time, she had been making waves at the ninja academy, not only excelling academically but also steadily building her prestige among her classmates through her courage and strength.
Of course, there was another important reason for this: her relationship with Namikaze Minato, the blond-haired boy, was growing increasingly close.Minato was the class's top student, not only intelligent and quick-witted but also gentle and kind, and deeply loved by his classmates.
However, in Kushina's eyes, although Namikaze Minato had many advantages, his somewhat delicate personality made Kushina feel that he was like a "sissy".
Nevertheless, Namikaze Minato's gentleness and strength earned him high praise among his classmates, who affectionately called him "Little Sun" because he warmed everyone's hearts like sunshine.
Kushina, carrying her schoolbag, walked briskly on her way home.
There were two routes home: a wide, bright avenue and a narrow, dark alley.While the avenue was safer, the alley would allow Kushina to get home faster.So, as usual, she walked into the deserted alley without hesitation.
The alley was quiet, save for the echoing footsteps of Kushina.She hummed a little tune as she walked, her mood exceptionally cheerful.However, she was unaware that three pairs of eyes were intently watching her from the shadows of the alley.
Suddenly, three ninjas appeared from the shadows like ghosts.They moved swiftly and coordinated perfectly, surrounding Kushina in the blink of an eye.Kushina was startled by this sudden turn of events.Her eyes widened, and before she could react, she was completely subdued.
The three ninjas were clearly prepared; following a pre-arranged route, they swiftly took Kushina away.Kushina tried to struggle, but her strength was insignificant against these well-trained ninjas.
Soon, the three of them left Konoha Village with Kushina and disappeared into the vast night.
The once bustling alleyway seemed to freeze in time for a moment, everything becoming eerily quiet.Only the lone backpack lay on the ground, as if silently recounting what had just happened.
After a while, a figure appeared at the alley entrance.It was a blond-haired boy, his steps light and quick, seemingly very familiar with the area.This boy was Minato, and this alley was the route he took home every day.
When Minato's gaze fell upon the familiar backpack in the alley, his eyes suddenly sharpened.He quickly stepped forward, crouched down, carefully picked up the backpack, and examined it closely.
The backpack looked unremarkable, but Minato sensed that its owner was in danger.His brow furrowed, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.
Minato quickly surveyed the alleyway, his attention drawn to the marks on the ground.As he followed the marks, his unease intensified.
"Kushina has been kidnapped." Minato murmured, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Without a second thought, he immediately stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and dashed towards the Senju family ancestral home like a gust of wind.He needed to get the news to the Senju family as soon as possible, hoping they could work together to rescue Kushina.
Namikaze Minato raced all the way and finally arrived at the entrance of the Senju family ancestral home.His eyes eagerly scanned the gate.Just then, he saw Hatake Kaede and Nawaki emerge from the ancestral home.
Hatake Kaede spotted Namikaze Minato charging towards him at a glance, and his expression instantly turned serious.He knew in his heart that the kidnapping had finally happened, and it was all his own fault for being negligent.
It turned out that after the fierce battle in the forest, in order to prevent his intelligence from being leaked, Hatake Kaede decided to erase all traces of the battle.He not only cleaned up the scene, but also threw Nagamiya Rokuno's corpse to wild animals to devour it.
However, it was precisely this series of actions that unknowingly delayed the rescue.Only after he finished clearing the information about the battle in the forest did he rush to the Senju family home and explain what had happened to the old lady, Uzumaki Mito, through Nawaki.
In front of the old lady, any attempt to conceal the truth was futile.Mito Uzumaki immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, and she made a decisive decision to send Nawaki to lead the clan's best fighters to personally bring Kushina home.
Unfortunately, they were too late.
Hatake Kaede stopped and immediately turned around, his face grave as he said to Nawaki, "Nawaki, there's no need to go.Kushina has already been kidnapped!"
Upon hearing this, Nawaki was struck dumb, his face turning deathly pale.His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "What?How is this possible?" His voice trembled with shock.
Just then, Minato ran in, clutching a backpack tightly in his arms.
Upon seeing Hatake Kaede and Nawaki, Minato quickly said, "Senpai, this is Kushina's backpack.I found it in an alley.The shoulder straps are torn off.I suspect something happened to Kushina." His tone was full of anxiety and worry.
After receiving the schoolbag, Hatake Kaede did not simply place it aside as usual, but instead carefully examined it.
After glancing at it a few times, Hatake Kaede gripped his backpack, looked up at Nawaki, and said with a serious expression.He said, "Nawaki , the plan has changed.We need to adjust the plan."
Seeing this, Nawaki felt a pang of anxiety and remained silent, watching Hatake Kaede without answering.
Hatake Kaede took a deep breath and slowly said, "First, Minato and I will still go and track Kushina, but our mission is not just to track her, but also to interfere with the movements of those Cloud Village barbarians as much as possible and leave tracking information.In this way, you can find our location by following this information."
Nawaki nodded, indicating that he understood.
Hatake Kaede continued, "Next, you must immediately gather the experts from your clan and rush to our aid as quickly as possible, following the information we left behind.Remember, time is of the essence, you must be fast!"
Nawaki hesitated for a moment and said, "No, it will definitely be dangerous for just the two of you to go.Why don't I go with you too?That way, one more person means one more force."
Hatake Kaede immediately interrupted Nawaki, saying with a serious expression, "Nawaki, that's enough.This matter is settled.Minato and I may not be able to stop those Cloud Village barbarians, but we can manage to hold them off.The most crucial thing is your support team.If you don't arrive in time, we might really be in danger."
BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/NextChapterStudios