Yako sighed in relief; he had managed to keep his life.
A Spear Egret's cry echoed from behind him.
Yako whipped his head around just in time to see the beak of a Spear Egret block a steel senbon needle meant for him.
"Don't get distracted! These are elite Mist Ninjas!"
Uzumaki Yuka landed beside him.
Her high-slit skirt whipped in the wind and fog.
Her toned legs were right in front of Yako's eyes.
In that moment, Yako found her incredibly beautiful.
"Sorry," he said. "The squadron captain's death distracted me."
The guardian ninjas and Uzumaki ninjas struck.Countless chakra chains erupted, striking Biwa Juzo's Executioner's Blade with a rapid cadence of sharp metallic clangs.
Biwa Juzo was forced into a steady retreat.
More Mist Ninjas charged out of the fog.
Uzumaki Yuka called out softly, "Let's go! Leave this to them! We need to protect Princess Kushina!"
Yako's eyes brightened. His orders were to cover the rear; now that the daimyo's guardian ninjas had assumed that role, retreating wouldn't be abandoning his mission.
Plus, it was the perfect excuse to report to Captain Yellow Dog.
Following Uzumaki Yuka, Yako dashed for over two hundred meters before finally breaking out of the dense fog.
The view ahead suddenly cleared.
A hundred meters to the side, the Azure Sparrow Brigade was locked in a fierce battle with a faction of Cloud Ninjas.
Meanwhile, the Yellow Dog Brigade was closely trailing Uzumaki Kushina's group, preparing to intercept the rest of the Cloud Ninjas.
Seeing this, Uzumaki Yuka immediately moved to charge the Cloud Ninjas to shield Uzumaki Kushina.
Yako quickly weighed his chances. It was no good. There were simply too many Cloud Ninjas; charging in would likely get him killed. He needed a plan.
He turned to Uzumaki Yuka and said, "Yuka! Princess Kushina is only seven! She's small enough that your giant Spear Egret can easily carry her in the air! That's the only way to get her out of this encirclement quickly!"
It was a classic move to divert the disaster eastward. As long as Uzumaki Kushina wasn't here, the Cloud and Mist Ninjas would naturally have no reason to stay.
If Kushina died, then she died. Yako's own life was far more important.
Uzumaki Yuka realized he was right. Why fight the Cloud Ninjas head-on? With a flying Summoned Beast, she had the advantage of the skies.
Flight was a rare ability in the ninja world. Ninety-nine percent of ninjas had no way to attack the air.
Uzumaki Yuka summoned her massive Spear Egret and ordered it to fly toward Uzumaki Kushina.
"Sixth Grandpa! I've contracted a new flying Summoned Beast! Let Princess Kushina go first!"
The eyes of the Uzushiogakure Sealing Squad captain—Yuka's Sixth Grandpa—lit up at the suggestion.
It was an excellent plan.
Everyone else could die here, but Kushina had to escape.
Kushina possessed a special constitution. She held immense potential to become a jinchuriki—perhaps even a perfect jinchuriki.
If Kushina became a jinchuriki, Uzushiogakure would take a massive leap in power, much like Takigakure with their Seven-Tails.
Uzumaki Kushina was tossed into the air.
The three-meter-long Spear Egret let out a sharp cry and snatched her by the shoulders.
Uzumaki Kushina ascended into the sky. Her hair was a dazzling, vibrant crimson, redder than that of any other Uzumaki ninja.
Yako immediately checked the Cloud Ninjas.
Just as he had anticipated, the moment they saw their target take flight, the Cloud Ninjas split off a massive portion of their forces to pursue her.
The pressure on the Yellow Dog Brigade dropped drastically.
After two months of fighting in the Land of Waves, the Yellow Dog Brigade had been reduced to a remnant force, suffering over fifty percent casualties.
"Captain! The guardian ninjas of the Land of Whirlpools' daimyo have joined the fight! They're holding off the Mist Ninjas! Captain Brown Bear has fallen in combat!"
Captain Yellow Dog glanced back at the dense fog in the distance. "I know," he said.
Two full squadrons had been completely wiped out, and the remaining two were barely holding together. Out of a brigade of over sixty men, only nineteen remained.
The casualty rate in the Anbu was staggeringly high.
"Keep up with the Summoned Beast! Princess Uzumaki is our top priority!"
Yako trailed at the very back of the brigade.
There was one silver lining: with his squadron captain dead, he had total freedom on the battlefield as long as Captain Yellow Dog didn't issue him direct orders.
Thanks to Uzumaki Kushina's petite size, the Spear Egret lost none of its momentum and flew incredibly fast.
The battlefield dynamic had completely shifted. Before, the Konoha Anbu had been blocking the Cloud Ninjas. Now, the Spear Egret and Uzumaki Kushina led the way, followed by the Cloud Ninjas, with the Konoha Anbu bringing up the rear.
The Cloud Ninjas sprinted desperately ahead, forced to deploy men to stall the pursuing Konoha Anbu.
One Cloud Ninja squadron after another peeled off to cover their rear.
Hanging at the back of the brigade, Yako carefully waited for the perfect moment to strike.
Ahead, a Cloud Ninja was blasted backward, stumbling to regain his footing.
Yako seized the opening. Triggering the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique, he materialized directly behind the man. Using the enemy's own backward momentum, he drove his ninja sword cleanly through his chest.
Pulling his blade free, Yako melted back into the shadows behind the Anbu lines.
The nearest Anbu squadron captain, Black Ape, cast a sideways glance. This operative in the Fox Mask had flawless timing.
His own squadron was severely depleted. He made a mental note to request a transfer for Fox once the battle was over.
Through the continuous fighting, Yako was steadily mastering the Taijutsu Body Flicker Technique.
His execution of the Body Flicker Technique was growing faster by the minute.
He also discovered a small trick.
When initiating the jump, focusing chakra into his calves and feet increased his speed. But the real secret lay in the landing—he needed to channel chakra into his legs upon touching down as well.
That allowed him to kill his momentum instantly and seamlessly transition into a combat stance.
The running battle stretched from the coast deep into the heartland of the Land of Waves.
Under Uzumaki Yuka's control, the Spear Egret purposely navigated over the most treacherous terrain: rocky beaches, muddy swamps, and steep mountain ridges.
Pursuing them became increasingly difficult.
After losing three full squadrons, the Cloud Ninjas finally gave up the chase.
Without the Mist Ninjas backing them up, the Cloud Ninjas alone didn't have the strength to stop the combined forces of the Uzumaki ninjas and the Konoha Anbu.
Several hours of hard traveling later, Captain Yellow Dog selected a hidden mountain hollow and called for the group to rest.
Uzumaki Yuka basked in the praise of the Sealing Squad captain. Her newly contracted aerial Summoned Beast had been the key to the battle.
With such a Summoned Beast at her command, Uzumaki Yuka had bypassed the Chunin rank entirely, wielding the combat prowess of a Special Jonin.
From time to time, she glanced toward Fox, who was leaning against his ninja sword in the distance, resting with his eyes closed.
Thank goodness Fox had provided the early warning, or she never could have brought the reinforcements in time.
Uzumaki Yuka would never mention Fox to the Sealing Squad captain. Fox was a spy planted in the Konoha Anbu by the Senju Clan, and the fewer people who knew that, the better.
She would only subtly probe the matter if she ever met someone on the level of the Senju Clan head or an elder.
The Senju Clan would absolutely never admit to planting a mole in the Anbu. It was a massive crime.
Without realizing it, her impression of Fox had shifted. He was mysterious and reliable.
Every time they met, Fox showcased some new ability. His Body Flicker Technique alone had left her stunned.
That level of speed and precision clearly required at least two and a half years of rigorous practice.
"Sister Yuka, this white bird is so pretty."
Uzumaki Kushina stood on her tiptoes, barely as tall as the Spear Egret's slender legs. She stroked the bird's feathers, reluctant to let go.
"I wonder what kind of Summoned Beast I'll have in the future. Flying felt amazing."
Uzumaki Yuka smiled. "Princess Kushina, you will definitely have an incredibly powerful Summoned Beast in the future. Maybe even a Tailed Beast."
After a brief rest to replenish themselves with military ration pills, the group resumed their march, taking a detour from the Land of Whirlpools toward the Land of Fire.
Yako looked at Kushina's back, consumed by worry. He didn't know if he would be able to safely survive the impending annihilation of the Uzumaki Clan.