When Dosuke saw Jiraiya, he raised his right hand and gave a thumbs up. "Good, Jiraiya-sensei."
"Okay, kid, rest and wait until dawn. As a ninja, try to avoid traveling at night." Jiraiya jumped onto a tree branch.
Dosuke lifted his backpack and jumped onto the branch.
They said nothing all night. At dawn, Jiraiya got up and leaped off the branch. Dosuke flipped and jumped down beside him.
"Let's go."
Seeing Dosuke finish packing, Jiraiya waved and walked forward.
Dosuke followed behind Jiraiya.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
The two stretched their arms back and ran quickly through the Fire Country's forest.
They rushed nonstop all morning, reaching the Fire Country's border by noon.
Dosuke looked at the boundary marker, then at Jiraiya with some confusion.
"Ahead is Taki Country. Minato's team is on a mission here."
"Summoning Jutsu."
A fist-sized toad in a purple vest appeared in the summoning circle.
The toad hopped along Jiraiya's legs, reaching his shoulder in a few jumps. It stretched out a front paw. "Master Jiraiya, long time no see."
It turned to Dosuke. "Hello, sir, are you Jiraiya-sama's disciple? Want to sign a contract with Mount Myoboku?"
"Uh, hello." Dosuke saw the familiar toad and waved, a drop of sweat on his face.
"Okay, Gamahara. Stop pitching Mount Myoboku's contract every time. I'm here to find Minato. Where is he?" Jiraiya frowned at the toad on his shoulder.
"Looking for Minato-sama? Follow me."
Gamahara, the size of a fist, jumped from Jiraiya's shoulder.
Snap.
Jiraiya grabbed Gamahara mid-air.
"Remember last time you led us? A three-minute trip took three hours. Stay on my shoulder and point the way." Jiraiya gritted his teeth, glaring at the toad.
Gamahara grinned. "Okay, Master Jiraiya, but can you let me go? It's hard to breathe."
"Sorry, sorry, I got excited." Jiraiya placed Gamahara back on his shoulder.
Gamahara, Mount Myoboku's scout toad, had a special sensing ability. It could detect creatures with malice toward it within a range.
As a toad, Gamahara's malice sense was often disrupted by snakes nearby.
Though its malice detection was not always reliable, Gamahara could secrete a liquid. Once someone was marked with it, Gamahara could sense their general direction, no matter how far. The closer the target, the more precise the location.
"Go straight ahead."
Jiraiya ran in Gamahara's direction, with Dosuke following.
"Turn right."
"Turn left."
"Straight."
After a short distance, Jiraiya and Dosuke stopped at a manor's gate.
"Master Jiraiya, Minato-sama is in this manor." Gamahara pointed at the gate.
"Okay, thanks, Gamahara."
Bang.
Gamahara dispelled the summoning.
"Why is Minato in this manor?" Jiraiya looked at the grand manor, hands crossed on his chest, one hand's index finger and thumb in a figure-eight shape, rubbing his chin.
"Kid, let's check it out. Minato was marked with Gamahara's liquid. It's not wrong." Jiraiya jumped onto the wall instantly and spoke to Dosuke.
"Okay." Dosuke leaped onto the wall.
They darted across the manor's rooftops.
"Sensei, are we really sending her back? The village mission was only to escort her to Taki Country." A boy with a mask and short silver hair spoke.
"Kakashi, she's the only one left. If we don't help her return, she'll be captured. Do you know what happens then?" A ninja in a vest sat in the room.
"Minato-sensei, our mission is done. No need to waste time and resources on extra tasks." Kakashi looked at Minato, his tone firm.
"Kakashi, how can you be so cold? You jerk."
"Fu has no family left. If we abandon her, she'll die on the way home." A teen in orange goggles rushed at Kakashi, his voice sharp.
Kakashi faced Obito, arms crossed. "I said it clearly. Our mission is over. Her fate is her own."
"Kakashi, you jerk." Obito clenched his fists, glaring at Kakashi's blank expression.
"Obito, Kakashi, stop it. Obito's right. If we leave, Fu will be caught by those ninjas." A female ninja with two purple cheek stripes sat on the floor, looking at them.
"See, Rin agrees with me. Ha ha ha." Obito put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly.
Kakashi stared at Obito's smug grin.
"Kakashi, a ninja can't always put missions first... Who's there?" Minato stopped mid-sentence, hearing faint steps on the roof tiles.
Swish.
Dosuke and Jiraiya climbed over the wall into the manor. They jumped onto the roofs, searching for Minato.
Dosuke reached one roof and heard voices below arguing about being cold or something.
He didn't think much. Water chakra surged instantly, and he landed lightly on the roof where the voices came from.
As Dosuke prepared to scout, a strange-shaped kunai shot from the room below.
The kunai pierced the spot where Dosuke had stood.
Minato appeared mid-air, grabbing the special kunai.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Three more Flying Thunder God kunai flew toward Dosuke.
"Water Release, Water Iron Cannon."
Pop. Pop. Pop.
A chakra water ball shot from Dosuke's hand, knocking away a Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Water Release, Water Stream." A high-pressure water line sliced another kunai in half.
Water chakra burst under his feet, and Dosuke retreated quickly.
A green figure appeared behind Dosuke, holding the last Flying Thunder God kunai. Its sharp blade pressed against Dosuke's neck artery.
Dosuke froze in place.
Minato held the Flying Thunder God kunai to Dosuke's neck.
"Minato." A voice called from afar.