But Black Cat's involvement had completely disrupted his plans.
The synergy of the Flying Thunder God Technique was clearly more than just one plus one.
Truly a technique worthy of Tobirama Senju.
"Meow~ Let's save the sentimental stuff for when we get back," Raj said, leaping onto the Third Mizukage's shoulder and peering closely at his eyes.
'They say people with squinty eyes are all monsters?'
'Doesn't look like it to me.'
Minato wanted Raj to speak like a normal person, but after a moment's thought, he realized it made sense.
Sentimental talk could wait.
If they lingered, the Kiri Ninja might catch up, and that would be trouble.
Despite the massive damage Raj's attack had caused, it was nothing to the Kirigakure Village as a whole.
They could quickly replenish their forces, while Minato and his team were already at their limit, with no strength left for another battle.
With the Third Mizukage captured, it was best to make a quick escape.
"My apologies," Hiashi Hyuga said, bowing slightly before activating his Byakugan and swiftly striking over a dozen pressure points on the Mizukage's body.
"Don't worry," the Third Mizukage said. "I heard the Third Raikage is with you too. I'll just go see what's going on."
The Third Mizukage was surprisingly cooperative.
He was a clever man.
If Konoha wanted him dead, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of sending a team to capture him, then using Sealing Techniques and pressure point strikes to seal his Chakra.
Their true goal was to force the Kirigakure Village to surrender and cooperate.
Since Kumogakure had already surrendered, what was
What were Kirigakure's small territory and meager resources compared to that?
Though he claimed to be cooperating, everyone remained wary.
None of the Shadow-level ninja from the village were trustworthy.
Their hearts were as black as night, and if they secretly plotted something, we'd regret it before we knew it.
It was always better to be cautious.
Only when we reached the coastline and saw Konoha's patrol teams did we finally begin to breathe easier.
We were safe once we were home.
The Third Mizukage glanced around, taking in the layout, then looked away.
This was just a branch camp.
The Kiri Ninja had been skirmishing with us daily, and they knew the layout of these three camps like the back of their hand.
There was nothing more to be gleaned from looking.
But the main camp...
The Third Mizukage's eyes narrowed slightly.
He had always harbored a suspicion: given Tsunade's personality, she was no one to sit idly by.
If she had joined the war, she wouldn't be hiding in the main camp issuing orders.
Something was definitely amiss.
Unfortunately, we had only managed to breach the outer defenses.
If the Kiri Ninja who attacked earlier had engaged Tsunade directly, he could have obtained more intelligence and confirmed his suspicions.
In that case, Konoha might not have been the victor.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
"The main camp is just ahead. I'll return now."
After delivering the prisoner, Hiashi immediately announced his departure to oversee matters at the main camp.
"Understood. Thank you, Senior Hiashi," Minato said with a slight bow.
Although they had the Mizukage in custody, they couldn't rule out the possibility of a frenzied attack from the Kiri Ninja, similar to the Kumogakure's earlier assault.
Preparations for defense were essential.
"Now, take me to Tsunade. Whether it's for peace talks or negotiations, we'll need to meet face-to-face," the Third Mizukage said with a smile.
"Meow~"
Raj pressed his paw against the Mizukage's shoulder as Minato extended his hand.
Then, in a flash...
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the trio arrived inside the main camp.
Fortunately, Tsunade wasn't drinking or gambling at the moment.
Instead, she was unusually focused on correcting documents-a rare sight that spared her from embarrassment.
She glanced up and grinned at the sight of the Third Mizukage.
"Hey, you made it too. Take a seat. Make yourself at home, as if you're in Kirigakure."
"Thank you," the Third Mizukage replied, settling into a chair with practiced ease.
He surveyed the surroundings.
'She's actually working. But what was that on the desk...?'
"Meow! Stop snooping! That's classified information!"
Raj pressed a paw onto his head.
To the Shadow, this was a considerable offense, but the Third Mizukage remained unperturbed, merely tilting his head slightly to evade the paw and then ceasing to read the document.
Tsunade chuckled.
"It's nothing much-just the Third Raikage's treatment plan."
"Treatment plan?"
The Third Mizukage's smile remained, but his mind raced with astonishment.
The Third Raikage had actually been injured, and the severity of his wounds must be considerable, requiring Tsunade's personal involvement in devising the treatment plan.
Konoha's strength was truly formidable...
'Who could have done this?'
Several prominent Jonin from the eastern nations flashed through his mind.
Finally, the Third Mizukage settled on two candidates: Raj and Minato.
It seemed the S-rank threat assessment had been accurate after all.
These two were indeed Ninja capable of threatening entire Ninja Villages.
But to wound the Third Raikage, they must have used some kind of Wind Release Ninjutsu, right?
At that moment, the Third Mizukage remained unaware that the Kiri Ninja had also suffered a direct hit from a Rasenshuriken, losing another skilled warrior in the process.
Had he known, his composure might have shattered entirely.
"It's nothing serious, really. Just a ruined right hand. If left untreated, it'll simply become necrotic. The Raikage may favor his right hand, but his left is still perfectly functional. Oh, are you injured? I can devise a treatment plan for you too."
Tsunade spoke as if genuinely concerned for the Raikage, yet her words dripped with Konoha's might.
The Raikage is strong, right? Well, his right hand is now a rotting corpse, you know!
Keep causing trouble, and you'll end up just like him.
Whether Tsunade intended this message or not, the Third Mizukage certainly interpreted it that way.
'This woman is threatening me!'
Yet if she had been genuinely amicable, the Third Mizukage would have suspected a disguise.
Instead, he merely chuckled and replied, "I'm not injured."
"Not injured? I see. So Raj didn't use that technique after all."
Tsunade feigned relief.
Raj, eavesdropping nearby, secretly gave her a mental thumbs-up.
'Excellent assist! This will earn me plenty of merit points.'
"Of course not, meow! If I'd killed him, wouldn't I become a criminal?"
"That's unlikely, considering you're just a cat. But Minato might face consequences."
Minato scratched his head awkwardly.
'Revenge... this is definitely revenge!'
The two of them were deliberately twisting the knife, choosing their words to strike at his sore spots.