"It felt like someone stuffed me into a washing machine and spun it fifty times."
Ren rubbed his temples, his expression unusually gloomy.
Now he finally understood why Minato had specifically warned him about the discomfort before activating the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Short-range teleportation was one thing.
Being dragged across an enormous distance through several consecutive jumps was something else entirely.
Ren himself wasn't controlling the technique. He was essentially cargo being carried through space by Minato, and his body had no opportunity to adjust between each teleportation.
His chakra circulation felt slightly disturbed, his sense of balance had been thrown into chaos, and his stomach was still threatening rebellion.
It was basically motion sickness—
Except reality itself was the vehicle.
Fortunately, the symptoms were already fading.
Minato watched him with an amused smile.
"That's the Flying Thunder God."
He picked up one of the uniquely shaped kunai embedded nearby.
"Space-time ninjutsu interferes with your normal perception of distance and position. Feeling disoriented afterward is perfectly normal, especially when someone else is transporting you."
Ren took another slow breath.
"The short jump you used on us before wasn't nearly this bad."
"That's because we only traveled a few kilometers."
Minato's smile widened.
"This time we crossed a much greater distance through several consecutive jumps."
Ren looked at him.
"So I just need to get used to it?"
"More or less."
Minato casually spun the kunai between his fingers.
"Experience the sensation carefully. Once your foundation is more stable and you have enough experience with advanced ninjutsu…"
His expression became slightly more serious.
"I'll find an opportunity to teach you the Flying Thunder God Technique myself."
Ren's eyes sharpened.
That was not a casual promise.
The Flying Thunder God was one of Konoha's most terrifying techniques.
Created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, it completely ignored conventional movement speed by allowing its user to instantly teleport to any location marked with the technique's formula.
And in Minato's hands?
It had become a nightmare.
Enemy shinobi could surround him.
Attack from multiple directions.
Prepare traps.
Coordinate formations.
None of it mattered if they couldn't predict where Minato would exist one instant later.
Ren nodded.
"I'll remember that."
What Minato didn't know was that Ren had already received another notification from his peculiar system during their journey.
The moment he personally experienced Flying Thunder God again, the system had detected it.
But unlike ordinary techniques, Flying Thunder God hadn't appeared as something he could immediately pursue.
Instead—
It had been classified as a Legendary Limited Skin connected to his Summoning Technique.
Ren had stared at the notification for several seconds.
A legendary skin.
Unfortunately, there was a problem.
Normally, a technique only needed fifty points of favorability before he could equip the corresponding skin.
Flying Thunder God demanded ninety.
Ninety.
Meanwhile, his Summoning Technique's favorability was barely above ten.
The difference was depressing enough that Ren decided pretending the notification didn't exist was probably healthier for his mental state.
For now.
One day, however…
Ren glanced at Minato.
Teleportation.
The possibilities alone were ridiculous.
Combat.
Escape.
Assassination.
Rescue.
Travel.
If he could eventually integrate Flying Thunder God into his current fighting style, his entire combat system would change.
But that was for the future.
Right now, they had a mission.
Ren looked around.
They were standing inside a quiet patch of woodland.
Unlike the dense forests surrounding Konoha, the vegetation here felt slightly harsher. The ground was damp, patches of exposed stone broke through the soil, and the morning breeze carried the faint smell of medicinal herbs.
Through gaps between the trees, Ren could make out distant low-rise buildings and narrow streets.
Shinobi occasionally moved between them.
Their clothing was unfamiliar.
Their forehead protectors carried the symbol of grass.
They had reached the outskirts of Kusagakure.
Minato crouched and pulled a Flying Thunder God kunai from the mud.
"They're nearby."
Almost immediately—
Rustle.
Two figures emerged silently from the forest.
One wore a dark, high-collared coat that concealed most of his body. Dark glasses covered his eyes, and his entire presence carried the distant, unsettling atmosphere typical of the Aburame clan.
Shikuro Aburame.
Beside him stood a tall, hard-faced kunoichi accompanied by a massive black wolfhound.
Tsume Inuzuka.
The wolfhound, Kuromaru, lifted his head and sniffed the air before giving a quiet growl of recognition.
"Minato."
Tsume nodded.
Shikuro lowered his head respectfully.
"Lord Minato."
Minato wasted no time.
"What did you find?"
Shikuro answered first.
"Our initial reconnaissance is complete."
Several tiny insects crawled briefly across the edge of his sleeve before disappearing again.
"The prisoners appear to be held in an abandoned medicinal warehouse on the western side of Kusagakure."
He crouched and traced a rough outline in the soil.
"The outer perimeter is guarded by three to four rotating patrol squads. Four shinobi per squad."
"Strength?"
"Mostly ordinary Chunin."
Shikuro paused.
"One exception."
Ren listened carefully.
"There is a man with a long scar running across his face. His chakra is considerably stronger and more controlled than the others. He should be a Jonin, most likely one with extensive combat experience."
Tsume folded her arms.
"He smells like blood."
Ren glanced at her.
Tsume's expression remained serious.
"Not fresh blood. Old blood."
Kuromaru growled quietly beside her.
"Someone who has killed often."
That complicated matters.
Shikuro continued.
"There is also a barrier surrounding the interior of the warehouse."
His insects had apparently investigated everything they safely could without crossing the detection boundary.
"Neither Tsume nor I attempted to force our way inside. Doing so might have alerted Kusagakure before you arrived."
Minato nodded approvingly.
"Good decision."
"But we confirmed multiple chakra signatures inside."
"How many?"
"More than one prisoner."
Shikuro adjusted his glasses.
"One chakra signature is particularly unusual. Extremely strong vitality despite apparent physical weakness."
Ren immediately understood.
An Uzumaki.
Even after the destruction of Uzushiogakure, the Uzumaki bloodline remained famous for its extraordinary life force and chakra.
"That should be our target," Minato said.
His expression became thoughtful.
"So extracting the Uzumaki quietly will be harder than expected."
He remained silent for several seconds.
Then he reached into his ninja pouch.
Ren blinked.
Minato withdrew several forehead protectors.
But they weren't Konoha forehead protectors.
A stylized cloud was engraved across the metal.
Kumogakure.
Ren stared at them.
Minato smiled innocently.
"For insurance."
Tsume's mouth twitched.
Shikuro, predictably, showed absolutely no visible reaction.
Minato handed one to Ren.
"Everyone changes identification before entering."
Ren accepted it.
"If something goes wrong, Kusagakure blames Kumogakure?"
"Preferably."
Minato's smile remained perfectly gentle.
Ren suddenly felt that the famous Yellow Flash might be considerably more shameless than his friendly appearance suggested.
Still…
It was an excellent choice.
Kumogakure had a notorious reputation for pursuing bloodline limits, secret techniques, and talented shinobi from other villages.
If disguised shinobi wearing Cloud forehead protectors broke into a hidden facility holding an Uzumaki captive, Kusagakure wouldn't need much imagination to construct a believable explanation.
More importantly—
Cloud and Konoha had never exactly been friendly.
Ren knew another detail.
Years ago, Kushina Uzumaki had nearly been kidnapped by Kumogakure.
And Minato had personally rescued her.
Ren glanced sideways at his teacher.
Surely this isn't personal.
Minato smiled.
Ren decided not to ask.
The four quickly altered their appearances with the Transformation Technique and replaced their identifying equipment.
Even Kuromaru's appearance was subtly changed.
Once preparations were finished, they moved closer to the target area.
The abandoned warehouse sat within an older section of Kusagakure.
Its exterior looked unremarkable.
Weathered wooden walls.
A partially collapsed tiled roof.
Stacks of discarded crates.
Several nearby buildings appeared abandoned as well.
But the security told another story.
Patrols moved constantly.
One squad disappeared around the northern corner.
Less than a minute later, another appeared from the opposite direction.
There were almost no gaps.
Worse, several guards occasionally stopped and scanned the surroundings with deliberate attention.
Sensory-nin.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
Kusagakure clearly considered whoever was being held inside valuable.
The group stopped roughly a kilometer away.
Minato crouched.
One palm touched the earth.
His eyes closed.
Ren watched silently.
Although Minato was most famous for Flying Thunder God and the Rasengan, his sensory abilities were also exceptional.
Ren decided to perform his own reconnaissance.
His fingers moved.
Ram.
Boar.
Dog.
Bird.
Monkey.
He formed the seal connected to his Summoning Technique.
Hey.
Ren silently reached toward the consciousness connected to the technique.
Can you sense what's inside?
A response quickly appeared.
[Summoning Technique: …You really are unbelievable.]
Ren ignored the complaint.
[Summoning Technique: Am I a summoning technique or your personal sensory ninjutsu now?]
Details.
[Summoning Technique: Hmph. There are several shinobi inside that ugly warehouse. Nothing impressive. Most of them are weak.]
How weak?
[Summoning Technique: The kind that would become fertilizer if you hit them properly.]
Ren's eyebrow twitched.
That was surprisingly specific.
A moment later, Minato opened his eyes.
"Five."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Five prisoners are being held inside."
Ren's expression shifted slightly.
Not merely one Uzumaki.
Five people.
"There is also one guard squad stationed within the warehouse itself," Minato continued. "Their strength ranges from Chunin to approximately Jonin level."
His finger touched the rough map Shikuro had drawn.
"There are several layered barriers."
Tsume frowned.
"Can you break them?"
"Yes."
Minato answered immediately.
"But doing so quietly is the problem."
He tapped one point.
"If we forcefully destroy the barrier system, Kusagakure will detect it almost immediately."
Ren understood.
This wasn't an extermination mission.
They couldn't simply charge inside, kill everyone, and fight their way through Kusagakure.
Konoha officially had nothing to do with this.
The ideal outcome was simple:
Enter.
Take the target.
Disappear.
By the time Kusagakure understood what had happened, their attackers should already be long gone.
Minato looked toward Ren.
"I heard something interesting from Lady Tsunade."
Ren already knew what was coming.
"That giant lizard you recently contracted…"
Minato smiled.
"It can turn invisible, correct?"
Ren's lips curved.
"Not only itself."
That answer immediately drew everyone's attention.
Minato's eyes brightened.
"Good."
He took out a kunai and began drawing a more detailed map in the dirt.
His demeanor changed instantly.
The gentle teacher disappeared.
In his place stood one of Konoha's most dangerous shinobi.
Focused.
Precise.
Efficient.
"Listen carefully."
Everyone crouched around the map.
"I'll approach from the southern side."
Minato drew a line.
"I'll create an opening in the barrier here. The moment that happens, Tsume handles the nearest outer sentries."
Tsume grinned.
"Quietly?"
"As quietly as possible."
"No promises."
Kuromaru gave a low huff.
Minato wisely continued.
"Shikuro."
"Yes."
"Spread your insects around the entire sector."
Shikuro nodded.
"Wide-area surveillance, interference, and communication."
"Exactly."
Minato pointed toward several patrol routes.
"If anyone changes their patrol pattern, detects us, or calls reinforcements, I want to know immediately."
"Understood."
Then Minato pointed at himself.
"I'll remain mobile."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
Which translated into—
If anything went wrong, the Yellow Flash would appear there and make it stop going wrong.
Finally, Minato looked at Ren.
"You have the most important role."
Ren's expression became serious.
Minato traced a path through the map.
"Once I open the southern barrier, your lizard will take you through this route."
His finger stopped at the warehouse interior.
"Find the Uzumaki prisoner."
Ren nodded.
"Red hair?"
"Most likely."
The Uzumaki clan's distinctive crimson hair made identification fairly easy.
"Extract the target and retreat along the same route."
"What about the other prisoners?"
Minato paused.
That question hung in the air.
The mission was to rescue one person.
Not five.
Every additional person increased the risk.
Ren met his teacher's gaze.
Minato finally said, "Our priority is the Uzumaki."
Priority.
Not only objective.
Ren understood the distinction.
"If conditions allow?"
"Use your judgment."
Ren nodded.
That was enough.
Minato tapped the map one final time.
"Three minutes."
Everyone became silent.
"From the moment the barrier is breached, we ideally finish everything within three minutes."
One hundred and eighty seconds.
Enter an enemy village.
Neutralize guards.
Cross a barrier.
Locate the prisoner.
Extract them.
Retreat.
Ren smiled faintly.
So much for a simple mission.
"After extraction, we regroup here."
Minato marked a wooded area southwest of the warehouse.
"Then I'll use Flying Thunder God to remove everyone from Kusagakure."
His blue eyes swept across the group.
"Questions?"
"None."
"No."
"Understood."
Kuromaru gave a quiet bark.
Shikuro suddenly opened his palm.
A tiny cloud of black specks rose into the air.
Ren initially mistook them for dust.
Then he realized they were insects.
Extremely small insects.
Several drifted toward him.
"These are Silencing Insects."
Shikuro's voice remained emotionless.
"They will suppress minor noises produced by your movements."
Ren extended his hand.
The insects settled across his palm.
Then they crawled beneath his sleeve and disappeared against his clothing.
"They'll also transmit information back to me."
Shikuro looked toward the warehouse.
"If anything unexpected happens inside, I'll know."
He paused.
"And if I can assist you, I will."
Ren nodded sincerely.
"Thanks."
Everything was ready.
Minato slowly stood.
Morning sunlight filtered between the branches and fell across his disguised face.
Yet even hidden beneath a transformation, the pressure around him had changed.
This was no longer Team Minato training together.
No exam.
No friendly competition.
They were standing within striking distance of another hidden village.
If they failed—
Konoha could not openly acknowledge them.
Minato looked at each of them.
Then, for some inexplicable reason, his serious expression suddenly softened.
"The codename for this mission is…"
Ren had a bad feeling.
Minato raised one finger.
"Operation Save the Uzumaki and Escape the Sea of Suffering."
Silence.
Tsume stared at him.
Shikuro stared at him.
Ren stared at him.
Even Kuromaru seemed disappointed.
"…Teacher."
"Yes?"
"Did you come up with that?"
Minato coughed.
"The name isn't important."
Ren understood immediately.
He had absolutely come up with it.
Minato quickly restored his serious expression.
"Everyone."
His blue eyes sharpened.
"We succeed on the first attempt."
"Yes!"
Ren stepped forward.
He bit his index finger.
Blood welled across the skin.
His hands blurred through a sequence of seals before slamming against the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
BOOM!
White smoke erupted through the clearing.
Something enormous shifted within it.
A massive claw touched the earth.
Then another.
The smoke slowly cleared.
The Shadow-Hiding Giant Lizard appeared before them.
Its wounds from the Forest of Death had almost completely healed. Dark green scales covered its massive body, each one reflecting faint patches of morning sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Its golden eyes rotated toward Ren.
Through their contract, Ren transmitted the command directly.
We're sneaking into that warehouse.
The lizard blinked.
Then opened its enormous mouth.
Tsume stared.
Kuromaru took one step backward.
Shikuro tilted his head.
Minato looked inside the creature's mouth, then toward Ren.
Ren gestured casually.
"Get in."
Tsume's eyebrow twitched.
"You want us to climb inside its mouth?"
"It won't eat you."
The giant lizard opened its jaws slightly wider.
Rows of sharp teeth became visible.
Ren paused.
"…Probably."
Tsume glared at him.
"Probably?"
Ren laughed.
"I'm joking."
He stepped toward the creature first.
"The Shadow-Hiding Giant Lizard can conceal anything it keeps inside its body. Once we enter, our appearance, scent, and chakra presence will become much harder to detect."
Minato's expression brightened.
Even Shikuro seemed mildly impressed.
This wasn't simply invisibility.
For an infiltration mission—
It was nearly perfect.
Ren placed one foot inside the lizard's mouth and looked back at the others.
"Minato-sensei. Senior Shikuro. Senior Tsume."
His smile slowly faded.
Ahead of them, beyond the trees, patrols continued circling the warehouse.
Somewhere behind those walls, five prisoners waited.
One of them carried the blood of the Uzumaki clan.
And none of the Kusagakure shinobi had the slightest idea that Konoha's Yellow Flash was already standing less than a kilometer away.
Ren's eyes sharpened.
"Let's go save someone."
The giant lizard's jaws slowly closed behind them.
Its enormous body shimmered.
Then vanished completely.
And just like that—
Operation Save the Uzumaki had begun.
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