Outside the Iwagakure Camp, a hidden corner lay a Kunai. Suddenly, three figures appeared above the Kunai, none other than Ren and his two companions who had withdrawn from the Iwagakure Camp.
"This way."
The group didn't linger here. Minato Namikaze quickly picked up the Kunai from the ground after a brief instruction, leading the two along the path they came from.
As expected, not long after the trio left, a group of Iwagakure Ninja poured out from the camp behind them, led by Hiroki. After a brief pause at the camp entrance, they pursued the direction the trio had retreated. After all, while Minato had used Space-Time Ninjutsu to escape with the two, Iwagakure was not without skilled sensory Ninja. Although they couldn't fully track the trio's movements, they could still find some clues.
"They should be returning to the Konoha Camp. Fire a signal flare to alert all patrol squads. Split into teams here. If you encounter any lurking Leaf Ninja, do not act rashly. First, send a signal. Begin the operation."
Hiroki looked at the dark jungle in front of him, his eyes flickering as he gave the order. This jungle was filled with Iwagakure patrol squads, on twenty-four-hour rotating shifts, making it heavily guarded. He hadn't expected the trio to slip in.
"Yes!"
An Iwagakure Ninja pulled out a signal flare and shot it into the sky. Soon, a huge red firework exploded in the air.
On the other side, the trio, who were rushing through the forest, stopped in their tracks upon noticing the movement in the sky. Minato's expression became somewhat solemn.
"It seems Iwagakure Ninja have started tracking us. We must break out before they form an encirclement, otherwise, it might become troublesome."
After speaking, Minato turned and continued forward. The two followed closely.
"Wait, Minato-san, Shibi-senpai, something's wrong."
Ren suddenly sensed several Chakra fluctuations entering his sensory range and quickly called out to Minato Namikaze and Shibi Aburame, who were still moving ahead.
"What's wrong, Ren?"
"Four people have entered my sensory range. Based on their Chakra signatures, one is a Jonin and three are Genin. There should be a patrol squad, heading our way. At this speed, we should encounter them in about five minutes."
"Is that so..."
Minato Namikaze pondered for a moment and quickly made a decision.
"We'll set up an ambush here. If they don't notice us, that's best. If we're exposed, don't make too much noise. Act quickly, resolve the battle swiftly. We're not far from Iwagakure's Warning Line. Remember, our priority is a safe retreat, not a fight."
"Understood."
As Ren responded, Shibi Aburame had already stealthily positioned himself on a tree trunk. Soon, the three concealed themselves, suppressing their presence to the lowest possible level.
...
"Sensei, what does this signal flare mean?"
A Genin asked his sensei while on the move.
"It means the camp is under attack, and all patrol squads should be on alert."
The Jonin leading the team glanced at his student, replied, and then said no more, his gaze constantly vigilant of his surroundings.
"Then..."
The Genin was about to continue asking when he was stopped by a look from his companion. He could only swallow his questions in frustration and continued to move forward with his teammates.
Looking at his three students, the Jonin's heart was somewhat complex. Although their mission was to be vigilant and search for intruders, those who dared to invade the Iwagakure Camp were likely not ordinary individuals. If his ordinary patrol squad were to encounter them, the outcome would likely be grim. He was alone, so it didn't matter much to him, but these three children were still young. If they lost their lives because of this, he felt he would regret it for the rest of his life.
So he could only lead his squad to retreat first. Even if he were punished by the Village for it, he would accept it willingly.
As they passed the trio's hiding spot, the group didn't notice anything, passing directly through the encirclement. They moved further and further away within Ren's sensory range until they disappeared.
"Phew, it seems we don't need to make a move."
Ren let out a sigh of relief and signalled to the two hidden figures. The three regrouped.
"Since there are no problems, let's continue. Dawn is almost here."
Minato Namikaze looked at the night sky, where the darkness was beginning to recede, and softly said to the two.
The two nodded, and the trio continued to withdraw from the encirclement. Although they encountered two more Ninja teams along the way, fortunately, there were no major incidents.
When the trio broke through Iwagakure's Warning Line and returned to the Leaf Ninja's patrol Warning Line, they finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a great burden had been lifted.
"Six Paths Sage bless us, thankfully, the journey was smooth."
Hearing Ren's muttering, Minato Namikaze patted Ren's back and chuckled.
"Ren, you believe in these things too? But this mission was indeed quite smooth."
"Hiss!"
Ren gasped, turning to look at Minato Namikaze with a strained smile.
"Minato-san, could you not be so forceful? I should be considered an injured person right now."
"Uh..."
Minato looked at Ren with an embarrassed expression. There were two wounds where he had been patted, which were caused by the Ninjutsu clash when Ren fought Roshi earlier.
He hadn't felt much during the desperate dash earlier, but now that he was relaxed, Ren felt a series of stinging pains all over his body, as well as the physical weakness caused by the massive consumption of Chakra.
As expected of Lava Release. Even though he had been very careful, he still got hit.
"How about I carry you, Ren? Consider it my apology for what just happened. Let's hurry back to get you treated."
Minato Namikaze squatted in front of Ren, looking at him with an apologetic smile.
In Minato's eyes, no matter how strong Ren was, he was still just a child. After spending so much time together, Ren was no different from his younger brother.
"Hehehe, then I won't be polite."
Ren showed no hesitation, making a flying leap that caused Minato to stumble.
"Hiss!!"
Such a violent movement directly aggravated Ren's wounds, making him grimace in pain.
"You, what are you doing being so rambunctious?"
Minato chuckled helplessly, supporting Ren's inner knee joints with both hands, and turned to Shibi Aburame.
"Let's go, Shibi-senpai."
...
Although Shibi Aburame felt ignored, he had no proof. In the end, he could only nod, and the three continued towards the Konoha Camp.
Konoha Camp.
At this time, the sky was already dimly lit, and the night patrol squads were beginning to rotate with the day patrol squads.
The camp entrance was bustling with people. Among them, Minato, carrying the injured Ren, stood out, and even the usually low-profile Shibi Aburame received a moment of attention.