"Almost there! We'll be safe soon!"
Kaoru bit her dry lips tightly, limping and racing against the lava while clutching her bleeding thigh.
As the pain from her wound and the severe depletion of her Chakra intensified, her speed grew slower and slower, and a hint of despair appeared in her eyes.
The war had just begun, and her inexperienced squad was scattered by the enemy. But fortunately, she managed to survive thanks to her decent strength and the assistance of the nearby Leaf Ninja.
Unexpectedly, she was injured in the thigh by an Iwagakure earth spike due to a moment of carelessness, and then controlled by a rock prison jutsu from an Iwagakure Ninja just before he died.
By the time the Four-Tails' attack arrived, she had barely broken free from the prison. The nearby Leaf Ninja had already successfully retreated, leaving her alone to retreat with her exhausted and injured body.
"Thump!"
Lost in thought, Kaoru didn't notice a rock under her foot. As her surroundings blurred and pain shot through her body, Kaoru finally reacted, turning her head with difficulty to look at the rock, a desperate smile on her face.
The scorching heat waves were rolling in. In Kaoru's vision, the spray from the lava waves seemed… beautiful.
Goodbye, big sister, Maiko-sensei, Captain Suzume Sosuke, oh, and Senior Ren!
Kaoru closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek.
If only I could, I really want to see what lies beyond the Land of Fire!
…
"Huh?"
Kaoru lay on the ground, waiting for a long time, but the expected pain never came. Instead, a cool sensation spread over her.
When she opened her eyes in confusion, she was deeply shocked by the sight before her. Her vermilion lips slightly parted, and she stared blankly at everything.
"This, this is…"
The entire hundred-meter radius of the lava sea was covered in a layer of pristine white. All the lava waves were frozen mid-air, with cooling lava beneath the thick layer of ice.
This spectacle, born from the clash of ice and fire, made everyone on the battlefield turn their heads, their gazes all converging on this spot.
"I say, how much longer are you going to lie on the ground?"
A slightly helpless voice reached Kaoru's ears. She turned her head to the side and saw an unexpected figure.
"Senior Ren!"
Kaoru exclaimed, forcing herself to get up. Although sharp pain shot through her wound, her eyes were incredibly bright.
"It looks like you're not in very good shape."
Ren calmed the Chakra within him, then summoned a Shadow Clone that knelt before Kaoru.
"Come on, I'll take you out of here!"
"Hehehe."
Kaoru awkwardly stuck out her tongue, then cautiously climbed onto the Shadow Clone's back, grabbing his collar to avoid falling off.
"Let's leave here first."
Ren nodded to the Shadow Clone, who then took the lead and ran towards the safe zone, while Ren brought up the rear to prevent any further accidents.
The Shadow Clone, having safely crossed the trench, hadn't even reacted when two figures suddenly appeared in front of him, and an anxious voice called out.
"Kaoru, are you alright?!"
The newcomers were Kaoru's captain, Suzume Sosuke, and her older sister, Haruka. Both were looking at Kaoru with urgency, clearly having witnessed the situation. If not for Ren, this girl would have lost her life today.
"Sister, I'm fine. Senior Ren saved me."
Kaoru poked her head out from the Shadow Clone's shoulder and said timidly. Her main issues were the wound and some Chakra exhaustion; there wasn't much else.
Haruka scrutinised her sister for a long time. Upon seeing the bleeding wound on her thigh, she looked around quickly, then hurried off to a nearby spot. Soon after, she returned with someone, followed by two more figures. Upon closer inspection, it was Minato's team.
"Where's the injured person?"
Rin had rushed over upon hearing that there was an injured person. Upon seeing Ren carrying Kaoru, she suddenly froze, then turned to Haruka and asked, somewhat confused.
"Ren's Medical Ninjutsu is very strong, why didn't you let him treat her?"
"Hmm?"
Haruka was startled, then slapped her forehead in annoyance. She had been so flustered that she'd rushed around for half a day when there was a perfectly capable person right there.
"No need, her injury is minor. Rin, you can do it."
The Shadow Clone found an open spot, set Kaoru down, and then stood to the side. Rin didn't think much of it, nodded, and stepped forward to examine her.
Upon seeing the wound on Kaoru's thigh, Rin turned her head and gave the Shadow Clone a strange look, then turned back to prepare for treatment.
The Shadow Clone, meanwhile, wiped a cold sweat from his brow, a sigh of relief in his heart. After all, that wound was truly inconvenient for him to treat. If it were an emergency, it would be one thing, but Kaoru's injury wasn't very severe, so it was best to let others handle it now.
"Ren, you scoundrel!"
The Shadow Clone turned around and saw a furious Obito and a questioning Kakashi beside him. The Shadow Clone twitched his lips, finally spreading his hands helplessly.
"Alright, I admit it, I didn't use my full strength when sparring with you guys. Happy now?"
"Argh, you brat, you were holding back! I…"
Obito said, flailing his arms. Before he could finish, Kakashi interjected coolly from the side.
"Even if he held back, you still couldn't beat him."
"What?! Bastard Kakashi! Do you want to fight?!"
Kakashi, in turn, rolled his Byakugan at Obito, then turned to the Shadow Clone and said.
"After we return to the village, let's have another match!"
The Shadow Clone paused slightly, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright!"
Just then, Suzume Sosuke from a distance walked over. Upon reaching the Shadow Clone, he bowed deeply.
"Huh?"
The few people present were all startled. Before they could react, Suzume Sosuke raised his head and said solemnly.
"Ren, thank you for saving my teammate!"
The Shadow Clone finally reacted, rubbing his nose, his gaze somewhat evasive.
"Ahem, well… it's nothing, Captain Sosuke, you don't have to worry about it too much."
Seeing Ren's expression, Kakashi helplessly rubbed his forehead. Ren, this guy, always acts like this when someone thanks him. In that regard, Obito and this guy are quite similar.
"Whatever you want to say, tell the main body when you get back. I'm going back to report the situation first."
"Bang!"
The Shadow Clone suddenly exploded, turning into a puff of white smoke and dissipating. The nearby people were startled once again.
"A Shadow Clone?"
Kakashi murmured, then his gaze turned towards the direction of the Four-Tails. At the edge of his vision, he could see a dark figure rapidly gliding through the frozen ice-fire waves towards the centre of the battlefield. Judging by the distance between the trench and that area, he must have just sent the person back and then returned.
Watching the figures rushing from all directions towards the centre of the battlefield, Kakashi twitched his lips, looked at the Four-Tails in the middle of the battlefield, and a hint of pity appeared in his eyes.
Even if it's a natural disaster… it feels like its chances of survival are slim.