Two hours was more than enough time for Uchiha Hayashi to reach the coordinates where Minato and the others were hiding.
When he arrived, Minato was still on watch near the pit. Nawaki lay unconscious at the bottom, his breathing faint and unstable, while Mikoto, clearly exhausted, had fallen asleep on the opposite side.
"What's the situation?" Hayashi asked after taking a moment to steady his breathing. After an hour of nonstop movement, both his chakra and physical stamina had been heavily drained.
"We were ambushed by Sand ninja and got separated from the original squad," Minato replied, brushing dust from his blond hair. "Nawaki is injured and poisoned. The Sand ninja nearby are tightening their defenses, and with our current strength, we can't break through."
"I understand," Hayashi said calmly. "You should rest for a few minutes as well."
Continuous, high-intensity vigilance was exhausting, especially since Minato had been maintaining it for over an hour without pause.
Hayashi dropped into the pit and instinctively reached out to check Nawaki's injuries. Halfway through the motion, he stopped. He had no knowledge of medical ninjutsu and no way to neutralize poison.
At that moment, the movement stirred Mikoto.
She sprang up instantly, like a compressed spring snapping loose. Without even opening her eyes fully, she thrust a kunai forward.
...
"Mikoto, it's me."
Hayashi deflected the kunai with his left hand and placed his right palm gently against her forehead, stopping her strike while she was still half-awake.
A few seconds later, Mikoto's eyes fully opened. When she recognized the boy in front of her, tears immediately welled up.
Hayashi reached out and wiped them away with his thumb. "It's alright. I'm here now. Everything will be fine."
...
During the short rest, Hayashi quickly examined the surrounding terrain and map.
"This area is relatively close to the main battlefield camp," he said. "We'll head there first."
"Minato, you carry Nawaki. Mikoto, stay to the side and provide protection. I'll take the front, hold off the Sand ninja, and open a path. Once you get close to the camp, someone will meet you."
"Yes," Minato and Mikoto answered at the same time.
After mentally reviewing the plan one last time and finding no omissions, Hayashi was the first to leap out of the pit. Minato followed, carrying Nawaki on his back, with Mikoto bringing up the rear.
"Try to keep up with my pace," Hayashi said. "We'll break through quickly and return to the Leaf's main battlefield camp in the shortest time possible."
According to Minato, the Sand ninja were tightening their defenses. Their escape would likely end in one of two ways. Either they would collide head-on with a Sand puppet master squad, or they would reach the camp without resistance.
The battlefield was vast. Even with large numbers, the Sand Village could not completely seal every route. The main battlefield camp was not far from their position, and at their speed, twenty minutes would be enough.
The reason Minato and the others had been unable to retreat earlier was simple. Their strength was insufficient.
The enemies near the main battlefield were no longer squads led by elite Chunin from the outskirts. Combined with Nawaki's injuries, breaking through alone had been impossible.
Now that Hayashi had arrived, their confidence returned. As long as they did not encounter an opponent above elite Jonin level, Hayashi was confident he could protect them and lead them out safely.
Channeling chakra into his legs, Hayashi surged forward.
He deliberately restrained his speed to match the others, yet even so, Minato and Mikoto were barely able to keep up while Minato carried Nawaki.
At this pace, there was no room for careful observation. Reconnaissance was entrusted entirely to the large white bird cradled in Hayashi's arms.
They advanced rapidly.
Halfway through the journey, there were still no signs of Sand ninja.
Then suddenly, a white flare streaked into the sky, bursting into brilliant light against the darkness.
...
Hayashi frowned.
He did not recall the Leaf ever using white flares. This signal belonged to the Sand Village. He had seen it before on the outer battlefield during night operations.
The flare rose from the right, not far away.
Charging openly toward the camp was bound to attract the attention of Sand sensory ninja. Although they would not dare to approach too close to the Leaf's camp, at this distance, they had confidence.
"Be careful," Hayashi said in a low voice. "I'll break through the frontline blockade. You move immediately toward the camp."
Without hesitation, he pulled a red flare from his ninja pouch and fired it into the sky.
At this distance, any ninja in the camp who was awake would see it.
But this action carried a serious risk. It could reignite the war between the Leaf and the Sand Village.
At this point, however, there was no room for hesitation. If they delayed any longer, all of them would die here.
...
At the same time, inside the Leaf's base, Tsunade, fresh from surgery, suddenly grabbed Orochimaru by the collar. Nearby ninja froze in shock.
"What did you say?" she demanded.
Noticing the attention around them, Orochimaru tried to pull free, but her grip did not loosen. He could only answer helplessly, "Squad One was ambushed by Sand ninja during their mission."
Tsunade's expression darkened. Her grip tightened even further, forcing Orochimaru to speak quickly.
"Don't worry. I've already sent Hayashi to rescue them."
After a brief silence, Tsunade finally released him. "Where are the coordinates? I'm going now."
"Hayashi has already left," Orochimaru replied. "At his speed, they'll be gone by the time you arrive."
"So I'm supposed to do nothing?" Tsunade snapped. "That's my brother!"
"You should head to the main battlefield camp," Orochimaru said after a moment's thought. "They'll be moving in that direction. But be prepared for combat. If Chiyo learns that it's your brother, she won't let this chance pass."
"She wouldn't dare," Tsunade said coldly.
Without another word, she turned and strode out of the base, white coat fluttering, her posture radiating readiness to fight anyone who stood in her way.
Orochimaru watched her leave and sighed softly.
Ever since Mito's death, Tsunade had been different.
It seemed that she had begun to fear death.
Tsunade herself understood that fear. She simply could not overcome it.
In recent years, her family had suffered one tragedy after another. Her grandfather, her great-uncle, her parents, her grandmother. None of them had died peacefully.
At some point, fear had taken root in her heart, fear of losing those she loved.
If Nawaki died…
Perhaps she would no longer be able to call herself a ninja.
---