"Oh no! The gourd!"
Tenten panicked. Luckily, she had already left her own Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) formula on every single one of the Six Paths Ninja Tools, so she flashed after them immediately, not caring about her own safety at all.
"Tenten, don't go!"
Konan, Shikamaru, and the others tried to stop her, but it was already too late. In an instant, their worry spiked.
If Tenten went alone, it would be incredibly dangerous. This was bad.
At that moment, Tobirama and Minato had already flashed in with the Red Gourd in front of Orochimaru. Orochimaru decisively pulled the stopper out at once—yet nothing happened.
Seeing that, Obito immediately placed one hand on the gourd and poured a huge amount of chakra into it.
Whoosh!
A figure shot out from the mouth of the gourd and took the form of Madara.
Uchiha Madara—freed.
"Hahahaha! I, Uchiha Madara, am out!"
Madara's face twisted into manic laughter. Then, as if remembering something, his eyes darted around at lightning speed.
"Hashirama! Hashirama, where are you?! I, Uchiha Madara, am out! Where is Hashirama?!"
The second he escapes, he starts looking for his lover. Just how much do you like Hashirama?
Honestly, you had it coming—getting sealed in the Red Gourd.
Right then, Tenten suddenly flashed in, snatched the stopper with quick hands, and jammed it back into the gourd's mouth. The gourd still contained the Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) army. Letting the enemy release them would be catastrophic.
As Tenten moved to seize the gourd, Obito chopped a hand across to intercept her.
If he weren't worried about blasting away his own side, he probably would have used Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push) to fling Tenten away, but even so, Tenten's situation was still extremely dangerous.
The next second—whoosh!
Natsuki abruptly appeared beside the gourd, forcefully yanked it over, then flashed in front of Tenten, placing her behind him.
Tenten's voice trembled with tears. "Natsuki… it's all my fault. I let that great devil out!"
Madara, the "great devil," looked displeased. "Who are you calling a great devil, you little brat? I, Uchiha Madara, am the savior. You there—Natsuki. Tell me where Hashirama is!"
So you really are still hung up on your best buddy.
Natsuki gave a dry chuckle. "Your Hashirama is sealed by my Mafūba (Demon Sealing Wave)."
Madara froze—then rage detonated across his face. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Hashirama isn't that weak. There's no way you sealed him. You're lying!"
"I'm not lying. It's true."
Natsuki's expression went serious. "First Hokage-dono said the person he hates most in this life is a guy named Uchiha Madara. He doesn't want to see you at all, so he'd rather be sealed by me."
Madara went blank, as if smashed by a hammer out of a clear sky.
Natsuki didn't linger. He flashed away with Tenten and the Red Gourd.
The moment they returned, everyone crowded in.
"Tenten, are you okay? That was way too reckless! You scared the hell out of us!"
Tenten's eyes were rimmed red. "Everyone… I'm sorry. I didn't protect the Red Gourd. That devil Uchiha Madara got out…"
Everyone's faces changed. They hadn't expected Madara to break free after all.
But no one blamed Tenten.
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "If we're talking responsibility, honestly, I'm the most at fault. I never thought White Zetsu would have infiltrated headquarters too. That's how the enemy got their opening."
Konan added, "I'm the one who failed to protect the Red Gourd. I was guarding Tenten, but I didn't notice Black Zetsu making a move from behind. I didn't do my job. So, Tenten, you don't need to blame yourself. This isn't your fault."
Darui spoke up too. "I loosened up because we were resting. By the time I realized, I was a step late. That's on me too."
"Everyone…"
Tenten knew they were comforting her. She was moved… but she felt even more guilty.
Natsuki patted her on the head. "You silly girl. If you're blaming yourself, you're being arrogant. Black Zetsu called in the Second and Fourth Hokage. Their Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) is smoother than mine—fastest in the entire shinobi world. Even if I'd been the one guarding the Red Gourd, I might not have been able to keep it safe. So who are you to look down on those two and blame yourself? And besides, you risked your life to grab the Red Gourd, and you kept the Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) army sealed inside. That's already impressive."
The others chimed in as well. "Yeah. Yeah. Tenten, stop blaming yourself."
Tenten sniffed, wiped her eyes hard, and rasped, "Then fine—I'll be arrogant. Next, I'm using the Red Gourd to seal every last one of them!"
That was the kind of girl she was. She steadied herself fast.
Natsuki checked the Red Gourd again and found only his and Tenten's Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) markings. He immediately relaxed.
Looks like Tobirama and Minato hadn't intentionally left any formula on the gourd. If they had, it would have been dangerous and messy. Natsuki would have had to constantly worry about Tenten's safety.
Still, the fact that Obito had managed to release Madara surprised Natsuki.
This was a Six Paths tool. Even if you pulled the stopper, a sealed person shouldn't be able to come out unless the user could actually control the gourd.
But Obito had forced Madara out just by pouring chakra into it. Was it because of the Rinnegan?
Fortunately, Obito wasn't skilled with it yet. If he'd released the previously sealed Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) army all at once, that would have been a disaster on a completely different scale.
Natsuki also checked Tenten's condition more carefully, then knocked her forehead with a finger.
"You really did go wild. That much chakra burn, and you don't have that many chakra batteries either. Be more careful. Were you trying to drain yourself dry and pass out?"
"I know, okay, I messed up," Tenten said, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Natsuki couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.
But with Tenten acting like that, it was obvious her mindset had fully recovered. No need to worry.
Natsuki said, "Next, I'll handle Madara. Good thing I sealed the First Hokage earlier—at least I won't have to fight two monsters at once. Tenten, you stay in the rear and follow the command staff's orders. Do not take risks. Remember this—I'm not able to rush in and save you every time."
As he spoke, he stared straight at Tenten until she nodded seriously. Only then did he ease up.
Natsuki lightly kissed Tenten on the forehead, and then he vanished.
"You two are really close," Konan said, envy in her voice.
Konan had once had two people she was very close to as well. Not lovers, but family in everything that mattered… only now, both of them were gone.
Tenten only smiled faintly and didn't say anything.
She and Natsuki weren't married yet, but they were already like an old married couple. Their bond had long since moved past the heat-and-drama of young love. It was steady and real.
So no matter where they were, their closeness came naturally. It wasn't performative, and it wasn't meant to show off.
Even with others nearby, they didn't feel awkward. It was simply the way they were—no need to care about anyone else's gaze.
(End of Chapter)
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