Im Sakura, Rely on Pure Skill

The number of pursuing Cloud Village ninjas was increasing rapidly, putting Kakashi on high alert.

Roughly a hundred ninjas were now on their tail.

All of them followed in grim silence, their cold, knife-like gazes piercing through the atmosphere.

Even the usually calm and bold Raikage sensed something was wrong. He glanced at Darui.

Darui quietly explained in a low voice, "If we hadn't been caught in this situation, we could've discreetly intercepted the enemy and rescued Cee."

"But now, with so many witnesses seeing our leader being led around like a captive and unable to retaliate..."

During wartime, what is the least valuable thing?

Human life.

If any one of them were taken hostage, would the Raikage react the same way?

There were only three options now:

Cee commits suicide.

They kill Cee themselves.

The enemy kills Cee.

Even if they managed to rescue Cee, someone would undoubtedly die in the process.

Who would take responsibility for those deaths?

People would only talk about how precious Cee's life was, protected even by the Raikage himself.

If Cee survived, he would face rumors and contempt even worse than what Jinchūriki endured. The Raikage's reputation would also suffer.

Hearing this, the Raikage felt as though he had been struck by lightning. His previously composed expression darkened heavily.

His face twisted in agony. Cee was someone he had watched grow up, personally trained, and cherished as a rare sensory and genjutsu specialist in the village.

But now... Cee seemed destined to die.

Cee was in unbearable agony.

It wasn't physical torture, but the torment of his soul.

He struggled to look back at the increasing number of comrades behind him, afraid to meet their eyes.

He wasn't a fool.

What Darui had considered, he had already thought of himself.

He had been handpicked by the Raikage at a young age and recently promoted to his personal guard. He had a bright future ahead.

But now...

It felt like he was in the depths of hell!

Tears streamed down Cee's face. He couldn't help but recall his oath on the day he became a Raikage's guard:

To protect the honor of Cloud Village at the cost of his life.

"I... I..."

The Raikage immediately caught sight of Cee's anguished expression.

The Raikage's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened in panic—a rare sight for the usually resolute leader.

He was over forty, unmarried, and had no children.

To him, Cee was practically like a son.

No...

The Raikage instinctively reached out as if trying to grasp Cee.

However...

"Arghhh!"

Cee, whose jaw had been dislocated, let out an unintelligible roar, his tear-filled eyes showing a painful yet resolute expression.

This caught the attention of a pink-haired figure.

She had already sensed something was wrong. Her judgment had been clouded, and she'd chosen the wrong route. Cloud ninjas were multiplying around them...

"Roar!"

Cee's usually gentle eyes were now bloodshot, his face flushed red with fury!

Despite the excruciating pain, he had made up his mind—his final decision in life!

Sakura looked at him calmly. At this stage, aside from Tsunade, she was the strongest medical ninja.

Even if Cee slit his throat, she could save him in time.

But compared to Cee's actions, she had other concerns.

She had to carry Cee while navigating a dangerous path, remaining vigilant of the surroundings, and keeping an eye on the pursuing Raikage.

She was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Cee!"

The Raikage roared in fury, throwing caution to the wind as he charged toward Cee.

"Boss!"

Darui was stunned by Cee's choice but immediately moved to stop the Raikage from rescuing him.

Cee was in enemy hands. If he sacrificed himself, it would eliminate any hesitation among their comrades.

If Cee died, it would boost their army's morale, potentially turning their combat strength up to eleven.

Cee would no longer be seen as a disgraceful captive but as a heroic martyr.

As the Raikage moved, every Cloud ninja present followed suit in an all-out charge.

Cee glanced at Sakura, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

As a Raikage's guard, he was a candidate for the next Raikage.

But Cee had never wanted to become Raikage. He only wanted to follow that man.

When he became a Raikage's guard, he had considered many scenarios—including being captured.

...

...

Blood gushed from Cee's orifices.

His once-bright eyes now faded into lifeless stillness.

To the Raikage, time seemed to freeze.

He watched as the blond youth fell from the sky, his once twisted expression gradually softening, returning to the gentle demeanor he once had.

Scenes of Cee growing up flashed through the Raikage's mind.

He recalled the moment Cee became his personal guard.

When asked if he wanted to become Raikage someday, the gentle youth had smiled and replied:

"I know my limits. Just being your guard is enough for me."

...

What the hell?

Sakura was stunned.

Almost instinctively, she checked Cee's condition and discovered that tiny spiders had spread throughout his heart.

Earth spiders?

Sakura suddenly remembered that the Raikage's invasion of the Earth Spider Clan had led to one of his subordinates being cursed by their secret technique, sparking his arm-wrestling match with Tsunade...

Cee could still be saved. With time, Sakura could perform surgery to save him.

But it was clear the Raikage wouldn't give her that time.

...

"Ahhhhh!"

The Raikage's heart-wrenching roar shook the heavens.

Grief and anguish filled him as he watched the boy he had treated like a son die before his eyes.

It was as if he were reliving his father's death.

Even though he had told a crying Killer Bee that sadness was useless, no one knew the pain he carried alone at night.

This place... was hell!

After the sorrow came boundless rage!

The enraged Raikage lost all reason.

Lightning crackled wildly around his massive body as he charged at Sakura like a god of thunder.

"Lightning Lariat!"

The Raikage's thunderous roar shook the battlefield as he unleashed unprecedented speed!

"Sarutobi King!"

The moment Cee took his life, Sakura knew things had taken a turn for the worst. She immediately called out.

But how long was that moment?

Two seconds?

One second?

Half a second?

A tenth of a second?

The Raikage's colossal figure had already appeared before Sakura, casting a beast-like shadow over her.

Grief and fury surged forth like a flood in his earth-shattering punch aimed at Sakura.

There was no time to react!

No time!

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her.

Had the Raikage been holding back all this time?

Was this the opponent Minato Namikaze had faced?

As the Raikage's nearly feral punch was about to land squarely on Sakura's face, a defiant voice echoed in her mind:

"Switch out!"

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