Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

A toad breached the surface of the river behind the enemy lines, having slipped past their patrols.

Though Shikuro Aburame's team was drawing the attention of the Kiri ninja on the far bank, this side remained heavily guarded. The toad raised its head for a moment, then dove back beneath the water, swimming toward the island's interior.

Inside the toad, Minato and Takeshi were crammed into the tight space, practically pressed together. They couldn't move, let alone speak or get a sense of what was happening outside. Takeshi could only rely on his sensory abilities to probe their surroundings, but the results were minimal.

'Without Sage Mode, my range is just too narrow,' Takeshi thought. He considered if he should exchange his points for a different sensory ability, but quickly decided against it.

The most versatile was the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, but the price was steep at just fifteen thousand points. Besides, he figured Kanna had the potential to develop it herself. And even if Kanna wasn't nearby, he could always learn the Reverse Summoning Jutsu. 

It cost twelve thousand points, which seemed like a lot but was actually reasonable. Reverse Summoning was a more advanced application of the technique, requiring a contract, but it meant he could summon anyone on his scroll, Rin, Kanna, that lazy white pig Nekotama, even the four new Cat minions.

Still, it wasn't necessary right now. He wasn't in a rush to spend the points. Both Mount Myoboku and Shikkotsu Forest had mastered Reverse Summoning. 

When the time came, he could seek guidance from either of them and save himself two or three thousand points. Why waste them if he didn't have to?

"Croak... We're here," the toad's voice rumbled. "I can sense a lot of enemies ahead. Any further and they'll spot us."

The next second, Minato vanished in a flicker of the Flying Thunder God, reappearing outside.

Once outside, the reaction was instantaneous.

"Who's there?"

"Enemy attack!"

"It's Minato Namikaze! Watch out for his Flying Thunder God!"

Amid the shouts, someone began barking orders. Within moments, seven or eight squads swarmed their position.

'They're fast,' Takeshi noted as he emerged from the toad, finding himself momentarily ignored. He immediately started thinking of how to use that to his advantage. If he played this right, he could turn this ambush into a counterattack.

He quickly spent two thousand points in the store, redeeming a cheap but effective jutsu.

Water Release: Surfing Strike.

In a place surrounded by river water, its effect would be exceptional.

"Takeshi, hold them off," Minato whispered. "I'm going for the Third Mizukage."

Takeshi didn't respond, but Minato knew he'd been heard and would follow the plan.

As the Kiri teams closed in, Minato charged. Even without the Flying Thunder God, his speed was phenomenal, covering a huge distance in a blur. Just then, the dense fog grew thicker.

Around forty Kiri ninja encircled them, unleashing a volley of jutsu before they were even in range. But Minato was a golden flash. Weaving between the attacks with his raw speed and the Flying Thunder God, he was an impossible target. 

As he slipped through, the Kiri ninja tightened their formation, becoming more concentrated.

Meanwhile, behind the main assault...

*Splash.*

A cat's head poked out of the river. The moment he surfaced, he expelled a high-pressure jet of water from his mouth. It swept across the ranks of the rearguard, and blood sprayed into the air.

'Water Release: Surfing Strike!' the Third Mizukage thought, finally unable to sit still. 'The Second Hokage's jutsu... No one has mastered it in years, and now someone was using it again'

He stared. 'No. That's not a person. It's that damned cat!'

"Stop Minato! Watch out for them using the Flying Thunder God to switch places!" he shouted again, then leaped onto the river.

Forming hand signs, the river water gradually turned into oil.

The Third Mizukage had followed the First and Second Mizukage since he was young. He'd learned many ninjutsu from both, and the Oil Transformation Jutsu was one of them.

But his proficiency was limited.

He couldn't master Gengetsu Hozuki's signature jutsu, Steaming Danger Tyranny. Even the Oil Transformation was only superficial, mainly used to complement other ninjutsu and sealing techniques. This particular application seemed to be a sealing technique.

Takeshi felt the change in the water instantly, a subtle greasiness that couldn't fool his senses.

'Oil?'

Without hesitation, the black cat used the Flying Thunder God, appearing right beside Minato. The Third Mizukage didn't mind that his trap had failed, at least it had forced the cat out into the open.

But his relief was short-lived. He watched as the black cat became a blur of motion.

"Ah!"

"I'll kill yo-"

Screams tore through the fog. Before most of the ninja trailing Minato could react, a powerful tail swept them away. It was clear they wouldn't survive. In the blink of an eye, the majority of the pursuers were gone.

By now, Minato had broken through the final line of defense.

The Third Mizukage's eyes, perpetually narrowed to slits, remained calm even as Minato charged him. The moment Minato was in range, the decorative beads on the Mizukage's head shot out, unfurling into a net of sealing tags, much like Ao's own technique.

'Trying to catch Minato with sealing jutsu?' Takeshi thought, almost amused. 'That's a fool's errand.' Minato was personally taught sealing jutsu from Jiraiya and Kushina, sealing jutsu were his specialty.

Just as he expected, Minato flashed through a series of hand signs, performing a release technique that easily dismantled the sealing net. He then slapped his hand onto the falling tags.

Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder.

The tags vanished, sent harmlessly out to sea.

The Third Mizukage fell back as the surrounding Kiri ninja melted into the fog. But Takeshi had already abandoned the grunts he was fighting, using one of Minato's kunai to teleport to his side. He had already entered Sage Mode and opened the Gate of Opening.

The Third Mizukage retreated and quickly used Water Release: Giant Vortex Jutsu.

But... Takeshi's Water Release: Surfing Strike worked.

As long as there was water, he could use it to travel quickly. The Third Mizukage was the source of this great waterfall, so all he had to do was ride against the flow.

Before the Mizukage could react, a black claw shot out from the water and slapped his leg, marking him with the Flying Thunder God mark.

At the same time, Takeshi unleashed another jutsu.

Ice Release: Ice Prison! 

The two jutsu were released almost simultaneously. The Third Mizukage had no time to react, bound by chains of solid ice. Immediately after, while the Kirigakure ninja were still unable to react, he was jointly taken away by Minato and Takeshi.

"Mizukage-sama!"

"Where did he go?"

The Mizukage Guard and Anbu were dumbfounded.

What kind of fight was this? It looked more like a kidnapping, carried out by thugs who just charged in and didn't listen to reason at all.

"What to do?"

"Capture the Byakugan user!" the Mizukage guard captain shouted, regaining his composure. "He's the Hyuga clan head! We'll trade him for Mizukage-sama!"

The Kiri ninja turned as one, surging toward the other side of the battlefield. But Hiashi was a seasoned veteran. A clan head who dared to join such a dangerous mission was far from weak. The moment he saw Minato and Takeshi succeed, he had already begun to retreat with rest of the team.

Even so, they were overwhelmed. There were layers of Kiri ninja ahead and reinforcements closing in from behind. They were surrounded.

Shikuro's insects were powerful, but against a flood of Water Release users, they were of little use. He grit his teeth. "Duy, it's up to you."

"I'm ready!"

At the command, Might Duy didn't hold back. He bypassed the lower gates and opened the Sixth Gate directly. He became a green blur of motion. His attacks weren't refined techniques like his son Guy would one day use, but his raw speed and power were more than enough. With a flurry of punches and kicks, he carved a bloody path through the enemy ranks, sending a score of ninja flying.

'This man's power... it's monstrous!' Hiashi thought, stunned. He had never seen Duy's true strength before. This was his first time on a mission with the man, and his first time witnessing the power of the Eight Gates. It was overwhelming. Pure taijutsu, raised to an invincible level.

In moments, Duy had carried them hundreds of meters, leaving the Kiri ninja struggling to keep up. He had punched a hole straight through their lines, leaving only scattered stragglers who were no match for Hiashi's team.

But even Duy had his limits. There were simply too many Kiri ninja, nearly a thousand from the remaining nine camps, plus several thousand more from the main force. They were a mountain of bodies. Duy's raw power couldn't kill them all.

Just then, a black shadow landed on Hiashi's shoulder before leaping high into the air, chakra gathering in his mouth.

'Takeshi?' Hiashi felt a surge of relief, then shock. 'They dealt with the Third Mizukage that quickly? That was incredibly fast!'

The Third Mizukage was no pushover. But he specialized in sealing jutsu, and trying to use them on Minato was like trying to teach a fish to drown. Minato could undo his seals, but the Mizukage couldn't break the Uzumaki clan's. With Takeshi providing support, the Kage had fallen in just a few moves.

"Watch out!" Kushimaru yelled, having just arrived on the scene. He saw the black cat in the air and felt a deep sense of dread.

But his warning came too late. The jutsu was unleashed.

It was a shuriken of pure wind. Normally, a long-range attack like the Rasenshuriken had a questionable hit rate against a single opponent. But against a dense crowd of Kiri ninja, it was guaranteed to hit something.

Takeshi's target was a spot not far from the swordsman. Kushimaru scrambled to get away, but Jinpachi wasn't as fast. The Rasenshuriken slammed down, and in the next instant, a violent storm of chakra blades erupted, swallowing him whole.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were down another member.

*Boom!* The gale whipped the river into a terrifying tidal wave. The Kiri ninja fled in a panic, and even Hiashi's team scrambled for their lives, terrified of being swept away by the tsunami.

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