Tenchi Bridge!

"Old Man,"

"What are you not telling?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen beckoned Naruto to come over to his side.

Naruto then appeared beside Asuma and Hiruzen.

Hiruzen pointed to the letter that was on his desk.

Naruto read across the letter with his frown deepening at every line.

("The nerve…") Naruto clenched his fists upon reading the last line which read, The Yellow flash will be taken as a prisoner in exchange for letting Hinata out.

Naruto was angry,

The Grass village had two hostages instead of one, both Kurenai and Hinata.

Kurenai would be used for the exchange with Karin while Hinata would be a bait for the yellow flash to turn himself in…

Naruto looked at Kiba, Shino, and Karin.

"Excuse us for a moment," Naruto said.

"But…" Kiba was unwilling especially since he could not get over the fact that Naruto was a jōnin in charge.

Shino took Kiba away, followed by Karin from behind.

She took a look at Naruto before closing the door.

Naruto looked at Hiruzen.

"Where's the photo they sent according to the letter?" Naruto asked.

Hiruzen lifted the letter to reveal a photo where Hinata was tied to a chair being surrounded by five ninjas and wires which indicated that they were rigged to go off the moment Hinata got up.

"Hinata…" Naruto stared at Hinata in the picture who was unconscious.

Naruto was ready to go on a rampage.

However, with the power he wielded right now, he was more than confident enough to subdue those enemies without any dramas.

"It will be impossible for me to rescue her in that kind of situation," Minato sighed as he stared at the photo in Naruto's hand.

Naruto gripped his fists tightly.

If he was to teleport there now, he could rescue Hinata while potentially sustaining some injuries, which he could heal using sage mode and then go on a rampage to his heart's content. However, there was also a possibility that Kurenai's life would be used to threaten.

Naruto did not want to take this risk since he had already seen Mirai growing without Asuma under Kurenai. Naruto wished to save Asuma this time so they could have a life together.

But the Grass Village's plan got them good this time.

Minato placed a hand over Naruto's shoulder.

"Dad…" Naruto stared at Minato.

Hiruzen looked at Naruto.

"Naruto,"

"As your first official jōnin mission, Asuma will also accompany you," Hiruzen said.

"Mm!" Naruto nodded towards Asuma.

"So, what's your plan?" Hiruzen asked.

"We have no choice but to go with the exchange…" Naruto shook his head.

"Is it that bad?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yeah…"

"If it were just Hinata, there would be no problem, but Kurenai-sensei is involved as well…" Naruto said.

*Door Opens*

Naruto and the others turned their gazes towards the door to see Tsunade storm in.

"Is it true that Hinata has been kidnapped?" Tsunade asked as her eyes scanned around the room only to land on the photo that Naruto held in his hand.

("It's true…") Tsunade was shocked following which she grabbed the photo from Naruto's hand.

Naruto glanced at the photo before it left his hand, following which his eye widened.

"I might be able to rescue her…" Naruto murmured.

"Huh?" Tsunade looked at Naruto.

"Granny, can you draw out blood from Hinata and examine the poison to make an antidote?" Naruto asked.

"I can, but how do you plan to bring her out in the first place?" Tsunade asked.

"I have an idea,"

"I am not sure to what extent it can work though…" Naruto said following which he raised his right index finger up in the air.

*sh!*

Naruto's index finger had chakra accumulated at the tip of it.

Naruto brought his left hand out and started to inscribe his Flying Thunder seal onto his ring finger.

"What are you doing?" Hiruzen asked, however, Minato was stunned.

"Naruto…"

"You…" Minato was stunned as he understood Naruto's plan.

Naruto looked towards Hiruzen.

"Can you get the exact model of a chair depicted in the picture along with the ropes?" Naruto asked.

"Leave it to me," Hiruzen said following which, he looked at Minato.

"Lord Fourth,"

"Get the first and the same ropes from the armory," Hiruzen said.

"Understood," Minato nodded and teleported out of the office.

"What are you doing Naruto?" Hiruzen asked.

"This is a new jutsu dad worked on,"

"Now if I am correct in applying it,"

"I might be able to switch places with Hinata," Naruto said.

"Switch places?" Hiruzen, Asuma and Tsunade were surprised.

(Whoosh!)

Minato and Hashirama appeared in their ANBU outfits.

"Naruto," Hashirama called out.

"Lord First," Naruto responded, following which he looked towards Tsunade.

Tsunade understood and showed the picture in her hand towards her grandfather.

"Can you make the same chair in the picture?" Tsunade asked.

"Hm…" Hashirama stared at the picture.

"Okay," Hashirama flexed his fingers following which he joined them together…

< Wood release! >

(Bang!)

Wood emerged all of a sudden from the floor and morphed into a chair.

Tsunade looked around the chair.

"There's some design on this part of the armrest," Tsunade pointed out in the picture.

"I see…" Hashirama observed the picture following which he placed his hands on the side of both the armrest to inscribe the design.

"Done," Hashirama said as he lifted his hand.

Tsunade bent down to observe the chair.

"It's good!" Tsunade nodded in approval following which she looked towards Naruto.

Naruto then brought his hands together.

< Transform! >

Naruto transformed into Hinata.

…

Naruto sat on the chair and got tied up by Tsunade in the same manner that Hinata was tied up in the picture.

Naruto then looked at the picture once again and adjusted his posture accordingly.

"Okay, the preparations are complete," Naruto said, following which he looked at Tsunade.

"Be ready to draw Hinata's blood," Naruto said.

"Leave that part to me, I will be done with that in ten seconds," Tsunade said as she took out a tube with an attached needle to its cap from within her sleeves.

*Footsteps*

Minato walked towards Naruto.

"Good Luck!"

"Naruto," Minato said.

"Mm!" Naruto nodded following which, he closed his eyes.

("The clone switch works using the seal as a basis for switching between clones, as long as I apply the same principle...")

< Flying Thunder God - Substitution! >

*Sh!*

There seemed to be no reaction on the exterior at all.

"Did it fail?" Minato stared at Naruto.

(Bang!) The door opened.

"Hinata!" Kiba called out, followed by Akamaru running towards Hinata who was tied up in the chair.

"Hinata?" Tsunade was confused.

"This smell…"

"There is no mistaking it,"

"It's definitely Hinata," Kiba smiled.

"SHIT!"

("Three seconds have already elapsed,") Tsunade calculated as she immediately raised Hinata's sleeve and pierced her hand with a tube.

*drip*

*drip*

The tube quickly started filling with blood.

"What are you doing?" Kiba asked.

"Get away from her," Tsunade shouted as she raised her other free hand in the air with two fingers extended.

*Sh!* a green light lit up at the tip of her two fingers.

("About seven seconds have elapsed…") Tsunade calculated as she pulled out the tube filled with blood and placed her other hand with the two extended fingers onto the spot where she had pierced Hinata with the needle.

*Sh!*

The pierced spot healed without letting any blood out.

"Ten seconds!" Tsunade announced.

*sh!*

The transition happened quietly.

"Hmm…?" Kiba was curious upon finding Hinata's scent disappear away,

"That's Naruto," Shino said.

"huh?" Kiba looked at Shino who stood at the door.

("That voice,")

"Shino," Naruto who was transformed as Hinata called out.

"Naruto," Kiba was surprised to see Hinata speaking like Naruto.

(Poof!)

Naruto undid his transformation.

Tsunade looked at Naruto.

"I'll have this analyzed as the top priority,"

"I should be able to have an antidote ready in two hours if it is a poison I can deal with," Tsunade said as she headed out the door.

"Mm!" Naruto nodded.

"Naruto,"

"Were you able to find out anything?" Hiruzen asked.

Naruto shook his head dejectedly.

"I didn't open my eyes,"

"However, I was able to sense that I was surrounded by five ninjas,"

"As for Kurenai-sensei,"

"I couldn't get a lock on her location," Naruto said.

"I see…" Asuma said with a calm face; however, the people in the room knew that Asuma's thoughts were complicated on the inside.

Naruto looked at Kiba and Shino.

"Sorry Guys, could you stay outside for a bit,"

"We still have to discuss things," Naruto said in a calm voice.

Kiba, however, was almost feeling the world spin around him.

First Naruto was made jōnin without explanation.

Now Hinata appeared for ten seconds and disappeared only to see Naruto undo his transformation.

Kiba could not keep up at all as such he could only nod helplessly and walk out of the room.

Hiruzen looked at Naruto.

"Since, the antidote is being prepared,"

"I can only assume that we are not going to follow through with the negotiations," Hiruzen said.

"Yeah…" Naruto discussed his plans with Hiruzen and Asuma along with Hashirama and Minato in sight.

...

Soon the team left the village with the antidote prepared by Tsunade.

...

In the evening,

Naruto, Asuma, Kiba (with Akamaru), Shino and Karin had appeared.

The team faced the ninjas who stood on the other side of the Tenchi Bridge…

——————————

Next time on NRe - Training Part 5 continued; (hidden spoiler title)