Ch20: Crisis 2/2

Yasuke and Minato were near the hospital, hiding behind some bushes, carefully scanning the building for an unguarded entrance.

-"There doesn't seem to be an easy way in," Yasuke whispered, frustration and worry evident in his voice.

Minato, maintaining his now usual calm, scanned the area. His mind was working quickly, trying to come up with a plan.

-We could try to get through the back. There might be less security," he suggested.

Yasuke nodded, ready to follow any clues that might lead him to the matron. Together, they moved stealthily toward the back of the hospital, avoiding detection.

As they moved forward, Minato couldn't help but notice the tension in Yasuke. He knew his friend was struggling with deep and complicated emotions, and he wanted to help him not only get into the hospital, but also deal with whatever they might find there.

-"Yasuke, no matter what, I'm with you on this," Minato said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Yasuke looked at Minato, and for a moment, the barrier of his stoicism weakened, revealing the underlying vulnerability.

-Thank you, Minato. That means a lot to me," Yasuke replied, his voice low.

They reached the back of the hospital and, to his relief, found a less guarded entrance. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, they crept toward the door.

Once inside, the challenge intensified. They had to navigate the hospital corridors undetected, looking for the room where the matron was.

-We must be quick and quiet," Yasuke whispered, leading the way with Minato at his side.

With each careful step, Yasuke and Minato moved deeper into the hospital's maze of corridors. Despite the tension, Minato kept his focus, using his sensing abilities to alert Yasuke to any nearby presence.

-Wait," Minato whispered, stopping abruptly. He placed his hand on the ground, closing his eyes to concentrate better. There's someone approaching.

Quickly, they hid in a nearby supply closet. Through the crack in the door, they watched a couple of nurses pass by chatting nonchalantly. Once the hallway was quiet again, they emerged from their hiding place and continued on their way.

-We need to find Grandma Nora's room without attracting attention," said Yasuke, checking every sign on the doors.

After several minutes that seemed like hours, they finally found the right room. However, their relief quickly faded as they saw two chunin standing in front of the door.

Minato looked at Yasuke, whose eyes reflected a dilemma. He wanted to see the matron, but confronting the chunin might make things worse.

-I have an idea," Minato whispered. He approached the chunin and, in a shaky voice, pretended to be lost and looking for the pediatric ward.

The chunin, though initially suspicious, finally gave in to Minato's apparent innocence and stepped aside to give him directions. Taking advantage of the moment of distraction, Yasuke quietly slipped over to Matron Nora's room and entered.

Yasuke, upon entering the room, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that it was empty. For a moment, confusion and disappointment came over him. He walked over to the window, remembering the plan he had agreed upon with Minato, and opened it, hoping to give his friend a sign.

It was then that he saw something that astonished him. Minato was outside, using his chakra to walk along the hospital walls. Although they had seen their teacher perform this feat, watching Minato do it was something else. However, Minato's inexperience became apparent as he began to lose concentration and stagger dangerously.

Just when it looked like Minato was about to fall, Yasuke quickly reached out and grabbed him, helping him up into the room.

-That was close," Minato exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.

-You have to be more careful," Yasuke replied, still shocked by what he had seen.

Together, they began to search the room for clues. On a desk, they found a document indicating that Matron Nora was being treated in the treatment room for critically ill patients.

-We have to go there," said Yasuke, his voice full of urgency.

But before they could plan their next move, the door to the room opened. One of the chunin guarding the entrance had entered to check the room.

The moment the chunin entered the room, Minato knew that directly confronting a ninja of that level was a considerable risk, given his own experience as a student at the academy. However, he also understood that it was his only chance to help Yasuke get to Grandma Nora.

With a swift movement, Minato threw a wooden kunai used by the academy for training to distract the chunin, thus creating a momentary opening. He was not trying to defeat him, but simply to buy time.

-Yasuke, go now! Find the matron! -Minato shouted, facing the chunin to keep his attention.

Yasuke, though reluctant to leave Minato behind, knew there was no time to waste. Nodding, he dashed down the hallway toward the treatment room for critically ill patients.

As Yasuke ran, Minato faced the chunin. He knew he could not win in prolonged combat, but his goal was simply to delay the chunin long enough for Yasuke to reach his destination. Using his agility and his training at the academy, he would dodge and counterattack, keeping the chunin busy.

Yasuke, meanwhile, was moving quickly through the halls, driven by the urgency of the situation and confidence that Minato could handle it. His heart was pounding, his mind focused solely on finding Matron Nora and making sure she was safe.

Faced with the chunin, Minato knew he had to rely on his basic taijutsu training to survive. The chunin, clearly more experienced and with refined technique, advanced toward Minato with a series of quick, precise strikes.

Minato, focused and alert, dodged the first blow, feeling the wind of the chunin's fist brush against his face. He stepped back quickly, aware that every move counted. The chunin was fast, his kicks and punches were like flashes of steel, but Minato moved with surprising agility for an academy student.

In an attempt to counterattack, Minato launched a series of quick punches, targeting the weak points he had learned in his classes. However, the chunin blocked each with frustrating ease, responding with a counterattack that forced Minato back.

The chunin attempted a leg sweep, seeking to knock Minato down, but Minato jumped nimbly, avoiding the fall. Landing, he rolled to the side just in time to dodge another blow aimed at his head.

Minato knew he couldn't let the fight drag on. Every second that passed was one more second Yasuke had to get to Granny Nora. Maintaining his defense, he was looking for any opportunity to create a breach and escape thus making the chunin follow him and forget about his friend.

The chunin, sensing Minato's evasive tactics, intensified his assault, trying to corner him. But Minato, using his knowledge of his surroundings, maneuvered around the room, keeping the chunin on the move and preventing him from catching him.

The battle between Minato and the chunin intensified, with Minato aware that he needed an ingenious strategy to overcome the chunin's experience. He recalled a recent lesson where his sensei had explained how too much chakra applied to an object could cause it to explode.

Distancing himself from the chunin, Minato pulled out a wooden kunai, one of the ones the academy provided to students, and swung it hard at his opponent.

- It's all or nothing," whispered the Namikaze to himself.

The chunin, seeing that it was only a wooden kunai, easily dodged it, dismissing it as a minor threat.

However, what the chunin did not expect was Minato's cunning. The moment the kunai flew past, a small cloud of smoke appeared where Minato had been. Using the substitution jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, Minato had exchanged his position with the kunai, a tactic that caught the chunin completely off guard.

Before the chunin could react, Minato emerged behind him, his last wooden kunai in hand. With a swift and precise movement, Minato pressed the kunai against the chunin's back and injected all of his chakra into it.

The chunin barely had time to feel the pressure of the kunai before a controlled burst of chakra enveloped him, throwing him to the ground and knocking him unconscious.

Exhausted and breathing heavily, Minato leaned against the wall, aware that he had exhausted all his chakra in the confrontation. The effort to use Kawarimi no Jutsu and the controlled explosion had left him weakened and vulnerable.

Glancing towards the door, he knew that the noise had been loud enough to attract the attention of the other chunin guarding the room. Trapped and out of energy for another confrontation, Minato braced himself for the inevitable.

However, despite the impending capture, a sense of accomplishment washed over him. He had created an effective distraction, giving Yasuke the time he needed to reach the matronly Nora. That was what mattered most.

As he waited for the other chunin to appear, Minato reviewed the events in his mind. Despite the desperate situation, he felt satisfied that he had accomplished his goal. He had shown courage and cunning, essential traits of a true shinobi.

Resigned but calm, he waited, knowing that he had done everything in his power to help his friend at a critical moment.

Continara....

Pd: If we reach 15votes the next chapter will be released.