C14

After Minato sprang into action, Russell stopped monitoring the battlefield, confident in Minato's abilities.

His eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Uchiha Obito, but even after Minato rescued the pair, Obito remained elusive.

Not far from Russell, in a dense forest, Uchiha Obito stood frozen in place.

"Ah Fei, let me go. I need to find Rin and Minato-sensei!"

"Obito, you're not in any condition to go out. We should return to the class leader first."

While speaking, Ah Fei took control of Obito's body and began to retreat.

Completely enveloped by Ah Fei, Obito had no chance to resist. Despite his struggles, he could only watch helplessly as he was taken farther away from Minato and the others.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

He cursed silently, unable to even speak.

Elsewhere, Zetsu was seething with frustration. "How is this possible? Namikaze Minato should be in Konoha. How could he be here?"

True to its reputation, the ancient entity quickly regained composure and set off for Uchiha Madara's cave.

Their ability to conceal themselves was formidable; Russell had observed for quite some time and still came up empty.

"I wonder if Obito witnessed any of this." He shook his head slightly and mused, "Well, he probably did. And even if he didn't, it doesn't matter."

He then joined Kushina and approached Minato and Kakashi.

By the time they arrived, Minato had already dispatched the remaining Genin.

"Wuwuwu, Minato-sensei, there's a monster inside me that will destroy Konoha if I return. You have to kill me!"

Nohara Rin sobbed, realizing she hadn't collided with the Lightning Slash.

Russell couldn't help but be amused by the deception, a ploy that might only fool children. He turned to Kushina and said, "The Mizukage's people have sealed the Three-Tails inside Rin, but the seal is unstable. Sis, could you help me reseal it?"

After Russell finished explaining, Minato and Kushina had an epiphany about Nohara Rin's behavior.

They were torn between laughter and tears as they reassured her, "Don't worry. You just have a tailed beast inside you. Kushina here has one too, and it's even more powerful than yours, and she's perfectly fine, right?"

In the midst of their conversation, Kushina released a faint trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra.

"Is that... really true?" Rin, halting her tears, looked up at Kushina with a forlorn gaze.

Kushina nodded tenderly and assured her, "Absolutely, it's been that way for many years. Now, let me set up a proper seal for you, and everything will be alright."

With that, Kushina placed her hand on Rin's abdomen and declared, "Eight Trigrams Seal!"

This was the ideal sealing technique Kushina knew for containing a tailed beast, and it could be applied even though Rin wasn't from the Uzumaki clan.

Back in the day, among all the jinchuriki, only Naruto had Uzumaki lineage, yet the others had also successfully harnessed the Power of Human Sacrifice.

The seal on Rin was clearly superior to those used in other villages, making her a natural candidate for the Power of Human Sacrifice.

This was the very foundation of Russell's strategy.

"Brother Minato, Sister Kushina, if the Mizukage is indeed willing to entrust the Three-Tails to us, then we'll graciously take on that burden."

Russell said with a hint of mischief. He knew that once someone became a jinchuriki, the tailed beast's extraction meant certain death. Minato would never allow such a thing to happen.

This also signified that the Three-Tails was destined to be Konoha's asset, ready for use even if it meant going to war.

As for the Sandaime and other elders, if they chose not to meddle, so be it. But should they dare to intervene, Russell was ready to confront them.

Just then, Russell had picked up two cards: Lightning Slash and the much-coveted Flying Thunder God technique he had longed for.

"Would you like to merge Lightning Slash with Flying Thunder God?"

"Merge them!"

"The S-class ninjutsu Lightning Slash has successfully merged with the S-class forbidden technique, Flying Thunder God."

Despite his immense excitement, Russell refrained from checking the system panel. Turning to Minato and Kushina, he cautioned, "We're taking the Three-Tails with us, and the Mizukage won't take this lightly. We need to stay vigilant."

The distance to Konoha was vast, and even Minato lacked the means to transport so many people back.

Russell had only just acquired the Flying Thunder God technique and had yet to leave a mark in Konoha, meaning they would have to fight their way back.

Minato and Kushina both nodded gravely, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

At that moment, Minato, Kushina, Kakashi, and Nohara Rin were brimming with questions, yet they chose to remain silent, understanding that some matters were better discussed after their safe return.

As Russell and his companions prepared to depart, Zetsu had already beaten them back to Uchiha Madara's base.

"Lord Madara, the mission took an unexpected turn. For reasons unknown, Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, intervened, rescuing the girl and thwarting our plans," Zetsu reported immediately upon arrival, dutifully playing the role of Madara's informant.

"What?" Madara's head snapped up, his Mitsudomoe Blood Rinnegan swirling wildly as his formidable presence filled the room.

"Notify the Mizukage that Konoha's Fire Shadow has infiltrated and taken the Three-Tails. Let them handle it," he commanded. "And find a way to brainwash Obito; we can't let today's events disrupt our plans."

With that, Madara seemed to exhaust all his strength and slumped to the ground. His advanced age was evident, and without the life-sustaining tubes connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he would have perished long ago. It was remarkable that he could still exude such power.

"Yes, I'll see to it immediately," Zetsu affirmed, then his figure dissolved into the shadows, silently off to convey the message to the Mizukage.

Shortly after Zetsu's departure, Ah Fei returned, carrying Obito in his arms. Upon entering, he released Obito.

"Why won't you let me go to see Rin and Minato-sensei?"

Obito, fueled by his anger, pointed directly at Madara's nose and demanded an explanation.

A flicker of irritation passed through Madara's eyes, but he responded with a gentle tone, "Obito, you haven't fully healed yet, and your face is badly damaged. Do you really want to confront them in this condition?"

"This..."

Obito pondered for a moment and realized Madara might have a point.

What if his current state frightened Rin?

With this thought, Obito quickly offered an apology to Madara, "I was mistaken, and I deeply apologize. However, I witnessed the people from Mizukage's village pursuing Rin, and I must seek vengeance for her!"