The moment the barrier snapped into place, a heavy pressure settled over the trio. It wasn't just a simple containment jutsu—Renjiro could feel it, like invisible hands pressing against his skin, coiling around his chakra network like a snake tightening its grip. His breathing hitched for a moment, and he instinctively flared his chakra to resist—only to feel it being drained ever so slightly.
Minato tensed beside him, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he clenched his fists. He could feel it too.
Hiruzen, ever the seasoned veteran, simply exhaled through his nose and straightened his stance, as if assessing the situation like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Subtle," Hiruzen murmured, rolling his shoulders. "But inefficient. They're siphoning our chakra, but not fast enough to disable us immediately."
Renjiro grimaced. The old man was right.
It wasn't an immediate threat—but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.
If they remained trapped here long enough, the constant siphoning would weaken them over time. The barrier wasn't meant to kill them outright—it was meant to contain them, to make them more manageable before their captors moved in for the kill, if they had the guts to.
Using his Sharingan, Renjiro studied the way the chakra pulsed through the seal, searching for weaknesses, for a way out.
What he saw made his stomach tighten.
"Damn it."
This was not a simple barrier.
It was layered.
A complex network of interwoven seals ran along its structure, shifting in response to external pressure. If they tried to break it with brute force, it would only redirect their energy and absorb it—just as it was doing with their chakra.
The very mechanics of the seal were designed to use their own strength against them.
'Shattering it from the outside might work," Renjiro muttered, "But from inside? It's designed to reinforce itself against direct attacks. The moment we pour chakra into it, the seal absorbs it, redistributes it, and strengthens itself further."
Minato's eyes flicked to Renjiro. "So brute force is out of the question?"
Renjiro exhaled sharply. "Unless we want to speed up our own capture, yeah."
"Tch. Great."
And then—Renjiro regretted his words immediately.
Chakra signatures.
His eyes flickered instinctively, his chakra field slightly muddled by the barrier's interference, but still clear enough to sense at least ten shinobi in front of them moving forward.
His stomach twisted.
The barrier reacted the moment their enemies arrived at it and placed their hands on it.
The once-subtle siphoning suddenly spiked, as if a switch had been flipped. The very air inside the dome thickened, the pressure becoming heavier. The seals pulsed brighter, and Renjiro saw the change immediately.
The way the chakra inside the barrier shifted—
The way the drain intensified—
The way the edges of the dome solidified, their faint shimmer replaced with a hardened burning glow—
"They're reinforcing it."
Renjiro's heart pounded in frustration.
"They're making it even harder to break out."
"Troublesome," Hiruzen murmured, his sharp eyes watching the enemy shinobi place their hands on the outer shell of the barrier. Chakra streamed into the seal, reinforcing its structure, stabilizing its absorption rate.
Renjiro swallowed down his frustration.
"We need to get out—fast."
His mind raced, scanning through every escape method he could think of. He had a few ideas, but none of them were guaranteed to work.
He found himself glancing at Minato.
Could Minato teleport them out?
Would the barrier interfere with his space-time jutsu?
He wanted to ask.
But he didn't want to voice the desperation crawling up his throat.
Instead, he clenched his jaw and muttered under his breath, "Minato… please tell me you can get us out of this."
Minato didn't respond immediately.
But then—he smiled.
It was small. Subtle. Dangerous.
"I have a few ideas," Minato admitted, his voice calm. "But let's wait and see what our enemies have to say first."
Renjiro stared at him.
'Wait? We're stuck in a barrier and he wants to wait?'
And then—
Hiruzen spoke.
"Ten shinobi reinforcing a barrier of this complexity." He stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping across their enemies. "That's no small feat."
The Hokage's voice was smooth, measured, yet carried an unmistakable weight of authority.
One of the figures outside the barrier shifted uncomfortably.
Hiruzen caught it.
His tone remained casual. "Such a coordinated effort suggests a much larger force nearby—one with a clear objective. A group of this size wouldn't waste time on three targets unless they had confidence in their numbers, their plan."
He let his words settle.
Minato stood beside him, arms crossed, blue eyes watchful.
Renjiro, however, was laser-focused. His Sharingan spun, dissecting every micro-expression, every subconscious movement of their so-called captors. The smallest twitch could be a sign.
One of them—the second from the left—tightened their jaw.
Hiruzen exhaled through his nose. "So, that eliminates a few possibilities."
One of the shinobi scoffed. "What are you talking about, old man?"
Hiruzen chuckled.
Not a soft, amused chuckle. But something deeper. A laugh that rattled their composure.
"Come now," he said, tilting his head slightly. "I thought this was supposed to be an interrogation?"
The enemy shinobi stiffened.
Realization dawned.
'He's interrogating us?!'
Even while trapped in their barrier, Hiruzen was the one leading the conversation.
Hiruzen's voice was light, almost playful. "Let's see… You're not bandits. Bandits don't use chakra siphoning barriers. Too sophisticated."
Silence.
"Not rogue shinobi either. Too much loyalty involved in reinforcing a high-cost jutsu like this. Rogue shinobi would never waste this much chakra for a mission like this. Or even dare to go against Konoha, at least outrightly."
More silence.
Minato gave a soft hum, watching as the enemy shinobi subtly tried to avoid eye contact.
Hiruzen continued, his tone now laced with intentional sharpness.
"And you're not from Iwa. Too crude in your methods. Not Kiri either—the Mist prefers silent assassinations, not drawn-out captures."
A slight twitch.
"Not Suna… their forces are spread too thin. They wouldn't dare provoke Konoha right now."
Renjiro's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan picking up the faintest flicker of movement—the tiniest hesitation in the shinobi standing closest to the barrier's edge.
A hesitation that confirmed everything.
Hiruzen smiled.
"Kumo, then?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
One of the enemy shinobi flinched.
It was subtle. A barely noticeable tightening of the fingers. A faint inhale.
But it was enough.
Hiruzen's smile grew.
"Ah," he said lightly. "I see."
The realization hit their enemies too late.
The kunoichi standing at the front cursed under her breath, clenching her fists.
'Damn it! We walked right into it! But we just need to keep them here for as long as possible'
Minato clicked his tongue, his usual relaxed expression giving way to a sharp glint of amusement. "Kumo, huh?"
His voice was cool, but there was a dangerous undertone beneath it. "Didn't think they'd be this daring."
Renjiro, still processing the implications, frowned slightly.
'What the hell are they thinking?'
Attacking a border outpost wasn't just a bold move—it was outright provocation. The Five Great Nations were already on edge, tensions high as they prepared for the Kage Summit. A move like this could be spun into an excuse for war. Something Konoha could use to retaliate against Konoha.
'Did they really believe we wouldn't make it out? No, otherwise the Raikage himself would have come here. So what is the play here?'
'If Hiruzen doesn't make it to the meeting on time, Konoha will be thrown into uncertainty. The very Uncertainty could draw the ire of the other Kage giving Kiri a platform to get them on their side. Finishing the war before it even began.'
It was bold. Dangerous even
Renjiro's gaze flicked to Hiruzen.
The old man had already reached his conclusion long before the rest of them.
And judging by the calm, almost amused glint in his eyes—
He had already figured out their way out.
Hiruzen sighed, his tone almost disappointed.
"Well," he mused, "I suppose I've gathered enough information."
Then—_
A single hand sign.
One motion.
One shift in his chakra.
And the barrier—
Shattered.
"Boom"
A massive ripple of energy burst from the centre, sending a shockwave through the air. The force of the barrier breaking apart backlashed into the ten shinobi who had been reinforcing it.
All of them jerked violently, chakra whipping out of their bodies like torn threads.
They collapsed, hands clutching their chests as **raw pain surged through their bodies.
Some let out strangled cries. Others gritted their teeth, writhing in agony.
But Hiruzen—
Hiruzen wasn't finished.
Renjiro's Sharingan spun wildly, tracking the Hokage's next movements.
"What is he—?"
Hiruzen's fingers moved.
Another jutsu.
Another attack.
Renjiro could barely register the seals forming before—
A hand on his back.
A firm grip.
A pulse of chakra.
Before Renjiro could even react—
The world shifted.
A sudden, gut-wrenching distortion. A moment of weightlessness.
And then—
Cold air.
The scent of pine and damp wood.
The flickering glow of distant torches.
They were outside.
Renjiro's breath came fast, his heart hammering.
Minato's Flying Raijin.
The realization hit him just as his feet touched the solid ground.
Minato had teleported them out.
But before he could even process it, or why—
"Boom!"
=====
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