"Brother."
Killer B's voice carried an unusual strain as sweat began to bead on his forehead. His right arm, now transformed into the massive limb of the Eight-Tails, pulsed with raw chakra. The strain of maintaining the transformation was taking its toll.
A landed beside him, his face twisted with rage. His lightning armor flared violently, the crackling energy reflecting his seething fury. His eyes bore into Minato, who stood unyielding, a lone figure amidst the devastation he had wrought.
"Namikaze Minato!" A roared, his voice thunderous. "You've killed my Kumo Ninja elites, but mark my words—none of you Konoha ninjas will leave here alive!"
Though his words were filled with conviction, a grim truth lay hidden beneath his fury. A knew Minato's teleportation technique was a game-changer. It wasn't just a skill; it was a battlefield dominator. Yet, A had a plan.
If he could use Killer B's Eight-Tails-enhanced arm to launch himself toward the distant cliff where the Konoha forces were stationed, he could wipe out the hundreds of shinobi Minato had relocated. With their forces diminished, Konoha would suffer a catastrophic blow.
Killer B steadied his stance, his massive arm poised like a cannon, ready to propel his brother toward the cliff.
But Minato's icy voice interrupted their preparations. "You're wasting time."
Swish!
Minato vanished in a golden blur, reappearing beside another remaining Cloud Ninja. His kunai slashed cleanly, and the ninja crumpled to the ground before anyone could react.
"Damn you!" A snarled through gritted teeth. He leapt onto the palm of Killer B's transformed arm.
As Killer B prepared to hurl him, another flash of yellow light marked Minato's next strike. Another Cloud Ninja fell, lifeless, before the motion was completed.
"Stop!"
The commanding voice of C, the Cloud Ninja commander, cut through the chaos. His tone carried both urgency and frustration.
A hesitated, his head snapping toward the battlefield. C was locked in combat with Hatake Sakumo, his strikes growing slower and more desperate under the relentless assault of Konoha's White Fang.
"Namikaze Minato's goal is clear!" C shouted, his voice strained as he deflected another attack from Sakumo. "He wants to separate you from each other. Don't you see? If he could relocate his forces once, he can do it again. None of us can touch Konoha's shinobi, but every Cloud Ninja here is at risk of dying!"
"Boom!"
C stumbled as Sakumo's chakra blade narrowly missed his shoulder. His words hung in the air, cutting through the fog of rage clouding A's and Killer B's minds.
Minato's voice cut in, calm yet deadly. "You're as sharp as ever, C. It's no wonder you're the Third Raikage's strategist."
For a moment, silence reigned. Then the gravity of C's words struck home. A and Killer B exchanged glances, their fury tempered by cold realization.
Minato's plan had been devastatingly effective. By baiting them into reckless aggression, he had systematically dismantled their forces.
The battlefield was littered with bodies. In just minutes, Minato had killed over twenty elite Cloud Ninja. The once-formidable surprise attack force was reduced to chaos. The Konoha forces, meanwhile, remained untouched.
C shouted again, his voice raw. "Scatter! Run into the forest! Retreat!"
The remaining Cloud Ninja, stunned and terrified, snapped out of their paralysis. They abandoned their companions and fled toward the distant treeline, moving as fast as their legs could carry them.
But the forest was still a considerable distance away. Minato's deadly presence loomed over them like a predator stalking prey.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Minato flickered from one kunai to the next, his strikes precise and unrelenting. Each flash of yellow light signaled another life lost.
"Tie him up! Keep him occupied!" C roared at A and Killer B. "Minimize the casualties!"
Hearing the command, Killer B leapt into action, his massive tailed beast arm swinging toward Minato in an attempt to pin him down.
Clang!
Minato deflected the blow with his kunai, the force of the clash sending ripples of chakra through the air. Killer B gritted his teeth, pressing forward, but Minato vanished again.
"Damn it!" A growled, landing beside his brother. His frustration was evident as he realized the true futility of their efforts.
Meanwhile, Hatake Sakumo turned his attention toward Minato and Tsunade. Recognizing their focus on eliminating the remaining Cloud Ninja, he chose not to pursue C, who had joined the fleeing forces.
"Hateful… hateful!" C muttered under his breath as he sprinted toward the forest. Rage and humiliation burned in his chest. The plan had been sound, the strategy flawless—until Minato appeared.
Within minutes, everything had fallen apart.
The surviving Cloud Ninja, fewer than fifteen, bolted into the cover of the jungle, their morale shattered. Among the hundreds who had joined the surprise attack, only C, A, Killer B, and a handful of others remained alive.
From the cliff above, Minato, Sakumo, and Tsunade surveyed the aftermath.
The Konoha shinobi they had relocated stood in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the battlefield below. From this vantage point, the devastation was clear.
Minato's presence on the battlefield had been a spectacle. He had taken down the Raikage's son, A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B, while slaughtering scores of elite Cloud Ninja.
Even among the legendary combatants of Konoha, his performance stood out.
Orochimaru, who had been observing the battle from a distance, looked at Minato with an expression rarely seen on his face—fear. The fight had shown him a terrifying truth. Namikaze Minato had surpassed the Third Hokage.
The shinobi around Minato gazed at him in awe, their respect palpable.
Minato, however, looked uncomfortable. He waved his hand dismissively. "Stop looking at me like that," he muttered, his embarrassment evident.
Tsunade and Sakumo exchanged knowing glances.
Tsunade broke the silence. "This victory is significant, but it doesn't mean the Cloud Ninja are finished. Knowing their methods, they'll regroup and retaliate. For now, we rest and wait for reinforcements. The real battle is yet to come."
Minato nodded in agreement. He excused himself shortly afterward, leaving Sakumo and Tsunade to manage the troops. His task wasn't over—he still needed to ensure the remaining 400 elite Konoha shinobi were sent to their respective battlefields.
In a distant safe zone, the battered remnants of the Cloud Ninja force finally stopped to catch their breath.
A's fists clenched tightly, his body trembling with rage. His pride as the Raikage's son had been utterly shattered by the blond man who had single-handedly turned the tide of battle.
C ignored him and turned to a terrified Cloud Ninja, shaking the man awake.
"Find the main force. Send a messenger to Lord Raikage and report everything—without omission," C commanded.
The ninja nodded fearfully, but C's next words struck even harder.
"And have Lord Raikage issue an order to all Kumo ninjas: from now on, if you encounter Konoha's Namikaze Minato, abandon the mission. Run for your lives. No exceptions."
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