Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Obito charged toward each other.
Minato thrust his Flying Thunder God kunai at Obito.
As expected, the kunai passed straight through Obito's body, just as Minato himself did a moment later.
As Minato emerged behind him, Obito swung his chain, striking Minato squarely in the chest. Unlike Obito's body, the chain was completely solid.
Minato immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape, reappearing at the location of another kunai he had placed on the ground nearby.
He studied Obito carefully, analyzing his abilities.
"This man's technique... my physical attacks are ineffective.
His body only becomes solid when he attacks.
That means we can only target each other at the precise moment of our attacks.
But attacking puts him at risk.
And considering how long he can maintain control over the Nine-Tails, he probably doesn't want to drag this fight out.
Whoever strikes fastest will determine everything!"
Gripping his kunai tightly, Minato rushed toward Obito again.
While running, he threw the special kunai straight at Obito's head.
The kunai sailed through Obito's intangible form. At the same instant, Obito reached out to grab Minato.
Minato formed a Rasengan in his right hand.
Obito's fingers were inches from Minato, just a bit closer and he could touch him. The moment he made contact, he would use Kamui to pull Minato into his dimensional space.
Just as Obito thought victory was within reach, Minato vanished, reappearing at the position of the kunai that had passed through Obito's head.
In one fluid motion, Minato caught the kunai with his left hand while driving the Rasengan in his right hand into Obito's back.
The spiraling sphere connected with devastating force.
Obito's eyes widened in shock. He had been certain of victory just moments ago, but had miscalculated. He hadn't anticipated that Minato would teleport to the kunai he had thrown.
"This is the second level of the Flying Thunder God," Minato stated.
The powerful Rasengan smashed Obito into the ground.
In that same instant, Minato branded Obito's back with a Flying Thunder God seal mark.
Obito immediately retreated, putting distance between himself and Minato.
He clutched his left shoulder, where the White Zetsu arm was melting like wax, dripping to the ground.
Though injured, he maintained the powerful presence befitting "Uchiha Madara."
"You turned an entire battlefield against me," Obito scoffed coldly. "That's the famous elusiveness they speak of. One truly can't be careless around you..."
Before he could finish, Minato appeared directly before him, pressing his right hand firmly against Obito's body.
"Flying Thunder God... I see, you marked me!"
Suddenly, a complex seal formation appeared on Obito's body.
Obito reacted with alarm. "A Contract Seal?! You're trying to separate me from the Nine-Tails!"
"With this, the Nine-Tails is no longer your possession!" Minato declared.
Back in Konoha, the Nine-Tails' eyes gradually returned to normal.
Though it had regained its senses, the beast was consumed by rage.
Uchiha clan, Sharingan, control—it had happened again.
The Nine-Tails, now even more furious after breaking free from the genjutsu, didn't stop its rampage but intensified its destruction.
Sora noticed the change, recognizing that the Nine-Tails had overcome the illusion and reclaimed its consciousness.
"Well, it seems the battle is over. Now comes the final stage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen led Konoha's elite shinobi, slowly forcing the Nine-Tails away from the village center.
"We've finally pushed it outside the village," Hiruzen called out. "Don't relent! Continue the assault!"
Meanwhile, Obito, now sealed by Minato's Contract Seal and forcibly disconnected from the Nine-Tails, created distance between himself and Minato again, remaining in his intangible state.
"As expected of the Fourth Hokage," he said. "I didn't anticipate you would injure me and separate me from the Nine-Tails. But it will be mine again eventually. I am the one who will unify the world. When it comes to methods, I have the most effective..."
The space around him distorted, and Obito vanished.
Minato's expression grew grave. He sensed that Obito's words weren't empty threats.
Without wasting a moment, Minato rushed toward the Nine-Tails' location.
The beast had already begun forming another Tailed Beast Bomb.
Minato quickly formed hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Gamabunta fell from the sky, landing heavily on the Nine-Tails.
Yet the massive fox continued gathering chakra for its attack.
Standing atop Gamabunta's head, Minato recalled Obito's declaration: "I am the one who will unify the world." His eyes filled with determination.
"I'm sorry, Miyuki..."
He shouted to Gamabunta, "Please suppress the Nine-Tails for a moment!"
"Even I can't restrain this monster!" Gamabunta replied awkwardly.
Looking at the nearly-formed Tailed Beast Bomb, Minato felt conflicted.
Deflecting an attack of this magnitude would require enormous chakra—and he had already used much of his reserves redirecting the previous attack.
With Gamabunta unable to suppress the Nine-Tails, options were limited.
Just as the fox was about to release its devastating attack, the entire beast suddenly vanished.
Gamabunta landed heavily on the empty ground.
"Minato... transported away with the Nine-Tails?!" Hiruzen exclaimed, his eyes widening.
In the distance, a violent explosion shook the earth.
Hiruzen and the assembled ninja stared as a massive semicircular blast appeared far from the village.
After teleporting the Nine-Tails, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return home, bringing Miyuki and Naruto to the scene.
Minato was breathing heavily, his chakra nearly depleted.
"We need to establish a barrier quickly. My chakra..."
Although Sora had sealed part of the Nine-Tails' chakra within Miyuki's body, she remained extremely weak.
Nevertheless, Miyuki turned to Minato. "I can still hold on... Minato..."
Gritting her teeth, she summoned her Adamantine Sealing Chains, binding the Nine-Tails tightly.
Sora, watching from atop a nearby tree, regarded Minato with contempt.
How useless, she thought.
As a husband, Minato had failed to protect Miyuki. Even now, in his weakness, he relied on his exhausted wife to help control the Nine-Tails.
Naruto suddenly began crying in Minato's arms.
"I woke you up," Miyuki said guiltily. "I'm sorry, Naruto..."
Minato looked at her with confusion. "Miyuki..."
Miyuki forced a smile. "Containing the Nine-Tails like this...
Thanks to Sora sealing part of the Nine-Tails' chakra in my body, I now have enough strength to control it.
The Nine-Tails hasn't fully recovered yet. I'll use my remaining chakra to help you. It's our only option."
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