Shan's henchmen carefully recorded Minato's jutsu casting process. This was extremely precious data — whether it was the battle itself or the exact moments Minato formed his Seals.
If Doctor Snake pondered over it long enough, he might even be able to reverse-engineer Flying Thunder God.
The torrent swept through, clearing a space of roughly 200 meters, uprooting countless large trees.
Kairen reverted to normal, standing in place. His Byakugan opened as he noticed a kunai speeding toward him from behind, followed by Minato who was rubbing a sphere, preparing to attack.
Kairen bent his waist downward, dodging the kunai.
Minato's sphere shot straight toward him. Kairen flipped backward to evade it.
Right after, Minato suddenly appeared behind Kairen: "Flying Thunder God: Second Step!"
Minato smashed a Rasengan toward Kairen, landing squarely on his spine.
The immense twisting force of the Rasengan tore apart Kairen's battle armor, dug into his skin, and blasted him more than ten meters away, slamming him into a tree.
"Ding!"
"Minato Namikaze dealt 200 damage to you!"
Cloud Kairen shivered. Was Minato using Flying Thunder God: Second Step because he sensed their intentions?!
"A big moment! A big moment!"
Shan kept pressing the shutter furiously. This was a famous scene — it had to be captured.
Minato watched Kairen's every move carefully, not relaxing just because he'd landed a deadly blow.
He'd seen Kairen fight. With that instantly regenerating body, physical attacks were basically useless.
Sure enough, the moment Kairen hit the tree, he instantly recovered, and a layer of red chakra surrounded him.
Kairen pressed his palms together and slammed them onto the ground: "Water Release!"
In an instant, a sheet of water surged from where he struck, rushing forward like wind. Minato blinked — and a vortex of water formed beneath his feet.
A giant water dragon emerged, its overwhelming impact launching Minato into the sky.
While airborne, Minato used Flying Thunder God to evade Water Dragon Bite Burst. After dodging, he murmured softly: "Second Hokage's Water Release… I didn't expect him to master it."
Kairen had mastered the First Hokage's Wood Release, and now the Second Hokage's Water Release — truly combining the strengths of both Hokage in one body.
He even possessed Fire Release not inferior to Uchiha Madara's. He was practically a walking encyclopedia of ninjutsu — all he lacked was Lightning Release to complete the set.
Minato, as a streak of yellow light, charged toward Kairen.
Kairen pushed both palms forward: "Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
In the blink of an eye, a tornado-like swirl of water formed around him, torrents surging rapidly toward Minato.
Minato teleported again mid-air.
He extended his hand, sending ten Flying Thunder God kunai flying toward Kairen. Kairen didn't dodge, letting them pass through his body.
"Ding!"
"Minato Namikaze dealt 200 damage to you!"
Kairen recovered instantly, and Minato appeared again like golden lightning, a blue-white Rasengan in his hand.
Kairen smiled. He too held a Rasengan — one a hundred times larger than Minato's.
"Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
Kairen thrust upward, but Minato used Flying Thunder God to appear behind him.
He'd placed a Flying Thunder God marker there earlier.
With a "whoosh," a burst of liquor sprayed from Kairen's gourd, igniting instantly, wrapping around him like a fire dragon.
It surged toward Minato like a flaming serpent. Minato flipped backward several times, avoiding the liquor-based Fire Release.
Kairen dispelled the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan, turned around, and smiled at the slightly winded Minato.
Minato was neither Senju nor Uzumaki — his chakra might surpass a normal Jōnin's, but it was still limited.
Kairen removed his light blue battle armor and switched to a dark red set. He smiled: "Minato, try some Wood Release used to bring peace to the troubled world!"
As his voice fell, dozens of vines burst from the ground, reaching for Minato.
"Go Minato! Go Minato!"
Kushina yanked Cloud Kairen's hair wildly, shouting her support for Minato.
Then her wolf-like eyes scanned the surroundings, and she roared at Obito, Kakashi, and Rin:
"Why are you three standing there?! Cheer for Minato!"
Bullied by Kushina their whole lives, the three naturally obeyed, shouting loudly.
Kushina then threatened Kairen's shadow clones: "You all cheer too."
Cloud Kairen was speechless — why would his shadow clones cheer for the enemy?
Kushina punched one clone into smoke and roared: "ALL OF YOU, SHOUT!"
"GO MINATO!!"
Instantly, the whole field echoed with Minato's cheers.
Minato Body Flickered to avoid the vines. His eyes caught sight of a Flying Thunder God kunai beside Kairen.
He blinked — suddenly appearing next to Kairen — and slammed a Rasengan onto Kairen's head, blasting him into white smoke.
"Ding!"
"Minato Namikaze dealt 500 death damage to you!"
Kairen instantly resurrected. A massive surge of chakra erupted from him, forming a 5-meter-tall aura.
He pressed his hands together: "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
In a single moment, earth and stones surged upward around him, forming hundreds of giant trees in seconds.
The branches writhed like giant serpents lunging at Minato. Minato weaved through them with golden agility, like a swift, noble cat.
"Liquor Release: Full Coverage!"
Kairen roared. Liquor sprayed everywhere across the forest in an instant.
"ignite!"
A sea of flames erupted, blazing endlessly.
Kairen shouted within the inferno: "This is the true Will of Fire — where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternally!"
"Cough, cough—"
The searing heat and blinding smoke made Minato cough.
A burning tree root lashed toward him. Minato leapt skyward, spinning and dodging gracefully.
His blue eyes fixed on the center of the flames. Kairen had not moved once — nor cleared the Flying Thunder God kunai around him.
He must have concluded that physical attacks had no effect.
Then to defeat Kairen… there was only one way:
Seal away his chakra with a sealing technique.