Above the city wall.
Minato's golden hair danced in the wind, his gaze sharp as a blade, instantly locking onto Killer B's movements.
"Don't even think about it!" he growled, and his figure vanished.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
The Yellow Flash arrived first, instantly appearing in Killer B's path, firmly blocking his way.
As the Hokage, he was the village's final line of defense.
Just as Minato was about to intercept—
A figure appeared between him and Killer B without any warning.
No chakra fluctuations. No high-speed afterimages.
Even Minato's Flying Thunder God felt slow in comparison at that moment.
Arashi stood there, back to Minato, facing the charging Killer B.
"I told you," his indifferent voice clearly reached Minato's ears, "just watch."
Minato's hand seals froze mid-air.
What... How could he be faster than the Flying Thunder God?
The next instant.
Under everyone's gaze, Arashi raised his hand and reached directly for Killer B.
He was being underestimated!
"Roar!" Killer B let out a beast-like roar.
His eyes narrowed beneath his sunglasses, and the Tailed Beast's chakra instantly ignited.
Four tails erupted at once, transforming into massive, ferocious chakra claws that lunged at Arashi from all directions, intending to shred him to pieces.
But that hand ignored distance, ignored the rampaging chakra.
It simply landed on his head.
Buzz!
In that instant, time seemed to freeze.
Killer B's charge came to an abrupt stop.
The four gigantic chakra claws shattered like fragile bubbles before even touching Arashi, dispersing into red motes of light.
"Wha... what?!"
His pupils contracted sharply behind his glasses.
The power pressing down from above prevented him from moving even a finger.
His proud strength, the Tailed Beast chakra that could level mountains, was completely helpless beneath this single palm. He didn't even have the right to struggle.
Arashi applied slight pressure with his palm.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, Killer B was violently slammed into the ground.
A deafening tremor!
A massive crater, dozens of meters wide, exploded outward as spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions.
The shockwave turned into visible white air currents, sweeping away everything nearby.
At the center of the crater, Killer B's Tailed Beast cloak shattered inch by inch, the sound of bones fracturing clearly audible. His entire body lay embedded in the earth, limbs splayed, blood spreading beneath him. His fate unknown.
One palm.
Suppressing the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki!
On the city wall, all the Konoha high-ranking officials stood in stunned silence.
That... was a perfect Jinchūriki.
That was the Eight-Tails, someone who could confront even the Fourth Hokage head-on.
And he was... crushed with one palm?
"Watch closely!" Arashi turned his head slightly and smiled at Minato. "This is my stage now."
"Uh..." Minato was speechless.
"B!"
A pained roar pulled everyone back to their senses.
A's bloodshot eyes were wide with madness, blood vessels popping as fury consumed him.
His younger brother, his only family, had just been smashed into the ground by that man in the most humiliating and degrading way.
Humiliation.
Rage.
An endless killing intent instantly took over his reason.
"Damn youuuuuu!!!"
Lightning exploded.
He activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the maximum. The blue lightning around him nearly became tangible.
His entire figure transformed into a bolt of blue lightning, radiating an aura of destruction, as he charged straight at Arashi.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
"Oh?" Watching A's berserk form, Arashi smiled. "So you want to dance too?"
At the same time—
In the deep crater, Killer B struggled to get up, coughing violently and spitting blood.
If the Eight-Tails hadn't protected his heart at the last second, that palm would've taken his life.
Seeing his brother charging forward without hesitation, he pulled two swords from his back without a second thought.
"Big Brother!"
With a roar, Killer B squeezed out the last of his strength and transformed into a red bolt of lightning.
The two brothers, hearts as one.
In this moment, they staked everything—Kumogakure's honor, their bond as brothers—everything!
Blue and red lightning intertwined in the air.
"Lariat!"
The strongest combined technique!
Terrifying energy turned into a beam of destruction, aiming straight at Arashi's neck.
"Brothers dancing together!"
Facing this earth-shattering blow, Arashi's smile widened.
He didn't dodge. He simply raised his hand.
Clang!
A sound like metal colliding.
That Lariat, capable of tearing through anything, was firmly blocked by just two fingers.
The rampant Lightning Release chakra was completely extinguished at his fingertips.
The destructive force was reduced to nothing.
Time froze.
A and B remained frozen in their charging posture, faces full of disbelief.
Their strongest, all-out combination attack... had been blocked with just two fingers?
…In the distant forest.
Obito's Sharingan spun wildly under his mask, almost bleeding.
"Impossible… Absolutely impossible!"
His voice trembled with disbelief.
This kind of power… "Obito, hurry and go!"
Black Zetsu's voice rang out, filled with unmistakable fear.
"This man is an anomaly!"
"He's not someone who should exist in this world!"
"Go, Obito! The Eye of the Moon Plan can't afford any setbacks!"
"We must retreat now and plan for the long term!"
For the first time in centuries, Black Zetsu felt a crisis that chilled him to the bone.
If they didn't leave now, even he might not survive.
But Obito ignored him.
His gaze was locked onto the golden figure standing on the distant city wall.
Minato. His teacher.
At this moment, Minato's entire attention was focused on the Daimyo's power. He had no time for anything else.
This was the chance.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Plan?"
Obito's voice was hoarse, edged with madness.
"Compared to that, I'd rather make this hypocritical world… feel pain ahead of schedule."
His body began to distort, space swirling into a vortex that swallowed him whole.
"Obito! You're insane!"
Black Zetsu's shrill cry echoed through the empty forest, but no response came...
In Konoha, along the evacuation route.
The crowd was retreating in an orderly manner under the organization of Konoha shinobi.
Rumble!
A loud explosion rang from the direction of the city wall, making many civilians pale with fear.
Panic spread quickly, and everyone instinctively sped up.
Kushina and Mikoto moved along with the crowd, helping to guide the elderly and children.
Both wore loose civilian clothes, though their slightly swollen bellies still showed they were pregnant.
"Kushina, don't worry," Mikoto gently comforted her friend, noticing her unease. "Minato is the Hokage, and Daimyo-sama is here. Everything will be fine."
"I know..." Kushina rubbed her belly, frowning beneath her crimson hair. "But the commotion is too intense. I have a bad feeling... like something terrible is about to happen."
As the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, her sensitivity to malice far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Just then—
In a nearby alley, a shadow twisted unnaturally, and a figure wearing a spiral mask slowly emerged.
He stared at Kushina in the distance… and her slightly swollen belly.
His eyes were filled with icy hatred.
Minato.
You were part of Rin's death.
You took everything from me.
Then I'll destroy everything you hold dear.
He slowly raised his hand.
In his palm, space began to distort, forming a swirling vortex.
Die.
Along with your unborn child.
Killing intent surged, ready to strike.
"Stop!"
An aged voice rang out.
Then a playful one followed. "Heh, we really do have a rat."
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)