"Rasa, it looks like you guys are going to lose again! Even old Ōnoki was defeated by Minato Namikaze," Uchiha Fugaku said expressionlessly.
"Hmph!" Rasa said nothing, letting out a cold snort as he controlled the golden sand and surged toward Uchiha Fugaku.
Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku formed hand seals with both hands and shouted, "Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The scorching flames instantly melted all the golden sand.
Rasa felt a chill of fear; he had fought Uchiha Fugaku before, and after some time apart, Fugaku seemed far stronger.
Not to mention, his Chakra was vastly greater than before, allowing him to casually wield such large‑scale, powerful Fire Release.
That level of power is definitely at the Shadow‑class level.
"Damn! Are we really going to lose again?" Rasa thought to himself.
Turning his gaze back to Minato Namikaze, Ōnoki had been struck in the waist by a successive Rasengan and could no longer stand.
"No wonder you're called yellow flash, little brat! This time I was defeated, but Konoha still can't win!"
Ōnoki raised his Kunai toward Minato Namikaze, slashing the Flying Thunder God Mark off his clothes, then, supporting his waist, staggered and flew upward.
Minato Namikaze gave chase; now was not the time to pity the old man—if he could take down the Third Tsuchikage, the war would end.
Just as Minato Namikaze was about to capture Ōnoki, he felt a terrifying wave of heat emanating from behind.
Minato Namikaze immediately halted his attack and shifted to the flying thunder god kunai on the ground. It was then he noticed a strange man beside Ōnoki wearing a rebel Takigakure forehead protector—the Fire Release had just been unleashed by him.
"Ōnoki's opponent this time isn't ordinary; the agreed price isn't enough, we need to add more!"
"After this victory, I'll increase your reward by thirty percent!" Ōnoki answered without hesitation.
"Fine! Thirty percent plus the yellow flash's head, this won't be a wasted run," the Ninja with the Takigakure rebel forehead protector said, turning his gaze toward Minato Namikaze.
Although Minato Namikaze didn't recognize the newcomer, the Chakra he emitted clearly marked him as a genuine Shadow‑class, likely not far behind Ōnoki in strength.
"Your Excellency, who are you? You're not from Iwagakure, are you?" Minato Namikaze asked, gripping his flying thunder god kunai.
Hearing Minato Namikaze's words, Kakuzu burst into laughter and said, "Do these little brats even know how to respect their Seniors? At least I'm from the same generation as your First Hokage!"
Minato Namikaze naturally didn't believe Kakuzu; anyone from the First Hokage's generation would now be around 70 or 80, yet the man before him clearly didn't match that age.
"Who exactly are you, and why are you involved in this battle?" Minato Namikaze asked.
"I'm in it for the money, plain and simple. I've even assassinated Senju Hashirama, so I won't lie to a junior like you," Kakuzu said disdainfully.
"Assassinated the First Shodai!" Minato Namikaze stared at him in shock after hearing Kakuzu's claim.
As a Konoha Ninja, he grew up hearing the legends of the First Hokage.
A Ninja who has assassinated the First Hokage must be incredibly powerful!
Thinking that, Minato Namikaze felt a twinge of pressure.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, who was battling a Jinchuriki of Ichibi nearby, said to Minato Namikaze after hearing Kakuzu's words, "Minato, I know this guy. He's the Takigakure rebel Kakuzu, now a bounty hunter who loves money above all."
Back after the Battle of the Valley of the End, the First Shodai and Uchiha Madara were gravely injured. Upon returning to Konoha for treatment, their condition worsened, and at that time Takigakure dispatched an assassin—the Ninja was Kakuzu.
"What about Orochimaru's strength?" Minato Namikaze hurriedly asked upon hearing that someone truly assassinated the First Shodai.
"Strength? It should be decent! After all, he dared to assassinate the First Shodai.
But according to Teacher Sarutobi, he never actually faced the First Shodai; it seems he was scared off by the First's unleashed Chakra," Orochimaru said.
"Does that count as an assassination?" Minato Namikaze asked, puzzled.
"Of course it does. The First's strength is beyond what you juniors can comprehend," Orochimaru said, licking his lips with an inscrutable glint in his eyes.
After gauging Kakuzu's approximate strength, Minato Namikaze felt the weight in his heart lift.
Kakuzu's complexion darkened beneath his mask upon hearing Orochimaru's remarks about him.
"Konoha's Ninjas are truly arrogant! Then let me teach you how to respect Seniors!"
After speaking, Kakuzu formed hand seals, preparing to unleash a Ninjutsu.
Seeing this, Minato Namikaze decided to strike first; conveniently, a flying thunder god kunai lay near Kakuzu's position.
Without hesitation, Minato Namikaze teleported behind Kakuzu and hurled a Rasengan at his heart.
Kakuzu clearly didn't expect Minato Namikaze's speed; confronted with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he couldn't react in time and lost a heart before he could act.
However, Minato Namikaze only destroyed one of Kakuzu's hearts, and Kakuzu has five hearts.
That means he must be killed five times to be fully defeated.
"Kid, you're impressive! Your heart would suit me well!" Kakuzu's right arm, imbued with Lightning Release, lunged toward Minato Namikaze's heart.
Seeing Kakuzu's swift movement with no sign of fatal injury, Minato Namikaze was astonished and immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to his original spot.
Kakuzu's strike missed; he furrowed his brows and said, "You're using Tobirama's Space-Time Ninjutsu, aren't you? What an annoying technique!"
"Kakuzu, I'm leaving Minato Namikaze to you; even if you can't kill him, just hold him off," Ōnoki said, then drifted away lazily.
Ōnoki knew that, by now, the Konoha side had seized the initiative on the battlefield.
Kitsuchi couldn't deal with Uchiha En, having been defeated by Minato Namikaze. Rasa and Uchiha Fugaku seemed evenly matched, but that balance now meant nothing. Ebizo and Chiyo, the two old men, were being held back by Elite Jonin of the Uchiha Clan.
The remaining ordinary Ninjas, though outnumbered by the Rock‑Sand Alliance, could not determine the final outcome of the battle.
Now the only thing that could turn the tide are the Jinchuriki; Ōnoki plans to have them directly become Tailed Beasts.
A single Shadow‑class Tailed Beast is unstoppable; if Ichibi and the Five-Tails were to become Tailed Beasts, it might shift the war.
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