"Just right. Time for a warm-up."
The words barely left his lips before Kiyohara vanished.
Possessed by the Missing-nin, his speed created a literal afterimage.
He didn't charge in a straight line. He moved in a crescent arc, bypassing the frontline tanks to strike the support Chunin.
"So fast!"
One of the Iwa Chunin gasped. He swung a desperate fist, but Kiyohara didn't dodge.
He stepped into the guard.
His right hand gripped the man's wrist, using the enemy's own momentum to throw him directly into the path of his comrade.
Thud.
In the same motion, Kiyohara ducked a Kunai thrust from a third attacker and swept his leg low.
CRACK.
"Argh!"
The Iwa-nin screamed as his tibia snapped like a dry twig.
"Earth Release: Earth Rising Spear!"
Sumashi slammed his hands down. Sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground beneath Kiyohara's feet.
But Kiyohara moved before the earth even cracked.
It was foresight. Battle instinct honed by decades of survival.
He tapped his foot, launching himself into the air just as the spears skewered the empty space where he had stood.
Mid-air, he flicked his wrist.
A stolen Kunai flew straight for Sumashi's face.
"What is with this guy?!"
Sumashi deflected the blade with his stone gauntlet, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
The brat's movements, his gaze, his lethal efficiency—it was completely different from moments ago. This wasn't a Genin. This was a monster wearing a child's skin.
"Kiyohara... how did he suddenly become so strong?" Rin covered her mouth in disbelief.
Kurenai's ruby eyes were wide. She had never seen Taijutsu like this.
Bang!
Kiyohara clashed with Sumashi again. He used a soft-style deflection to dissipate the force of the Rock Fist, but the impact still slid him back three meters.
His arm was numb.
"This body is too weak," the Missing-nin grumbled internally. "Even pushing the limiters, the hardware can't keep up with the software."
Sumashi saw the fatigue. He grinned savagely.
"He's at his limit! Attack together and finish him!"
The remaining dozen Iwa-nin roared, closing the circle. Kunai, swords, and Earth Release jutsu prepared to fire.
This is it.
Just then.
Flash.
A golden light appeared in the center of the battlefield.
There was no sound. No wind. Just instant existence.
A man with bright blonde hair and a white haori stood there, his back to the enemy.
His face was calm, almost sad.
Minato Namikaze.
He didn't speak. He just moved.
He threw a handful of marked Kunai into the air.
Zip. Zip. Zip.
He became a streak of yellow lightning.
Three Iwa Chunin collapsed simultaneously, their throats slit before their brains registered the attack.
"The Yellow Flash!!"
Sumashi screamed, terror gripping his heart. The hair on his arms stood up.
He didn't think about fighting. He slammed his hands down.
'Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole!'
He tried to sink into the ground.
But Minato was faster.
"Flying Thunder God: Second Step."
Minato teleported to a Kunai falling right behind Sumashi.
He caught it mid-air.
Slash.
The blade cut deep across Sumashi's back.
The massive stone commander flew forward like a broken kite, crashing through a tree trunk. He didn't get up.
Minato didn't stop. He flickered again. And again.
In five seconds, the dozen enemies were dead.
The battle was over before the dust settled.
"..."
The Missing-nin released his hold.
Kiyohara stumbled, gasping for air. His muscles screamed in protest. It felt like his armor had been ripped off.
'As expected of the Yellow Flash,' Kiyohara thought, leaning on his knees.
The enemies that had pushed them to the brink were nothing more than fodder to this man.
'Minato, Guy, and Kabuto,' Kiyohara mused deliriously. 'The holy trinity of civilian ninja who reached the apex without a clan bloodline. It's a pity they all ended up as support for the reincarnated god-children.'
Minato turned around.
He looked at the exhausted team. He looked at Kakashi's bleeding eye. He looked at the collapsed cave.
He knew instantly.
"I apologize," Minato said softly. "I was late."
"Sensei..." Kakashi choked out.
"Thank you, Kiyohara."
Minato walked over to the black-haired boy.
He had sensed the battle from afar. He knew Kiyohara had held the line alone against impossible odds. Without him, Kakashi and Rin would be dead.
"It is what I should do," Kiyohara said, straightening his posture despite the pain. "I will never abandon a comrade. That is my Ninja Way, Minato-sensei."
'Performance: 10/10,' Kiyohara thought. 'Will of Fire points maxed out. Promotion guaranteed.'
Minato paused. He looked at Kiyohara with genuine respect.
"You have a strong heart."
"It's a good thing you arrived, Lord Minato," Genma said, wiping the dirt from his senbon. "I thought I was going to be reporting to the Pure Land."
Minato shook his head.
"No. I am not the hero today."
Minato felt a deep pang of guilt.
The strategy had relied on these children acting as bait. They had walked into hell to deliver the marked Kunai that allowed him to teleport here.
"Then who is?" Genma asked, confused.
"It is Kiyohara. It is Kakashi. It is Obito," Minato said firmly. "You are the true heroes of this war."
He looked at Kiyohara specifically. The boy had outperformed everyone, even the genius Kakashi and the Uchiha heir.
"Alright," Minato said, his voice returning to business. "We need to finish the mission. Once the bridge is destroyed, we go home."
"Home..."
Kurenai smiled weakly, relief flooding her face.
"By tomorrow night," Minato promised. "We will be on the road back to Konoha."
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