After Hiruzen Sarutobi regained his footing, he once again swung the adamantine staff in his hand toward Kisame Hoshigaki and Mangetsu Hōzuki.
His sharp staff techniques were airtight, leaving the two struggling to parry. Seeing this from a distance, Minazuki Murasaki quickly formed hand seals.
[Ice Release: Ice Dragon Bullet Technique]
The surface of the lake suddenly froze, and countless ice crystals shot into the sky, converging mid-air into a ferocious ice dragon. The dragon opened its massive maw and roared as it charged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Facing the incoming attack, Hiruzen showed no trace of panic. Instead, his gaze sharpened.
With a sweep of his staff, he forced back Mangetsu and Kisame, then seized the opening to perform a Shadow Clone technique.
Thud!
A clone identical to him appeared instantly. Without hesitation, it rushed forward to intercept the ice dragon.
As it ran, its hands blurred through seals, chakra gathering in its throat into a scorching mass of energy.
[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet]
Blazing flames erupted, forming a massive fire dragon that surged upward.
Unlike ordinary Fire Release, the flames burned with a white-hot core. The terrifying heat instantly evaporated the surrounding moisture, melting the ice across the lake at a visible rate. Even the air warped from the heat.
The two dragons collided violently mid-air.
Fire and ice clashed with a deafening roar.
Flames devoured ice, producing thick steam, while the ice fought back, shrinking the fire dragon. The two forces intertwined, tearing at each other as shockwaves spread outward, shattering ice and sending water and debris flying.
As mist filled the battlefield—
A slender figure darted forward like a ghost.
It was Mei Terumī.
She had been waiting for this exact moment.
Her Kunai gleamed coldly as she lunged at the Shadow Clone that had just finished casting. With its chakra nearly depleted, it was at its weakest.
Her strike came fast and precise.
But the clone reacted instantly.
Twisting like a willow branch, it narrowly avoided the fatal blow. The blade grazed past, slicing off strands of hair.
However, Mei's attack didn't stop there.
She had already formed hand seals with one hand.
She exhaled a cloud of white mist.
[Boiling Release: Skilled Mist Technique]
The mist coiled around the clone like a living thing.
Poof!
The clone vanished the moment it was engulfed.
Though it looked like vapor, the mist was superheated steam—hotter than flames. The clone couldn't withstand the damage and was instantly destroyed.
Without pausing, Mei charged toward Hiruzen's main body.
Behind her, Minazuki Murasaki condensed a crystal-clear ice blade and followed closely.
At the same time, Kisame and Mangetsu regrouped and rushed forward again.
In an instant, the four formed a tight encirclement around Hiruzen.
Hiruzen frowned slightly, raising his adamantine staff across his chest as chakra surged, preparing for the four-way assault.
---
Asuka vs. Minato
Meanwhile—
*Asuka*, having broken free from the restraint, gave Minato Namikaze no time to react and slammed one hand onto the ground.
[Shikotsumyaku: Sawarabi no Mai]
Countless bone spikes erupted from the earth.
Pure white and lined with barbs, they surged upward like a forest of bones, covering the battlefield in an instant.
The spikes shot up with terrifying speed, closing in on Minato.
Minato's eyes narrowed.
Chakra surged into his feet as he moved like a golden flash, weaving through the bone forest with perfect precision, leaving afterimages behind.
Moments later, he landed atop a thick bone pillar.
Looking around, he analyzed the situation.
A large-scale Shikotsumyaku technique… troublesome.
Suddenly—
The bone beneath him trembled violently.
A figure emerged from within it.
It was *Asuka*.
Seamlessly merging with the bone forest, he appeared before Minato without warning and slashed toward his neck with a bone blade.
Minato twisted sharply, narrowly avoiding the strike. The blade grazed his shoulder, slicing his uniform and leaving a shallow wound.
Using the momentum, Minato leapt into the air and formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
A compressed wind blade shot forward, slicing through a massive bone spike behind Asuka.
Boom!
The spike split cleanly in two.
But Asuka had already vanished—melding into the bone forest like ink into water.
Within this domain, he could appear anywhere.
Minato landed, instantly sensing a faint chakra fluctuation to his right.
Without hesitation, he vanished.
At that exact moment, Asuka emerged from nearby bone and fired a Bone Bullet at Minato's previous position.
Boom!
The ground exploded into a crater.
After two exchanges, Minato fully understood the nature of the technique.
He made his decision instantly.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
His figure vanished—
And reappeared beside Hiruzen.
---
Retreat
At this moment, Hiruzen was still locked in battle against the four.
Though not in immediate danger, their coordination kept him pinned down.
The moment Minato appeared, he assessed the situation and threw a Kunai at Kisame.
Caught off guard, Kisame instinctively raised his blade.
Clang!
At that exact instant—
Minato appeared in front of him, Rasengan already formed.
Boom!
The Rasengan slammed into Kisame's abdomen, sending him flying.
With a single strike, Kisame was incapacitated—only his abnormal physique kept him alive.
Hiruzen seized the opportunity and swept his staff, forcing the remaining three back.
The battlefield fell into a tense standoff.
Then—
The sound of footsteps came from behind.
*Asuka* walked forward calmly, stopping in front of the three. With a light wave of his hand, water surged from the lake, carrying the injured Kisame back to Mangetsu's side.
On the opposite side, Minato and Hiruzen exchanged a glance.
Minato gave a slight shake of his head.
Hiruzen immediately understood.
He raised his hand and fired a signal flare into the sky.
Seeing the signal, the Konoha Ninja began to withdraw, forcing back the Kirigakure forces before retreating in an orderly manner.
Minato remained standing, his gaze fixed on Asuka and the others.
Only after confirming that Konoha had fully withdrawn did he move.
Grabbing Hiruzen's arm, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique—
And vanished from the battlefield.