Just as the Cloud Shinobi caught sight of Ren Uchiha and before young A could issue the order to fire the cannon, a silent struggle was reaching its climax on the western side of the inner city.
This was the location of the Perception Unit—the heart of the massive barrier currently enveloping Unraikyō.
Seated before a massive sphere of swirling water, the current head of the Cloud Barrier Corps—a man with hair and beard as white as snow—suddenly snapped his eyes open.
"Strange... was that an illusion? What was that movement?"
In the next breath, his vision blurred. He found a uniquely shaped kunai pressed against his throat. A young man with golden hair and a face of icy resolve had appeared before him without a sound.
The old man swallowed hard. "You... you are... the Yellow Flash!"
The name sent a shiver down his spine. Since the start of the Third Shinobi World War, a golden rule had circulated among the hidden villages: 'If you encounter Konoha's "Yellow Flash" while on a mission, you may retreat immediately without it being considered a failure.'
Logically, seeing Minato Namikaze was reason enough to abandon his post. But this position guarded the lives of nearly ten thousand comrades and juniors.
Gritting his teeth, the captain lunged toward the water sphere, intending to use the last of his strength to broadcast the news of Minato's presence.
However, a hand clad in a blue bracer moved with impossible speed, catching his wrist mid-air.
"Please, step aside quietly," Minato said calmly, his eyes fixed on the captain's hand. "I am not here as a shinobi of Konoha today. I have no wish to provoke a war."
"My only goal is to dismantle the perception barrier of this city. Afterward, I will seal your memories so you won't face punishment for this."
"Dismantle the barrier?" The captain blinked, then bit his lip. "Even if you are the Yellow Flash, it's useless. Dismantling a barrier of this scale takes far longer than you think. This is a giant barrier based on the 'Regeneration Barrier' of the Uzumaki clan!"
"Minato Namikaze, the patrol squad checks on me every five minutes. If you are discovered here, it will be a major crime that incites war between our two nations! Think carefully!"
"That is a problem for later," Minato replied. He neutralized the captain, binding him and placing a sealing tag on him before tossing him aside.
Then, Minato looked up at the pulsating water sphere. For a moment, he saw a flash of the scene from six days ago—Ren Uchiha suddenly turning on him and knocking him unconscious.
Minato took a deep breath, his hands trembling with a mix of frustration and focus. His expression hardened. As a comrade who had fought alongside him, Minato knew one thing for certain: Ren Uchiha was terrifyingly powerful.
If Ren could break through the Raikage to defeat Killer Bee at the Valley of Hell, he could certainly succeed in decapitating the Fire Daimyo under the Raikage's nose now.
But what happens after the assassination?
Facing an army of ten thousand, trapped in a foreign land riddled with traps, and dealing with the AB Combo and the Third Raikage simultaneously—this wasn't the staggered tag-team match of the Valley of Hell.
Even with the strength Ren showed back then, he would likely die here—especially now that he had lost his Tailed Beast and his stamina was severely compromised.
This was why Minato was here.
"I must dismantle this barrier before that idiot charges into the inner city. If I don't, he might not even make it to Jiraiya-sensei, and I won't be able to teleport him away with the Flying Raijin."
"I have only three minutes. I have to gamble."
Minato raised his hands, weaving a complex set of seals, and pressed them against the water sphere.
"Ren Uchiha..." Minato's eyes burned with resolve. "This time, I won't be careless! Even if I have to break your arms and legs, I'm taking you back to Konoha!"
Meanwhile, on the northern side of Unraikyō, at the main gate.
Having completed his training and returned to the Land of Lightning via Turtle Island, Ren Uchiha stood before the city once more.
Unlike his last arrival—where he had literally crashed a mountain into the inner city—he now faced a newly fortified fortress. In his Sharingan's vision, the massive barrier was clearly visible, enveloping the city, the raised drawbridge, and the murky moat.
"This is... a Regeneration Barrier?" Ren noted the flow of chakra within the structure.
He almost laughed. Back when he first left the village, he had extracted this very technique from Molloy, the future head of the Cloud Barrier Corps.
The Super Death-Match Barrier.
It was a sealing technique derived from the Uzumaki 'Regeneration Barrier.' And yet, the Cloud was still using it as their primary shield?
It wasn't a total coincidence. Most enemies who had seen Ren use this barrier were dead; the only one who survived, Rasa, had been too far away to identify the specific seal. Since then, Ren had rarely used it because it was somewhat "clunky" against Kage-level attacks.
But the Cloud was a pragmatic, if "impoverished," village. Aside from their unique Nintaijutsu and Lightning Release, their ninjutsu library was largely scavenged. During the fall of the Land of Whirpool, they hadn't secured many top-tier sealing arts. The 'Regeneration Barrier' was already their gold standard.
This created a massive information gap. The Cloud used their highest-grade seal against Ren, unaware that Ren already mastered its inner workings.
"Well, this is a perfect way to say hello," Ren smiled, pressing his palm against the barrier.
Strange symbols spread from his heart, down his arm, and onto the barrier's surface. He began pouring a gargantuan amount of natural energy into the structure, mimicking the flow of the Regeneration Barrier.
Suddenly, Ren froze. Through the spreading natural energy, he sensed something happening on the other side.
"Wait... someone is dismantling the barrier from the inside?"
"This chakra... is it Minato?"
Ren's eyes lit up. He realized they were doing the same thing: releasing chakra to seize control of the barrier's core.
The difference was in their approach. Ren was using a "brute force" method, flooding the entire network with natural energy to find the center. Minato was already at the center, racing against time to spread his chakra through the seals.
He had the power; Minato had the position.
The moment Minato sensed Ren's chakra, he shifted his strategy. He began acting as a conduit, helping Ren seize total control of the entire network.
"In that case..." Ren's grin widened.
"Perhaps I can use this city-wide barrier as a medium to cast that technique!"
"Sage Art: Yin Release Phantasm!"
"With a Genjutsu... I'll put ten thousand people to sleep!"
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