*The upcoming scenario is somewhere in between the battle, that took place during Naruto's birth.
{Somewhere in the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village}(Minato's POV)
I dropped to one knee, breathing heavily after teleporting away from the masked figure. He wore a dark hood and a spiraled mask, the single visible eye gleaming with the crimson glow of a Sharingan—an unmistakable mark of the Uchiha clan.
My mind raced as I analyzed our brief yet intense exchange.
My attacks passed right through him... but the moment he reached for me, he turned solid. And then there's that jutsu... what was that?
A sudden distortion in the air ahead snapped me from my thoughts. Space twisted into a spiraling vortex, and the masked figure emerged once more, unscathed, his stance relaxed, as if the battle was merely a game to him.
"Heh… You won't escape," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.
So, he can teleport as well… My grip on the kunai in my hand tightened. That explains how he was able to abduct Kushina so quickly.
I forced myself to my feet, muscles tensing as I took in the reality of the situation.
He eliminated the Anbu assigned to Lord Third, bypassed the highest-level classified barrier, and somehow knew that the Nine-Tails' seal would weaken during childbirth.
More than that—
He unsealed the Nine-Tails and tamed it.
And yet, perhaps even more alarming—
He slipped in and out of the village's defenses without triggering a single alarm.
There was only one man in history capable of such feats.
I furrowed my brow and asked in a low, steady voice, "Are you… Madara Uchiha?"
The masked man tilted his head before removing his hood, his eye studying me with amusement.
"No… that would be impossible," I muttered. "He's dead."
He let out a soft chuckle. "Hmmm… I wonder about that."
"In the end, it doesn't matter who you are." My voice hardened. "But why attack the Hidden Leaf?"
The masked man turned his gaze to the star-filled sky, his amusement growing. "What would you like to hear? Hmm… I could say I did it on a whim… or that I planned it… that it's for war… or for peace."
A metallic clatter filled the air as iron chains materialized in his hands. My eyes narrowed.
No doubt about it… this man is no ordinary shinobi.
I shifted into a combat stance, kunai raised.
He can control the Nine-Tails… and his teleportation surpasses both Lord Second's and mine.
The weight of the moment pressed down on me. If I didn't stop him now, dealing with the Nine-Tails would be the least of my worries.
If I teleport back to the village, he'll follow me there… it'll be chaos.
The masked man began rolling his shoulders, as if limbering up for a warm-up session. I took the opportunity to formulate a plan.
If he's anything like Madara… he can't keep the Nine-Tails under summoning control for too long.
I have to entrust the village to Lord Third… and end this fight right here, right now.
(Third-Person POV)
The masked man secured the chains to his wrists, the links rattling ominously. His voice was cool, assured. "Now that the Nine-Tails is free, there is no hope for any of you."
In a flash, both shinobi charged at each other. Minato's tri-pronged kunai gleamed under the moonlight, while the masked man swung his chains in calculated arcs.
The instant their attacks clashed, the kunai phased harmlessly through the masked man's head, just as before. But in the same moment, the chains solidified, wrapping around Minato's arm, pulling him closer.
A flicker of golden light—Minato vanished, reappearing a few meters away, free from the masked man's grasp.
So… my physical attacks don't work. But when he attacks, he becomes solid…
Minato's mind worked rapidly.
I need a precisely timed counter—aim for a mutual strike the instant he materializes.
But he knows he's vulnerable when attacking…
And with the Nine-Tails rampaging, he won't want a drawn-out battle.
The masked man's Sharingan swirled ominously as they faced off once more.
Whoever strikes an instant faster… will win this battle.
Without hesitation, Minato sprinted forward. The masked man mirrored his movement, chains whistling through the air.
Minato flung a kunai straight at the masked man's face. As expected, it passed through him harmlessly. The masked man's hand shot forward, reaching for Minato's chest—his fingers mere inches away.
"I win," the masked man declared, confident in his victory.
But then—
His fingers closed on empty air.
A golden blur flashed above him. Minato had vanished.
What?!
In the fraction of a second before realization struck, Minato reappeared at the kunai's location—right above his enemy's head.
A spiraling mass of chakra roared to life in Minato's palm.
"Flying Raijin: Level Two."
The Rasengan struck the masked man's back with devastating force, sending him crashing into the ground. The earth shattered beneath him, deep fissures spider-webbing across the battlefield.
Damn it! The masked man winced, momentarily stunned. He teleported to the kunai from earlier…!
While he reeled from the impact, Minato pressed his palm against his enemy's back, drawing a complex formula in an instant.
Now… it's over.
Minato reappeared a safe distance away, kunai at the ready. Dust and debris clouded the air from the sheer power of his Rasengan's impact.
The battle was far from over… but the tide had shifted in the Yellow Flash's favor.