The surging waves of water transformed into the shape of a serpent-like dragon, crashing towards the two with the force of an earthquake and tsunami.
Water Style? Here?
A smirk appeared on the face behind Tobi's mask as he sensed the incoming attack. Without hesitation, he activated his Kamui, his body vanishing into nothingness. The water dragon roared, but passed right through him, harmless.
A powerful Water Style jutsu, but unfortunately, it was useless against him.
He paid no attention to the immobile Uchiha Izumi, bound by chains, helplessly being swept away by the force of the water dragon. His focus was solely on the direction from which the attack had come.
Who was it?
"As expected... it's the masked man I fought back then. So it's you, Tobi..." At the end of the water dragon's path, the figure of Naruto, now covered in strange chakra, lifted his head. There was a red tint under his eyes, a look full of complexity—far from the innocent emotions one would expect from a child like Naruto.
Even though the Water Style attack had no effect on the enemy, Naruto didn't stop. He continued to spit out waves of water, each one more powerful than the last.
"Water Style doesn't work on him," the Nine-Tails' voice echoed in Naruto's mind. "I cannot use my chakra to assist you, for one, the seal, and for two, we cannot let him know that Naruto is here. I can only share natural energy with you. You must use Naruto's chakra, a power he doesn't even realize he possesses."
"Leave now, Minato!"
Yes, at this moment, the one using Water Style was none other than Minato Namikaze.
The scene flashed back slightly.
When the Nine-Tails sensed Tobi's chakra, it immediately wanted to warn Minato to leave.
But it didn't anticipate that Naruto, having gained the ability to sense malicious intent due to the Nine-Tails' influence, would be shaken by the overwhelming negative emotions radiating from the Uchiha clan's place.
Perhaps it was because, in this life, Naruto's thoughts and dreams were no longer burdened by endless malice and resentment. He had hesitated, afraid.
"Minato, get ready. I'll pull Naruto's consciousness into the mental space. You..."—The Nine-Tails cut itself off, realizing the danger approaching. If Tobi discovered Naruto's presence, his eye abilities wouldn't be so easy to escape from.
"I understand!" Minato immediately grasped the situation. Without needing further explanation, his body moved with lightning speed. He gently touched the corner of the girl's clothes standing in front of him, and in the next instant, he vanished from his spot.
Even Uchiha Izumi, who was concentrating intently, didn't sense Naruto's departure.
Minato suppressed his chakra to a minimum, hiding in the best possible corner to observe the situation. Simultaneously, he attempted to tap into the natural energy the Nine-Tails had shared with him. As the strange red hue appeared under Naruto's eyes, Minato's sensory ability amplified exponentially.
He had entered Sage Mode!
Without anyone needing to remind him, Minato had already made the most logical judgment and decision for both the situation and himself. After all, he was the hero of the battlefield, the Yellow Flash of Konoha!
"How long can I maintain this Sage Mode using Naruto's body?" Minato murmured to himself. His focus sharpened on the current situation.
Even Tobi, unaware of Minato's strategy, simply dismissed the movement of Izumi as insignificant. He was preparing to finish off Izumi when Minato, in Naruto's body, made his move.
Sage Art: Water Style—Heavenly Light Three Howls, Twirling Winds, Ice-Sealing Water Dragon Bullet Zero.
The name may sound strange, but essentially, it was a more powerful version of the Water Dragon Bullet technique, amplified by Sage Chakra. Under the influence of Sage Mode, the power of the Water Dragon Bullet was beyond compare.
Combined with Naruto's massive chakra, which came from his Uzumaki heritage, the waters surged. In an instant, the front gates of Konoha's police headquarters turned into a massive pond, submerging both Uchiha Tobi and Izumi in its depths.
Minato had taught Naruto the Water Style jutsu when he had discovered his wind and water chakra affinities. Though Minato's own elemental affinities were wind, lightning, and fire, it didn't mean he didn't know Water Style. In fact, Jiraiya had once praised him by saying, "Compared to Minato, everyone else seems lacking."
Minato had mastered almost every jutsu, a testament to his genius.
However...
"Who's using Water Style?!" Tobi, now in his intangible state, moved through the torrents, unaffected by the rushing water, using it instead as a beacon to track his enemy.
In an instant, Tobi reached the Water Dragon Bullet, but he saw no one.
"Boom!"
Once again, the water dragon roared, but this time it came from behind him. It surged forward, engulfing Tobi in its wake.
"How did they move so fast?" Tobi spun around, his Sharingan eyes sharpening, but this water dragon came from farther away than before. His opponent had moved a great distance in an instant and attacked him again with Water Style.
Still, it was ineffective. Tobi's Kamui allowed him to remain intangible, and for as long as it lasted, he could ignore any attacks.
Tobi continued to move against the flow of the water dragon. This time, he was determined to use his Sharingan to see through the opponent's actions.
"Already reacting?" Even Minato had to admit how troublesome Tobi's ability was. He glanced at Izumi, who had been thrown by the previous water dragon and was now lying nearby. On her clothes, Minato's Flying Thunder God seal was visible.
At that moment, Minato had used the Water Style attack on Tobi to create enough force to launch Izumi away.
Tobi's intangibility meant he couldn't follow. He was instead sent back toward where he had started. Before Tobi could reach his original position, Minato had already used Flying Thunder God to reach Izumi's side. This gave him ample space to act.
In this brief moment, Minato and Izumi had slipped beyond Tobi's detection, and Tobi had no idea who was behind these moves or what other abilities they possessed.
This was Minato's battle sense!
"Are you not leaving yet?"
The Nine-Tails' voice rang out again, but this time, there was no urgency in its tone.
It had a feeling of what Minato was planning.
"Tonight, right? This is the night…" Minato thought to himself. He knew the Nine-Tails could hear him. "The night the Uchiha clan was wiped out."
"That's about right. So, what will you do?"
"I'll trap him in the water with Water Style. In the darkness of this night, his vision will be limited. His movements will slow down, and until he figures out whether my intangibility is real, he's unlikely to release it. And based on our previous encounters, if he remains intangible, he won't be able to attack or use other jutsu."
"And you said his Kamui can only be maintained for a period of time. He can't stay intangible forever. If he faces the need to solidify without knowing the enemy's position, he may not continue the chase."
Minato calmly outlined his strategy.
"You'll need to keep him trapped for a while, and use Flying Thunder God to confuse him, all while making sure he doesn't realize it. Chakra might become an issue."
"Besides Naruto's chakra, I also have my own," Minato replied quietly. "After absorbing the chakra you've been passing to me, it should be enough to hold out for a while."
"...Why go this far? If your goal is to save this girl, you could just use Flying Thunder God and take her away now," the Nine-Tails seemed to see through Minato's intentions. "Are you still trying to save the whole Uchiha clan? How naïve. Even if you survive tonight, do you think tomorrow will bring peace?"
"…I understand your meaning, Nine-Tails. I also understand the Third Hokage's reasoning. I understand why the village had to make this decision."
Minato paused. In Sage Mode, he could feel Tobi drawing closer. He didn't stop using chakra, and as Tobi approached, Minato used Flying Thunder God to return to his original position and cast another Sage Art.
"But what I see, and what I know, is that as of this moment, the Uchiha clan is still a part of Konoha. And I… I am still the Hokage, engraved on the Hokage Monument!"
"The title of Hokage is a vow to all the villagers of Konoha. I swore to protect this village and its people. They are in danger right now, and I cannot run away. This is something I cannot abandon!"
In that moment, Naruto's gaze was filled with unwavering determination. The spirit burning within his small body was the same as his father's.
Once, even at the cost of his life, he sealed the Nine-Tails to protect the village.
His name was Minato Namikaze!
He was Konoha's Fourth Hokage!
And that had never changed!
"…Even if it means putting yourself and your child at risk, you still carry the Hok
**********
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.