A dazzling white light pierced through the forest, turning everything in its path into dust.
The defense line of the Konoha ninjas was being gradually pushed back as the Iwa ninja army closed in.
No matter how fiercely they resisted, it was futile.
Ohnoki's body hovered in the air, gazing down at the retreating Konoha ninjas, feeling a surge of emotion.
The Konoha village of the Land of Fire, which once filled him with dread and fear, was finally going to fall beneath his feet.
He thought to himself that the ancestors of both Iwagakure and Konoha should come and witness the current state of the ninja world, and see who truly leads it now!
Suddenly, a giant staff shot up from the ground, heading straight for his position.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's figure appeared at the top of a tree.
"Still resisting, Sarutobi Hiruzen? Do you really want me to kill all the Konoha ninjas?" Ohnoki sneered.
The only response was a long, sweeping staff.
Ohnoki's expression turned cold as he raised his hand, summoning numerous rocks to attach to his arm, stopping the staff's strike.
"Stubborn fool!"
His body continued to rise, reaching a height that was beyond the reach of the ninjas below.
Ohnoki pressed his hands together, and a transparent white square energy form appeared in his palms.
Just as he was about to cast his jutsu on the Konoha ninjas below, a streak of light suddenly flew up from below.
It was a kunai, and Ohnoki merely glanced at it, shifting slightly to dodge the attack.
The kunai continued flying upwards, and suddenly Ohnoki heard the sound of whistling wind.
A blonde young man appeared out of nowhere, holding a bright blue chakra sphere in his hand.
Ohnoki's heart skipped a beat, and the transparent crystal between his hands instantly shot a white energy beam toward the newcomer.
This Dust Release jutsu shattered the clouds in the sky.
Ohnoki couldn't tell if it had hit the target, but at least it forced him back.
As Ohnoki hesitated, wondering if he had hit, a peculiar kunai was slowly thrown toward him.
Whether it was intentional or not, the kunai flew so slowly that it made him question whether it could even harm anyone.
Ohnoki suddenly glanced at the inscription on the kunai.
"Sword of Shinobi's Love ( 忍愛之剣 ).
In that brief moment, Ohnoki realized something, and his hands swiftly changed their hand seals.
"Earth Release: Hardening Technique!"
"Rasengan!"
The blue, high-density chakra sphere slammed into Ohnoki's lower back.
The immense impact sent him plummeting from the sky.
The hardening technique prevented any injury from the blow, and although he fell for a short distance, Ohnoki quickly stabilized himself in mid-air.
However, the shock from the hit caused discomfort in his lower back, which had been a weak spot from an old injury.
Space-time ninjutsu, huh...
It was his first time facing this golden flash, and he knew that this person had caused great trouble for his own forces.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Namikaze Minato, two troublesome opponents.
Ohnoki didn't engage further with the opponent and instead descended to the ground.
What he wanted was the victory of this war, and there was no need to risk fighting a young and strong rival.
On Minato's side, after landing a blow on the Tsuchikage, he saw the enemy vanish into the forest.
"Shikaku, can you tell me the Tsuchikage's location?"
"Shikaku? Inoichi?"
Not receiving a response, Minato furrowed his brow and quickly rushed toward the location of the sensory team.
Indeed, Shikaku's side had been attacked by enemies.
They were positioned at the rear with weak defenses, and although only a few enemies had bypassed the front lines, they were still far more than their defenses could handle.
The communication devices were destroyed, and several large batteries had been hit by rocks, sparking and crackling with fire.
With no other choice, Shikaku had to leave his command post and rise to meet the enemy.
This sudden loss of leadership caused the already disadvantaged Konoha ninjas to panic, their minds without Shikaku's guidance, as they faced enemies attacking from all directions.
Minato moved swiftly across the battlefield, like a golden flash of light.
Wherever he passed, numerous Iwa ninjas fell, their heads separated from their bodies in an instant.
He soon reached the position where Shikaku and his group were surrounded by dozens of Iwa ninjas.
Pulling a shuriken from his waist, he quickly threw it at the enemies.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, a single shuriken transformed into a rain of countless shuriken, covering the sky and descending upon the enemy.
There was no way to evade, and before they could even make a move, many Iwa ninjas were slain in the onslaught of shuriken.
Minato's movements never slowed as he continued to move at high speed, leaving behind countless golden afterimages, swiftly slaying all the Iwa ninjas remaining in the area.
Shikaku slumped to the ground, feeling an exhaustion he had never known.
Despite not having fought much, he was mentally and physically drained.
Minato, after finishing off the enemies, approached them.
"Shikaku, Inoichi, are you alright?"
Shikaku heard Minato's slight gasps, which he couldn't suppress despite trying to keep them under control.
"Minato, you're exhausted too." Shikaku said softly, glancing at the broken equipment nearby.
Except for when they were younger, Shikaku had never seen a hint of exhaustion on Minato's face.
No matter how strong the enemies or how difficult the tasks, Minato always handled them effortlessly.
Minato approached to inspect the damaged large batteries and asked Shikaku and Inoichi, "Can they still be used?"
Inoichi muttered to himself, "Without the equipment, my chakra can no longer be used for telepathy or sensory transmission. It's over... It's all over..."
Minato silently stood up, gripping the kunai tightly in his hand.
Aside from Shikaku and Inoichi, there were no other allies in sight.
How many Konoha ninja remained elsewhere?
What could possibly change all of this?
A thousand thoughts flashed through Minato's mind, a mix of indescribable emotions swelling in his heart—grief, anger, and an overwhelming sense of unwillingness intertwined.
The blood on the ground flowed freely, soaking into Shikaku's clothing as he sat there.
"Facing death… facing death…" he muttered repeatedly under his breath.
Inoichi's spirit was dazed, his eyes unfocused.
Blood continued to flow from his nose no matter how much he tried to wipe it away.
Another wave of Iwa-nin charged forward, but upon seeing the countless corpses of their comrades and the lone figure of Minato standing there, fear and hesitation filled their eyes.
In the distance, massive explosions echoed, accompanied by endless, agonized screams.
Flames spread through the forest, only to be quickly extinguished by Water Release jutsu, followed by a barrage of flying stones piercing through the trees.
Several Iwa-nin were chasing a lone Konoha ninja, who fled in panic across the battlefield.
In his frantic desperation, the kunai he threw veered wildly into the sky before he was caught by another group of Iwa-nin and had his throat pierced by a blade.
Minato's gaze shifted to a boy, no older than twelve or thirteen.
His comrades were likely all dead, leaving him clutching a kunai with a vacant, helpless expression.
Minato wanted to rush forward and save the child, but before he could act, a flying stone struck the boy's head, killing him instantly.
Minato's heart sank to the depths.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted, and a crimson flare blossomed in the sky above the forest.
The explosion's range was vast, scattering bright embers and sparks across the scene.
In this apocalyptic battlefield, it stood out strikingly.
Where did that smoke come from… Was it Fire Release?
The thought flashed through Minato's mind.
Boom!
Another flare shot up, this time from the opposite direction, streaking into the sky.
Minato saw it clearly this time—it was indeed smoke.
The crimson glow drew everyone's attention, even the nearby Iwa-nin paused to watch.
"A signal…"
"It's a signal flare!"
A voice suddenly rang out beside him.
It was Shikaku, struggling to stand, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with newfound hope.
Minato felt his heart tighten at the words, his eyes widening as an almost absurd thought crept into his mind.
He asked, "Is it an Iwa signal flare?"
But Shikaku shouted back, "It's ours! It's ours! It's our signal flare!"
"What does the red signal mean today? Inoichi, what's the meaning of the red signal?"
His voice was hoarse, and for once, the usually calm and composed Shikaku seemed overwhelmed, his mind spinning.
Inoichi, dazed and muttering, echoed, "Yesterday red meant retreat, yellow was the start of execution, and green meant mission accomplished. Today… today…"
Minato stared at the red glow in the sky, murmuring to himself, "Mission accomplished."
What mission… whose mission?
Inoichi's muddled mind was suddenly struck by a voice: "Is this Lord Inoichi?"
Hearing it, he froze instantly.
"Fu…"
"Is it… Fu?"
Shikaku, standing beside him, quickly interjected, "Yamanaka Fu?"
Yamanaka Fu was a young member of the Yamanaka clan, once part of Orochimaru's team that had ventured into the Land of Wind.
The voice in Inoichi's mind continued to resonate:
"Lord Inoichi, we've arrived. Reinforcements are here!"
"Fu… Fu…"
Inoichi's expression twisted, an amalgamation of joy and sorrow, of laughter and tears.
He stood up, shouting with all his might, his voice teetering on the edge of madness, desperate to let the entire battlefield hear him.
"Fu is here! Fu has returned!"
"Lord Orochimaru has returned!"
End of chapter
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