In the blink of an eye, Pakura's chakra surged with incredible force. A violent, howling wind whipped around her, and her body became engulfed in a vibrant, swirling blue chakra. As the chakra intensified, it shifted to a searing red, as if it had been set ablaze.
In that moment, Pakura transformed into a figure wreathed in flames, radiating an overwhelming heat that scorched everything in her vicinity. The trees and the earth around her were rapidly blackened and withered by the intense warmth.
This extraordinary display immediately seized the attention of everyone on the battlefield.
The Sand ninja watched in awe, their eyes wide with admiration, while the Leaf ninja looked on in apprehension, fear evident in their expressions.
"Stay back! I can't control this power fully yet!"
Pakura yelled, warning the surrounding ninja.
The Sand ninja, responding without hesitation, swiftly retreated about a mile from her, careful not to get caught in her destructive aura.
"What is this..."
Jiraiya muttered, his attention diverted from his fight with Rasa as he noticed the sudden change.
With his vast experience, Jiraiya recognized the transformation instantly.
"This is exactly the same technique the Kazekage used earlier. But what kind of power is this? Could it be a secret technique of Sunagakure?"
Rasa, too, was stunned, his eyes narrowing in recognition.
"Impressive. She's a prodigy, developing Scorch Release entirely on her own. In just half a day, she has managed to perfectly merge Star Chakra Mode, Peacock Mystic Art, and Scorch Release to create this terrifying form?"
The sight brought a familiar memory to Rasa's mind—a powerful vision of the Lava Release Chakra Mode used by the Four Tailed Beasts' jinchuriki.
Minato also couldn't help but think of Kushina Uzumaki—the Nine-Tails jinchuriki of Konoha—whenever he saw such a transformation. The image of the Tailed Beast Cloak, she would assume when tapping into the full power of the Nine-Tails, was vividly imprinted in his memory.
Now, boosted by the Scorch Release Chakra Mode, Pakura's speed and strength were pushed to their absolute limits, enabling her to close the distance toward Minato in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh!
Minato responded by hurling a kunai, testing her reflexes, but Pakura merely twisted her face into a sneer.
Her speed had become so refined and fluid that she effortlessly dodged the thrown kunai.
As for defense, she no longer needed it. In the Scorch Release Chakra Mode, any attempt Minato made to approach her would result in instant evaporation, leaving him as nothing more than a dry, desiccated husk.
Boom!
With her absolute defense and terrifying offensive power, Pakura was no longer just a force to be reckoned with—she had become a relentless killing machine, cutting a path through the battlefield. Every Konoha ninja who crossed her path stood no chance, their bodies reduced to dry husks as they screamed in agony.
Minato's expression darkened, his mind racing for a solution as he couldn't afford to let Pakura restlessly massacre his comrades.
"There's no choice now. It looks like I'll have to use this technique!"
Minato muttered to himself with a resolve. This was Minato's last resort, a trump card he had hoped never to use. He wasn't even certain it would succeed, but with the current situation, he had no other option.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, two identical Minato appeared beside him, their expressions determined.
"Please!" one clone said, while the other added, "Leave it to us!"
Without wasting a moment, both clones immediately began to form Rasengans, their energy swirling around them as they charged toward Pakura.
By now, Pakura had observed the Rasengan enough in battle to recognize the technique's deadly potential.
She had to admit that the technique was undeniably powerful. She likely couldn't withstand its impact even in her current Scorch Release Chakra Mode. However, she knew that she would be fine if it didn't hit her directly.
With this thought, she immediately unleashed two fireballs, propelling them toward the two clones.
Boom!
Pakura blinked in surprise as the unexpectedly weak clones were hit directly by her Scorch Release. They exploded into smoke almost instantly. Just as she realized what had happened, a Flying Thunder God kunai came hurtling toward her face.
Annoyed, Pakura muttered.
"This kind of distraction is too obvious!"
Minato had used the Flying Thunder God technique to appear right in front of her. Without hesitation, she charged at him, determined not to give him the chance to complete his Rasengan. Her only goal was to evaporate him into a dry husk before he could react.
But in that very instant, Minato formed a strange hand seal. A sudden sense of unease surged in Pakura's heart.
Before her eyes, as she closed in on Minato, a strange barrier appeared in front of her. Her body suddenly felt disoriented, and everything around her began to blur.
In the midst of her confusion, a bright light flickered at the corner of her vision. In panic, she whipped around and saw Minato, holding a Rasengan, descending from the sky, heading straight for her back.
From a distance, another Minato stood, holding a Flying Thunder God kunai.
In that split second, everything clicked in Pakura's mind.
She realized the truth. The Flying Thunder God technique didn't just teleport the user; it could also teleport the target.
"Damn it!"
Just as she braced for the impact of Minato's Rasengan, convinced the technique would succeed, another blinding light flashed before their eyes.
Both Pakura and Minato froze, stunned, as Rasa appeared between them, holding a Rasengan of his own.
Boom!
The two Rasengans collided in an explosive eruption, shaking the battlefield and destroying everything in its immediate vicinity. Minato's clone vanished instantly into smoke.
"How… how is this possible?" Minato asked in disbelief, his hand still gripping the Flying Thunder God kunai. His pupils dilated in shock as he stared at the Rasengan in Rasa's hands.
This was the very technique Minato had developed to protect Kushina, so how was it that Rasa, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, was also capable of using it?
The shock was also felt by Jiraiya, who stood some distance away, witnessing the unexpected turn of events. As he recalled Rasa's deep knowledge of their team's strategies, an unsettling thought began to take root in both his and Minato's minds.
"Did someone in our village betray us? How else would the Sand Village know our tactics so thoroughly?"
Jiraiya thought out loud; he narrowed his eyes with concern.
"No matter what, this battle can't continue."
Jiraiya urged his disciple. Since the enemy has a lot of information relating to them, far more than they had imagined, a continuation of this battle will escalate further complications.
"We need to retreat, Minato. At this point, we have no chance of winning,"
Minato nodded solemnly, his gaze locked on Rasa. The Kazekage of Sunagakure had left a permanent mark on Minato's mind. The events of this day would be something he would never forget.
On the other side, after the explosion, Pakura found herself in Rasa's arms, having dispelled her Scorch Release Chakra Mode. She stared at him, her expression one of shock and disbelief. Her emotions were a whirlwind—she had never imagined she would be saved by Rasa.
Sensing the awkwardness of their position, Pakura struggled to break free from Rasa's embrace with a hue of redness on her face, her voice tentative as she stammered,
"Th-thank you..."
Rasa, ever calm, responded with a steady voice.
"There's no need for thanks. We're comrades from the same village. How are you feeling?"
Pakura's eyes flickered, and she inhaled deeply to steady herself. Her Scorch Release Chakra Mode flared back into existence, her voice gradually regaining its usual firmness.
"Don't worry. I was just caught off guard by a sneak attack. It won't happen again."
"Hmm."
Rasa nodded thoughtfully.
Given Rasa's speed, it should have been impossible for him to keep up with Minato's Flying Thunder God technique. Even though Rasa, as the Kazekage, was highly skilled with teleportation techniques, he couldn't have possibly kept up with such an advanced space-time ninjutsu. But, knowing Minato well, Rasa had anticipated his actions.
From the moment Minato had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Rasa had sensed something was amiss.
After all, Minato wasn't like Naruto—he wasn't a chakra powerhouse, and he rarely used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. This meant that Minato was likely planning something, and Rasa had picked up on that immediately.
When Rasa noticed that Minato had created another clone after the explosion distraction, he made his move. Seizing the opportunity while Jiraiya's attention was diverted by Pakura's Scorch Release Mode, Rasa rushed toward Minato's clone, knowing that he needed to act quickly.
Rasa didn't reveal to Pakura that Minato's Flying Thunder God technique had the ability to teleport other people, as he needed to maintain the illusion that his intellect was the key to his success—rather than an uncanny ability to predict the future.
"Next..."
Rasa began to warn Pakura to be cautious, but the battlefield shifted in an instant.
"Retreat!"
The Konoha ninjas suddenly began pulling back, their withdrawal signaling the end of the battle.
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