"Stop!"
Namikaze Minato's three-pronged kunai swept toward Rasa's throat.
But from the corner of his eye, he saw an ignited explosive tag stuck above his student Nohara Rin's head.
At that moment, Kakashi pushed his Lightning Body Flicker to the limit and threw a Flying Thunder God kunai toward Rin.
Minato frowned.
Kakashi's action, born from worry and panic, had handed Minato a difficult choice.
Kill Rasa and complete the mission, or save Nohara Rin.
If it were only Minato making the choice, it would not be a problem.
But Kakashi had thrown that kunai.
That meant Kakashi had already made his choice.
Kakashi chose his teammate, not the mission.
Kakashi had received too much preferential treatment since childhood. He still had not truly understood the cruelty of being a ninja.
Not far from Rin, Uchiha Hato stared in terror at the explosive tag that had already burned one-third of the way down.
If the flame reached the sealing script, the tag would explode.
In that instant, the burning motion of the explosive tag seemed so slow.
Slow enough for Hato to see every piece of paper turn red, burn, then blacken.
His eyes became dry. His vision blurred slightly, then changed abruptly.
He awakened the Sharingan.
However, Hato had no time to care about his own change.
A golden flash vanished in an instant.
Namikaze Minato ultimately had no choice but to account for Kakashi's judgment. He teleported beside Nohara Rin and tore off the explosive tag.
The explosive tag detonated.
Before the explosion, Minato had already taken Rin and appeared far away.
The raging Gold Dust destroyed one-third of the noble estate, turning the area into a small desert.
Across the desert, everything was visible at a glance.
The four sides observed one another.
Rasa stared at the blond Namikaze Minato in terror. He had seen Minato's picture from the intelligence department before.
Konoha's unparalleled genius.
Just now, he had narrowly escaped death.
He, a dignified Kazekage, had been completely unable to react at the final moment.
Namikaze Minato's speed was too fast, like a sudden golden bolt of lightning.
Minato stared hard at Uchiha Obito, who wore a black cloak with red clouds.
"Akatsuki? You're from the Akatsuki?"
Uchiha Obito was slightly surprised, then said, "As expected of the number one genius Konoha has focused on nurturing. You saw through my identity at a glance."
Minato's expression grew grave.
From Commander Fox, he knew the general information about the Akatsuki.
Only now, during his first clash with the Akatsuki, did he understand why Commander Fox had said he could not serve as commander of any one battlefield and had to remain as a reserve against the Akatsuki.
The subordinates left behind by Uchiha Madara were too strong.
They had almost killed his student right in front of him.
Chains dropped from Uchiha Obito's sleeves, linking both of his wrists, ready to bind Namikaze Minato at any moment.
Even though he was younger than Minato, even though he faced the number one member of Konoha's younger generation, Obito showed no fear.
Spiral Zetsu had already transplanted Hashirama cells into him. At this moment, his body contained both Ashura and Indra's power.
The Hashirama cell transplant Madara-sama had researched could be called perfect.
In the distance, Hidan saw that Wind Calamity had actually failed and was just about to make a few sarcastic remarks.
Then he thought again.
For now, the leader probably did not want to expose the connection between the Calamity Organization and Konoha.
He was so smart. He had not acknowledged Wind Calamity.
Hidan formed hand seals, and his consciousness arrived in the divine hall, preparing to summon Leader Thunder Calamity.
Uchiha Obito said to Rasa in the distance, "Kazekage, I am an Akatsuki ninja hired by the Tsuchikage. Capture Namikaze Minato's three students. I need them alive."
Rasa thought, 'So that's how it is.'
After he joined the Anti-Konoha Alliance, Ōnoki had prepared a backup plan.
This newcomer was extremely strong and had saved his life.
Just as he was about to ask more, he discovered that the Akatsuki ninja and Namikaze Minato had disappeared at the same time.
Their strength was so strange, so powerful, that only one or two seconds later did Rasa see the two fighting in the distance.
Both of them possessed space-time ninjutsu.
Rasa turned toward Namikaze Minato's three subordinates.
Those three seemed to have graduated only half a year ago. Two of them did not even wear Chūnin vests. The white-haired boy had one, though.
Seeing that head of white hair, then glancing at the iconic chakra metal short blade, Rasa said, "White Fang's short blade? You're Hatake Kakashi?"
Rasa remembered that Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, had a son named Hatake Kakashi.
"If I kill White Fang's son and avenge Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, perhaps Chiyo will lower her head."
A wave of Gold Dust surged forth, rushing violently toward Kakashi.
Kakashi lowered his head and glanced at the Gold Dust. It contained sand, as well as many bright metallic particles.
White Fang's short blade rang with the sharp chirp of Lightning Release.
"Rin! Hato! Jump!"
Hearing Kakashi's warning, Nohara Rin and Hato quickly leapt up.
Kakashi stabbed White Fang's short blade hard into the Gold Dust on the ground.
For a moment, lightning exploded around Kakashi.
The electricity spread through the Gold Dust in every direction, rushing straight toward Rasa.
The Gold Dust beneath Rasa's feet separated from the ground and lifted him up, avoiding the lightning strike.
Nearly being killed by Namikaze Minato was one thing. Minato's identity was special.
But now, he had almost been injured by White Fang's son as well.
Why did Konoha produce so many geniuses?
Rasa waved his hand. More than a dozen long spears stabbed out from the clump of Gold Dust beneath his feet.
The Gold Dust spears aimed at Kakashi and the others, then shot forward.
The spears were extremely fast. Kakashi quickly twisted aside to dodge.
However, Nohara Rin did not have that kind of reaction speed. She was about to be struck by a Gold Dust spear.
At the critical moment, Uchiha Hato threw himself toward Nohara Rin.
There was no way the two of them could dodge Rasa's attack.
The gap between a Kage and Genin was far too great.
In Uchiha Hato's eyes, the single-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly. Though he could see the trajectory of the Gold Dust spear, his body could not keep up with his eyes. His body felt unbearably heavy, unable to move at all.
Nohara Rin could only see the back of Uchiha Hato's head, but instinctively, she felt her heart shudder and her scalp go numb.
"No!"
On the ground, Kakashi watched in horror as the Gold Dust spear was about to pierce through Hato and Rin's abdomens.
Kakashi's own condition was not good either. Gold Dust crawled up his body like countless insects.
Bang!
A person suddenly appeared in front of Uchiha Hato.
With a casual wave of his hand, the newcomer shattered the Gold Dust spear.
Kakashi saw Konoha ANBU's hooded cloak.
And a fox mask.
Konoha's ANBU commander?
That terrifying Gold Dust now looked like dust being swept away.
Yako turned and glanced at Uchiha Hato behind him.
"A single-tomoe Sharingan... still somewhat lacking."
Yako remembered that in the original timeline, Obito's first awakening had been double tomoe.
As expected of the person Uchiha Madara had chosen. He was far stronger than ordinary Uchiha.
Yako swept his gaze across the battlefield.
Obito. Rasa. The Akatsuki and the Anti-Konoha Alliance had indeed joined forces.