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Although Ay had anticipated from the beginning that the war with Konoha would be incredibly difficult, he never imagined that progress would be so rapid.
From the very start of the Three-Country Alliance War, the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Stone, and Hidden Sand Villages quickly shared intelligence. However, due to time and geographical constraints, the Three-Country Alliance Army, which was originally only a theoretical concept, failed to materialize. The three Villages still launched attacks on Konoha from their respective directions.
However, Sawara Kiri's progress on the Sunagakure front was so fast that it terrified everyone.
In just one month, the Sunagakure, with tens of thousands of Ninja and having completed an emergency mobilization, suffered multiple major defeats within its own territory. In the end, even two Kage-level powerhouses, Sasori and Karura, were decisively killed, unable to even escape.
The war had only been going on for three months, and it seemed Konoha was already on the verge of fully integrating the entire Land of Wind.
Looking at the Land of Earth to the west, they hadn't even fully engaged with Konoha yet, and were already in a stalemate under the Moon Organization's offensive. That old man Ōnoki, who was usually hailed as the Ninja World's top attacker, couldn't even let out a fart now; he was completely blocked.
Looking around, Ay realized that the war had only just begun, and his Kumogakure had already become Konoha's most pressing enemy.
Who knew when that monster, Sawara Kiri, would charge into his Village?
Under these circumstances, he could no longer sit still and immediately ordered the staff office to formulate a strike plan against Konoha's Ninja on the Lightning-Fire front.
Until today, after confirming that Sawara Kiri's true body was still in Hidden Sand, and having pinpointed Namikaze Minato's battle line, he immediately decided to launch a surprise attack.
From the current situation, it was clear that this operation had been successful.
"Heh."
A ferocious smile appeared on Ay's dark face. His hair stood up like iron wires, stimulated by lightning. Three Shikon no Tama fragments adorned the center of his brow like petals, providing him with a continuous supply of power for his already strong body.
If judged purely by absolute strength, he was confident that even his father from back then would be hard-pressed to match him now.
His gaze swept forward.
Jiraiya, Namikaze Minato, Byakugan, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?
Ay's eyes narrowed slightly, and his previously excited emotions gradually subsided, his thoughts returning to rationality.
If he could capture them all, no, even if one or two escaped, it wouldn't be too big of a problem. After that, he could lead his army directly into Konoha's camp, completely destroy the enemy's front line, and thereby buy a lot of time.
As a Commander, Ay knew very well that there was a huge difference between a troop with headquarters command and one without.
However, if he won this battle, he would then have to directly face the threat of Sawara Kiri, wouldn't he?
"All of you, die!"
A long train of thought was but a brief instant in reality.
Almost the moment his figure was exposed, the already raging lightning on Ay's body intensified, and he shot out like a spherical lightning bolt, directly towards the group without hesitation.
At the same time, Kumogakure Anbu, who had already been lying in ambush, surrounding Jiraiya and the others, also appeared.
The whooshing sounds of flying objects merged into a continuous stream.
"Teacher, cover me!"
Seeing this, Namikaze Minato didn't hesitate at all. With his ultimate Body Flicker, he bypassed Jiraiya's figure, leaving only a single sentence, and confronted the lightning bolt shooting towards him.
Jiraiya's reaction was also astonishingly fast. The moment his Summoning Jutsu hand seals were completed, he had already shot out a large number of special Kunai, with sealing scrolls wrapped around their ends, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, and shouted to the surrounding people:
"Defensive formation!"
The surrounding people showed no panic facing the Kumogakure Anbu's ambush. Those who could act alongside Jiraiya were already the cream of the crop from the command center. The vast majority were seasoned Ninja who had experienced many battles, and even the younger ones among them were mostly outstanding graduates of Ninja High School, at least Jonin-level powerhouses.
The moment they sensed the surrounding movements, they immediately formed small teams with those around them according to their tactical plan, backing each other, forming a subtle circle in the center of the dense forest. They instinctively surrounded Uzumaki Kushina in the center, while simultaneously engaging the multitude of ambushing enemies.
The first to clash, naturally, were Namikaze Minato and Ay, the two fastest individuals from their respective sides.
"Clang!"
The sharp hand blade collided with the Kunai, emitting a crisp sound of metal clashing. The toughness unleashed by his well-trained muscles, activated by Lightning Nature Chakra, was incredibly astonishing.
However, Namikaze Minato remained completely composed. His body lowered into a charging posture, while his mind conjured the Flying Thunder God Kunai markers that were still in flight.
Almost the instant his head was about to collide with Ay, who charged like a wild ox, his figure abruptly vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already on the trunk of a giant tree behind the Raikage.
However, the Kunai he had just gripped remained in place.
"Hmm?!"
Ay's reaction was equally astonishing. Compared to his father, who specialized in 'tough-type' head-on charges, his Lightning Nature Chakra Mode was actually more inclined towards 'speed-type'.
Just as Namikaze Minato vanished, his strong nerves had already allowed him to react. His lightning-wrapped hand gripped the Kunai floating in mid-air, and at the same time, he distorted his waist muscles, which were like distorted steel wires. His large foot landed on the ground, creating a groove half a meter long due to inertia, and then he fiercely flung the Kunai behind him.
However, Namikaze Minato's neural response was even faster than his.
Before he could complete his twisting motion, his feet, planted on the tree trunk, suddenly exerted force, and his entire body shot out like a spring. As he spread his palm, his Chakra sensing was also fully released.
As the Kunai shot out, his body, still in mid-air, vanished and reappeared once more.
By this time, the Rasengan in his palm had already formed, and was even distorted by subtly flowing spatial ripples, appearing somewhat elongated.
As for the point of appearance, it was precisely at the Raikage's side.
On the soft, humus-rich black earth, an inconspicuous Flying Thunder God mark had been imprinted at some unknown time.
At this moment, Ay's heart was suddenly startled.
Almost instinctively, the lightning surrounding his body immediately roared, faintly forming into an armor-like shape from the invisible.
"Lightning Armor!"
"Space-Time Style: Spiraling Gale Scorching Orb Ray Arrow – Seventeenth Form!"
Unlike the Space-Time Rasengan used against Nagato before, which had a massive consumption and extraordinarily strong power, Namikaze Minato had once again achieved a balance between consumption and power on the basis of that attack on the Tailed Beast, adapting it for attacks on human targets.
The condensed, elongated Rasengan appeared to be only the size of a Kunai, and its overall color was a brilliant, dazzling white.
However, its penetrating power was not diminished in the slightest.
Almost the instant it touched the Lightning Armor, that formidable defensive layer, which could even block a Biju Bomb, was easily pierced by this attack from the spatial dimension, forming a large tear, as if even the Chakra contained within had been annihilated.
However, just as that strike was about to contact Ay's torso, a hint of playfulness flashed in his eyes.
The next moment, under Namikaze Minato's astonished gaze, the Space-Time Rasengan, which was about to touch Ay's body, suddenly slid away by an invisible force field, as if a blade had struck a smooth sphere.
Faintly, the Shikon no Tama in the center of Ay's brow could be seen shimmering slightly.
"Boom—!"
The spiraling spear, entirely condensed from spatial Chakra, shot out past Ay's side, piercing a hole tens of meters long through the ground and trees behind him like a hurricane. The internal matter was completely shredded by space, turning into nothingness.
Namikaze Minato's figure flickered again, retreating several steps to create distance from Ay, his gaze fixed on him in disbelief, his brow tightly furrowed.
What was that thing just now?
Ay, however, stood in place with a sneer, looking at the man he once considered his rival.
Just as the two were in a standoff, a tall figure suddenly descended from behind him.
Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, with Sage markings covering his face and his entire body filled with abundant natural energy, was incredibly fast. The diameter of his Great Ball Rasengan even exceeded two meters, and it struck down like a meteor.
"Sage Art: Great Ball Rasengan!"
"Jiraiya-sensei, watch out!!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously.
At this moment, Jiraiya also immediately noticed the abnormality in his touch.
He had clearly hit the target, yet there was no sense of contact whatsoever.
The next moment, Ay's figure suddenly surged, and his thick, long leg swung horizontally like an iron bar, violently sweeping against Jiraiya's waist with the force of a thunderbolt, emitting an extremely dull thud.
With a crash, Jiraiya's figure flew out like an arrow from a bowstring, slamming into a giant coniferous tree trunk beside him, creating a huge crater.
'What's going on?!'
Protected by Sage Chakra, his physical condition was fine, but his gaze towards Ay was somewhat dazed.
"Is it strange?"
"You possess such a treasure, yet you haven't even managed to unearth its full potential. What a waste of heavenly resources."
Ay's figure stepped out of the dust, his tall body wrapped in lightning, like a demon god in the somewhat dim dense forest.
He pointed to the top of his head, looking arrogantly at Namikaze Minato opposite him, his voice cold.
Namikaze Minato's expression was stern.
This guy, like Chiyo and the others, has also developed the abilities of the Shikon no Tama?
Jewel Ninja, as a special existence among Ninja today, were naturally highly valued by each Village.
Sawara Kiri had also told them before the war began that 'the Shikon no Tama has the ability to grant wishes'.
However, because the Jewel Ninja they had encountered on the battlefield so far had not been able to exert much effect, merely matching ordinary first-class Jonin head-on, many people had not taken this matter to heart.
What they didn't expect was that someone as heavily responsible as the Fourth Raikage would use it, even knowing its obvious side effects.
Moreover, he had developed a special power.
'Judging from the situation just now,'
'His wish is to ignore attacks?'
'No.'
'It should be to deflect attacks.'
Recalling the scene the moment he launched the Rasengan, and the instant Jiraiya-sensei's attack landed, Namikaze Minato became increasingly vigilant.
The Fourth Raikage's speed was already extremely fast; even he found it difficult to keep up and had to rely on Flying Thunder God.
If he also gained the ability to deflect attacks, almost no one would be able to touch him.
Namikaze Minato thought this to himself, then suddenly spoke: "Jiraiya-sensei, wide-range attack! I'll hold him off!"
Before Jiraiya could respond, his figure had already shot out.
Ay sneered, the lightning on his body surged again, and he unhesitatingly met his blade.
Jiraiya, upon hearing this, immediately understood his disciple's intention. He immediately formed hand seals for a Summoning, and two small frogs appeared on his shoulders.
"Little Jiraiya, what is it again?"
"We old folks haven't had dinner yet."
The moment Fukasaku and Shima appeared, before they could even ask much, they heard intense explosions.
Turning their heads to look, they saw two figures whose trajectories were completely indiscernible, like two colliding bullets, emitting dazzling sparks amidst a series of violent explosions.
"No time to explain!"
Jiraiya said, his hand seals already complete.
With years of cooperation, the two old toads also immediately completed their hand seals.
The next moment, "Sage Art: Goemon!"
In an instant, the three streams of wind, fire, and oil converged. As the violently surging Chakra erupted, the fiercely burning flames, aided by the three elements, suddenly pushed forward like a wall. The enormous coverage engulfed the forest hundreds of meters in front of the group in fire. The scorching heat singed their hair, instantly raising the previously somewhat cold air to a level that made them sweat profusely.
Even from a distance, they were involuntarily pushed by the surging heatwaves, finding it difficult to even stand still.
The countless crisp sounds of giant trees and leaves being flattened and broken by the flames and impact echoed in their ears, transforming into a veritable sea of fire amidst the surging power.
Namikaze Minato and the Fourth Raikage, who were entangled in battle, were directly in the path of this sea of fire.
Almost the moment he sensed the flames about to engulf him, Namikaze Minato's expression was calm, and his figure abruptly vanished.
However, facing this surging wave of fire, the Raikage merely sneered, and his thick arm chopped forward fiercely.
"Thud!"
The dull sound was like a wave crashing against a reef.
Following that, everyone saw Ay's figure, instead of dodging, directly tear open a path through the sea of fire.
Faintly, one could even see the flames being deflected by some invisible force before they touched his clothes, as he advanced step by step towards Jiraiya's direction.
"Boom—!"
Finally, he stepped forward and charged in front of Jiraiya, and under his astonished gaze, suddenly threw a punch.
Namikaze Minato's eyes narrowed.
With a flicker of his figure, he managed to teleport his teacher back to a distant spot the moment the attack landed.
"Whoosh..."
The roaring sea of fire suddenly split, and charred dead leaves and broken wood fell to the ground, making a faint sound.
Jiraiya was also panting heavily, staring fixedly in the direction of the Fourth Raikage.
There were more and more monsters among the young people these days.
"Teacher, should we retreat?"
Namikaze Minato's expression was serious.
This guy's ability was too bizarre, and coupled with his already powerful frontal strength, it would probably be very difficult for their team to take him down in their current situation.
Although Minato wasn't confident in taking all the fighting members away, if he limited the targets to his teacher and Kushina, he was confident in withdrawing from the battlefield.
As a young Commander who had experienced many battles, Namikaze Minato's personality never lacked a cold and decisive side.
"No."
However, Jiraiya curled his lips, as if somewhat helpless, yet also relaxed, saying: "Let's use that."
Another secret weapon?
Namikaze Minato turned his head to look at his teacher in confusion.
Then, he saw Jiraiya take out an iron talisman from his Pregnant, with a 'snake' character carved on its back.
As if hearing their fragmented words, Ay's expression grew fiercer.
As his tall figure was wrapped in lightning, a faint, bubble-like dark red Tailed Beast Chakra subtly emanated from him. His eyes also transformed into vertical pupils like a wild beast, and tentacle-like tails extended from behind him.
He was determined to win this battle. How could he let them escape?
However, just as he was about to further increase his speed to intercept Namikaze Minato's disappearing figure, he saw Minato suddenly stand up and walk towards him.
An inexplicable sense of danger flashed in Ay's heart.
Konoha, Chaldea Floating Island.
Orochimaru, who was sitting in front of a large screen calculating data, seemed to sense something. He suddenly looked up towards the far north, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
But without much hesitation, he reached out and pressed a red button on the steel table.
"Buzz—"
The next moment, all the villagers of Konoha heard a low hum from the far distance in the sky. Many instinctively looked up, then their eyes widened.
The floating island, which had remained suspended above them like a natural landscape for all these years, had moved.
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