The Rasengan in Shota's hand fizzled out as he dismissed it. He hadn't planned to use it on anyone. It was just for show, a way to convince the Suna shinobi behind him that he'd learned it right here, right now, from Minato Namikaze. He needed them to believe he'd copied it on the spot, not that he'd spent four years secretly mastering it. He did not want to explain how he managed to get the jutsu.
Shota's body flickered, vanishing from his spot just as Kakashi appeared, sword slashing through the air where he'd been standing.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he tracked Shota's movement. The other Suna shinobi lunged at Minato, but without Shota's gaze on him, Minato dispatched them effortlessly. A few strikes, and they were down, groaning on the ground.
Kakashi pressed Shota, his short sword flashing as he closed the distance. Shota blocked with his kunai, the clash of metal ringing out. He was on the backfoot.
Close-range fighting wasn't his strength, and Kakashi was a prodigy, even without chakra. Shota's dojutsu gave him an edge, letting him use chakra to boost his speed and strength while Kakashi couldn't.
He aimed a chakra-enhanced kick at Kakashi's chest. Kakashi raised his sword to block, but without chakra to reinforce it, the force sent him skidding back, his feet digging into the dirt.
From behind Kakashi, Obito's voice boomed. "Suna brat, get ready to face the wrath of an Uchiha! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He wove hand signs and puffed out his chest, ready to unleash a blazing inferno. But when he blew, only a pathetic gust of air came out. No flames, no heat, just a sad puff that ruffled his own goggles.
Obito froze, his mouth still puckered, eyes wide. "Why didn't it work?!" he shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
He shook his hands, staring at them like they'd betrayed him. "Did I mess up the signs? Dog, Boar, Tiger—no, wait, was it Monkey? Oh, come on!"
He started weaving the signs again, slower this time, muttering to himself. "I know this jutsu! I've done it a hundred times! What's going on?!"
Shota, still clashing with Kakashi, had to bite back a laugh. Obito's flailing was almost enough to break his focus. Almost.
He'd glanced at Obito just as the Uchiha started his hand signs, activating his dojutsu to cancel the jutsu before turning his eyes back to Kakashi. The look on Obito's face, pure confusion mixed with growing horror, was priceless. He looked like a kid who'd just realized his favorite toy was broken.
Kakashi, dodging another of Shota's strikes, shouted over his shoulder. "Idiot, don't announce you're using a jutsu! This guy can stop you from using jutsu when he looks at you. That's how he stopped Sensei's Flying Raijin!"
"He can do WHAT now?!" Obito yelled, his voice cracking. He stumbled back, pointing at Shota like he'd seen a ghost. "That's ridiculous! Who has an ability like that? That's not fair!"
He waved his arms, goggles slipping down his nose. "What kind of cheat is this guy using? I mean, come on, no fire? I looked like an idiot just now!"
Shota's lips twitched, but he kept his focus on Kakashi. 'He figured it out in five minutes,' he thought. "As expected of a genius like Kakashi Hatake."
Kakashi's sword came at him again, faster this time. Shota parried, but the force pushed him back. He was physically weaker, and Kakashi's skill was overwhelming. Shota's only advantage was his chakra, letting him move faster, hit harder. He needed to keep Kakashi at a distance.
Rin, standing near the mud wall, threw a volley of shuriken at Shota to slow him down. He deflected them with his kunai. But the distraction cost him.
The ground beneath his feet shifted, and before he could react, he was yanked downward, his body sinking into the earth up to his neck.
Minato appeared in front of him, a three-pronged kunai in one hand, the real scroll in the other. "Earth Style: Super Subterranean Skull-Smasher Jutsu," Minato said.
Shota's eyes twitched at the name. 'Seriously?' he thought. 'That's just the Earth style Headhunter Jutsu with a ridiculous name."
Shota couldn't move, his arms pinned beneath the dirt.
He glanced at the scroll in Minato's hand. Their mission, the one he'd fought so hard for, was gone. Defeat settled over him like a heavy weight. He turned his head, looking at the Suna shinobi behind him. They lay on the ground, battered but alive, their chests rising and falling. At least they weren't dead. That was something.
Minato met Shota's gaze. "We don't want hostilities with Suna," he said. "Please forgive me for taking this scroll." His voice was sincere.
He turned, signaling his team to retreat. Kakashi, being patched up by Rin's medical ninjutsu, shot a look of protest but said nothing. After a moment, he nodded, following his sensei's lead. Obito, still muttering about his failed fireball, shuffled after them, casting wary glances at Shota.
The Konoha team vanished into the trees, leaving Shota trapped in the ground, the Suna shinobi groaning behind him. He let out a long breath, his body sagging. He'd lost the scroll, but he was alive. His team was alive. That was more than he'd expected facing the Yellow Flash.
Shota's mind raced, replaying the fight. He'd held his own, even if just for a moment. His dojutsu had stopped Minato's Flying Raijin, canceled Obito's fireball, and given him a chance against Kakashi. But it wasn't enough.
He thought about his sister back in Suna, probably feeding their cat right now, waiting for him to come home. He'd promised her he'd return, no matter what. This mission was supposed to help Suna, to make sure they were safe, to give her a future. Losing the scroll stung, but he'd survived the Yellow Flash. That was a story in itself.
Minato, moving through the trees with his team, clutched the scroll tightly. He knew the Konoha council would question his choice. Letting Shota live, letting a kid with a dojutsu that could erase chakra walk away, it was a risk. They'd call it reckless, maybe even a betrayal of his duty. But it felt right.
Minato's decision wasn't just based on prophecy. The prophecy also told about a great threat that the shinobi would face that might annihilate them.
If the prophecy was true, if a greater threat was coming, it must be something tied to chakra itself, who better to face it than a kid who could nullify it? Shota could be the key to stopping a disaster Minato couldn't yet imagine.
But Minato wasn't naive. If Shota became a threat to Konoha, if he turned his power against the village, Minato would hunt him down. Next time, there'd be no hesitation, no mercy. He'd end it himself.
For now, though, he let the kid live. He let the Suna shinobi breathe. He'd face the council's wrath and explain his choice. And he would be giving them the same reason as he gave the Suna-nin, he did not want to restart the war between the two great villages.
Back on the battlefield, Shota wriggled in the dirt, trying to free himself. The Suna shinobi stirred, one of them crawling toward him. "You okay, kid?" the chunin asked, his voice rough.
"Yeah," Shota said, managing a weak grin. "Just stuck. And, you know, lost the scroll."
The chunin chuckled, wincing as he clutched his side. "You held off the Yellow Flash. That's more than most can say."