Namikaze Minato kept appearing and disappearing before his eyes. This kind of high-frequency spatial displacement, after experiencing it directly in combat rather than simply knowing about it, could only be described as abnormal.
How was this any different from bypassing the fundamental rules of combat entirely? Locking onto the target was impossible. Landing a hit was impossible. This rendered most ninjutsu ineffective and meaningless against him.
Even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, could not possibly maintain this frequency of spatial displacement continuously.
And even if he could, his speed and recovery between uses would not match Minato's. Although Tobirama was the creator of the Flying Thunder God Technique, purely in terms of skill and mastery of the technique itself, he clearly could not compare to Namikaze Minato.
This was understandable. Even the arrogant Senju Tobirama himself had reportedly acknowledged that Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God surpassed his own. And now, facing it directly, Yuji felt it completely.
Against Minato, all he could do was maintain passive defense. Of course, Minato could not do anything decisive to him either. The two were currently locked in a battle of attrition, seeing whose chakra reserves would give out first.
This also confirmed something important.
Minato had not yet thoroughly developed the Rasengan, or at least had not yet reached the point where he could deploy it fluently in battle.
Based on the original timeline, Minato should have developed the Rasengan during the period leading up to the Third Great Ninja War, drawing inspiration from the Tailed Beast Ball.
But with the war only just beginning now, even if he had been working on the technique for some time, it was certainly not yet mature or complete. Otherwise, Minato would have already combined the Flying Thunder God Technique with the Rasengan and demonstrated the technique that would eventually make the name Yellow Flash of Konoha echo across the entire ninja world.
Without the Rasengan, Minato's offensive firepower was significantly limited. The Flying Thunder God alone had not yet reached its most profound level of application.
As for Sage Mode, if Yuji recalled correctly, Minato himself had acknowledged he was not an expert in it. The current battle illustrated this clearly. If Minato still had a decisive trump card available, he would not have waited this long without using it.
However, this battle was not simply about eliminating the other party. The mission and its purpose came first. All actions were in service of the broader strategic objective.
After a brief but intense exchange with Minato, Yuji's eyes flashed with decisive intent. After Minato once again used the Flying Thunder God to evade a counterattack and reposition, Yuji shifted his direction and surged toward Inuzuka Tsume.
He was moving constantly, not only to keep Minato occupied, but also to prevent the other Leaf Village ninja from coordinating freely and locking onto him as a stable target.
Inuzuka Tsume had been attempting to cooperate with Minato in launching combined attacks, but even using her Four-Legged Technique to enter Beast State, she could not keep pace with the speed of the exchange between them.
What the woman had not noticed was that she had been drawn into a specific range of the battlefield.
Blood Release produced a blood-red stream. Yuji reached Inuzuka Tsume in an instant, swung his hand, and a concentrated blood projectile launched directly at her.
Tsume's pupils contracted sharply. Her expression made it clear she had absolutely no time to react. At this distance, dodging was even less of an option.
The blood-red figure was about to reach her skull when Minato appeared, grabbing Tsume and carrying her clear of the attack in the same motion.
Watching this, Yuji understood immediately. Minato had almost certainly placed Flying Thunder God marks on several of his teammates in advance. Their sudden repositioning had now brought the entire group to a different elevated position on the mountain.
Shikaku and Inoichi followed more slowly behind.
Bang.
Yuji turned abruptly, holding a blood-red blade like a concealed weapon, and swung his arm.
A dark figure had attacked from behind. The blood blade pierced the attacker's abdomen, but it did not stop the movement.
Like a sharpened beast's claw, the attack tore through the blood-colored crystals surrounding Yuji's body, carrying tremendous physical force and shattering the armor. He attempted to dodge, but Minato was already closing in from the side.
He caught it from the corner of his eye. A marker embedded in the ground a short distance away, placed without him noticing.
Even though he had been vigilant about Minato's placement and use of the Flying Thunder God marks throughout the fight, this kind of spatial ninjutsu moved too quickly and too unpredictably to track every instance.
Attempting to monitor every action simultaneously was still beyond what his perception could fully cover.
Ultimately, this spatial ninjutsu under Minato's control was simply too dangerous to account for completely. And Minato's capabilities were not limited to the Flying Thunder God alone.
His ability to observe, adapt, and plan ahead during live combat was remarkable. The fact that he had concealed a marker at that precise location meant he had already formed a projection of how the battle's flow would develop. That kind of foresight was rare.
Just as he was about to activate his Blood Release again, allowing fresh blood to engulf his body, a dagger pierced his heart, cutting off his movement entirely.
A single, fatal blow.
Immediately afterward, Minato quickly gathered the kneeling, pained Inuzuka Tsume in his arms and leaped backward. On the other side, Shikaku cooperated simultaneously, using Shadow Imitation Technique to trap the injured figure in place.
Yuji stood motionless, the dagger embedded in his chest.
"He not only possesses a bloodline ability, he is also a healing ninja," Shikaku cautioned carefully. "He must have been activating multiple bloodline techniques simultaneously. Judging from how he slowed his own blood flow rate, it means he does not have much chakra remaining."
"In that state, he does not have time to use healing techniques for defense," Minato replied in a single sentence, holding the pale-faced Inuzuka Tsume.
Minato still had considerable confidence in his attack. He was certain the result would be worse than a simple wound. His strike had pierced the heart.
Even for the most skilled healing ninja, unless they possessed expertise on the level of Lady Tsunade herself, surviving a wound like that was not possible. And recovery required time and chakra, neither of which the opponent had in sufficient supply at this moment.
"Tsume, are you alright?"
Minato's expression showed fatigue. His own chakra had been greatly depleted by the extended use of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Both his mental and physical reserves were exhausted. He was feeling somewhat overwhelmed at this point. If it had not been for Inuzuka Tsume sacrificing herself in that direct exchange, he would not have been able to create the opening to land that decisive strike.
But fortunately, the opponent had been taken down.
However, the enemy's blood contained a potent poison. If Tsume had been infected during the exchange, the situation could deteriorate quickly.
Watching his teammate's condition worsen, Minato's worry deepened. He looked at Shikaku and Inoichi.
"I will leave the rest to you two. I need to take her back first."
"Understood," Shikaku nodded.
Judging from her condition, Inuzuka Tsume was in serious danger.
Minato turned and carried his teammate on his back, preparing to move out.
But just as he took the first step, his expression changed. Something reached his perception and he turned to look at the young man nearby.
The Blood-Clothed Yuji slowly exhaled a long breath of stale air.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he moved his body, his expression shifting into a relaxed smile as his gaze turned toward them.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique created by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. You have truly mastered it."
He looked at Minato with what appeared to be genuine admiration.
"The golden generation of Konoha. Haha."
The moment the three people present saw that expression and heard that easy laugh, a chill ran down every spine in the group simultaneously. Goosebumps rose across their skin without warning.
What was happening.
He could not be killed?
Almost without hesitation, the moment Shikaku released his Shadow Imitation, Minato instantly lunged forward. He no longer had time to think through why the target was not dead. His instincts told him with complete clarity that he had to kill this person immediately, right now, before another moment passed.
He seized the opening and pressed forward.
"Controlling the target's special technique is the crucial factor here. Otherwise something very bad is going to happen."
"Is it not just using an advantage? Who does not have one?"
As that thought flashed through Yuji's mind, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
As he considered the situation, his pupils changed color.
….
STONESZZZZ PLZZ