Jin's blade carved downward in a diagonal arc.
A slash erupted—
A line of annihilation that seemed to split heaven and earth.
The attack rose like a pillar connecting sky and ground, tearing the world in half as it advanced.
Minato's first instinct was simple—
Teleport.
But in that instant, a different calculation flashed through his mind.
If he dodged—
Half of Konoha might not survive what followed.
His decision changed mid-breath.
"Senjutsu: Flying Thunder God — Guiding Thunder!"
Complex sealing formulas materialized before him, expanding into a layered spatial formation.
Jin's "Ashes of Heaven and Earth" struck the array—
—and sank into it like a blade cutting into dense sponge.
For less than a second, the two forces resisted each other.
Then—
Cracks spread across the formula.
The formation began to collapse.
"Damn it!"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Minato slammed his hands to the ground.
Smoke exploded outward.
A massive figure materialized beneath him—
Gamabunta.
"Bunta! Water Style!"
No explanation.
No time.
Gamabunta sensed the mortal danger instantly. Years of battlefield coordination needed no words.
He formed hand seals rapidly.
"Water Release: Iron Bullet!"
Minato added:
"Senjutsu: Wind Release — Great Tornado!"
"Combined Jutsu: Gale-Water Vacuum Barrier!"
Wind and water fused into a spiraling vortex wall, surging forward to meet the incoming devastation.
At that very moment—
Jin's North: Ashes of Heaven and Earth shattered through the remnants of Guiding Thunder—
—and collided head-on with the combined barrier.
The battlefield trembled.
"Bunta, fall back!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Minato created three clones instantly. Using Flying Thunder God, each teleported to a different corner of the field.
"Flying Thunder God — Continuous Guiding Thunder!"
Four Minatos formed seals simultaneously.
Runic patterns expanded across the air, sealing the space itself.
At the center of the training ground—
A black point formed.
Space distorted.
Everything within began collapsing toward that singularity.
Simultaneously—
More than ten kilometers outside Konoha—
A spatial vortex opened in empty wilderness.
A torrent of destructive energy burst outward from it, annihilating everything in a wide swath. The earth was shaved down several meters.
Back at Training Ground 7—
Silence.
Minato exhaled shakily.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed onto the ground.
The three clones dispersed into smoke.
His chakra reserves were nearly exhausted.
A shadow fell beside him.
Jin appeared, shaking his head.
"You really didn't need to go that far. Running out of chakra can kill you."
Minato glared at him.
"Don't joke about this."
"That slash—if I hadn't redirected it, the village would've been destroyed."
He was genuinely angry.
Jin clicked his tongue lightly.
"Didn't you notice the angle?"
"That strike was diagonal."
"If you hadn't tried to tank it head-on, it would've cut upward and away. Worst case, the training ground would've been erased."
Minato froze.
He replayed it mentally.
…He was right.
Under pressure, he had focused entirely on the destructive power—
—and ignored trajectory.
Because the attack was aimed at him.
Because the pressure was overwhelming.
He had assumed the worst.
Minato let out a weak laugh.
"Looks like I overreacted."
"Not overreacted. Overcommitted," Jin corrected dryly.
"And don't go telling Kushina I beat you half to death. I'm not taking that blame."
Minato snorted weakly despite himself.
Truthfully—
With Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato was nearly impossible to kill if he chose survival.
But Konoha—
Was his weakness.
If someone repeatedly launched large-scale destructive techniques toward the village—
Minato would burn through his chakra defending it.
Exactly like just now.
If Jin had malicious intent—
A chakra-drained Minato would have been helpless.
Minato closed his eyes briefly.
"I'm fine. Just chakra exhaustion. I'll recover."
His voice lacked strength.
Chakra depletion was no small matter. Since chakra was a fusion of physical and spiritual energy, draining it recklessly shortened lifespan.
Jin crouched beside him.
"You're strong. Very strong."
"But your weaknesses are obvious."
Minato raised an eyebrow weakly.
"You lack overwhelming offensive power," Jin continued plainly. "And your chakra pool isn't exceptional."
"Against most shinobi, it doesn't matter. They're glass."
"But if you ever face something truly monstrous…"
His meaning was clear.
A high-mobility assassin who couldn't break defense—
Wasn't much of an assassin.
Minato understood.
He had already been working on something.
A sphere.
Unformed yet.
"I have some ideas," he said quietly.
Jin nodded.
"Good. Then make them reality."
He straightened.
"Someone's coming. I'll leave the cleanup to you."
Minato sensed it too—
Several chakra signatures approaching rapidly.
Jin vanished.
Minato remained seated in the cratered earth—
Breathing.
Recovering.
And thinking.
About speed.
About power.
And about the path he still needed to complete.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/warewolvesTL(replace@ with a)