Chapter 415: Battle Against the Fourth Kazekage!

Minato's sharp gaze fixed on Rasa as the Fourth Kazekage spoke, his words laced with a calculated calmness. Minato's expression wavered momentarily before his characteristic composure returned.

The fact that Rasa had tracked his movements and identified his use of the Flying Thunder God Technique left little doubt about the Kazekage's tactical acumen.

"As expected of the Fourth Kazekage," Minato said, his tone tinged with respect. It was rare to encounter an opponent who could push him into such a precarious position so quickly.

"You're not too bad yourself," Rasa replied, his voice cold, his eyes narrowing. The Fourth Kazekage wasn't just calculating the strength of Minato's technique—he was assessing the insult. Minato's swift and daring assault had, in Rasa's mind, undermined his authority.

Minato's eyes drifted past Rasa to the Sunagakure forces standing behind him. Among the ranks of the 1,500 ninjas, he noticed the presence of several young boys and girls, barely teenagers, their faces a mixture of determination and fear.

The sight struck a nerve. War, as brutal as it was, spared no one, not even children. He knew these youths lacked the experience and composure of seasoned shinobi. For many, this was likely their first taste of true battle. Minato's heart clenched at the sight of their trembling forms, but he steeled himself.

He turned to the Konoha ninja behind him, his voice calm but firm. "Focus on preserving your strength. I'll handle the Fourth Kazekage myself."

His comrades exchanged uneasy glances but nodded. Though Minato's reputation preceded him, the idea of one man facing a Kage was daunting.

Rasa's lips curled into a snarl, Minato's words hitting like a slap. "You arrogant bastard!" he spat, his tone venomous.

Before anyone could react, Minato vanished, leaving behind only the faintest flicker of light.

Rasa's sharp instincts kicked in as he raised his defenses. The golden sand beneath his feet surged upward, enveloping him in a cocoon-like shield just as Minato's kunai came crashing down.

Clang!

The blade met the unyielding surface of Rasa's defense, sparks flying on impact. The golden cocoon shimmered in the pale light, its surface rippling like liquid metal.

"Relying on defense won't save you," Minato thought, narrowing his eyes. He retreated in a blur, putting distance between himself and Rasa.

Within the cocoon, Rasa smirked. His golden sand, reinforced by years of refinement, offered both unparalleled defense and unique offensive capabilities. The shield shifted, forming an eye near its apex.

Rasa's voice echoed from within. "Gold Burial!"

The ground beneath Minato's feet began to shift, the sand transforming into dense waves of golden particles. The sand surged upward like a tidal wave, aiming to engulf him.

With a flash, Minato evaded the attack, reappearing directly in front of the golden cocoon. His hand glowed with blue chakra, a spiraling orb forming within his palm.

"Rasengan!"

He drove the chakra sphere against the cocoon, the force rippling outward in a thunderous crash. Cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the golden barrier, but they were short-lived, quickly repaired by the sand's continuous flow.

Minato gritted his teeth. Rasa's control over his golden sand was more sophisticated than he'd anticipated. Even the Rasengan, a technique of destructive precision, had barely managed to scratch it.

Inside the cocoon, Rasa's Third Eye shifted its gaze, locking onto the Konoha forces who had begun advancing on the Sunagakure troops.

"You won't get far," Rasa murmured, his chakra surging.

A new wave of golden sand erupted from the ground, towering over the battlefield like a massive wall. The sand rushed forward, aiming to crush the Konoha ninja in its path.

Minato's sharp eyes caught the movement. "No!" he growled, vanishing in another flash.

He reappeared just as the wave was about to strike, raising a chakra barrier to shield his comrades. The barrier held against the immense weight of the golden sand, but cracks began forming along its surface.

"This sand… its density is incredible," Minato muttered. Unlike ordinary sand or even iron sand, Rasa's gold placer possessed a mass that made it devastatingly effective.

Minato's mind raced. If this continued, the barrier would fail, and the Konoha forces would be overwhelmed.

"Spread out!" Minato barked to his troops. "Don't cluster together—make it harder for him to target you all at once!"

The Konoha ninja obeyed without hesitation, dispersing across the battlefield to minimize their vulnerability.

Rasa's laughter echoed from within the cocoon. "What now, Namikaze Minato? Your barrier won't hold much longer."

The golden sand beneath his feet surged again, creating a second wave that bore down on Minato's position. The added mass amplified the pressure on the already fragile barrier, the cracks widening with each passing second.

"Boom!"

The barrier shattered, the wave crashing down in a deafening roar. Sand and debris flew in all directions, obscuring the battlefield in a cloud of dust.

"Minato-sama!"

The cries of his comrades echoed through the chaos. For a moment, it seemed as though the golden sand had claimed its victim.

But Rasa's instincts screamed otherwise. Something was wrong.

Through his Third Eye, he scanned the area, searching for signs of his opponent.

"Where is he?" Rasa growled.

Suddenly, a golden blur circled behind the cocoon. Minato's figure materialized, kunai in hand, chakra condensed into a razor-sharp wind blade around its prongs.

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