Chapter 487: ·Flying Thunder God Stage 3!

Rustle!

Hanzo slid back several meters, his wary eyes locked onto Minato.

"Swoosh!"

A shuriken of golden sand shot toward Minato from behind. Its speed was impressive, but for someone like Minato, it posed no threat. With a subtle shift of his body, he dodged the projectile effortlessly.

"Boom boom!"

Not far away, Jiraiya and Kitsuchi clashed with their respective ninjutsu. Their battle was fierce and evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand. The earth trembled under their continuous exchanges.

Minato's sharp gaze took in the battlefield. He noticed that Hanzo, Rōshi, and the Fourth Kazekage remained within range of Jiraiya's position, unwilling to stray too far.

It's because of my Flying Thunder God mark on Jiraiya's arm, Minato realized.

"Bang Bang!"

Suddenly, Minato formed seals with his hands, and two shadow clones materialized beside him. Without hesitation, the clones hurled several specially crafted kunai.

The kunai, infused with senjutsu chakra, glowed with lightning as they zipped through the air at incredible speeds, causing the very atmosphere to tremble in their wake.

Even Rōshi, with the enhanced perception granted by the Four-Tails' chakra, struggled to track their movement.

"Shhh!"

Rōshi reacted quickly, unleashing a wave of molten lava from his mouth. The searing magma spread like a curtain, intending to cover the kunai's path and neutralize their threat.

Swish!

Before the lava could engulf them, Minato's two sage clones disappeared and reappeared mid-air, right in the path of the moving kunai.

Their speed suddenly surged, leaving streaks of yellow light as they bypassed the molten wave entirely.

"Even the clones' speed has increased?"

Hanzo, ever observant, noticed the dramatic shift in their agility. His eyes narrowed in thought.

Minato's original speed was already faster than mine, but now his clones are moving at a level beyond anything I've seen.

"Not only can he use that invisible attack, but his overall speed has increased as well…" Hanzo muttered, his expression grim.

At that moment, Minato's two sage clones flanked their opponents, chakra swirling in their palms.

"Senjutsu: Ōdama Rasengan!"

As the two massive Rasengan attacks barreled toward them, Rasa acted quickly, summoning gold sand from the ground. The shimmering sand rose rapidly, forming two thick barriers to block the incoming assault.

"Boom boom!"

The Rasengan collided with the barriers, generating a deafening explosion. The gold sand trembled violently under the impact before shattering into fragments.

Rasa's pupils dilated in shock. My defenses couldn't even hold for a moment?

Unbeknownst to Rasa, Minato's attacks weren't ordinary ninjutsu—they were enhanced by senjutsu chakra, vastly amplifying their destructive power.

As the barriers crumbled, Minato's clones pressed forward, their Rasengan aimed directly at Hanzo and Rōshi.

"Zheng!"

Hanzo dashed to the left, his blade flashing as he intercepted one of the clones.

Rōshi moved to the right, his magma-coated fist meeting the other clone head-on. The sheer heat from his punch caused the air to ripple and steam.

"Bang!"

The explosive collision of their attacks sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, forcing both sides to retreat. Minato's clones dissipated into puffs of smoke, their chakra spent.

Across the field, Jiraiya, Rasa, and the other combatants paused momentarily, sensing a shift in the battle's intensity.

Minato stood at the center of the battlefield, his hands forming intricate seals. His chakra flared around him, glowing with a brilliant azure hue. If one looked closely, faint traces of blood-red chakra swirled within the blue, creating an ominous aura.

"What is this?"

A muffled voice echoed from within Rōshi.

"It's him…"

Rōshi froze, startled by the Four-Tails' sudden reaction. The beast, usually aloof and indifferent, now radiated an unmistakable emotion—surprise.

"What's going on?" Rōshi demanded internally. In all his years as a Jinchūriki, he had never felt the Four-Tails express such human-like emotions.

But the beast remained silent, refusing to elaborate.

Rōshi returned his focus to the battlefield, but a nagging unease gnawed at him.

At this moment, Hanzo, Rasa, and Rōshi all moved to interrupt Minato's actions.

"Senjutsu: Flying Thunder God Stage 3!"

Minato's voice echoed across the battlefield. The chakra around him surged outward, transforming into an ethereal rain of azure light.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

The chakra light rained down across the battlefield, covering an area of several hundred meters. The spectacle was breathtaking, momentarily halting the fighting on the outer edges as ninjas from both sides turned to witness the phenomenon.

"Is this… Minato's chakra?"

Suzuka, positioned further away, felt the immense energy wash over her. Though she had always known Minato to be strong, she never expected his chakra reserves to reach such overwhelming levels.

The light rain fell gently to the ground, leaving no visible damage. But Hanzo and the others remained wary, forming defensive stances as they observed its effects.

As the light faded, the chakra transformed, twisting and condensing into black lines that spread across the battlefield.

The intricate web of lines resembled a living organism, pulsating with energy.

Hanzo's eyes widened in realization. "Careful!" he shouted.

Swish!

A golden blur appeared behind Rōshi.

Hanzo reacted instinctively, swinging his blade in a backward arc. But by the time his sword sliced through the air, the figure was gone, returning to its original position.

"Boom!"

Rōshi, unable to react in time, felt the impact of a chakra ball slam into his back, sending him hurtling across the battlefield.

...

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