Chapter 488: Incident

"Boom!"

Under the horrified gazes of Hanzo and Rasa, Rōshi was blasted backward, his molten chakra armor cracking under Minato's relentless assault.

"Zheng!"

At the same time, Minato brought down his special kunai, its edge surrounded by wind blades.

"Clang!"

Hanzo reacted instantly. As Rōshi was sent flying, he spun his samurai sword in a defensive maneuver, thrusting it toward Minato.

Seeing the counterattack, Minato halted his strike mid-motion and vanished in a flash.

"Damn it!"

Hanzo cursed under his breath. His failed strike left him momentarily vulnerable. As he glanced around, his eyes fell on the black lines sprawling across the battlefield, and a wave of unease washed over him.

Those marks…

The ground was now covered in countless black lines, all connected to Minato's chakra. These weren't ordinary marks—they were the coordinates Minato needed to teleport freely.

Within this area, Minato was unrestrained, capable of instant movement anywhere on the battlefield. The sheer number of marks made it impossible for even Rōshi's Molten Release to erase them all.

Rōshi, still reeling from Minato's last attack, steadied himself. Most of his molten chakra armor had shattered, but he quickly formed seals, reinvigorating the magma shield around his body.

Yet before he could fully recover, a golden figure appeared before him.

"Boom!"

Minato's Rasengan smashed into Rōshi's chest, sending him flying once more.

Are all these marks for teleportation?

Rōshi groaned as he struggled to his feet. The realization dawned on him: as long as Minato remained within this network of marks, he could strike at will.

If I don't disrupt this setup, I'll be killed eventually.

Determined, Rōshi unleashed a surge of molten chakra, spreading magma in all directions. The intense heat melted the ground within a radius of several meters, destroying some of the black lines.

But no sooner had the magma spread than a wind blade cut through it, slicing cleanly through the molten rock. A golden blur appeared again, and before Rōshi could react, Minato was upon him.

"Boom!"

Rōshi crossed his arms defensively, taking the hit head-on. Though his experience in battle allowed him to mitigate some damage, the relentless assault was wearing him down.

Minato, observing his opponent's tactics, noticed Rōshi's strategy: prioritize destroying the marks, even if it meant exposing weaknesses.

On the other side of the battlefield, Hanzo remained on high alert, while Rasa retreated into a dome of gold sand, his third eye forming above the barrier.

If I don't fortify my defenses now, I won't stand a chance, Rasa thought grimly. He was the slowest among the three and knew that any mistake could cost him his life.

As the three adversaries assessed their situation, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

This is the new technique Minato mentioned…

Jiraiya's eyes trembled as he took in the scene. The battlefield was now blanketed with Minato's Flying Thunder God marks.

The biggest drawback of the Flying Thunder God Technique had always been its reliance on marks. Minato traditionally used kunai or brief physical contact to leave these marks, but that method had its limitations—it was predictable.

Minato's solution was ingenious. By materializing his chakra and dispersing it across a wide area, he created a network of marks in an instant. This "Flying Thunder God: Stage 3" allowed him unparalleled mobility and offensive capability.

But this technique… it must require incredible precision and chakra control. It's only possible because he's in Sage Mode, Jiraiya realized.

Minato, meanwhile, evaluated the situation.

I need to eliminate one of them first, he thought. The battle had dragged on, and even with Sage Mode, the strain was mounting. If he could incapacitate just one opponent, the momentum would shift decisively in Konoha's favor.

As this thought crossed his mind, a blue Rasengan began forming in his palm. Wind chakra spiraled around the ball, sharpening its edge and amplifying its destructive power.

"That move…"

Rasa, observing from within his gold sand barrier, felt a chill run down his spine. The chakra emanating from Minato's technique caused his entire body to tense.

"Ding ding!"

The piercing hum of Minato's Rasengan Shuriken filled the air, its vibrations unnerving even seasoned fighters like Hanzo and Rōshi.

"You can't let him use that move!"

Inside Rōshi's mind, the Four-Tails suddenly spoke, its voice heavy with urgency.

"What?"

Rōshi was startled. The Four-Tails rarely communicated with him, let alone offered assistance.

"With your current condition, if you're hit by that, you'll die. And I'll be dragged down with you," the beast growled.

Though tailed beasts were immortal chakra entities that reformed after death, none of them relished the experience.

"Fine," Rōshi muttered, feeling a surge of molten chakra coursing through his body.

"Don't thank me," the Four-Tails snapped, though its tone betrayed a hint of concern.

"Boom!"

A volcanic eruption of chakra radiated from Rōshi. The magma surrounding him intensified, flowing like rivers of fire. The ground melted beneath him, transforming into a molten lake.

Minato paused, his Rasengan Shuriken nearly complete, as he turned to face the sudden change.

From the flames, Rōshi emerged, his entire body encased in a monstrous form. Magma flowed like hair over his grotesque figure, flames licking at the air around him.

The once-human Jinchūriki had become a living inferno.

"Roar!"

The molten creature let out a thunderous roar, slamming its arms into the ground. Rivers of lava surged forward, racing toward Minato like a tidal wave.

...

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