94 - Shattered Reflections

Hiding in the shadows, Black Zetsu's face was grim.

For a long time, he had prided himself as the mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes, believing that every conflict in the shinobi world was within his calculations and under his control.

But now, the Land of Rain had produced someone like Shin. Since his rise to prominence, this young man had repeatedly disrupted his carefully laid plans.

Nagato was now out of control, yet only that arrogant, self-absorbed Madara remained unconcerned. But Black Zetsu was deeply worried.

The only consolation during this time had been the growth of another pawn, Obito, which had stayed within his expectations.

But now, a faint sense of unease crept into his mind.

With Konoha's attack thwarted, could those scripts for Obito's descent into darkness still unfold smoothly?

He immediately contacted White Zetsu, attempting to confirm the locations of Shin, Nagato, and Konan. Perhaps he could use the proximity to the Gedo Statue to bury one or two of them here.

However, the response he received frustrated him once again—none of Akatsuki's key members were in the valley below the Kannabi Bridge.

Not just key members—there wasn't a single living Akatsuki member within striking range of the Gedo Statue.

The valley below was defended only by a group of Iwa ninjas, while all Akatsuki forces were concentrated on the mountain path leading to the summit.

At this moment, he was so angry that he wanted to jump out and point at Shin's nose and yell: Do you even know how to wage war?!

That valley below was such a critical strategic location. Even Minato knew to send his own disciples to oversee it personally. Yet he left no one to guard it. Did the boy even understand tactics?

He wished he could crawl into Shin's mind and give him some strategic advice.

But alas, he couldn't.

So, he could only watch helplessly as Minato led his team to tackle the mountain path that was as solid as a fortress. At this point, no one had any other choice.

The only thing Minato could be thankful for was that this time, he had brought plenty of backup. The elite jonin moved in perfect formation around him, each ready to lay down their life for the mission.

In the original story, when he blew up the bridge, he didn't have nearly this many allies. To some extent, he had been forced to this point by Shin's earlier maneuvers.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

One of Minato's team members, a middle-aged man, quickly formed hand seals. A colossal, ferocious water dragon emerged, roaring as it extinguished the sea of flames ahead, forcibly opening a path through the raging mountain fire.

"Minato, let me pave the way for you!"

"Thank you, Kosuke-senpai." Minato's eyes reflected respect for the veteran shinobi.

The man who summoned the water dragon was Maruboshi Kosuke. Though officially a genin, his actual abilities rivaled those of elite jonin.

In the original series, he had appeared as an old man, but now he was in his prime, and his water techniques even impressed the lurking Black Zetsu.

Minato then crouched and began forming hand seals, issuing a command:

"Gather around me!"

Apart from Chōza, who was still smashing rocks with his enlarged fists, the rest of the elite jonin quickly gathered by his side.

Then—

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A massive cloud of smoke erupted, and from it emerged Gamabunta. The great toad's arrival shook the ground as he carried everyone on his back.

"Why is it that every time you summon me lately, the battles are so... intense?"

Gamabunta was about to say "difficult," but sensing the number of people on his back, he tactfully changed it to "intense" instead. He couldn't help but take a long drag on the pipe clamped in his mouth.

Ah, how he missed the simpler battles of the past.

Now, every fight was turning into some kind of nightmare.

"I'm just a toad, yet I bear too much..." Gamabunta muttered, smoke curling around his words.

"Bunta, jump to the mountain summit. Avoid the traps on the ground, please hurry!"

"Alright, hold on tight!" Gamabunta shifted his massive weight, muscles tensing for the leap.

The next moment, he leapt high, clearing the traps in the forest below. His powerful legs propelled them through the air, carrying his passengers higher and higher. As their altitude increased, the summit's stone bridge, their target—Kannabi Bridge—came into view through the thinning mist.

The moment their eyes locked onto their goal, everyone on Gamabunta's back was fired up.

But in the next instant, a voice from above shattered their newly risen morale. The clouds parted, revealing a figure suspended in the air.

"Shinra Tensei!"

From the skies, beneath the clouds, Nagato had been waiting for them.

A terrifying shockwave sent Gamabunta crashing down, the invisible force hammering them like a giant's fist. The elite jonin clung desperately to the toad's back as they plummeted.

The toad crashed to the ground, and worse, Akatsuki's forces lying in ambush revealed themselves.

"Earth Style: Dark Swamp!"

Gamabunta landed in a swamp, his massive form sinking into the thick mud. His attempts to rise only made him sink deeper, unable to get up.

Then—

Boom!

A massive explosion erupted. The fire pillars prepared by Konan, loaded with explosive tags, lit up the sky! The heat was so intense that even the mud began to steam.

Even far away on the battlefield below, the Iwa defenders could see the bright flames and feel the tremors. Deidara spread his arms wide and laughed.

"Ahaha! Art is an explosion!"

He was growing increasingly fond of Akatsuki. Not only did they bring innovative war tactics, but their mastery of explosive art was unparalleled—his dream organization. This is true art. This is where I belong.

At that moment, he silently vowed: after this battle, he would defect to Akatsuki. Not even Ōnoki could stop him!

As the smoke cleared, Gamabunta supported himself with his blade, his pipe falling from his mouth. Before vanishing in a puff of white smoke, he weakly muttered, "Minato, these battles you've been dragging me into are really... too much for me..."

His form dissolved, leaving the Konoha forces exposed on the battlefield.

With the high-ground escape route cut off, the remaining Konoha elites mentally prepared themselves for the inevitable mountain battle.

Shibi finally removed his mask, his insects already swarming around him. "Minato, the last stretch to the summit might have to be traversed by you alone." His insects formed a protective wall as he spoke.

"We will hold off Akatsuki here. Destroying the bridge is up to you. Good luck!"

With that, he unleashed his full insect swarm and turned to face the advancing Akatsuki forces.

The other jonin followed suit, each taking up strategic positions, clearing the way for Minato.

Minato's eyes grew misty. He nodded solemnly, then turned and charged toward the summit without looking back.

Behind him, explosions echoed, and Akatsuki's traps triggered one after another. The sounds of combat filled the air—jutsu clashing, weapons clanging, and the cries of battle.

It was clear the Konoha elites were in for a grueling battle. But he had no time to dwell on it.

Flashing through the forest, he drew closer to the stone bridge atop the mountain. His Flying Thunder God kunai marked the path ahead, giving him escape routes if needed. But as he stepped into a puddle, his senses screamed danger. The water felt wrong—too still, too perfect.

In an instant, frost shot up from the water, encasing his leg in ice.

Swish!

Minato teleported away using the Flying Thunder God Technique, reappearing atop a tree branch where he had earlier thrown a kunai. The frost had already reached his knee in that split second. 

Even after teleporting, the ice continued to spread slowly.

In the north, there was only one Ice user he had encountered before.

A stream of water shot toward him like a serpent, transforming into a human form mid-air. A young man holding a frost-covered katana slashed at his neck.

This was a face he would never forget.

Shin had arrived.

---

Black Zetsu was already working hard to disrupt the situation.

Upon realizing that Konoha's circumstances had turned dire, he immediately contacted Madara secretly, asking him to remotely suppress Nagato's Rinnegan.

This caused Nagato immense pain, clutching his eye in agony after using a single "Shinra Tensei" to knock down Gamabunta. "My eyes... what's happening to them?"

He gasped, blood trickling between his fingers as he stumbled backward.

But even this couldn't ease the anxiety in Black Zetsu's heart.

Because Shin once again anticipated his moves. Rather than placing all his bets on Nagato's seemingly invincible Rinnegan, he diversified his strategy.

Both Akatsuki and Shin himself had moved away from their over-reliance on the Rinnegan. The organization had evolved, growing stronger through rigorous training and tactical innovation.

At this moment, the Konoha elite were being slaughtered by warriors that Akatsuki had trained themselves, and the one stopping Minato's solo assault was none other than Shin himself.

Today's Akatsuki was no longer the helpless lamb they had been a year ago, easily slaughtered if the Rinnegan were nullified.

As Shin was closing in with the Water Body Flicker, Minato leaned backward and tossed a kunai into the air.

At the moment the blade was just about to cut into his throat, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He vanished and reappeared in the air.

He flipped midair, catching the kunai he had just thrown with one hand while charging a Rasengan with the other.

Following the motion of his spin, he brought the Rasengan crashing down.

But just as he executed this attack, he suddenly saw a smooth ice mirror lying flat on the ground beneath the tree.

The mirror reflected the battle above, allowing Minato to see Shin's lower body still in a flowing water form, and even his own figure holding a Rasengan ready to strike.

Moreover, the mirror reflected multiple overlapping images, indicating another identical ice mirror positioned parallel above, forming a cross-reflection.

In that instant, the overlapping reflections created a dreamlike, layered illusion. His pupils suddenly dilated, his focus lost and scattered. The world seemed to fragment into countless mirror images.

When he snapped out of it, his Rasengan missed its mark. From the reflections in the mirror, he saw Shin reversing his grip and slashing toward him in midair.

It was an illusion using the intersecting reflective surfaces. Minato instantly understood the principle behind this technique.

His speed in dispelling the genjutsu was astonishing, showcasing his exceptional ninja skills. However, by the time the Flying Thunder God Technique activated again and he teleported to safety on the ground, blood was already dripping from his shoulder, flowing down his arm.

"Even the Yellow Flash can be caught off guard," Shin called down.

The preparations he had made—from infusing icy chakra into puddles ahead of time to setting up intersecting reflective mirrors where Minato's kunai landed—demonstrated the respect he gave Minato.

Such a grand "welcome" was bound to leave its mark. Crystal formations began blooming around Shin.

Minato raised his head and looked at Shin, still standing on the tree branch. His gaze had turned sharper than ever before.

Shin was now surrounded by swirling ice flowers and countless small, shield-like ice crystals hovering around him.

These phenomena, including the ice mirror illusion just now, were techniques Minato hadn't encountered in their previous battle.

"Incredible," he spoke hoarsely. "In such a short time, you've improved yet again."

He had never doubted his abilities.

Bearing the title of a prodigy, he had never had to look up to anyone since his debut as a ninja. But now, as if mirroring their positions—him on the ground and Shin on the tree—Minato felt, for the first time, a sense of awe for his opponent.

He had never seen such a remarkable young man.

How long had it been since their last fight?

At their level, how could someone progress so rapidly in such a short time?

How high could this young man's potential possibly reach?

Standing on the branch, Shin smiled faintly. "You flatter me, Minato. This is all thanks to the generous help from Konoha."

The "donation" from Shisui had indeed been a godsend.

If Minato knew his enemy's growth was fueled by the resources of his own village, he might just spit blood in rage. Though he didn't know the truth, his mood wasn't much better.

Glancing around, he spotted more ice mirrors hidden among the forest.

Steel met ice as he flicked his wrist, sending shuriken flying. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A storm of metal stars filled the air, each one aimed at destroying the hidden mirrors. But Shin wasn't about to let him succeed so easily.

Charging toward the swarm of shuriken, the small ice shields orbiting him expanded rapidly, multiplying.

Multiple hexagonal ice panels interlinked, forming a dome-shaped crystalline shield in front of him.

Under the sunlight, the ice dome refracted brilliant auroras. This was an adapted version of the Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness, which he had renamed Aurora Barrier.

The slick surface and angled structure deflected most of the shuriken.

With the barrier in front of him, Shin charged toward Minato like an armored juggernaut. The ground frosted beneath his feet with each step.

"What?!" Minato was stunned.

His attacks couldn't penetrate the enemy's defense. He quickly scattered more kunai behind him, charging another Rasengan in his palm.

The Rasengan in his palm grew larger, more intense, its chakra swirling violently.

The Rasengan crashed into the Aurora Barrier, shattering its slick armor. Crystal fragments exploded outward like deadly snow. Through the breaking ice, Minato caught the gleam of a blade slashing straight for him.

"Surprised? This is just the beginning."

Using the Flying Thunder God, Minato once again teleported to safety.

This time, recalling their previous battle, he withdrew over twenty meters, avoiding close-quarters engagement. 

He remembered all too well that his opponent's attack range was far beyond a normal ninja's. Each of his techniques seemed designed to control larger and larger areas of the battlefield.

But Minato's caution played into Shin's hands, who had precisely anticipated his retreat.

The forest clearing was only so large. By retreating over twenty meters, Minato found himself deep within the woods, surrounded by trees.

As he landed, he noticed a nearby ice mirror he hadn't destroyed.

Then, in the next moment, Shin vanished from sight.

Suddenly, a figure leaped out from the ice mirror nearby, slashing at him with an icy blade.

Minato finally realized: these hidden ice mirrors weren't just for genjutsu.