Facing Minato's sneak attack, Sato didn't even attempt to dodge. He raised his right hand, transforming it into a wooden branch to catch the kunai thrust and seal Minato.
However, Yomi's clone reacted instantly. Minato's figure vanished without warning, teleporting away from Sato's grasp and returning to stand beside Yomi.
"Hinata, Karin..."
At this moment, Sakura noticed two figures emerging from the forest.
Although they were dressed in Anbu gear, Sakura recognized them immediately by the Adamantine Sealing Chains that were retracting into the girl's back. "Did Lady Tsunade send you for support?"
"Yes. Are you all right?"
Karin slowly removed her mask and hood, answering Sakura, but her eyes remained locked on Yomi's clone and the reincarnated Minato. Her expression was grim. "Pay attention to the man standing next to the Fourth Hokage. The enemy possesses the Flying Thunder God Technique. Any carelessness will be fatal."
"Right."
Hearing Karin's warning, Sakura calmed herself. She scanned the battlefield, her eyes darting between the countless three-pronged kunai scattered everywhere. She kept her chakra perception active, sensing everything within a radius of hundreds of kilometers.
"You guys came just in time. We'll leave these enemies to you and Sato, since you're the experts in sealing," Kakashi said, abandoning his fight with the Third Raikage. He arrived next to Karin in a flash. "We need to rescue the Fifth Kazekage. Please hold them back."
"...Kakashi-sensei, I advise you not to leave," Karin said sharply. "Stay here and help us eliminate these people first."
Before Karin could explain further, Sato's voice cut in.
He walked up from the crater, carrying the unconscious Naruto in one hand.
After tossing Naruto in front of Sakura and signaling her to heal him, Sato looked at Yomi's clone and the three reincarnated Kage. They weren't attacking, but they weren't leaving either.
"These guys appeared here to buy time," Sato said in a deep voice. "If we split up, there might be another group of enemies waiting for you."
"Tsunade only sent us to support you," he continued. "If the next batch of opponents is also at this level, no one will be able to help you."
Hearing this, Kakashi's expression darkened.
Chiyo recalled her ten puppets and nodded in agreement. "The kid is right. Let's work together to eliminate the enemies in front of us first, then go rescue the Kazekage."
"In that case, we can only use our trump cards."
Kakashi stopped hiding his strength. The three-tomoe Sharingan in his left eye spun and shifted into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Oh... he actually mastered that trick," a White Zetsu clone hiding in the shadows muttered with interest. "I wonder what Obito will think when he sees this?"
Zetsu immediately transmitted the battle situation back to the main body.
"There was an accident. The sleepy reinforcement has arrived," Black Zetsu reported, staring intently at Yomi. "The one who came is Konoha's 'Child of Hope.' He's the second user of Wood Style after Hashirama Senju. And the Uzumaki girl has awakened the Adamantine Sealing Chains. The two of them suppressed the rampaging Nine-Tails instantly."
"According to my investigation," Zetsu added, "Sato has also mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and received the true inheritance of the Fifth Hokage. No one knows how deep his arsenal goes."
Hearing Zetsu's obvious warning, Pain turned his attention to Yomi. "Yomi, do you need reinforcements?"
"No, I still have plenty of trump cards. This is just to relieve my boredom," Yomi replied with an indifferent smile. "You guys continue your chat. Don't disturb my show."
"Eh? Can you share your vision?"
Back on the battlefield, Sato made his move.
He formed a seal with both hands.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
In an instant, countless saplings burst from the ground, growing into towering trees within seconds. A sea of wood surged forward, submerging the battlefield in all directions.
The speed was terrifying. It filled the entire space inside the barrier almost instantly.
Not only that, but the forest continued to expand outside the Four Red Yang Formation that Sato had erected. The barren plains for ten miles around were transformed into a dense, ancient forest.
"Too... too exaggerated!"
Sakura, seeing this level of Wood Style for the first time, stared with her mouth open. Her worldview was shattered.
"Is this the power of the God of Shinobi? It's simply from another dimension!"
Chiyo sighed heavily, her heart sinking. She worried for the future of Suna. Even though they were allies now, she knew how fragile treaties could be. If Sato became Hokage, would he have the ambition to conquer other nations? What could Sunagakure possibly do against a ninja who could create a forest in the blink of an eye?
Back in the cave, Deidara complained immediately. "No wonder you don't care about sealing two Tailed Beasts in a row! You have a way to pass the time like that? It's too cunning, hmm!"
The other Akatsuki members nodded.
Seeing Yomi act so confidently even while missing a clone made Black Zetsu wary. Facing the combination of Wood Style, Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu, and Mangekyō Sharingan, Yomi still didn't seem concerned.
"Does he really not take the opposing lineup seriously?" Zetsu wondered.
Regardless, it was clear that Yomi was a flawless and dangerous existence. This was exactly why Black Zetsu hadn't guided Yomi to find Madara's body yet. If this old monster got hold of Madara's corpse, he might just eat Madara's soul instead of reviving him.
The screen returned to the battlefield.
"Karin, Tactic B... Wood Clone Technique."
Sato took the initiative. He quickly formed a seal with one hand, creating two Wood Clones with Kage-level chakra.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Karin also created a Shadow Clone, channeling nearly two Kage-levels worth of chakra into it.
"Ninja Art: Four Red Yang Formation!"
Sato and Karin's clones dispersed to the four corners of the battlefield—southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest. A massive, transparent red barrier rose up, reaching tens of meters high and sealing off the area completely. Even a clone using the Mayfly Technique couldn't penetrate it.
With the enemy trapped, the real battle began.