"Argh!"
With a sharp yank, Minato Namikaze tore off his Konoha forehead protector and flung it far away. A vivid purple-red bruise was already blooming across his brow.
"Lucky you reacted fast, kid, or I'd have crushed your skull!"
Jinghang declared, brimming with swagger.
Magnet Release: Tightening Curse was a new jutsu Jinghang had developed not long ago. It wasn't flashy, but it was brutally effective—by manipulating the metal in ninja forehead protectors, arm guards, and similar gear, he could directly injure an opponent's body. Don't underestimate this move; it packed a serious punch. Every shinobi wore those metal plates—some around their necks (like Hinata and Hidan), some at the waist (like Guy and Lee). Clamp those iron bands down on someone's forehead, neck, or waist, and if it didn't kill, it would cripple.
Minato reacted instantly. After tossing his forehead protector, his next move was to strip off his metal arm guards, then quickly check himself over. Fortunately, he'd come light for this recon mission—aside from the forehead protector, arm guards, and two marked kunai, he wore no other metal. For Minato, reconnaissance was all about setting markers—if he wanted to leave, he could do so at any time...
Watching Minato get caught off guard, Jinghang was secretly delighted. He knew it was unrealistic to expect to keep Minato trapped here. The Flying Thunder God Technique was just too slippery—once the markers were set, he could strike at will, and if he couldn't win, he'd simply vanish. Pure pirate tactics. Still, this was the first time Minato had taken such a loss.
Behind his back, Jinghang began weaving hand seals, quietly inscribing "Jinghang was here" along the ground—lines of script snaking toward Minato.
Minato studied Jinghang intently, rapidly weighing their strengths and weaknesses, searching for a way to counter the iron sand techniques.
"Hup!"
With a low shout, Minato's body began to shift—orange sage markings appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his pupils narrowed into vertical, frog-like slits.
"Well, well! Mount Myōboku Sage Mode, huh? Not bad at all. Let's see what you've got!"
In an instant, Jinghang unleashed his own Xuanyuan Tomb Sage Mode, activating his Lightning Armor at the same time. Blue-gold lightning danced across his body—just on looks alone, it put Minato's transformation to shame.
With a flicker, Minato appeared right in front of Jinghang, launching a punch. Boosted by sage energy, the already lightning-fast Minato became even quicker and more powerful.
But Jinghang's speed and strength were just as fierce. The two clashed at blinding speed—if anyone else were present, all they'd see was a golden blur and a blue-gold flash tangled together, colliding and rebounding, over and over. The vast halls of the fortress echoed with the crackle of fists, the rush of feet, the thunder of muscle against muscle.
Minato made clever use of his pre-set markers, flickering from point to point with the Flying Thunder God Technique, shifting positions and attack angles. But with his Lightning Armor active, Jinghang was just as fast, countering every attack in the blink of an eye.
"Eight... nine... ten... eleven..."
Jinghang kept a silent tally in his mind—each time Minato "flew," he added another count.
His fighting style was mostly defensive, with few counterattacks—not because Minato's taijutsu was flawless, but because Jinghang was deliberately draining his chakra bar.
No choice—the Flying Thunder God Technique was just too damn slippery. And as someone who'd mastered it himself, Jinghang knew it inside and out.
It was a rare chance to take out Minato—he wasn't about to let him slip away. Even his earlier taunts had been calculated, stoking Minato's fighting spirit.
All to serve Jinghang's real goal: a war of attrition.
Because the Flying Thunder God Technique had one fatal flaw—
It burned through chakra.
Pop quiz: In the original manga, on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, how many times did Minato Namikaze use the Flying Thunder God Technique—saving his wife and child, fighting Obito, and sealing the Nine-Tails?
Answer: Thirteen times.
And in that span, he also used the Rasengan once—then, spent and exhausted, was run through by the Nine-Tails' claw.
So, it wasn't hard to estimate Minato's chakra limit.
Sage Mode lasted five minutes, and in that state, chakra consumption was lower—call it half. Double the count, and maybe he could manage twenty-six jumps at best.
Once that blue bar ran dry, Jinghang could do whatever he wanted.
That's why he'd held back on using the Flying Thunder God Technique himself—saving his trump card for last.
Five minutes flew by. Suddenly, Minato flickered away, disengaging from the fight with a Flying Thunder God. The sage markings at his eyes faded instantly. Staring at Jinghang, still blazing with blue lightning, Minato couldn't help but feel a surge of respect.
This Kazekage's stamina and chakra reserves are bottomless. After all this, he's still... Wait—damn it! I almost fell for his trap!
He remembered, back at Sunagakure's very first World Ninja Arts Tournament, when he'd attended as a top student from the Konoha Academy. The highlight had been the legendary clash between the Third Kazekage, Jinghang, and the Third Raikage, A.
Jinghang had shown such mastery—finding the Third Raikage's only opening, despite his near-perfect strength and speed, and seizing victory.
But today... what's going on?
Sharp as ever, Minato instantly realized Jinghang's plan.
He's trying to wear me out!
Now, with his chakra nearly spent, Minato knew if he kept fighting, he'd never make it out.
With that, he vanished from the fortress.
In the next heartbeat, he reappeared in Konoha's main camp.
It was no small distance—across the entire Land of Rivers and half the Yellow Floating Pagoda Desert, nearly a thousand kilometers. The farther the jump, the more chakra it cost. Minato felt the last of his chakra drain away. His vision swam, and he collapsed on the spot.
Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared in a flash, catching him before he hit the ground.
"Minato! Minato! What's wrong? Medical ninja! Get over here, now!"
Eyes closed, Minato could only mumble,
"The Kazekage... is coming."
"You mean, Jinghang is coming?"
Hiruzen was taken aback. Two medics rushed in, quickly loading Minato onto a stretcher and carrying him out.
"Sigh... Looks like this first battle's going to be a tough one."
...
"Sigh, this kid really has what it takes to be a leader—when it's time to retreat, he doesn't hesitate for even a second."
Jinghang toyed with the discarded forehead protector, a wry smile on his lips.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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