Minato Namikaze's instincts screamed at him the moment he saw smoke curling off the paper tag wrapped around his kunai. He let go instantly.
"BOOM!"
A burst of orange-red fire erupted, lighting up the battlefield.
Kazama Xu frowned, watching the flames. "Fast reflexes. Clearly, I haven't mastered this Paper Jutsu yet—still too obvious. I'll have to ask Konan for tips."
As the smoke cleared, Minato had already slipped outside the blast zone.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Kazama Xu's hands flashed through seals, and a translucent pillar of light shot straight for Minato.
Minato had been on high alert ever since noticing the paper tag. The moment Kazama Xu began her seals, he activated Flying Thunder God, teleporting several yards away—barely dodging the beam.
"Dust Release?! Hidden Stone?!"
Minato's eyes widened. After the death of the Third Tsuchikage, Dust Release was supposed to be extinct. Who was this woman, wielding such a legendary jutsu?
Kazama Xu gave a dazzling smile. "Hidden Stone rogue ninja—Kazama Xu."
Minato shook his head. He'd never heard of her, and no wonder—the Rock-Sand War was nearly a decade past, and Kazama Xu had spent eight years locked away in the Abyss. The world had long forgotten her name.
Elsewhere, Aotu Tailuo helped the severely injured Tsukigami Kōichi to his feet.
"How bad is it, Lord Tsukigami?"
Tsukigami Kōichi grimaced. "My spine's probably shot. Won't be standing anytime soon."
He wiggled his toes and managed a sigh of relief. "Nerves are fine—just bone damage. I'll manage the sealing, even sitting down. But…"
He glanced toward Minato, making it clear: fighting was out of the question.
Aotu Tailuo stepped forward, but Tsukigami Kōichi grabbed his sleeve, whispering urgently.
"His Flying Thunder God is unpredictable. You need to…"
Kazama Xu kept up the pressure, chasing Minato with relentless Dust Release attacks. Minato dodged with impossible agility, vanishing suddenly and reappearing right in front of Kazama Xu, flicking a kunai at her.
She dodged, but Minato was already in her face, kunai aimed at her throat.
"Beep!"
A thin laser shot out, striking Minato's hand dead-on. He jerked back, hissing in pain, and dropped the weapon.
"Laser Release? The Aotu clan!"
Minato quickly stripped off his now-scorched wrist guard, revealing blistered skin beneath.
That Light Release was razor-sharp—whoever fired it was a master.
Aotu Tailuo grinned. "Impressive—you recognize the Laser Release!"
"Back in the World's Greatest Ninja Tournament, I fought a guy named Aotu Jack. Tough opponent. Is he your kin?"
Minato pulled a fresh bandage from his pouch, wrapping his hand. "He's my fourth brother."
Aotu Tailuo nodded. "He was my defeated rival."
Minato smirked with pride.
Aotu Tailuo ignored the boasting, moving beside Kazama Xu and murmuring, "Back-to-back. He likes to attack from behind."
Minato paused, then smiled. "Not bad—you've got some tricks."
He drew another kunai, eyes sharp.
On the other battlefield, the Nine-Tails was feeling something he hadn't felt in centuries—pure, unfiltered despair.
Seriously, how many human powerhouses were there now? Was this some kind of bulk sale?
First the Two-Tails Matatabi and that iron mutt had run him ragged all night.
Then those two sketchy giants—one black, one gold—had battered him for a whole day and night.
The relentless fighting, the endless beatdowns—even he, the strongest tailed beast, was starting to crack.
He'd figured these humans would run out of chakra eventually. No way the ninja world had this many monsters.
But he was wrong. It wasn't over—not by a long shot. Now, someone even nastier had arrived.
A human in a red cloud cloak, eyes like the Sage of Six Paths himself. No words, just a barrage of attacks.
Compared to the previous rounds, this young man was ruthless—no chance for close combat. With a flick of his hand, the Nine-Tails was sent tumbling like a leaf in a storm. Whenever he tried to pounce, another gesture sent him sprawling again. After a few cycles, he was seeing stars and feeling dizzy.
Fine, he thought, I'll just run for it.
No chance. The moment he moved, the human chased him down, another flick—Almighty Push—and more rolling.
For hours, the Nine-Tails was nothing but a punching bag, kicked from midnight to dawn, then from dawn to dusk.
Finally, the frustration boiled over.
"Kid! Is that all you've got?!"
Pain paused, flashing a stiff, almost mechanical smile.
"I'll show you something new."
He tossed a small black sphere into the sky.
"Planetary Devastation!"
"Oh, hell—!"
The ground trembled. A massive force yanked the Nine-Tails upward, pulling him toward the heavens.
Desperate, the Nine-Tails dug his claws deep into the rock, his massive body hanging upside-down, clinging for dear life. All around him, stones shattered and flew skyward, quickly forming a gigantic sphere overhead.
Eventually, the rocks in his grip gave way, and the Nine-Tails was dragged into the air, clutching a chunk of stone.
Soon, he was sprawled atop the stone sphere, ready to break free—when a hailstorm of rocks came crashing down on him.
Roaring, he swatted away boulders with his claws, smashing them to pieces. But there were too many. In moments, he was buried alive.
For a while, two moons hung in the sky—one near, one far.
"Are you satisfied?" Pain's voice was cold, almost manic. "Do you feel pain? Just like the humans you once slaughtered. Doesn't taste so good, does it?"
He muttered to himself, eyes fixed on the sky.
"Boss! Come check out God!"
Rasa was glued to the sight of the massive stone sphere overhead, tugging at Jinghang's sleeve.
"I see it, I see it," Jinghang grumbled, brushing Rasa off as he watched the spectacle with a lazy grin, biting into a slice of watermelon. Guren really was perfect for the secretariat—she'd even remembered dessert.
Desert melons were the sweetest.
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