Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Eight Specially Crafted Kunai shot out like arrows, carrying surging lightning and slicing through the air with crackling sounds.
The flying speed of these eight kunai was twice that of Minato's usual throws.
Sakumo's eyes slightly widened. He mused with a quiet chuckle, *"Using Lightning Release chakra to accelerate the Specially Crafted Kunai? Quite clever…"*
Lightning Release was the fastest among the five chakra natures, which was why ninja from Kumogakure were best known for their speed among the Five Great Nations.
Ordinary kunai couldn't withstand the violent force of Lightning Release chakra—using this method would cause them to explode instantly.
But Minato's specially-crafted kunai were made of a unique material, much tougher than regular ones.
What amazed Sakumo most was that Minato had somehow channeled Lightning Release chakra into all eight kunai in an instant.
Such chakra control was nearly obsessive in its precision—even Sakumo himself could barely match it.
After all, Lightning Release chakra was his specialty.
In the span of a single breath, those eight Specially Crafted Kunai, accelerated nearly twofold, reached Hatake Sakumo, who charged forward from the opposite direction.
Clang!
Sakumo slashed his Chakra Tanto, its blade emitting sparks of lightning. A crescent-shaped arc of lightning energy flew off the sword and smashed head-on into the eight kunai.
"Zzshhh!"
Both sides carried violent Lightning Release chakra. Upon impact, chaotic electric arcs erupted.
Sakumo swiftly sidestepped out of the blast range and dashed toward Minato again.
All these actions were completed within the blink of an eye—Kushina couldn't even perceive any of it yet.
On the high wall, Homura Uchiha's crimson eyes, with two spinning tomoe rotating at full speed, could barely catch fleeting afterimages.
Tsunade and others atop the spectator stands saw clearly enough, though their attention remained locked entirely on Minato at that moment.
As Sakumo moved, Minato's hands already held another eight Specially Crafted Kunai.
This time, he threw them in different directions—four per side—just like before, shooting forward like arrows at astonishing speed.
One group targeted precisely where Sakumo had dodged, prompting him to swing his sword once more, releasing another slash of lightning chakra.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Minato swung his arms rapidly as more Specially Crafted Kunai kept appearing in his palms and shot outward.
[Uchiha's Shuriken Web!?]
Having once served on the same squad as The Third, Homura Mitokado vividly recalled how an elite Uchiha ninja had employed this very technique—a blizzard of shuriken known as the Uchiha's Shuriken Web!
...
"It was the Uchiha clan's shuriken technique. Where did that boy pick it up from?" Kai Uchiha muttered, his expression darkening in the spectator stands.
The others furrowed their brows as well, then Tsunade cast a glance at Yan Uchiha atop the high wall, whose expression was filled with shock.
A faint smirk appeared on her crimson lips as she murmured, "I guess... you must've learned it from someone of the Uchiha clan."
Upon hearing this, Kai Uchiha's expression shifted. He turned to Tsunade, seeking details, but she merely gave a quiet smile in response.
Tsunade, who once commanded Konoha's forces, was naturally aware of the subtle bond between Minato and Yan Uchiha, though she was only guessing at this point.
"Did he actually learn it just by watching it once?" The Third chuckled lightly. Minato's growth had been under his watchful eye all along, so how could he not know that during the Chakra Aptitude Test, Yan Uchiha had used this very technique on Minato?
If anyone else had memorized the Uchiha throwing techniques after just one observation, the Third would certainly be amazed.
But when it came to Minato, such talent seemed perfectly natural.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Specially Crafted Kunai infused with Lightning Release chakra flew in all directions like a storm, piercing walls and embedding into the ground across the Dueling Arena.
Within several seconds, Sakumo Hatake had shattered dozens of these Specially Crafted Kunai. At this point, the distance between him and Minato had become too short for the latter to have enough time to throw more shuriken.
However, just as Sakumo closed the distance, practically face-to-face with Minato, he halted abruptly.
On the Spectator Stands, Kushina's heart leaped into her throat. She watched the sudden pause between the two, her eyes wide with confusion.
Hiashi Hyuga and the others were equally stunned.
Only Tsunade narrowed her eyes and said, "The entire arena is now marked for his Body Flicker Technique. Since he already knows his next attack will miss, Sakumo might as well stop."
Her words made their faces shift instantly. Although they knew Minato had trained in the Flying Thunder God Technique, they weren't familiar with how it worked.
Tsunade, however, being the granddaughter of the First Hokage, had considerable knowledge about the Flying Thunder God developed by the Second Hokage.
Right now, the Dueling Arena had become like a domain of the Flying Thunder God. Within this space, Minato could freely traverse between every marked location.
The speed at which Sakumo had attacked moments ago was still insufficient to strike down Minato before he activated the Flying Thunder God.
The Third watched this unfold with a smile. He understood that Sakumo, who already grasped Minato's intentions thoroughly, hadn't tried to prevent his plan—clearly having a countermeasure prepared.
Minato probably knew about this as well, yet why did he go through all the trouble?
This battle was turning out quite interesting indeed.
"It seems you've invested quite heavily..." Sakumo said with a light smile, staring at Minato before him.
Those numerous Specially Crafted Kunai scattered across the battlefield certainly didn't come cheap.
"To deal with an expert like Sakumo-senpai, I had no other choice," Minato replied with a smile as well.
"Only forty seconds have passed. That's really slow!"
His agreement with the Third Hokage was to avoid defeat against Sakumo for three whole minutes. Yet so far, less than a quarter of that time had elapsed.
Whoosh!
However, just as he finished speaking, Minato charged forward again, assuming an attacking stance.
Sakumo met the assault head-on, and the two were about to clash once more.
Hiss!
In the next instant, Minato disappeared in an instant, but Sakumo kept his composure.
That was because he had already left a Marking at a spot three meters behind him where Minato would appear.
Crack!
From behind, a specially crafted kunai wrapped in lightning chakra—also known as Raikō—tore through the air.
Even at a distance of three meters, Minato's reaction speed couldn't match Sakumo's. Therefore, he chose to throw his weapon instead.
By launching just one kunai rather than eight simultaneously, its speed nearly doubled compared to before.
"Clang!"
Yet, Sakumo slashed backward with one sword strike, batting it away forcefully. The lightning chakra exploded midair, turning into dust.
Sakumo slowly turned around, but Minato, who had used Body Flicker to get behind him, felt a sudden tremor in his heart the moment he noticed where Sakumo's gaze fell.
[He's analyzing every Marking I've left behind!]
...
..
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