Bang!
The Tailed Beast Ball shot out with terrifying force, the sheer volume of chakra propelling it like a hurricane. As it tore through the valley, rocks shattered, trees splintered, and the very ground trembled beneath its might.
"This chakra…!"
Hatake Sakumo's expression darkened as he struggled against the storm's force. The energy within the Tailed Beast Ball was so dense, it had practically solidified, causing devastation with every inch it traveled.
Such overwhelming power was enough to annihilate the entire Konoha army.
Turning his head sharply, Sakumo's gaze darted toward Minato, still locked in battle with the Third Raikage and A.
What else can he do?
Meanwhile, on one side of the valley, the Konoha forces—more than a thousand strong—came to an abrupt halt.
All eyes turned skyward, staring in horror at the monstrous energy sphere barreling toward them. A wave of sheer terror surged through the ranks, leaving even seasoned shinobi paralyzed.
They were powerless against this.
Thousands of ninjas, yet not a single one dared to resist.
This wasn't just an attack—it was a force of nature.
Amid the frozen crowd, Suzuka's face was pale, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her sensory abilities made her acutely aware of the Tailed Beast Ball's devastating chakra, far beyond anything they could defend against.
Yet, as the monstrous sphere drew closer, a strange calm washed over her.
Her gaze flicked to a Konoha shinobi nearby, gripping a special kunai tightly. She wasn't the only one who felt it—an unspoken hope coursed through the camp.
In Konoha today, there was only one person capable of handling such a threat.
In this moment of impending doom, the Konoha shinobi shared a singular thought.
Minato.
Whoooosh!
The Tailed Beast Ball roared closer, the sheer pressure causing weaker shinobi to buckle under the force.
The deafening sound, the oppressive heat, the suffocating presence of death—it was overwhelming.
Swish!
Then, just as the attack was about to crash down, a figure flickered into existence before the Konoha army.
A flash of yellow light streaked across the battlefield.
"Space Barrier!"
As the Tailed Beast Ball descended, black lines suddenly materialized in the air beneath it. The lines expanded rapidly, forming an intricate barrier of swirling energy.
Bang!
The massive energy sphere collided with the barrier, sending shockwaves rippling through the valley. But there was no explosion.
Instead, the Tailed Beast Ball was absorbed into the barrier, its destructive energy swallowed whole as if vanishing into another dimension.
Behind the barrier, it felt as though a gateway to another world had opened.
Every Konoha shinobi stared in stunned silence.
At the top of the valley stood a lone figure, his blond hair catching the light, his presence commanding.
Minato.
In that desperate moment, the sight of him standing there—unwavering, unyielding—ignited something within the Konoha army.
Gratitude. Awe. Hope.
Thousands of shinobi, powerless against the might of a tailed beast, watched as one man effortlessly deflected what would have been their annihilation.
Yet, no one was surprised.
Since the beginning of the Third Shinobi World War, Minato had turned impossibilities into reality. This was just another miracle in a long line of feats.
Across the battlefield, the Third Raikage, A, and their comrades stared in disbelief.
Their confident smirks had vanished, replaced by grim, calculating expressions.
From their vantage point, they could just make out the faint black barrier that had neutralized the Tailed Beast Ball.
Almost in unison, their eyes shifted back to Minato, still standing before them, unfazed.
How…?
He'd been fighting them the entire time. How could he possibly defend the Konoha camp from such a distance?
But Minato's face revealed nothing. His calm, steady gaze betrayed none of the effort behind his actions.
The figure that had appeared in front of the Konoha camp was a Sage Clone—a creation of Minato's, imbued with natural energy.
Though it was only a clone, it had enough power to erect the Space Barrier and deflect the Tailed Beast Ball.
With Minato's current chakra reserves, even his clones were far stronger than his former self.
Within seconds, the barrier had fully consumed the Tailed Beast Ball. The black lines shimmered briefly before dissolving into nothingness.
BOOM!
Far above the sea, the Tailed Beast Ball reappeared, its unstable energy detonating in a massive explosion. The blast sent towering waves crashing across the ocean's surface, but it posed no threat to anyone now.
Back on the battlefield, Killer B—still in his full tailed beast form—stared in shock.
He hadn't mastered this state yet, and his ability to produce Tailed Beast Balls was both slow and limited.
But he wasn't about to stop.
Opening the Eight-Tails' massive maw, Killer B began gathering chakra once more, determined to unleash another devastating attack.
Minato's eyes narrowed.
Though he could rely on his Sage Clone to deflect a few more Tailed Beast Balls, there was no telling how many Killer B could fire off.
It was time to act.
Minato's expression hardened as he focused on the glowing mark in his palm.
Swish!
He flipped his hand, gripping a special kunai infused with wind chakra. The blade shimmered, a razor-sharp wind edge dancing along its surface.
In a flash, Minato vanished, reappearing directly in front of the Third Raikage and A. Without hesitation, he swung the kunai in a swift, precise arc toward A.
The two Cloud shinobi reacted instantly. Even with Minato's blinding speed, they were seasoned veterans.
Rage flared in A's eyes as he realized Minato was targeting him. The Yellow Flash couldn't pierce the Third Raikage's defenses—so he'd set his sights on him instead.
But A wasn't about to back down.
With a furious roar, he threw a punch toward Minato's kunai, his lightning armor crackling with destructive energy. The sheer force of his strike sent shockwaves through the air.
Bang!
The two attacks collided, the sound echoing across the battlefield. The wind blade on Minato's kunai shattered, but the blade itself sliced through Yotsuki A's lightning armor, breaking his defense.
However, the kunai's chakra dissipated after piercing the armor, leaving Yotsuki A unharmed beneath it.
Before Minato could react, the Third Raikage closed in from the side, his fingers curled into his infamous Hell Stab.
Dark lightning danced in his eyes as he thrust forward, aiming straight for Minato's heart.
BOOM!
Not far from their clash, the Eight-Tails completed another Tailed Beast Ball and launched it toward the Konoha forces once again. The valley quaked under the pressure, the ground splitting apart as the massive sphere tore through the air.
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