The deep blue chakra sphere in Minato's palm pulsed with immense energy, its color growing darker as it condensed even further. The sheer density of chakra caused the surrounding air to vibrate, distorting the space around it.
But maintaining such a level of compression came at a cost—Minato's chakra reserves were rapidly depleting.
"Bang!"
The battlefield trembled violently once again as the Eight-Tails finally completed its third Tailed Beast Ball and fired it toward the Konoha forces.
Due to its sheer size, the Eight-Tails had been gripping the valley walls for support. But at this moment, it twisted its massive head and parted its jaws slightly.
Killer B's voice echoed through the battlefield, infused with urgency.
"Brother! His chakra is weakening fast—now's the time!"
As he spoke, three of the Eight-Tails' colossal tentacle-like tails surged forward, writhing like massive serpents before wrapping around Minato in a swift entrapment.
"Shhh!"
Simultaneously, the Third Raikage and A launched forward, seizing the moment to attack from both sides, their speed blurring the air around them.
Minato exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the dire situation.
His chakra sphere was nearly complete, but in this state, he couldn't use the Flying Thunder God to teleport.
Still, there was no panic in his expression.
"Swish!"
Just as the three enemies closed in on him, two new figures suddenly appeared beside Minato in a flash of smoke—his Sage Mode shadow clones.
These clones had been stationed elsewhere, gathering and refining senjutsu chakra for this precise moment.
Right now, Minato could only sustain three Sage Mode clones at a time without exhausting his own chakra reserves. One was still protecting the Konoha forces in the distance, while these two had now arrived to assist him.
The telltale golden markings and orange eye shadow began fading from Minato's face—his natural energy reserves had run dry.
But the clones had arrived just in time.
"Senjutsu: Flying Thunder God – Stage Three!"
One of the Sage Mode clones swiftly moved his hands, and in an instant, dozens of blue chakra kunai rained down, embedding themselves all around the battlefield.
At the same time, the second clone placed a hand on Minato's shoulder.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The moment before impact, all three Minato figures vanished, slipping through the cracks of space at blinding speed.
They reappeared in a completely different location, standing atop a newly placed kunai-mark.
"He escaped again?!"
The Third Raikage and A's expressions darkened.
They were two of the fastest shinobi in the world, yet no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't catch him.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was simply too difficult to counter.
"There!"
Killer B, still in his Eight-Tails form, was the first to spot Minato's new position.
Without hesitation, the Eight-Tails' tentacles lashed out toward Minato once again, moving like massive whips to crush him.
But even though Minato was running low on chakra, his two Sage Mode clones were more than enough to intercept the attack.
Of the three adversaries, the only one who posed a real threat to Minato was the Third Raikage.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
Minato's breath came in sharp, shallow pants. He was reaching his limits.
However—
The chakra sphere in his palms was finally complete.
A deep blue orb, compressed with extreme intensity, flickered ominously in his grasp.
"It's ready."
Minato murmured to himself, and with that, the two Sage Mode clones dispersed.
His previously weary blue eyes lit up with renewed intensity as his gaze sharpened.
Without flinching, he stared at the tentacle attack approaching him, along with the Third Raikage and A surging toward him.
"Swish!"
At that moment, the dark blue sphere disappeared from Minato's hands.
A split second later—
The Third Raikage froze in place.
A dark blue orb flashed into existence, hovering directly over the left side of his chest.
"Buzz."
The white-jade-like Flying Thunder God mark on his back flickered faintly.
A wave of instinctual dread shot through the Third Raikage's nerves.
He attempted to step backward—but found himself unable to move.
An invisible force locked him in place.
A, who had been charging alongside him, immediately skidded to a stop, sensing something was very wrong.
At that moment, the Eight-Tails' tentacle attack was nearly upon Minato.
Minato narrowed his eyes.
Then—
With one punch, he struck out at the incoming tentacle.
"Boom!"
The Eight-Tails' appendage was sent flying backward, colliding violently into the valley wall. The force of the impact caused a rockslide, sending boulders tumbling down.
Minato's sharp gaze then flickered back toward the Third Raikage—his true target.
Hovering just above the Raikage's chest, the deep blue sphere pulsed ominously.
Minato briefly turned his gaze toward the Tailed Beast Ball in the distance, watching as it was gradually absorbed into the space-time barrier.
The Third Raikage's face twisted in shock.
"What… What kind of technique is this?!"
His body was paralyzed, but not by external force.
Something far more terrifying was happening—
A portion of his own body was locked within a limited space.
It was as if that small portion of his chest now existed in a separate dimension, preventing him from moving.
He realized something chilling—
The only way to break free from this technique…
Was to sever the trapped portion of his body.
In his decades of war, he had never seen or heard of a technique like this before.
Nearby, A's face contorted with fury, his bloodshot eyes fixating on Minato.
A sudden voice echoed in his mind, transmitted through a hidden communication technique:
"A, you must retreat with the Cloud forces immediately—return to Kumogakure!"
A's eyes widened.
"What?! Why?!"
But before he could finish his sentence—
He froze in horror.
The air around the Third Raikage's left chest began to ripple…
Then, something far worse happened.
The space itself distorted—
And within that distortion…
A portion of the Third Raikage's chest simply vanished.
No blood. No wound.
Just… nothingness.
Like that part of his body had never existed at all.
A's stomach twisted with dread.
"Space… is distorting?!"
Minato's new technique was erasing space itself.
The Third Raikage remained stoic, but in his eyes, the grim realization was clear.
He was going to die.
His voice boomed across the battlefield.
"A! Lead the Cloud forces back—NOW!"
A's heart pounded violently in his chest.
But Minato shook his head, his voice calm yet firm.
"I can't let them escape."
He had to crush the Four-Nation Alliance completely—eliminating A, the future Fourth Raikage, and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
A's rage boiled over.
"DON'T THINK YOU CAN KILL US ALL!"
The Third Raikage, sensing A's fury, did not bother stopping him.
Instead, his voice rang one last time—
"B! Take your brother—AND RUN!"
Killer B gritted his teeth, his massive Eight-Tails form coiling in preparation.
"Tailed Beast Volume Eight!"
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