"It's still too early to say that," Minato's calm voice suddenly came from behind Kizaru.
A kunai lay beneath Minato's foot as he completed another instant teleport.
"This is—Flying Thunder God: Second Step!"
Minato let out a low shout as the Rasengan in his hand slammed violently into Kizaru's back.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion erupted across the battlefield. However, when the smoke cleared, Kizaru was nowhere to be seen. Only a massive crater remained, with Minato standing at its edge.
"As expected of the Yellow Flash," Kizaru's voice said leisurely from a distance. "That speed was impressive. I almost got hit."
Kizaru walked back into view, completely unharmed.
Minato's sudden Second Step attack had genuinely startled him. However, thanks to his Observation Haki, Kizaru had activated elementalization at the critical moment and shifted his body away, narrowly avoiding the Rasengan.
Minato frowned as he studied Kizaru's intact form.
"So he really is a Logia user… just like Akainu," Minato thought. "He may lack Akainu's overwhelming destructive power, but his speed is terrifying. In a prolonged fight, he's going to be far more troublesome."
Known throughout Konoha for his cautious nature, Minato quickly began analyzing every possibility. He silently considered what methods he could use to bypass Kizaru's elemental body and deal real damage.
Naruto World
Naruto watched the battlefield with clenched fists and a worried expression. His father's opponent could ignore physical attacks entirely and matched Minato in speed. It was like fighting a walking cheat code.
"I wonder if that technique would work…" Jiraiya muttered, his expression serious as he imagined how he himself would handle such an opponent.
"The battlefield is a flat plain with no water nearby," Tobirama said gravely. "That gives Kizaru a major advantage. His ability to become light makes him extremely difficult to deal with."
Jiraiya suddenly seemed to realize something and smiled faintly."He still hasn't shown his full strength. Right now, it's still a fifty–fifty fight. Minato hasn't lost yet."
Kakashi nodded in agreement."I don't know how Minato-sensei plans to counter him, but I trust that he has a strategy. Naruto—you believe in your father too, don't you?"
Naruto answered without hesitation, his eyes burning with confidence."Of course! Kizaru is strong, but my dad is the Hokage. He won't lose."
Pirate World
Sengoku watched the fight with a deep frown.
"This Flying Thunder God technique doesn't increase speed," he said slowly. "It's instantaneous movement. In a way, it's even faster than Kizaru's elementalization."
Akainu crossed his arms."There's no water on the battlefield, and Minato doesn't appear capable of Water Release. As long as he can't break through Kizaru's elemental body, this match will ultimately be ours."
Garp continued munching on his senbei before speaking up."Still, he's a Hokage. He might have some troublesome sealing techniques. If that happens, Kizaru could be in real danger."
Sengoku sighed heavily."The Gorosei and the Celestial Dragons are already unhappy. If Kizaru loses this match as well…"
"What happens then?" Aokiji asked casually.
"They didn't say," Sengoku replied grimly. "But knowing them, Kizaru won't have a pleasant future."
On the Battlefield
Kizaru stood casually with his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed. Despite his laid-back demeanor, he had already acknowledged Minato as an opponent on his level.
Flying Thunder God was faster than his elementalization. If he didn't deal with it soon, he would eventually be pushed into a disadvantage.
"Each of those kunai has strange markings," Kizaru mused. "They must be the key to his teleportation."
"He threw a lot of them earlier. That means there shouldn't be many left."
"If I eliminate those tools now, the rest should be simple."
After a brief moment of thought, Kizaru suddenly leapt into the air. He crossed his arms near his shoulders as brilliant flashes of light burst from his hands.
"I've already figured out how to deal with your Flying Thunder God," he said, flashing his usual lazy grin.
"Yata no Kagami."
Biu—
In an instant, countless golden light bullets filled the sky, blotting out the sun. They hung there for a split second before raining down like a catastrophic storm.
This was overwhelming, indiscriminate firepower—nearly impossible to dodge.
"So that's his plan…" Minato muttered, his expression turning grim. "He's trying to destroy all my marked kunai."
Without hesitation, Minato drew more kunai from his belt and hurled them in every direction, teleporting repeatedly as the light bullets crashed down around him.
The spot where Minato had stood just moments earlier was obliterated. The ground was riddled with deep craters, packed so tightly together that the plain resembled a war zone devastated by artillery fire.
The battlefield was completely unrecognizable.
Watching the shattered remains of the kunai scattered across the ground, Kizaru smiled with satisfaction.
"Looks pretty effective."
The kunai were made from ordinary materials. They stood no chance against the relentless barrage of Yata no Kagami and were completely destroyed.
"Hiss… what a terrifying technique," Minato thought as he surveyed the devastation.
If even one of those light bullets had hit him directly, the follow-up barrage would have finished him instantly. His body wasn't built to endure that kind of sustained assault.
Fortunately, he hadn't escaped unscathed. His clothes were torn, and his left leg bore a shallow burn where a light bullet had grazed him.
Still, it was nothing fatal.
Seeing Minato still standing, Kizaru raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"As expected of the Hokage," he said. "Surviving tens of thousands of light bullets is no small feat. I acknowledge your title, Yellow Flash."
He tilted his head slightly, a mocking tone creeping into his voice.
"But now all your tools are gone. Without those kunai, how exactly do you plan to use Flying Thunder God?"
Minato studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"You figured out the activation condition of my technique very quickly," he said calmly. "No wonder you seemed so relaxed earlier."
Then his smile deepened.
"However… as Hokage, I would never exhaust all my tools at once."
Tobirama nodded approvingly."The Fourth Hokage truly is impressive. His Flying Thunder God has already surpassed my own."
Kakashi analyzed the situation quietly."Minato-sensei's speed remains unmatched, but Kizaru's strength is clearly top-tier even among the Admirals. He's far more difficult to deal with than Akainu."
Naruto clenched his fists tighter, staring at the battlefield with unwavering determination.
"My dad," he said firmly, "will definitely win."