While Gamabunta caused chaos among the Hidden Mist squad, Minato Namikaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to coordinate with him, attacking from all directions.
Minato Namikaze quickly realized that he could not inflict fatal damage on Asuka, so he decided to eliminate the remaining combat forces of the Hidden Mist first.
Asuka wanted to stop Minato Namikaze, but unfortunately his speed couldn't keep up with him. He could only focus on hunting down the Konoha ninja. An unusual scene soon appeared on the battlefield: Asuka relentlessly pursued the Konoha ninja, while Minato Namikaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique to eliminate the Hidden Mist ninja.
While chasing the Konoha ninja, Asuka gave rapid orders.
"Mei Terumī, go deal with that toad! Murasaki, command the squad and form a defensive perimeter with Ice Release! Mangetsu, assist me in hunting down the Konoha ninja!"
After assessing the battlefield, Asuka quickly devised countermeasures.
Mei Terumī's Lava Release and Boiling Release were perfect for dealing with large opponents like Gamabunta. In the original story, Mei Terumī's Boiling Release could even melt Sasuke's Susanoo. Although the current Mei Terumī was still young and her ninjutsu had not yet reached the level she would later display at the Five Kage Summit, it was more than enough to deal with Gamabunta—at the very least ensuring no one would be in life-threatening danger.
Facing a highly mobile ninja like Minato Namikaze, spreading out was clearly not a good idea. Minazuki Murasaki had good command abilities, and with her unique Ice Release bloodline limit, she could organize a solid defensive counterattack.
As for Hōzuki Mangetsu, his Hydrification Technique made him especially suited for the current battlefield aside from Asuka himself. He could also become immune to physical attacks, and Minato Namikaze—who had not yet developed the Rasengan—posed far less threat to him.
After arranging the battle strategy, Asuka formed hand seals and shouted loudly.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Terrifying chakra erupted from Asuka. The next moment, a massive amount of water flooded the battlefield, forming what looked like a miniature lake and creating a favorable environment for the Hidden Mist ninja.
As for why Asuka possessed such terrifying chakra, there were two main reasons.
First, it was due to his Kaguya Clan heritage. This clan had an unclear connection to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, and it was highly possible that they were an offshoot of the Ōtsutsuki, similar to the Hyuga and Uzumaki clans. This lineage granted the Kaguya clan chakra reserves far beyond those of ordinary people. While not at the "chakra-ton" level, it was certainly at the "chakra-kilogram" level. As an outstanding member of the Kaguya clan, Asuka's chakra was naturally even more impressive.
The second reason was his Wolverine-like regeneration ability. Normally, chakra refinement techniques could only be used a limited number of times per day. Over-refining chakra within a single day could damage the meridians and hinder future development. However, none of this was a problem for Asuka. His regeneration allowed him to repeatedly push his body to the limit without lasting consequences. When he first arrived in the ninja world, Asuka had quickly established himself by frantically refining chakra and constantly pushing his potential to its limits.
Returning to the battlefield, the massive amount of water created a perfect environment for the Hidden Mist squad, and everyone quickly sprang into action.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Cutter!"
For a time, countless Water Release techniques filled the battlefield, splashing in every direction—some targeting the Konoha ninja and others attacking Gamabunta.
Hōzuki Mangetsu let out a strange laugh, formed several hand seals, and suddenly a large amount of mist spread across the battlefield, eventually forming a thick white fog.
"Ninja Art: Hiding in the Mist Technique!"
The Konoha ninja, who suddenly lost their vision, appeared somewhat panicked. In contrast, the Hidden Mist ninja had returned to their most comfortable battlefield. Even so, they did not forget Asuka's command. Using the dense fog as cover, they quickly moved toward Minazuki Murasaki.
Once the remaining squad members regrouped with Minazuki Murasaki, she formed hand seals.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
Thick walls of ice rose from the ground, forming a defensive structure around the squad and preventing a surprise attack from Minato Namikaze.
Meanwhile, Hōzuki Mangetsu fully displayed his talent for wielding the Seven Ninja Swords in his previous life. Moving silently through the mist, he executed flawless silent killing techniques. Each appearance claimed the life of a Konoha ninja.
---
At the center of the battlefield, the towering Gamabunta was completely tied down.
"Damn it, you little bug! If you've got the guts, fight me head-on! What kind of skill is it to just dart around?!"
Gamabunta twisted his body as his giant blade swept wildly through the air.
Hidden in a place Gamabunta couldn't see, Mei Terumī formed hand seals.
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
A stream of corrosive acid shot toward Gamabunta. The liquid splashed onto his body, making him grimace in pain.
This was exactly why Gamabunta couldn't provide support elsewhere. Mei Terumī had been restraining him the entire time. The moment he tried to move and assist the Konoha ninja, her attacks would immediately force him back.
Her ninjutsu caused damage that couldn't be ignored. Every time the acid dripped onto his body, it burned holes of varying sizes into his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Whenever Gamabunta tried to attack her directly, Mei Terumī would use her smaller size to dodge and quickly disappear into the shadows again.
In this way, she successfully kept Gamabunta occupied.
---
When the dense fog spread across the battlefield, Minato Namikaze immediately realized something was wrong. This environment was far too advantageous for the Hidden Mist ninja.
Recognizing the danger, Minato quickly located the ninja responsible for casting the Hiding in the Mist Technique. While the fog could hinder ordinary ninja, it could not block the perception of someone at Minato's level.
Minato's figure suddenly appeared behind Hōzuki Mangetsu.
He swung the kunai in his hand without hesitation. However, the expected spray of blood did not appear. Instead, water burst out from the point of impact, and Mangetsu's body transformed into a puddle of water that splashed into the lake Asuka had created beneath them.
"A Water Clone? No… the Hōzuki Clan?"
After watching Mangetsu escape in liquid form, Minato paused briefly before instantly disappearing again.
His figure reappeared outside the ice wall created by Minazuki Murasaki. After sensing the area and confirming that there was no Flying Thunder God mark inside the ice dome, Minato found himself in a difficult position.
Breaking through the ice wall by force would take too much time, and there were many ninja inside. Even if he managed to break in, it would be difficult to eliminate them quickly.
At the same time, two powerful enemies were still hunting the remaining Konoha ninja outside.
Minato himself would likely be able to escape, but the rest of the Konoha ninja would almost certainly be wiped out.
Without hesitation, Minato made his decision.
He would abandon the mission.
Closing his eyes, Minato focused on sensing the Flying Thunder God marks. Before leaving Konoha, he had given each member of the squad a special kunai marked with his seal.
After sensing them for a moment, Minato instantly vanished.
---
Meanwhile, Asuka continued hunting the remaining Konoha ninja.
Although his speed couldn't match Minato Namikaze, it was more than enough to deal with ordinary ninja.
In a short time, more than five ninja had died at his hands.
At that moment, Asuka's bone blade slashed toward another Konoha ninja. Just as the strike was about to land, Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared and rescued the ninja right under Asuka's nose.
Immediately afterward, Asuka sensed the chakra signatures on the battlefield rapidly decreasing.
One by one, the Konoha ninja vanished.
In the end, only the familiar chakra signatures of Asuka's Fourth Squad remained—and Gamabunta also disappeared in a puff of smoke.