Seeing that his side had gained the upper hand and the Nine-Tails in the distance seemed to be suppressed by the main body, Ōnoki's clone's wrinkled, aged face split into a wide grin. Feeling confident the outcome was decided, he arrogantly flew above Minato, stroking his beard and laughing loudly.
"Hahaha, Fourth Hokage, you have no chance of winning, so don't put up any more resistance. If you surrender honestly, maybe I'll spare your lives. Besides…" Ōnoki glanced at the thin layer of Tailed Beast chakra remaining around Minato and Kushina, shaking his head with a sigh. "This Tailed Beast chakra sustaining you won't last long. If you keep fighting, I'm afraid even the last trace of you in this world will disappear."
Hearing Ōnoki's words, Minato cautiously scanned his surroundings, sensing the Second Tsuchikage's clone blending into the environment, and spoke calmly. "Third Tsuchikage, surrender is absolutely impossible. If you truly wish for a truce, why don't we all stop fighting? Konoha won't obstruct your entry, how about that?"
Ōnoki's eyes flashed. "Alright. Then I'll trouble you to have all your shinobi cease fighting as a sign of sincerity."
Minato didn't even bother looking at him again. His voice was filled with coldness and mockery. "If only we stop fighting while your side doesn't, then aren't we just lambs to the slaughter? It seems the Third Tsuchikage has no sincerity whatsoever; he just wants to trick us into laying down our weapons and waiting to die!"
Seeing that Minato saw through him, Ōnoki stopped pretending. He had no intention of letting the Fourth and the others escape. He would never let go of an opportunity to weaken other villages. His agreement to attack Konoha was based on reaping the benefits while others charged ahead. Moreover, his intention to bring the Nine-Tails back to Iwagakure was tantamount to forging a blood feud with Menma's Four Star Village. Therefore, he couldn't afford to let Minato's group escape to preserve their strength.
However, he still wore a regretful expression, shaking his head. "Our Hidden Stone was quite sincere, but I didn't expect the Fourth Hokage to be so suspicious. What a pity for these Four Star Village ninjas…"
Just as the two were talking, Kushina, sensing with her eyes closed, suddenly whispered. "Left!"
Minato immediately stopped arguing. A Rasengan glowed in his hand, and he rushed left, slamming it down into empty air. Simultaneously, the Adamantine Sealing Chains behind Kushina thrust forward into the air to the left.
Whoosh! Swish!
As their attacks landed, a rocky arm suddenly appeared in the previously empty air. The Second Tsuchikage's body materialized.
"Every time I approach, I'm detected. The Uzumaki Clan's sensory techniques are truly powerful!" the Second Tsuchikage exclaimed, controlling his massive rock fist formed by the Earth Release: Earth Spear to smash against Kushina's thrusting Adamantine Chains. He made no attempt to stop Minato's Rasengan. "And this powerful sealing technique… what a terrifying clan!"
As he spoke, most of the chains binding Kushina were knocked away. The Second Tsuchikage's Impure World Reincarnation body was smashed into a shower of dust by the Rasengan. Finally, the Second was sent flying backward, barely avoiding the remaining chains.
Watching the Second Tsuchikage fly away, Minato, having exhausted his last bit of Tailed Beast chakra, didn't pursue. Instead, he appeared beside Kushina in a flash, speaking in a low, rapid voice.
"I'll hold off the enemy for a bit. You take the rest and retreat."
Kushina hesitated for a moment, then immediately refused. "No, your Tailed Beast chakra is used up, it will disappear—"
"Kushina!" Minato interrupted her. "I'm just a remnant of chakra."
She bit her lip. "I'm also a remnant of chakra. I'll hold off the enemy with you!"
Minato shook his head. "Our child can't be without parents again, even if it's just chakra."
"What about the Nine-Tails?" Kushina pressed.
"It won't be in danger. We'll rescue it from Iwagakure after Menma returns."
During the conversation, Minato teleported twice with Kushina, arriving beside the surrounded Haku and the others. As soon as they appeared, he threw a bunch of kunai bearing the Flying Thunder God mark at the surrounding enemies. He instantly vanished from his spot, flashing like a ghost among the enemies, leaving trails of blood.
Seeing him suddenly abandon the battle to slaughter ordinary Iwagakure ninjas on the other side, Ōnoki's clone was instantly enraged and flew toward them at lightning speed.
"You despicable bastard, stop!"
The Second Tsuchikage, whose body had recovered, was also surprised by Minato's decisiveness in refusing to fight. He immediately stopped hiding and flew toward them.
"Retreat! Everyone, retreat with me!"
Seeing Minato block the approaching Iwagakure ninjas, Kushina immediately called for everyone to retreat. At the same time, an Adamantine Sealing Chain extended from behind her, dragging the frenzied Hidan back.
Yamato, not far away, also heard Kushina's shout. He immediately wrapped himself in vines, withstood the iron fists of two rock giants, and used the momentum to move away. Meanwhile, his hands rapidly formed hand seals in mid-air, and the Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak on his body visibly diminished until it disappeared.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
As Yamato completed his final hand seal, the surrounding earth suddenly bulged, and countless saplings sprouted. They then grew taller at a visible speed, eventually forming a small forest. With the forest as a barrier, Kushina, along with Haku and the other Four Star Village ninjas, quickly converged on Yamato's location. Yamato also swiftly merged into the forest, running toward Kushina.
Meanwhile, Huang Tu and Chi Tu, perched on the rock giant's shoulder, were thrown off balance by the suddenly growing trees. They quickly scrambled to their feet, urging the rock giant to overturn the trees and earth, chasing after Yamato.
Looking at the Iwagakure ninjas slaughtered by Minato, Ōnoki's clone's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "I will kill you today!" A massive rock fist, imbued with the Earth Release: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique, slammed down toward Minato.
Anticipating this, Minato teleported away, simultaneously slicing the neck of a nearby Iwagakure ninja with a kunai. The Second Tsuchikage, just then, flew over from afar. His hands moved rapidly, forming hand seals, and a gigantic hand suddenly rose from the earth, slamming heavily toward Minato.
Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique again, teleporting to the nearest kunai. However, the moment he appeared, a bandaged hand emerged from the air and pressed against his shoulder. It was the Second Tsuchikage's clone, who had been hiding and waiting for an opportunity, coming from the Nine-Tails' side!
"Earth Release: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique."
Minato's body instantly felt as if it had been weighed down by a thousand pounds, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar.
Seeing the Fourth finally caught, the enraged Ōnoki clone flew in swiftly, its massive rock fist slamming down without hesitation. "Die!"
Watching the fist slam down, Minato, unable to move, closed his eyes with a look of regret. His last thought was that he hadn't yet made amends to Menma and Naruto.
Bang!
The sound of shattering rock rang out. But as Minato closed his eyes to await death, he realized something was wrong; his body didn't seem to have dissipated! Instead, a familiar voice rang out in front of him.
"Who are you sending to die?"
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