Swish!
Among the ruins of Rōran, two blurs of light streaked through the air, colliding with violent intensity before darting apart again. Each time they clashed, faint afterimages lingered, a testament to the incredible speed and skill on display.
Minato's movements were razor-sharp, his speed unmatched in the ninja world, even during his prime. Yet now, with the enhancement of Sage Mode, his agility and perception were sharper than ever. Mukade, empowered by the dragon vein's energy, kept pace, his mutated form no longer bound by human limits.
For an ordinary opponent, Minato's speed alone would have been overwhelming. But Mukade had transformed into something beyond human, his power and agility amplified to the point where he could challenge Minato head-to-head. Although they were evenly matched in speed, Mukade's power was purely borrowed, while Minato's skill came from a lifetime of mastery.
Bang!
The two clashed again, each repelled by the other's force, only to dash forward immediately, colliding once more as if they'd teleported. Minato's sharp blue eyes narrowed, cold determination reflected in their depths.
Mukade's knowledge of him was disturbingly thorough. The man had anticipated and countered his Flying Thunder God Technique multiple times, a feat only possible with precise knowledge of Minato's tactics.
Mukade's ambition went beyond his own era. Using Rōran's dragon vein, he had created an army of monstrous giants and war machines, and his intentions posed too great a threat. Minato knew he had to stop him here—no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, Mukade's mind raced as he observed Minato's resilience and skill. Despite the intensity of their battle, Minato's chakra reserves seemed inexhaustible. How is he recovering so quickly? Mukade thought, his gaze darkening.
From his research, Mukade knew that Minato had been born into an ordinary family in Konoha. By all accounts, his parents were simple merchants, not shinobi, and they had died when Minato was young. Nothing about his background suggested he would possess a chakra capacity comparable to that of a tailed beast.
Yet here he was, fighting with a vitality and resilience reminiscent of the First Hokage himself—a legend renowned for his unmatched strength and Senju lineage. And unlike the First Hokage, Minato lacked any Senju heritage. His power seemed to defy reason, surpassing the boundaries of ordinary human potential.
"What are you hiding, Namikaze Minato?" Mukade growled under his breath, frustration and curiosity mingling in his expression. Despite the Primordial Seal draining Minato's chakra, his opponent had somehow recovered nearly instantly, something even the Senju clan's remarkable vitality couldn't achieve. Mukade's mind churned with theories, a nagging suspicion forming as he pieced together fragments of information.
For years, Mukade had secretly gathered intelligence about Minato. From the Second Ninja World War onward, certain actions taken by Minato had hinted at an inexplicable foresight, as though he knew future events. Mukade's obsession with unearthing Minato's secrets had brought him here, into the past, and he now faced a startling realization:
Perhaps, like him and Naruto, Namikaze Minato had also crossed the boundaries of time.
Bang!
As the two combatants separated, Mukade raised his gaze, a twisted smile curving his lips. "Namikaze Minato… The Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha. You really are the same as Naruto and me, aren't you?"
Minato's pupils contracted, but he quickly masked his reaction, his cold gaze never faltering. Mukade's words were dangerous, and his accuracy in addressing Minato's titles could only mean he knew far more than he should.
From Mukade's perspective, Minato's reaction—or lack thereof—was telling. Though Minato hadn't betrayed any outward shock, the absence of surprise hinted at a secret knowledge of his own fate. This realization struck Mukade with gleeful satisfaction, like a puzzle piece clicking into place.
Minato's eyes, however, turned icy. Mukade's knowledge was irrelevant; one way or another, this battle would end here. He couldn't allow Mukade to escape alive with knowledge that could alter the future.
Boom!
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled with a powerful rumble, drawing Minato's attention downward. The spot where he had cast the Primordial Seal pulsed with dark purple light, cracks spiderwebbing across the crystalline layer that contained the dragon vein's energy.
It's not holding… Minato thought with a grimace. The sheer force of the dragon vein was overwhelming his expectations, and if it continued to build unchecked, the ground itself might give way.
In that moment of distraction, Mukade seized his chance, unleashing a fierce blow that struck Minato squarely. Minato crossed his arms defensively, but the impact sent him skidding back several meters, a thin trail of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Swish!
Mukade didn't waste a second, lunging toward Minato with a manic gleam in his eye. But in an instant, Minato vanished, reappearing at a safe distance.
Bang, bang, bang!
Mukade's senses, honed by his connection to the dragon vein, allowed him to track Minato's movements. He pivoted, rushing toward Minato with renewed vigor.
"Spiral Flash Chaos Roar: Third Styles!" Minato shouted.
Three of Minato's clones appeared, each flanking Mukade from different directions and launching kunai that converged around him. Six kunai spun through the air, blurring together as Minato and his clones prepared to strike.
Boom, boom!
The kunai closed in on Mukade, but he swatted them away, repelling Minato and his clones. Two of the clones dissipated, but Mukade also stumbled back from the force.
"You're starting to lose your composure, aren't you?" Minato noted, his gaze shifting back to the cracking seal below. The fracture lines continued to spread, a reminder of the limited time they had left before Rōran faced catastrophic destruction.
Mukade sneered, his mind racing. This "Fourth Hokage" won't let Rōran fall, he reasoned. But the power he had absorbed from the dragon vein was diminishing with each passing moment, and he needed to tap into its core once more to solidify his advantage.
Mukade's lips curled into a taunting smile as he faced Minato. "It seems that it's not me who's threatening Rōran… but you, Fourth Hokage," he sneered. His words were laced with mockery, intending to provoke Minato's sense of duty.
Minato saw through the tactic but couldn't ignore the worsening state of the ground. His brows furrowed as he raised his hands, his gaze steady.
Mukade's eyes lit up in anticipation, assuming Minato was about to remove the seal. But the intricate hand signs that Minato formed weren't to release the Primordial Seal; they were something else entirely.
Bang!
Elsewhere in Rōran, a figure sitting cross-legged vanished in a puff of smoke.
Orange pigmentation appeared around Minato's eyes, his previously azure blue irises shifting into horizontal pupils, signaling his entry into Sage Mode once again.
"When…?" Mukade's eyes widened in shock as he realized Minato had been one step ahead of him. During their recent clash, one of Minato's shadow clones had slipped away, unnoticed. While Mukade thought he was gaining the upper hand, Minato had been silently preparing his return to Sage Mode.
"So, you led me right into your trap," Mukade growled, the revelation dawning on him.
With a calm but unyielding resolve, Minato fixed Mukade with a steely gaze, a killing intent emanating from him that could only come from a hardened warrior. Despite his youthful appearance, Minato's aura was one of lethal precision, honed through countless battles.
"You must disappear," Minato declared, his tone icy.
Mukade felt a chill run through him as he locked eyes with Minato, whose Sage Mode-enhanced gaze seemed to pierce straight through him. The intense focus in Minato's eyes was like nothing he'd seen before, a quiet fury fueled by an unwavering resolve.
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