Sora and the Ninja leader were engulfed in the thick cloud of dust, leaving the outcome of their clash a mystery to the onlookers.
Those observing the battle couldn't help but wish for the Byakugan, hoping to discern who had emerged victorious.
The Konoha shinobi is naturally rooted in Sora. Despite being up against the leader of the Ninja, Sorahad held his own, even managing to injure his opponent.
However, the Kumogakure shinobi and the Ninja were more confident in their leader.
From their perspective, while Sora had shown remarkable skill and creativity in battle, the Tang Ninja leader's superior experience and composure allowed him to counter each of Sora's attacks effectively.
Moreover, they noticed Sora's chakra reserves were running dangerously low. Although his skill and power seemed to be at a Jōnin level, his chakra reserves were more akin to those of a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
They believed that if the Ninja leader could withstand this attack, Sora would be left defenceless—a fish on the chopping block, entirely at their leader's mercy.
Still, a hint of worry crept into their minds. What if their leader couldn't withstand this final blow?
A sudden gust of wind swept across the battlefield, dispersing the lingering dust cloud. At last, the scene became clear.
Sora was on one knee, panting heavily, his body trembling slightly from exertion.
Not far away, the Ninja leader lay sprawled on the ground in a dishevelled state, his clothing scorched and riddled with holes, the result of the intense lightning from Sora's attack.
Gasps of shock erupted from the Kumogakure and Ninja shinobi. Their leader had fallen? Could it be that the Ninja leader was defeated?
However, a closer look revealed something strange. Despite his tattered appearance, the Ninja leader bore no burns or slash wounds from Sora's attack.
Instead, his injuries seemed more consistent with Wind Style techniques—cuts and abrasions that were at odds with the lightning-based jutsu Sora had just unleashed. The onlookers were baffled.
Only Namikaze Minato's sharp eyes caught the truth. His gaze widened as he pieced it together.
There was no doubt: Sora's last attack had failed.
The Tang Ninja leader's injuries hadn't come from Sora's Fire Thunder God technique but from his own desperate countermeasure.
Minato realized what had happened. The Ninja leader had used Vacuum Sphere multiple times during their battle, and though Sora had dodged each one, the final usage was different.
The leader had known he couldn't block or evade Sora's strike directly. So, instead of targeting Sora, he aimed his last Vacuum Sphere at the ground beneath himself.
The resulting explosion created a powerful gust of wind, propelling his body away from Sora's slash at the last possible moment.
Though the countermeasure left him severely injured, it was far better than being decapitated by Sora's blade.
As the dust cleared completely, the Ninja leader coughed violently, struggling to rise. Blood spilt from his mouth as he steadied himself, glaring at Sora.
"You can't stand up anymore..." the Ninja leader rasped, his voice hoarse and full of strain.
Sora coughed violently, each breath sending sharp pain through his body.
As the Tang Ninja leader had said, Sora was unable to stand properly. Every muscle in his body felt torn, and his strength was completely drained.
Though Sora had mastered the Seventh Form, Flame Thunder God, through a systematic simulation, he had only recently succeeded in performing it correctly. During training, he had failed more often than he'd succeeded.
This time, Sora had finally executed the technique flawlessly. However, with his chakra reserves nearly depleted, the strain had pushed his body far beyond its limits.
He glanced at the Tang Ninja leader, who lay not far away, and sighed. "As the leader of a hidden village, you're truly experienced and decisive. To think you'd gamble everything on such a reckless move, even injuring yourself to avoid my attack."
The Ninja leader smirked faintly, his lips twitching from pain. "That's the way of a ninja. When you're in a desperate situation, you gamble. And this time, I won."
He paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes at Sora. "But there's something I've been curious about. When you drew your sword earlier, it didn't seem like your blade had enough reach to hit me. Was it… a mistake?"
Sora gritted his teeth, using his ninja sword to force himself to his feet. His legs trembled, his body wracked with the pain of torn muscles. His pale face betrayed his exhaustion, but his gaze remained steady.
Weakly, he replied, "In this plan, anyone in Hidden Village can die—but you can't."
The Ninja leader froze for a moment, his expression shifting to one of confusion. "I can't die? And why is that—" He stopped mid-sentence and sighed, shaking his head. "No, forget it. I don't need to know."
He looked at Sora solemnly. "This battle is over. I didn't want to kill you. You're too good. If you continue to grow, you'll undoubtedly become one of the strongest shinobi in the world.
"But you've killed so many from my village," he continued, his voice hardening. "As the leader of Hidden Village, I have a duty to avenge them. I must kill you."
Sora sneered, his voice sharp despite his weakened state. "Don't bother with such polite words on the battlefield. We're enemies. If you think this fight is over, you're insulting me. And besides... who said you've won?"
The Ninja leader frowned, studying Sora carefully. It was clear that standing was already a struggle for him, so how could he still speak with such confidence?
The Ninja leader didn't waste time with words. He drew a kunai, prepared to deliver the finishing blow.
Watching this unfold, Namikaze Minato's body tensed. He instinctively moved to intervene and save Sora.
But then he stopped, frozen by hesitation.
His mind flashed back to Daigo's death and Sora's words: "I died because I was incompetent, so you don't need to worry about it."
Minato clenched his fists. He hated Sora—not just a passing dislike, but deep, seething hatred. Especially after Sora had given Daigo a detonating tag, leading to his death alongside a Kumogakure shinobi.
Yet, Minato's dream of becoming Hokage forced him to confront his emotions. Could he allow personal hatred to dictate his actions? Could he stand by and watch someone who was fighting for Konoha die, even if that person was Sora?
His heart wavered, but his ideals prevailed.
'Regardless of who he is or what he's done, Sora is fighting for Konoha. If I let him die, I'll be betraying my own principles.'
With that resolve, Minato sprang into action, racing toward Sora with all his speed.
But the distance was too great. He wouldn't make it in time.
Suddenly, Minato stopped mid-step, his brows furrowing as he watched the kunai thrown by the Tang Ninja leader. Something about its trajectory seemed... off.
The kunai embedded itself harmlessly in the ground next to Sora.
The Tang Ninja leader's eyes widened in disbelief. From his perspective, his kunai had been aimed perfectly at Sora's head. It should have hit its mark.
But as the kunai reached Sora, his figure suddenly wavered and became translucent—then vanished entirely, reappearing several meters away.
The Ninja leader's face twisted in shock as realization dawned on him. "An illusion?!"
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