The forest was silent, save for the crunch of leaves underfoot. Minato's team moved like ghosts, their chakra suppressed to avoid detection.
Two ANBU captains—Bear and Tiger—scanned the terrain with hawk-like precision, pausing as a faint disturbance in the wind caught their attention.
"Danzo's trail ends here," Bear muttered, his voice low. He gestured toward a clearing ahead.
Minato's eyes narrowed as he held up his hand to signal a stop. "He's waiting," Minato whispered.
And then, like a shadow materializing from the dark, Danzo stepped forward. The air seemed to grow colder as he appeared, his cold gaze fixed on Minato. Beside him, Menma stood, the cursed seal on his arm pulsing with ominous dark energy.
"Father," Menma spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Come to drag me back to your perfect family?"
Minato's heart twisted. "Menma, this isn't you! You're not alone!"
Danzo chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "Oh, it's exactly him, Minato. The son you abandoned has found purpose in my teachings. His destiny lies with me now."
Minato clenched his fists, the urge to strike overwhelming him. But he could see the hesitation in Menma's eyes. His son was torn—confusion and guilt warred in his gaze. But still, the cursed seal tugged at him, pulling him further down a path of darkness.
Without warning, Minato flickered forward, his speed a blur as he hurled his kunai toward Danzo's throat. Danzo raised his staff to block, but Minato's precision forced him to retreat, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as the blade grazed his skin.
"Flying Thunder God: Slash!" Minato's form vanished, teleporting to the side, his kunai aimed once more.
Menma, desperate, called out. "Father, stop!"
But the conflict had already begun. Minato unleashed his chains, attempting to bind Menma, but the flames of the cursed seal erupted from Menma's skin, burning the chains away.
"Inferno Coffin!" Menma roared, and black flames spiraled outward. The sheer force of the attack sent Minato stumbling back, narrowly avoiding the fire that singed the earth beneath his feet.
Minato grimaced but did not falter. He knew he had to reach Menma, and he wouldn't stop until he did.
Meanwhile, Bear engaged the Root agents, his twin katana slashing with deadly efficiency. Tiger provided cover, using his senbon with surgical precision, striking at enemy pressure points. Their teamwork was flawless, but the sheer number of Danzo's operatives threatened to overwhelm them.
"Menma!" Danzo's voice rang out, sharp as a blade. "Prove your worth! Kill them!"
The words struck Menma like a whip. For a heartbeat, his hesitation was palpable, as if a part of him wanted to refuse. His eyes flickered between Minato—his father—and Danzo, the man he had come to see as his savior. But then, the cursed seal surged, drowning out his inner conflict.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" Menma unleashed a devastating wave of fire that consumed the clearing.
But before the fire could completely engulf them, Minato's form flickered again. He appeared in front of Menma, a protective shield of kunai and explosive tags fending off the flames. The smoke billowed, but Minato's resolve was unwavering.
"Menma, please! This isn't you!" Minato shouted through the smoke.
For a fleeting moment, Menma's expression softened—just enough for Minato to see the conflict in his eyes. But then, with a tortured cry, Menma turned away. "I can't go back," he whispered, his voice cracking, and with that, he disappeared into the smoke, retreating alongside Danzo.
Minato stood frozen, his heart heavy with the weight of his son's decision. The battle was far from over, but for now, Menma was lost.
The forest was deathly still, but tension crackled in the air like a storm about to break. Naruto's team moved swiftly, shadows in motion as they followed the faint chakra trails left behind. Neji ran in front, his Byakugan active and scanning. Behind him, Rock Lee, Choji, Shikamaru, and Haku moved in coordinated silence.
"They're close," Neji said, his Byakugan veins bulging as he scanned the surroundings. "Four signatures—wait, five."
The Sound Four emerged from the shadows, led by Kimimaro, whose bone blades protruded like deadly spikes from his arms. Behind them, Jirobo held Sasuke, bound and unconscious, in his grasp.
"Pathetic," Kimimaro sneered, his cold eyes locking with Naruto's. "You think you can reclaim what Lord Orochimaru has claimed?"
Naruto tightened his grip on his tanto, electricity crackling from the blade as his Storm Release chakra pulsed through him. "We're taking Sasuke back. Now."
Neji vs. Kidomaru
Kidomaru grinned from behind a web of spider threads, his twisted face gleaming with malice. "You're too slow to escape my webs, Hyuga."
Neji's Byakugan glowed as he darted forward. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" His palm strikes severed the spider threads, but Kidomaru countered with a vicious acid spit.
The acidic venom sizzled as it hit the ground, forcing Neji to dodge. "Storm Release: Gale's Fury!" A clone of Naruto swept in, wind slicing through the acid and creating an opening for Neji.
With a swift strike, Neji took down Kidomaru's defenses, his precision overwhelming the spider-man's agility. But Kidomaru wasn't finished yet—he leapt back, his form shifting like a spider on the attack.
Rock Lee vs. Jirobo
Jirobo slammed his fists into the earth, shaking the ground beneath them. His brutish strength shattered rocks like they were paper. Lee darted around him, shedding his weights in a blur of motion.
"Front Lotus!" Lee's kick sent Jirobo hurtling into the nearest tree, but the large man simply grunted, shrugging it off.
"Earth Style: Bedrock Coffin!" Jirobo slammed his hands down, trapping Lee in a stone cage.
Lee grinned, his body glowing with green chakra. "Fifth Gate—Open!" The ground cracked as Lee exploded from the stone prison, his movements a blur as he delivered a series of devastating blows.
Choji and Shikamaru vs. Sakon/Ukon
The twin brothers merged, their grotesque form an amalgamation of flesh and bone. Choji, struggling to overpower their combined strength, grunted as he used his Multi-Size Technique to grow to immense proportions.
The forest groaned under Choji's weight as he charged, knocking trees aside like mere twigs.
"Shadow Possession: Complete!" Shikamaru's shadow snaked through the debris, binding Sakon and Ukon in place.
Choji's fist connected, sending the twins crashing into the earth.
Naruto vs. Kimimaro
Kimimaro's bone blades clashed against Naruto's tanto, sparks flying as the two fought for dominance.
"Dance of the Clematis!" Bone spikes erupted from the ground, but Naruto leapt away, his Storm Release flaring.
"Hydra Cannon!" The blast of storm chakra shredded through the bone spikes, but Kimimaro's regenerative powers allowed him to quickly reform.
"You cannot win," Kimimaro taunted, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.
But just then, a flash of ice sliced through the air—Haku, her senbon piercing Kimimaro's joints, slowed him just enough for Naruto to press the advantage.
"Yes, he can," Haku said, her voice calm but filled with conviction.
Back in the clearing, Menma's flames began to subside, leaving a scorched earth where the battle had raged. Minato stood alone, his kunai at his side, his expression weary but resolute.
Danzo had escaped, slipping away in a last-minute reverse summoning. Menma had collapsed, his cursed seal overheating, his body wracked with pain.
Menma's eyes flickered open, filled with regret. He looked at Minato, his expression filled with guilt. "I... I didn't want to hate you..." His voice cracked, but the weight of the cursed seal pulled him back into the darkness.
Danzo had taken him again, and for now, Menma was lost to them.
The Sound Four staggered, their forces thinning. Kimimaro, his regeneration failing, fell to his knees. "Lord Orochimaru... forgive me..."
Naruto stepped forward, his tanto still crackling with energy as he severed the bonds that held Sasuke captive.
"Let's go, teme."
Sasuke, his Sharingan flickering, looked up at Naruto with a begrudging respect. "...Thanks, dobe."
But the victory felt hollow as the Sound Four began to retreat. The battle was won, but the war was far from over.
Minato's team returned to Konoha, Menma unconscious but alive. Naruto's team arrived with Sasuke, their bonds strained but unbroken.
In the shadows, Danzo and Orochimaru's plans were only just beginning.
"The boy's body is ready," Orochimaru hissed, his eyes glinting with dark intent.
"The real war begins now," Danzo murmured, his fingers twitching with anticipation.