BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from within, shaking the entire giant puppet apart.
As the smoke cleared, the ground was in ruins, and even the centipede-like true form of Anrokuzan was covered in wounds.
However, due to the power of the Dragon Vein, these wounds were healing at an extremely rapid pace.
Anrokuzan let out a sigh of relief. He had gambled that the explosion wouldn't be able to break through his outer shell and damage his core. As long as his core remained intact, no matter how severe the external damage, it could still be repaired.
Once again, he grew arrogant, "This time, you must be dead for sure. There's no way you could have survived an explosion of that magnitude! Damn brat, why does someone like you even exist in this world?"
However, in the next moment, Obito's figure slowly emerged from the ground. As if he had just thought of something amusing, a mocking smile curled at his lips, "You really think a few seconds of explosions would be enough to kill me? You're underestimating me too much."
Anrokuzan was instantly dumbfounded. He almost wanted to cry, "Why... why are you still alive?"
He was on the verge of a breakdown. If the puppet could shed tears, his face would have been soaked by now.
Running wasn't an option. Fighting wasn't an option. What was he supposed to do now?
Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind, 'If I can't deal with you, then I'll go after your comrades. There are still so many people in Rōran. Even if I die, I'll take everyone down with me!'
With that, his entire body surged with speed, racing toward the heart of the Dragon Vein. He intended to detonate it, killing everyone in the process.
He wanted the brat before him to understand the true meaning of pain!
Obito's gaze sharpened, this was a dangerous situation. He couldn't allow Anrokuzan to succeed.
Just as he was about to take action, a golden-haired figure had already appeared in front of Anrokuzan's centipede puppet.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
It was Minato, who had finally returned to the battlefield.
With a swift motion, Minato flung a shuriken at Anrokuzan and rapidly formed hand seals.
In an instant, the single shuriken multiplied into thousands, raining down on Anrokuzan like a storm.
Obito, watching from the side, was stunned. He had seen the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu before, but never at this level of speed and quantity.
If he knew about a certain type of weapon from another world, he would definitely curse, 'Damn, it's a Gatling gun!'
Truly, Minato was incredible.
Under the onslaught of countless shuriken, Anrokuzan couldn't even react in time and took the full brunt of the attack.
His body shattered in an instant under the immense impact, breaking apart.
Yet, after the barrage ended, Anrokuzan still stood, laughing maniacally despite his broken form, "I told you, it's useless! As long as I have endless energy, no matter how severe my injuries, I will always recover!"
"Dragon Vein, grant me power!", Anrokuzan roared.
He waited for the Dragon Vein's energy to restore him, expecting to see his enemies struggle again and again, only to fail each time.
However, to his disappointment, this time, the power of the Dragon Vein did not respond. His body remained broken and battered.
"Why? Why won't the Dragon Vein support me? Could it be… even the Dragon Vein is abandoning me?", Anrokuzan screamed in despair, like a dying patient refusing to accept his fate.
Minato shook his head, "No, you simply forgot one thing."
"It looks like their plan went smoothly."
Anrokuzan froze. What did that mean?
Then, he suddenly realized something, "Sara… Damn that Sara! She shut down the entire Dragon Vein! How could she do this? Damn it! I should have killed her earlier."
Minato calmly responded, "That's why, even though you possess an infinite energy source, the power never truly belonged to you, did it?"
"Hahaha… Hahahaha!", Anrokuzan burst into laughter, as if he had finally come to terms with his fate, "If I'm going down, I'm taking you all with me!"
With a centipede-like limb, Anrokuzan suddenly grasped his own heart and lunged toward Minato.
Obito immediately realized what was happening, "Minato-sensei, he's going to self-destruct!"
But Obito wasn't worried. With Minato's Flying Thunder God technique, he could teleport away seven or eight times in an instant. There was no way the explosion could reach him.
However, to Obito's surprise, Minato didn't move away. Instead, he advanced and appeared right in front of Anrokuzan in an instant.
With one hand pressed against Anrokuzan's centipede body, he calmly spoke, "Seal!"
At that moment, all of Anrokuzan's built-up energy vanished without a trace.
His self-destruction, was completely sealed.
He could feel it. His entire puppet body's energy circuits had been severed.
All of his combat abilities were gone. He plummeted to the ground, barely clinging to life with his last breath.
Obito stared in shock at the scene. He had almost forgotten that Minato-sensei was also a master of sealing techniques.
Now that Anrokuzan had lost the Dragon Vein's power, he had no means to break free from the seal's suppression.
And his puppet form, which required a core energy supply, was completely countered by the sealing technique.
It was over. Anrokuzan was defeated.
The centipede puppet slowly deteriorated, reverting back to its original human form.
At this moment, his upper body was exposed, revealing intricate sealing markings all over.
Minato studied these markings and said to Obito, who had come closer, "This is the reason he was able to travel back in time. If we destroy these markings, time and space will return to normal, and Naruto will be able to go back."
Obito nodded, "So, should we kill him? If he dies, these markings will disappear on their own, and everything will be restored."
Minato hesitated for a moment. He was reluctant to part with Naruto. He wanted to spend more time with the child who had grown up in the future.
But after some thought, he made up his mind. Naruto did not belong to this timeline. It was time for him to return.
However, just as he was about to take action, a voice called out from the distance, "Wait, Dad!"
Minato's hand froze.
Naruto ran over, panting, "I made it just in time."
He looked at the dying Anrokuzan on the ground and smiled, "Looks like everything is finally settled. Dad, if we kill him, I can go back, right?"
Minato nodded.
But Naruto's eyes held a hint of pleading, "Dad, can we wait a little longer?"
Minato was taken aback before gently asking, "Naruto, do you still have an unfinished wish? You don't belong here. Even if there's no real connection between our times, it's best not to interfere too much."
Naruto looked at him with an expression Minato couldn't refuse, "Dad, I do have one last wish. Let me see Ero-sennin just one more time. Just once, okay?"
A few question marks floated above Minato's head. Ero-sennin? Who was that?
Then, an image of a certain perverted old man popped into his mind.
Minato sighed, "Naruto, you want to see Jiraiya-sensei? But he's in Konoha, far from Rōran. We don't have enough time."
Naruto's face was full of regret, "I can't even go back to see him one last time?"
Memories of training with Jiraiya, bathing together, eating popsicles, peeking at women in the hot springs, and even helping him write an Icha Icha volume flooded Naruto's mind.
Tears rolled down his face.
'Am I really never going to see Ero-sennin again?'
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