"What a tough opponent!"
Kōdo gritted his teeth, silently evaluating the figure before him. He and Minato had never fought before, but with just a brief glance, his instincts told him all he needed to know—this man was no ordinary shinobi.
The stories he'd heard about Namikaze Minato flooded his mind. Rumor had it that the high-ranking officials of Kumo had issued an unprecedented order: "If you encounter Konoha's Namikaze Minato, abandon your mission and run for your lives."
For someone who could force even the fearsome Third Raikage to acknowledge his prowess, Minato was no easy target.
"Form a formation!" Kōdo barked, his voice steady despite his unease.
At his command, hundreds of Iwagakure ninjas moved in unison, their hands forming seals with practiced precision.
Boom!
The earth trembled as a wave of Earth Style Ninjutsu surged forth. The once-quiet plain erupted into chaos as the terrain shifted, grass turning into an undulating green wave that raced toward the Konoha forces.
Among the great armies of the Five Nations, none wielded earth-based techniques as masterfully as the Rock Ninjas.
Ten years ago, during the Second Shinobi World War, the sheer scale of such Earth Release techniques had brought Konoha to its knees. Only Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique had turned the tide back then.
Swish!
As the green wave advanced, Minato vanished from sight, reappearing beside Jiraiya.
"Sensei, they're trying to force us into a long-range battle," Minato observed, his tone calm yet sharp. "They're setting the terrain to keep us from closing in."
Jiraiya smirked. "Of course. After your devastating ambush on the Cloud Ninja forces, they wouldn't dare let you get close."
Minato nodded, his blue eyes scanning the battlefield. "So, what's the plan, Sensei?"
"You remember how you found the main force while surrounded by Sand Ninja, right?"
Turning to a seasoned Konoha jonin, Jiraiya spoke firmly. "Kitama, I'm leaving command to you. Hold the line while I disrupt their formation."
Kitama nodded, and with a swift motion, the Konoha forces retreated. Though the Iwagakure's Earth Style techniques were devastating, their speed was slow enough to allow Konoha's ninjas to evade.
Jiraiya bit his thumb, smearing blood across his palm.
Bang!
With a massive cloud of smoke, Gamabunta, the toad boss of Mount Myoboku, appeared.
"Bunta, we're charging straight into the Iwagakure camp!" Jiraiya commanded, forming a Tiger Seal.
"Leave it to me!" Gamabunta replied, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.
Boom!
Gamabunta stomped the ground, creating a gust of wind before leaping high into the air. The toad soared over the green wave, his massive form casting a shadow across the battlefield.
As Gamabunta descended, a shadow clone of Jiraiya leaped from his head.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
The shadow clone erected a tall wall of earth beneath Gamabunta's feet, allowing the giant toad to leap again, hurtling closer to the Iwagakure camp.
"What is that?!"
The Rock Ninja camp erupted in confusion as Gamabunta came into view, his massive figure blotting out the sky.
"Don't panic! Attack it!" Kōdo shouted, his commanding voice restoring order.
Dozens of Rock Ninjas formed seals in rapid succession.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear Technique!"
A hail of rock spears shot toward the sky, a black mass of projectiles hurtling toward Gamabunta.
Gamabunta unsheathed his short sword, deflecting the spears with swift, precise swings as he continued his descent. Below him, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
At the heart of the Iwagakure formation, Kōdo stood resolute, his hands forming seals.
"Earth Style: Yellow Spring Swamp!"
The ground beneath Gamabunta softened, turning into a treacherous mire. Kōdo stood at its center, ready to confront the toad directly.
"Gamabunta, use that move!" Jiraiya called from atop the toad's head.
Gamabunta's chest swelled, and with a mighty heave, he unleashed a torrent of sticky liquid.
"Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bomb!"
Jiraiya completed his hand seals, exhaling a blazing inferno that combined with the toad oil.
Boom!
A wave of fire engulfed the Yellow Spring Swamp, solidifying the mud and incinerating everything in its path. The flames roared, consuming dozens of Rock Ninjas in an instant.
"One of the Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya..." Kōdo muttered, his stoic facade finally cracking. The combination of Gamabunta's toad oil and Jiraiya's Fire Style was devastating.
"Again!" Jiraiya shouted, already preparing for another attack.
"Not so fast!" Kōdo growled, forming a new set of seals.
"Earth Style: Mountain Earth Technique!"
The ground on either side of Gamabunta surged upward, forming two massive hemispherical rocks that began to close in on him.
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Bunta, throw me up!"
"Got it!"
Gamabunta grabbed Jiraiya and hurled him skyward. As Jiraiya soared over the rocks, he formed a series of seals, releasing Gamabunta from his summoning. The toad vanished in a puff of smoke, escaping the crushing rocks.
Kōdo hesitated, sensing something was amiss.
Suddenly, Jiraiya's figure shot toward him, his long white hair expanding wildly.
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Needles!"
Jiraiya's hair hardened into razor-sharp needles, raining down on Kōdo with astonishing speed.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Kōdo raised a series of earth walls, blocking the attack just in time.
Meanwhile, back in the Konoha camp, a Hyuga ninja reported to Kitama.
"There's a gap in their formation!"
"Everyone, follow me!" Kitama shouted.
Seizing the opportunity, over 1,500 Konoha ninjas surged forward. The altered terrain was no hindrance to their advance, and they charged with unrelenting force.
"Let's go too," Minato said, placing a hand on Shibi's shoulder.
But as Minato prepared to join the fray, he sensed a faint disturbance. His sharp blue eyes turned toward the south of the Grass Kingdom.
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