In the center of the circular forest, Minato Namikaze stood on a tree trunk, his blond hair glinting under the dappled sunlight. The words he had just spoken hung heavy in the air like a death sentence to the hundreds of Rock Ninjas gathered below. His usually calm and gentle face was now darkened with resolve, his deep blue eyes emanating a murderous intent that seemed to pierce through the very souls of those who faced him.
"How dare you, just by yourself?" the leader of the Kamizuru clan sneered. To him, Minato's declaration was absurd—nothing but the delusional boast of a lone shinobi facing 500 warriors.
But before his mocking grin could fade, Minato vanished. A Yellow Flash streaked through the air, and the oppressive aura of death fell upon the Kamizuru leader like a crushing weight. Instinctively, he leapt backward, his years of experience urging him to retreat.
"Puff!"
Pain shot through his body. He looked down in disbelief, only to see his left arm missing, severed cleanly at the shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the forest floor. His distorted scream of agony was cut short as the yellow light reappeared, this time with deadly finality.
The leader's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, his face frozen in shock and disbelief. In mere moments, the top elite of the Iwagakure infiltration force had been eliminated.
"The leader is dead!" a voice cried out from among the Rock Ninjas, breaking the stunned silence.
As panic spread through the ranks, another voice shouted, "Yellow hair… that speed… It's the Yellow Flash of Konoha!"
The name rippled through the crowd like a shockwave. Among the ninja world, Minato's reputation preceded him. Tales of his exploits had even reached the Cloud Ninja, who had issued an order to flee upon encountering the Yellow Flash, regardless of mission objectives. But Iwagakure had no such directive. Their resolve was hardened, and they were death warriors committed to their cause.
"Everyone, attack together! Kill him!" someone roared. The mission to infiltrate the Land of Fire and attack Konoha was now secondary. Their survival depended on eliminating the man before them.
Minato's sharp gaze scanned the gathering as his hands formed seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Nine identical clones appeared beside him, their expressions as resolute as the original. The Rock Ninjas began to organize, forming ranks and preparing large-scale ninjutsu. But before they could launch their attacks, Minato and his clones disappeared in a blur of yellow light.
Swish, swish, swish!
Yellow streaks darted across the battlefield, slicing through the ranks of Iwagakure ninjas with surgical precision.
"Puff, puff, puff!"
The front line of Rock Ninjas barely had time to register the attack before collapsing, their bodies falling like dominos. Those behind them could only watch in horror as Minato's relentless assault continued.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Each flash of light was followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the ground. Minato's extraordinary chakra reserves allowed his clones to maintain their speed and lethality. The Rock Ninjas, whose ranks ranged from Chunin to Jonin, were rendered powerless before the Yellow Flash.
"Scatter! Use large-scale ninjutsu to attack! Don't worry about friendly fire!" one of the Iwagakure commanders yelled. His voice was desperate, but his reasoning was sound. If Minato's speed rendered direct combat impossible, they needed to rely on their numerical advantage and overwhelming firepower.
Minato's lips curved into a slight smile. Exactly as planned, he thought. Slowing his attacks, he allowed the Iwagakure forces to spread out through the circular forest.
Each of his ten iterations held several kunai, their blades glinting ominously. As the Rock Ninjas dispersed, Minato and his clones sprang into action, hurling kunai in all directions. The special blades embedded themselves across the forest, their placements precise and deliberate.
When an Iwagakure ninja attempted to intercept one of the kunai, a flash of light erupted beside him, and in an instant, his life was snuffed out.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The air shimmered with yellow light as Minato and his clones teleported from kunai to kunai. Each teleportation was accompanied by the deadly hum of a blade slicing through flesh. The cries of despair and the dull thuds of falling bodies echoed through the forest.
"Don't leave me here! No!" one ninja screamed, his voice breaking in desperation. Others roared in futile defiance, only to be silenced moments later.
In less than a minute, nearly 300 Rock Ninjas lay lifeless, their blood soaking into the forest floor. The coordinated slaughter was executed with precision that bordered on the inhuman.
"Boom!"
A massive rumble shook the forest as the remaining Rock Ninjas launched their counterattack. Huge trees were uprooted and flung through the air as the ground rippled with waves of force. Large-scale Earth Release techniques engulfed the forest in chaos, their destructive power threatening to swallow everything in their path.
Minato paused, assessing the situation. He dispelled his clones, their chakra returning to him in a rush. As the overwhelming attack bore down on him, Minato remained calm. With a single hand seal, he teleported to the forest's edge.
"Bang!"
Placing his palm on the ground, he released a surge of chakra. Black lines spread out from his position, snaking through the forest like veins. The intricate network of seals glowed faintly as they extended outward, encompassing the entire circular forest.
"What is this!?" a sensory ninja among the Rock Ninjas cried out, his voice tinged with panic. The chakra emanating from the seals was unmistakably Minato's, and its scale was staggering.
As the realization dawned on them, fear took hold. This was no ordinary jutsu—Minato was preparing to unleash an attack of devastating proportions.
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