The yellow vertical pupils, paired with the purple eye shadow, made Ye Zi's appearance even more eerie.
"Only half a month... and he's already mastered Sage Mode? If it's related to snakes, it must be the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave."
Minato was deeply shocked. It had taken him months of rigorous training to perfect Sage Mode, yet Ye Zi had achieved it in just half a month.
Indeed, Ye Zi was undeniably a genius of the highest caliber.
Minato raised his arm and threw a kunai skyward, intending to use Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu to scatter more marked kunai for his Flying Thunder God Technique.
Ye Zi's eyes narrowed as his right hand brushed swiftly across his belt. A shuriken appeared between his fingers, wrapped in a crackling layer of lightning chakra. He launched it with precision, striking the kunai before it could gain sufficient height.
Even as his right hand completed its throw, Ye Zi's left hand moved in tandem, retrieving another shuriken from his belt.
Zzzzt!
The faint sound of chirping birds resonated.
The shuriken, charged with lightning chakra, shot toward Minato with blinding speed.
Minato frowned. He vanished in an instant, reappearing at the edge of the ruined eastern district, evading the electrified shuriken.
"I need time to gather Sage Chakra." Minato thought to himself.
His kunai had been intercepted too quickly, largely because his initial throw lacked sufficient power and speed, allowing Ye Zi to deflect it effortlessly.
Originally, Minato had intended to wait atop the Hokage office to fully gather his Sage Chakra before confronting Ye Zi. However, the devastation Ye Zi had wrought on Konoha had enraged him, compelling him to act before he was fully prepared.
What he hadn't anticipated was that Ye Zi had also activated Sage Mode.
Given the circumstances, Minato had no choice but to delay a direct confrontation and gather Sage Chakra. Only then could he fight Ye Zi on even footing.
Ye Zi observed Minato retreat but didn't give chase. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, pursuing Minato was futile unless Minato chose to engage directly.
Furthermore, Ye Zi's shadow clones, tasked with gathering chakra, hadn't yet returned their reserves. A little patience was necessary.
Still, with Minato present, it seemed unlikely he would be able to freely proceed toward the hospital.
Ye Zi formed a hand seal, and from beneath his feet, a Wood Clone emerged from the ground.
Once it surfaced, the wood clone used an enhanced version of the Hiding Like a Mole Technique, burrowing through the earth toward Konoha's hospital.
The primary objective of the attack on Konoha was to retrieve Kotoha's body. Ensuring its location was vital for a clean retreat.
With Sage Mode's enhanced sensory abilities, Ye Zi monitored the status of the reanimated corpses and summoned beasts under his control. About ten reanimated shinobi had already been subdued, while Manda was holding his ground thanks to the assistance of the reanimated Sakumo Hatake.
At the main gate, Sasori and Shin were still fighting, effectively tied down by Konoha's shinobi.
The weaker summoned snakes had already been eliminated.
"Konoha's counterattack has taken shape. If this continues, the rest of the reanimated forces will be dealt with soon. Time is running out." Ye Zi reflected.
Konoha's ability to mount such a swift and effective response truly lived up to its reputation as the strongest ninja village.
His gaze shifted to Minato, standing at the edge of the battlefield, clearly focused on gathering Sage Chakra. Due to Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, Ye Zi knew he couldn't interfere. Most Konoha shinobi had shifted their focus to other attackers instead of engaging him directly.
Suddenly, Ye Zi's expression changed as he sensed a feedback signal from one of his shadow clones. It had successfully gathered chakra, refined it into Sage Chakra, and dispelled itself, returning about 40% of its reserves to him.
"Forty percent restored." Ye Zi smirked, his eyes flickering toward Minato and sensing the approach of three new chakras, one of them exceptionally strong: Kushina.
"Finally."
At that moment, Minato opened his eyes. His pupils had transformed into horizontal slits, and the characteristic markings of Sage Mode appeared on his face.
Minato had entered Sage Mode.
Although he didn't understand why Ye Zi hadn't tried to interfere, it didn't matter. Minato's sole focus was to defeat Ye Zi and put an end to this assault.
Swish!
Minato appeared several hundred meters away from Ye Zi, holding a kunai in each hand. With a swift motion, he hurled them in opposite directions.
Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!
This time, the marked kunai moved significantly faster, multiplying mid-air into dozens of kunai that scattered in all directions.
"Hmph."
Ye Zi snorted coldly. He had learned his lesson from the previous encounter with Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique.
Without distractions or additional combatants, and with Sage Mode's sensory capabilities, Minato's movements would no longer catch him off guard.
"Ye Zi!"
Minato's voice rang out, his fury evident as he prepared for their next clash.
Without much conversation, Minato shouted Ye Zi's name, his voice filled with anger, and launched his attack.
He swiftly pulled out two marked kunai, carefully controlling their trajectory as he hurled them directly at Ye Zi, one following the other. Ye Zi, gripping his long blade, neither dodged nor parried. He didn't even step back!
Zzzt!
Ye Zi's body was cloaked in crackling lightning chakra as he charged straight toward the kunai head-on.
"Huh?"
Minato was momentarily surprised but didn't falter. Both hands quickly formed Sage Art: Rasengan, then, using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported to the first kunai as it reached within a meter of Ye Zi's face.
Twin Sage Art: Rasengan!
The glowing blue Rasengan swirled violently as they closed in on Ye Zi's face.
Ye Zi's upper body abruptly dropped, ducking under Minato's Rasengan. In a blur of speed, he slipped past Minato's attack, moving to the Hokage's blind spot, and thrust his long blade backward.
Although Minato couldn't see the attack, his instincts kicked in. His airborne body vanished in a flash, leaving Ye Zi's strike to slice through empty air.
In the next instant, Minato reappeared on the second marked kunai, positioned directly in front of Ye Zi again.
His kunai throw had been deliberate, with the first kunai meant to set up the second. If the initial attack failed, the second kunai would provide another opportunity to strike.
However…
As soon as he teleported, Ye Zi's blade was already slicing toward him.
"What?"
Minato's eyes widened as they filled with the reflection of crackling lightning. Before he could even assume an attack stance, Ye Zi's sword was already inches from his face.
Such speed. Such decisiveness.
In that brief moment, Minato had no choice but to teleport away again.
Shhhk!
After creating distance between them, Minato's expression grew heavier. The right edge of his windbreaker had been sliced clean through. If his reaction had been any slower, that strike might have landed on him directly.
This is different. Completely different from the last time we fought. Even with the speed of the Flying Thunder God, I'm being suppressed.
As these thoughts crossed Minato's mind, a flash of lightning appeared in front of him once more.
"So fast!"
Minato was shocked.
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Currently on Chapter 474 - Killing Intent Beneath the Moonlight