Boom!
A deafening explosion resounded from Konoha's main gate.
Though it was midday, a massive shadow engulfed the village.
Everyone looked up, only to see a towering beast that blocked out the sky.
It resembled a giant beetle, with a massive horn on its head and six wings that beat furiously, stirring up violent gales.
"Six-winged, single-tailed, beetle-like form... It's Chomei! Nanabi, Chomei!"
In the main street of Konoha, Hyuga Hakumen watched the enormous beast with a solemn gaze.
"This thing is way too big!" Might Guy exclaimed in astonishment.
The raging winds sent objects flying across Konoha's streets, and the terrified villagers ran in all directions.
Hakumen and Guy stood side by side, their hair whipping wildly in the wind.
"This is going to be troublesome," Hakumen muttered, his brows furrowing slightly.
They had considered many possible invasion scenarios, but a tailed beast attack was never among them!
Guy took a deep breath. "This big guy won't be easy to deal with."
Both had fought in the Battle of Kikyo Pass and had personally witnessed the earth-shattering clash between Hachibi and Kyuubi—a battle that had turned what should have been Konoha's certain defeat into an unexpected comeback.
What worried Hakumen, however, was that Namikaze Minato had yet to make an appearance.
As they spoke, the enormous insect-like beast drew closer, the storm around it growing more violent.
The buildings at the outskirts of Konoha began to tremble, on the verge of collapse.
But just then, a transparent blue barrier appeared over Konoha.
It did nothing to stop the storm, but it halted the advance of Nanabi, Chomei.
"This is..."
"The control room of Solarity Tower has been destroyed. This is the backup defense barrier for the energy base station," Hakumen explained.
"Did something go wrong on Kakashi's side?" Guy asked.
"The enemy is no ordinary opponent. Don't let your guard down, Guy."
Both of them took a step forward, their gazes locked onto the mountain-like beast ahead.
Guy suddenly grinned. "Don't worry. Since the enemy isn't human, that just means I can go all out."
In the next instant, both of them vanished.
When they reappeared, they were already at Konoha's main gate.
A few gate guards stood there, trembling in fear.
"Leave this to us! Get out of here, now!"
"Understood! Please be careful, Lord Hakumen!"
Meanwhile, in the plaza where the execution platform stood, the civilians had long been evacuated, and the stationed ninja remained on high alert.
The massive beast in the sky was blocked outside by the barrier, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.
Swoosh!
Clang—!
No one saw what happened.
In the blink of an eye, a sudden blur of motion flashed before their eyes.
When their vision cleared, they saw two figures standing next to Jiraiya, their blades locked together—one a short sword, the other a kunai.
Jiraiya himself felt his heart skip a beat.
The two blades had stopped right in front of him—the kunai barely blocking the short sword in time.
To his left stood a tall figure with a cold and imposing expression.
Beneath his golden short hair, a Konoha forehead protector rested on his brow—but with a deep slash running through the symbol, marking him as a rogue ninja.
"Minato..."
Jiraiya found himself unable to move, his gaze locked onto his former student.
It was noon, and the sunlight was at its peak.
The massive beast in the sky cast a shadow like a blade slicing through the bright day, and that shadow stopped precisely at Jiraiya's position, enveloping Minato within its darkness.
On the other side, bathed in the sunlight, stood a young man—barely more than a teenager.
His short black hair was slightly wavy, and he wore Konoha's green combat uniform.
Besides the Konoha forehead protector on his brow, there was another emblem on his sleeve—a red fan, the crest of the Uchiha clan.
Whoosh—
The wind howled, making everyone's clothing flutter wildly.
Jiraiya, still kneeling, had his white hair whipped into a chaotic dance.
"Namikaze Minato, you really dared to come," the young man spoke slowly.
Minato's golden eyes narrowed as he studied his opponent.
Uchiha Shisui.
One of the Seven Crown Guards.
A member of the Uchiha clan.
Before Minato had left, he had never interacted with him.
But the Seven Crown Guards had become a highly infamous organization, and Minato had done his research, familiarizing himself with each of its members.
Compared to Hyuga Hakumen and Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Shisui was a mere newcomer—far too young.
It seemed that Hyuga Makoto valued talent and potential above all else.
Every member of the Seven Crown Guards was extremely young.
But youth also meant a lack of true strength.
Minato suddenly exerted force, pushing aside Shisui's short sword.
As he retreated, he prepared to make his move.
However, Shisui gave him no chance.
In a flash, he moved, his blade now resting against Jiraiya's neck.
Minato froze in place instantly.
"Since I'm facing a senior, I should at least introduce myself." Shisui spoke slowly.
"Uchiha Shisui, responsible for executing Jiraiya."
He moved behind Jiraiya, pressing a hand on the older man's head, tilting it back slightly to expose his neck more clearly against the blade.
Minato's expression was grave.
"The time has almost come. Namikaze Minato, you might as well watch this execution properly."
As he spoke, he reversed his grip on the blade, seemingly ready to strike at any moment.
In an instant, Minato moved—faster than Shisui had anticipated.
He vanished into thin air.
Shisui caught the movement in his peripheral vision and immediately ducked, gripping Jiraiya's shoulder tightly.
Swish!
A kunai swept past where his head had been a moment ago.
Minato's attack missed, but he instantly pressed down on Jiraiya's other shoulder, using it as a pivot point to engage Shisui in close combat!
The gleam of Shisui's short sword and Minato's kunai clashed repeatedly, their figures shifting and exchanging positions at lightning speed—yet neither let go of Jiraiya's shoulders.
Shisui knew all too well that if he loosened his grip even slightly, Minato would teleport Jiraiya away using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Jiraiya could feel the intense force pulling him in opposite directions, but he endured.
Every strike was razor-sharp—several times, blades sliced through strands of his white hair, nearly grazing his face.
Once again, their blades clashed at close range, and their eyes locked.
Shisui grinned. "As expected of the Yellow Flash—I can barely keep up."
Minato's expression remained indifferent. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Absolutely sincere."
At that moment, Minato suddenly released his grip on Jiraiya's shoulder and lunged toward Shisui's wrist.
Shisui's heart tightened—he couldn't evade in time.
In a split second decision, he let go of Jiraiya as well, reaching out to block Minato's attack.
Their hands locked together, each restraining the other.
Damn!
Shisui suddenly realized something.
Just as the thought struck him, his vision blurred—everything around him shifted.
He had been teleported away by Minato using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Thud!
A muffled impact sounded as the two separated.
Shisui could only watch as Minato's figure vanished once more before his eyes.
Scanning his surroundings, he realized he was now on a rooftop—over a hundred meters away from the execution platform.
But within two seconds, Minato reappeared before him, cold and expressionless, with Jiraiya beside him.
Splurt!
Before Shisui could react, searing pain erupted in his chest—blood sprayed into the air!
Bang!
He was kicked off the rooftop, crashing onto the ground below.
Pain wracked his body, nearly knocking him unconscious.
Struggling to push himself up, he looked up to see Minato standing above him on the rooftop, gripping a bloodstained kunai, staring down at him.
The next moment, Minato vanished once again, taking Jiraiya with him.
Everything had happened in just a few fleeting moments, making Shisui keenly aware of the gap between himself and Minato.
If they escape now, this will count as a failed mission…
Anbu operatives passing by on the rooftops noticed him and quickly leaped down.
"Lord Shisui! Are you alright?"
"Who injured you?"
Shisui glanced down at his blood-soaked clothing and the deep, narrow wound on his chest.
He tried to move but winced sharply from the pain.
"Namikaze Minato… he took Jiraiya."
..............
Minato arrived at a deserted alleyway with Jiraiya, swiftly dispelling the sealing jutsu placed on him.
Jiraiya let out a bitter chuckle. "Minato, you shouldn't have come."
But Minato remained calm. "Didn't you also risk your life to save Yahiko?"
Jiraiya felt a mix of gratitude and sorrow.
As he sensed his chakra flowing freely again, he asked, "What's with the Tailed Beast?"
"I brought it—to buy us time."
Minato briefly explained his plan with Nagato and the others.
Jiraiya knew there was no turning back now and asked, "Are we leaving immediately?"
Minato hesitated. "It's tricky. Konoha's barrier has blocked my Flying Thunder God marks outside the village, so I can't use space-time ninjutsu to teleport us out directly. We'll have to find another way to break through."
Just then, a faint noise caught his attention—a small stone landed on the ground near him.
Minato looked toward the alley's entrance and saw two children standing there, glaring at him with anger in their eyes.
They clearly saw him as the bad guy.
Their gaze filled Minato with both anger and sorrow, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.
"Let's go, Jiraiya-sensei."
Minato exhaled deeply.
He couldn't afford to waste time arguing with two children.
"We need to act quickly. If the enemy subdues Nanabi or restarts the Tower of Solarity, things will get complicated."
But Jiraiya didn't respond.
Minato noticed his teacher staring intently at the two children, completely still.
"What's wrong?"
"…Nothing. Let's go."
Minato frowned. "Do you know them?"
Jiraiya averted his gaze. "No, I don't. Let's just go, Minato."
But Minato wasn't convinced.
He stood there, eyes fixed on the two children.
"You do know them, don't you, Jiraiya-sensei?"
"…"
Minato took a step forward, but Jiraiya grabbed his arm.
"Minato!" Jiraiya questioned him sharply.
"What are you trying to do?"
Minato simply pulled free from Jiraiya's grip and continued toward the two children, his gaze shifting between them before finally settling on the boy with whisker-like marks on his face.
"You—what's your name?"
Naruto and Sasuke instinctively took a step back.
Facing a "bad guy" still made them nervous.
"Why… why should I tell you?!"
Minato looked down at him, then asked again.
"What's your mother's name?"
Naruto and Sasuke gripped each other's hands tightly, as if it gave them some kind of reassurance.
Finally, Naruto mustered his courage and shouted loudly:
"My name is Hyuga Naruto! My mom is Hyuga Kushina! And my dad is the Hokage! Bad guy—my dad is going to defeat you!"
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