The iconic summoning beasts now bore unfamiliar riders.
"Lord Ye Zi," Manda hissed submissively after being summoned, its demeanor shocking Gamabunta, who couldn't believe the once proud and defiant serpent now acted like this.
"Minato, what's going on? Huh? Is Jiraiya injured?" Gamabunta's voice was deep and resonant, like the roar of a cannon, as he noticed Jiraiya lying motionless.
Katsuyu, however, was less surprised. From the moment Kushina summoned her to heal Tsunade and Jiraiya, she understood the situation. Being summoned now could only mean they were preparing to face an enemy.
"Yes, Lord Gamabunta. I'll need you to handle Manda shortly," Minato replied, his gaze locked on Ye Zi atop Manda's head, his expression serious.
"No problem," Gamabunta said firmly, drawing his blade. He addressed Manda with a sneer, "Looks like I'll have to beat you up, snake."
Manda cast a cold glance at Gamabunta, filled with disdain, and ignored him completely.
Unbothered, Gamabunta gripped his blade, waiting for Minato's command.
The three enormous summoning beasts stood off against each other, while Ye Zi, Minato, and Kushina refrained from making the first move.
Nearby, Orochimaru and Kotoe moved closer to Manda. Despite their injuries, they hoped to offer some assistance.
Ye Zi cast a sidelong glance at Orochimaru and Kotoe. Without worrying about being overheard, he shouted, "Orochimaru, Kotoe, leave now. Immediately!"
He needed them to flee as far as possible, ensuring they wouldn't hinder his retreat.
Although Ye Zi had decided to withdraw, Orochimaru and Kotoe's slow pace and injuries made escaping Minato's pursuit nearly impossible.
Ye Zi would have to stall Minato and Kushina long enough for them to escape. Summoning Manda had already drained most of his remaining chakra. He briefly considered using Edo Tensei, but the Flying Thunder God Technique was too fast, and Edo Tensei required time to prepare. Using it under Minato's watchful eye carried immense risk.
Ye Zi's attention was wholly fixed on Minato, as Minato's was on him, neither looking away for even a moment.
Seeing Ye Zi's condition, severely burned and battered, Minato and Kushina's expressions wavered briefly. Memories of past battles surfaced, where they had been protected by Ye Zi in similarly desperate situations. But now, they stood as his enemies, and he was protecting Orochimaru and Kotoe.
The complexity of such emotions could only be fully understood when experienced firsthand.
Yet, no matter what, Minato's resolve remained firm.
"I'm not leaving," Kotoe said defiantly, glaring at Minato and Kushina.
Ye Zi, having lost his hearing, couldn't hear Kotoe's words. His world was silent.
Orochimaru frowned, understanding Ye Zi's intent. In their current state, they couldn't withstand Minato and Kushina's combined strength, so retreating was their only option. But their presence only burdened Ye Zi further.
"You staying will only get Ye Zi killed. If you understand that, then leave with me now," Orochimaru said coldly, his words cutting to the heart of the matter.
Kotoe froze, biting her lip in frustration. Why was she so weak? Unable to help, she only added to Ye Zi's burdens.
Though reluctant, Kotoe wasn't one to hesitate unnecessarily. She realized staying would hinder Ye Zi and chose to leave, despite her desire to stay.
"I won't let you escape," Minato declared. Holding a Flying Thunder God kunai in one hand, he placed his other hand on the back of his throwing hand.
At that moment, his eyes changed dramatically. Yellow horizontal pupils, resembling those of a toad, appeared. Orange markings formed around his eyes, simple yet striking compared to Jiraiya's.
During the standoff, Minato had already gathered enough natural energy to enter Sage Mode.
"Sage Mode!?"
Ye Zi was startled. Even Minato had mastered Sage Mode?
He couldn't hear Minato's voice, and his focus was entirely on Minato's transformation. Seeing Minato activate Sage Mode, his heart sank.
"You need to hurry," Ye Zi shouted again, leaping off Manda's head.
With his shout, the battle resumed.
Manda opened its massive jaws and lunged at Gamabunta, who immediately raised his blade to block the serpent's fangs.
Katsuyu sprayed corrosive acid at Manda, who deftly dodged the attack.
The three summoning beasts knew each other's strengths and weaknesses well, making it difficult to determine the victor.
Orochimaru, seeing Minato activate Sage Mode, felt the same sinking feeling as Ye Zi. Without hesitation, he turned and fled with Kotoe.
The faster they ran, the less pressure Ye Zi would face.
Swish! Swish!
Minato leaped into the air, swinging his arm. A single Flying Thunder God kunai multiplied into nearly fifty, forming an arc that flew overhead like scattered petals, landing all around them to seal off their escape routes.
Using the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, Minato's barrage of kunai made any attempt by Ye Zi to intercept them futile.
As he landed, Minato placed a Flying Thunder God marker at his position and calmly said, "Alright, let's begin."
Before the fifty kunai had even landed, Minato's figure vanished. A moment later, he appeared mid-air near one of the kunai, grabbed it, and hurled it toward Ye Zi's back.
Though Ye Zi couldn't hear the kunai's flight, his sensory abilities alerted him. He spun around, spotting the incoming kunai, and reacted instantly, throwing one of his own to deflect it in mid-air.
But Minato didn't reappear at the deflected kunai. Instead, he teleported to another marker in front of Orochimaru and Kotoe.
Grabbing the kunai, Minato used his incredible speed to teleport directly in front of Kotoe.
He raised the kunai and thrust it toward her heart, his first target.
Minato's speed was so overwhelming that Kotoe couldn't react. The kunai closed in, mere inches from her chest.
Crackle!
A flash of lightning streaked through the air at blinding speed.
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. He abandoned his attack and instantly disappeared from his original position, reappearing not far from Kotoe and Orochimaru.
As he vanished, Ye Zi's blade sliced through the spot where Minato had just been.
"So fast!"
The same thought occurred simultaneously to both Ye Zi and Minato.
Ye Zi marveled at Minato's reaction speed, which caused his strike to miss.
Minato, on the other hand, was impressed by Ye Zi's agility, he was nearly fast enough to rival the Flying Thunder God Technique.
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Currently on Chapter 451 - A Potential Threat