Naruto World
Jiraiya curled his lips into a knowing smile."I knew it would turn out like this. Still, I didn't expect Sage Art to actually counter Elementalization."
"Sage Art Chakra, huh…" he murmured. "Big Brother knows it too. If he were the one fighting, Kizaru wouldn't last even a few minutes."
Tobirama nodded as he watched Minato unleash the technique, though his gaze remained sharp. Despite its effectiveness, the power still seemed just slightly short of its full potential.
Naruto waved his arms excitedly, barely able to contain himself."That move was awesome! I knew Dad was still hiding more trump cards!"
He then turned toward Jiraiya with shining eyes."Hey, Pervy Sage! Your Sage Art hasn't gotten rusty, right?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at his disciple thoughtfully."Jiraiya… Sage Art is mastered by very few in the ninja world. If there's ever a chance, I want Konoha's shinobi to learn it."
Pirate World
Sengoku slammed his palm against the table, teeth clenched in frustration."How is this possible? The Naruto World possesses a technique like this? It never appeared before!"
Aokiji glanced at him calmly."The outcome hasn't been decided yet, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Minato Namikaze's attack didn't deal fatal damage to Kizaru."
Garp pondered for a moment before speaking."Still, Kizaru needs to be careful now. That Minato… I can tell he's holding back more than a few tricks."
Far from Marineford, an elderly man wearing sunglasses curled his lips into a faint smile."Hmph… Sage Art, huh? To break Kizaru's Elementalization—now that's interesting."
As he spoke, he gently stroked the Sea Stone weapon in his right hand, a subtle thrill rising in his chest.
"Teacher Z, do you also think Minato Namikaze is strong?" Ain asked.
Zephyr smiled faintly."He's certainly no weakling."
Battlefield
Kizaru glanced at his injuries, then looked toward Minato in the distance, letting out a helpless sigh."It seems I underestimated you. The Yellow Flash's techniques really are difficult to predict."
His tone suddenly sharpened."However, now that I understand your Sage Art, you won't land another hit so easily."
Minato remained calm. The reason he had explained Sage Art earlier was simple—confidence. As long as Sage Art could injure Kizaru, victory was within reach.
Seeing the effectiveness of his Sage Art Rasengan, Minato's heart settled completely.
Swish!
In an instant, Minato used Flying Thunder God again, appearing directly behind Kizaru. At some unknown moment, a Rasengan dozens of times larger than before had already formed in his right hand.
"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan!"
"Impossible!"
Kizaru's pupils shrank violently. He immediately activated Elementalization and leapt into the air, attempting to evade the attack. He couldn't understand how Minato was still using Flying Thunder God—every marked kunai had been destroyed.
"It's useless!" Minato shouted.
At that moment, Kizaru felt a terrifying aura descend from above.
Boom!!!
Two overwhelmingly powerful Rasengan tore into his body at the same time.
The shadow clone above forced its arm downward, while the Minato below seized the opportunity to retreat to safety.
Bang!!!
Like two colossal millstones grinding together, the twin Rasengan crushed Kizaru into the ground with destructive force—followed by a violent explosion.
The smoke quickly dispersed, revealing a massive crater that stunned everyone watching.
The Rasengan, originally created by Minato and later refined by Jiraiya into Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan, was capable of obliterating a small hill at full power.
Realizing that his previous attack hadn't dealt decisive damage, Minato had unleashed this technique without hesitation.
"Pfft—!"
"Ugh—ah!"
Kizaru felt as if every bone and muscle in his body had been torn apart. Blood gushed freely as his calm composure vanished completely. His yellow shirt and coat were reduced to shredded rags.
Yet even so, he endured the agony and slowly forced himself upright, staring at Minato with a visibly weakened presence.
"How… were you still able to use Flying Thunder God?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "All your kunai were shattered!"
Minato smiled faintly."You're right. I don't have a single kunai left."
"However, kunai are merely tools for marking. That doesn't mean Flying Thunder God can't be used without them."
"…Mark?" Kizaru froze, a horrifying thought flashing through his mind.
"No… that's impossible!"
"There's nothing impossible," Minato replied calmly. "Just as you suspect, I placed a Flying Thunder God mark on you the very first time my Rasengan hit."
"What?!"
The impossible had become reality.
"I like placing marks on my opponents," Minato continued. "It makes later battles much more convenient."
"I deliberately guided your thinking, making you believe that without kunai I couldn't use Flying Thunder God. The moment you accepted that assumption was the moment you lost."
The countless worlds watching fell silent once more, stunned by the depth of Minato's calculations.
One-Armed Swordsman:"From start to finish, the battlefield was entirely under Minato's control!"
Silver Fang:"Mindset, reactions, combat sense, strategy—everything is flawless. No wonder he became Hokage."
Naruto World
From Kage-level elites to ordinary villagers, Konoha erupted into cheers.
"As expected of the Fourth-sama! He's not inferior to the Second Hokage at all!"
"Fourth Hokage-sama will win!"
Only one village remained silent.
In the Hidden Cloud, Raikage Ai's expression was dark.
"Killer Bee, check your body. See if there are any Flying Thunder God marks."
He hastily removed his clothing, unwilling to take even the smallest risk.
"None," Killer Bee replied after checking.
"Same here," Ai said, exhaling in relief. "Still… we should find Minato someday and have him remove the mark on the Eight-Tails."
Battlefield
Kizaru let out a bitter laugh."Incredible. To calculate me to this extent… I, Borsalino, am completely convinced."
"But don't think I'll surrender so easily."
An Admiral would not fall as long as he could still stand.
"So troublesome…" Minato muttered softly.
He hadn't expected Kizaru to remain standing after taking so much damage—and the urgency in his heart grew stronger.