Inside the temporary meeting room.
All the jonin attending the meeting wore serious expressions. Although they knew Kumo wouldn't give them much time, when war actually arrived, they still felt caught off guard!
After all, some of them were still reeling from the impact of that tailed beast ball just a few days ago.
Orochimaru sat at the head, his hands clasped together. "Time is tight. I won't waste words. Everyone will proceed according to our pre-battle plans. Get ready for action."
Seeing how brief Orochimaru was, not even mentioning the matter of the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki, one jonin couldn't help but ask, "Lord Orochimaru, how shall we deal with the threat of the tailed beast ball?"
Orochimaru decided not to hide it anymore. "You don't need to worry about the jinchuriki issue. Leave it to Minato and Seiki."
Many jonin expressed surprise aloud, "What? Seiki?"
Most of them already knew that Seiki had been called in by Orochimaru not long ago, but hadn't connected it to this situation. Some even thought it was just a performance Orochimaru staged for the Cloud Village spies.
Because they all remembered how during the Chunin Exams, Seiki had defeated the Two-Tails' jinchuriki only by a very "slim" margin, relying ultimately on sealing techniques.
The reasoning goes like this:
Eight-Tails > Two-Tails;
Perfect jinchuriki > Ordinary jinchuriki;
14-year-old > 8-year-old;
Therefore: B > Yugito;
And since Seiki ≈ Yugito;
Therefore proven: B > Seiki.
Thinking about this, many jonin hurriedly tried to stop him.
"Lord Orochimaru, isn't this decision a bit too hasty?"
"Seiki's talent is indeed strong, but he's still so young. Such an important task might crush him!"
At that moment, a mocking laugh came from outside the meeting tent. "Haha, looks like your authority as a stinky snake isn't worth much after all!"
Jiraiya strode into the tent, letting his confident gaze sweep across the room. "Of course, on this issue I share the same stance as you. Even if you can't trust him, surely you can trust me, right?"
"More like *he's* the unreliable one…" The jonin exchanged uneasy glances, but with both Sannin speaking this way, they did begin reconsidering their previous views.
Seeing his words carried more weight than Orochimaru's, Jiraiya couldn't help but smirk and wink meaningfully at him.
Orochimaru dismissed Jiraiya's theatrics as mere showboating and said coolly, "Cloud's thousand-man 'army' is already approaching. You don't have time to hesitate any longer."
...
Soon, troops remaining at the main camp began mobilizing.
Since Raikage had personally appeared at another border line, Orochimaru and Jiraiya went to intercept him, making Minato the new highest commander of this division.
Fortunately, his recent actions saving most battlefield ninja through the [Flying Thunder God Technique] to redirect the tailed beast ball had already earned him respect among these jonin, so no one questioned this appointment.
"Leader Gaku, Leader Toudou, please make sure to direct our ninja to both flanks when the time comes. Never allow anyone near the central battlefield!"
"
Hearing Minato's instructions, Gaku Inuzuka and Akimichi Don nodded solemnly. As jonin, they naturally understood how terrifying a monster like the Eight-Tails could be in battle.
Even the aftershocks of such a fight could completely wipe out ordinary ninja.
"[And these kunai too] – please 'accidentally' leave them behind on the battlefield!" Minato said, pulling out several kunai and handing them over. Upon closer inspection, one could notice very subtle technique markings on the kunai.
Gaku's eyes lit up—he got what Minato meant right away. "Should we also pretend to retreat, deliberately 'give' them the battlefield?"
Minato nodded, his gaze heavy as he looked ahead. "Then this part will be handled by me and Seiki!"
As they reached the edge of the forest, the Cloud ninja were already waiting on the opposite side.
For most Cloud ninja who practiced [taijutsu] and preferred reckless charges, open flat plains were their preferred battleground.
The Leaf ninja knew this well, intentionally remaining within the woods without stepping out.
Of course, these geographical advantages meant little to the key figures involved in today's battle.
Across the field, A strode directly from his formation. "Minato Namikaze, you finally dare to show yourself!"
Minato looked slightly confused. "You're looking for me?"
"Someone who can stop my mission with B and even leave calmly afterward—you're the first! So today, I must erase this humiliation!" As A spoke, surging arcs of lightning crackled across his body.
Without another word, he transformed into a blue streak of lightning, rushing straight toward Minato like a bolt.
Everyone watching was stunned—charging directly into enemy headquarters in front of thousands of Leaf ninja, how reckless!
Complaining aside, few could react in time to attack. With his [Lightning Release Chakra Mode], A moved so fast it was beyond what any normal person could perceive.
However, Seiki and Minato were exceptions.
The moment A moved, both of them flung their kunai forward without hesitation.
A's thunderous fist shot toward Minato's nose, its force strong enough to whip up gusts of wind, making Minato instinctively squint.
But in the next moment, he appeared behind A, catching the thrown kunai mid-air and preparing to stab it into A's back.
"Fool! How could I fall for the same trick twice!" Laughing loudly, A countered with a reverse hand-blade slash. "This time, I win—Raika Suigetsu..."
Boom! The Minato that was hit burst into smoke and disappeared.
"Damn it, I've been tricked again!" Seeing this scene, A immediately understood what had happened, furious and shocked as he quickly turned around—just in time to see Minato charging at him with a kunai aimed at his eyes.
The gleaming tip of that kunai grew larger in A's pupils. Just as the metallic glint seemed to fill his entire vision, a thick, massive octopus tentacle suddenly slammed into him, knocking him away and taking the blow instead.
This sudden turn of events left everyone holding their breath—breathtakingly tense.
Yet not everyone was captivated by this spectacle.
"What a chance!"
In the crowd, Seiki, who had been holding back, subtly adjusted the trajectory of his previously thrown kunai using chakra threads. As everyone's attention was drawn to the octopus legs, he suddenly appeared right in front of A and forcefully slammed his palm downward.
[Super-Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!]
Even with A's Lightning Release Suit defense, he was sent flying by the powerful, unexpected blow.
Blood splattered through the air, and even his chest crushed inward.
"Aniki!" Killer B roared furiously, immediately entering Partial Transformation mode before rushing toward where A had been sent flying at lightning speed.
He still had some sense left, knowing that the Complete Form wasn't faster than the Partial Transformation.
Seiki shared a knowing glance with Minato before both of them dashed toward where A had landed.
But compared to Killer B in his Partial Transformation state, they fell far behind. Midway, they watched helplessly as a blazing crimson beast reached A's side in an instant.
"Thank goodness I made it!" While Killer B was still feeling relieved, his pupils suddenly dilated violently—because on his Aniki's body, he saw two unfamiliar markings. They looked like... Flying Thunder God Technique Forms!
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