Minato Namikaze and Obito Uchiha charged toward each other.
Minato stabbed toward Obito with his Flying Thunder God Kunai.
But as expected, the kunai pierced straight through Obito's body. Minato himself passed through him too.
As Minato reappeared behind Obito, a thick chain smashed into his chest—it was solid and real.
Minato immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away, reappearing at one of the kunai planted on the ground nearby.
Looking at Obito, Minato began analyzing his opponent's abilities.
"That guy's physical body… My physical attacks don't work on him. His body only becomes solid during attacks—in other words, I can only aim for that moment when both our attacks clash. Still, attacking carries risk for him too. Considering the limited time he has to control the Nine-Tails, he probably doesn't want to drag this out into a long battle.
Whoever lands the first strike wins!"
Gripping the Flying Thunder God Kunai, Minato charged at Obito once more.
Mid-sprint, Minato hurled the kunai straight at Obito.
The kunai pierced through Obito's head while Obito reached out with his hand toward Minato.
Minato formed a Rasengan in his right palm.
Obito's hand neared Minato—just a little more.
If he touched Minato, he could instantly pull him into Kamui's space-time dimension.
As Obito thought victory was within reach, Minato vanished and reappeared at the kunai that had just gone through him.
Grasping the kunai in his left hand, Minato slammed the Rasengan on his right palm into Obito's back.
The Rasengan slammed into Obito's spine. His eyes widened in shock.
He thought he had already won—a mistake. He hadn't expected Minato to ride the same kunai back.
"This is [Flying Thunder God — Second Step]."
The immense power of the Rasengan slammed Obito forcefully into the ground below.
Simultaneously, a Flying Thunder God Technical Formation marked itself onto Obito's back.
Obito immediately leapt backward, distancing himself from Minato.
Clenching his left shoulder, the White Zetsu arm attached to him melted like wax, dripping onto the earth.
Though injured, Obito couldn't afford to show weakness—he was carrying the weight of Madara's image.
Obito scoffed coldly, "You've turned the tide. That [elusive maneuvering] of yours really doesn't leave room for any carelessness…"
Before he could finish speaking, however, Minato instantly appeared before him, pressing his right palm heavily against Obito's body.
"So that's the Flying Thunder God Technique... That's how you did it. You've marked me!"
Suddenly,
A formation appeared over Obito's body.
Shocked, Obito cried out, "Contract Seal?! Are you trying to separate me from the Nine-Tails?!"
[With this], the Nine-Tails will no longer be yours!
The Nine-Tails in Konoha gradually regained its original eye pattern.
Though it had regained its senses, the Nine-Tails was now consumed by rage.
It's another Uchiha... again with the Sharingan... again trying to control me.
The extremely furious Nine-Tails didn't stop its destruction upon restoring awareness. Instead, it grew even more rampant.
Chinya also noticed that the Nine-Tails had already broken free from the genjutsu and returned to its senses.
"Tsk, seems the fight's over. Time for the final phase."
Hiruzen Sarutobi led Konoha's elite ninja, gradually driving the Nine-Tails out of the village.
Hiruzen shouted urgently, "Finally drove him out of the village! Don't slack off. Keep attacking!"
Obito Uchiha, whose connection with the Nine-Tails was forcibly severed by Minato Namikaze through the Contract Seal technique, immediately activated Intangibility to create distance from Minato again, remaining in this phantom state constantly.
"You truly deserve being the Fourth Hokage. I never thought you could wound my arm and separate me from the Nine-Tails. But sooner or later, the Nine-Tails will still be mine. As someone destined to unify the world, I've got numerous means at my disposal..."
Space distorted momentarily, and Obito Uchiha disappeared from the spot.
Minato's expression turned serious, sensing that Obito wasn't bluffing.
Without delay, Minato rushed immediately to where the Nine-Tails was.
The Nine-Tails had already begun gathering another Tailed Beast Ball.
Minato made the hand seals swiftly.
[Summoning Jutsu!]
Gamabunta descended from above, landing heavily on top of the Nine-Tails.
However, the Nine-Tails continued forming its Tailed Beast Ball undeterred.
Standing atop Gamabunta's head, Minato recalled Obito's words—"I'm the one destined to unify the world"—and his eyes filled with determination.
"I'm sorry, Miyuki..."
Minato shouted toward Gamabunta, "Please hold down the Nine-Tails for a while!"
Gamabunta muttered with difficulty, "Even I can barely contain this beast!"
Watching the nearly-formed Tailed Beast Ball, Minato also found the situation quite troubling.
Transferring an attack of this magnitude would certainly consume massive amounts of chakra.
He had just deflected one attack a moment ago, so Minato's chakra reserves were already severely depleted.
Upon hearing Gamabunta couldn't suppress the Nine-Tails either, he felt they had no other choice.
Just as the Nine-Tails prepared to release the Tailed Beast Ball, its entire form vanished.
Gamabunta landed heavily on the ground.
Hiruzen's expression darkened. "Could it be...Minato took the Nine-Tails away?!"
In the distance,
A thunderous explosion roared.
Hiruzen and the gathered ninja looked toward the distant horizon, watching a semi-circular explosion ring radiating outward from afar.
After transferring the Nine-Tails, Minato activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and reappeared at a safe location, bringing both Uzumaki Miyuki and Naruto along.
Minato was already panting heavily, his chakra completely drained.
"Hurry and set up a barrier. My chakra is almost..."
Although Chinya had sealed part of the Nine-Tails' chakra within Uzumaki Miyuki, Miyuki remained in a critically weakened state.
Even so, Uzumaki Miyuki said to Minato Namikaze, "I can hold on for a bit longer... Minato..."
Gritting her teeth, Uzumaki Miyuki released the [Adamantine Sealing Chains], binding the Nine-Tails tightly.
Watching from atop a tree, Chinya looked at Minato Namikaze with mocking eyes.
How useless indeed.
Minato, as her husband, couldn't protect Uzumaki Miyuki, and instead allowed such a weakened Miyuki to help him control the Nine-Tails.
Suddenly, Naruto, in Minato's arms, began crying.
Uzumaki Miyuki murmured apologetically, "Sorry, I woke you up, Naruto..."
Minato's eyes widened in shock. "Miyuki..."
Miyuki forced a smile onto her face. "By keeping the Nine-Tails restrained like this... thanks to Chinya sealing part of the Nine-Tails' chakra inside me, I have enough strength to control it now. Since the Nine-Tails hasn't fully revived yet, I must use the last bit of my chakra to help both of you. It's the only way."
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