Bzzz—Bzzz—
A rumbling distortion shook the air as the space–time vortex tried to swallow Minato whole—
—but with a flash of markings, he vanished using the Flying Thunder God Technique, slipping free of the Kamui pull.
Ash frowned as Minato disappeared from in front of him.
"So… I still can't control Kamui perfectly. Just learned it, and already it's not doing exactly what I want…"
He muttered with mild irritation.
When Ash copied Kamui, he quickly realized that the masked man's version was incomplete. Fortunately, the system updated his copy — enhancing the technique beyond the masked man's own ability.
Still… he was new to it. His reaction speed and execution weren't yet perfect.
Kamui — a Mangekyō Sharingan space–time ninjutsu:
Right Eye → Shifts the user's body into a separate dimension
→ intangible ghost-form outside
→ immunity to physical attacks Left Eye → Long-range teleportation
→ creates a vortex at a chosen point to warp targets away
A terrifying dual ability — and Ash had mastery over both.
Boom!
Minato reappeared, crashing to a halt on a familiar training ground — kunai markers scattered around him.
The Fourth Hokage gasped, processing what just happened.
"My attack passed right through him… yet his could grab me. And that vortex—he was trying to drag me into another space entirely."
His expression hardened.
"Has he been hiding a power like this all along?"
Ash was not the only one causing unease.
Even the Masked Man, observing from the shadows, felt a chill.
He had once extended an "invitation" to Ash — and now regretted it immensely.
Strength, abilities… Ash was threatening to surpass him completely.
He must be handled more carefully…
Even the Masked Man's hidden trump cards were not something he wanted to use lightly.
"You can't run, Minato."
Ash's smirk appeared first — then the vortex bloomed again right in front of the Fourth Hokage.
Although Kamui surpassed the Flying Thunder God Technique in range, its activation speed remained slightly slower than Minato's teleportation.
And its intangibility had a flaw:
Ash could only remain completely intangible for eight minutes.
After that, his real body would automatically rematerialize.
He could phase out again immediately afterward, yes —
but against top-tier shinobi, battles are won in the blink of an eye.
Every second counts.
Every weakness matters.
Ash stepped forward, Kamui swirling at his fingertips.
"And yours… is over."
"Teleportation too…?"
Minato gritted his teeth, staring down Ash as he emerged from another space–time distortion.
"So he was hiding this kind of trump card during our last fight… Damn it.
Even though I've found the one controlling the Nine-Tails, I still can't stop this."
Minato now fully understood the frustration of facing an enemy who could freely manipulate time and space. Every move felt suffocating — pointless.
But Minato wasn't only thinking about the immediate battle…
"How did he get past the top-secret barrier?
Even if he can phase through attacks, he would have to materialize inside the barrier. The detection seal should have responded instantly."
"And—how did he know Kushina was giving birth today?
The number of people who knew that… even in Konoha, it doesn't reach ten."
The calculations Ash made to kidnap Kushina and unleash the Nine-Tails were too precise.
Minato's expression darkened.
Someone from Konoha is helping him.
Someone high up.
Someone dangerous.
Minato rose, retrieving a three-pronged kunai from the ground.
"It's almost like seeing Madara Uchiha himself…"
he muttered, recalling tales of the First Hokage's greatest rival.
Ash let out a cold snort.
"Hmph. Enough talking, Minato.
It's time our battle reached its conclusion."
He surged forward.
Minato mirrored him, lightning-fast.
Whoever struck first would win.
The two vanished and reappeared between strikes — a deadly exchange of teleportations, kunai flashes, and blurred afterimages.
Minato's kunai sliced clean across Ash's neck —
only to pass straight through, his body warping into Kamui's dimension.
"Tch—!"
"It's now."
Ash's voice echoed right beside his ear.
Minato's eyes widened—
A kunai flew from Ash's sleeve, spinning toward him, while Ash's hand smashed toward his spine from behind.
A perfectly calculated, lethal counter.
...
TN:
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