The next instant, Kakashi was sent flying like the iron ball, crashing into a tree trunk and collapsing, utterly immobilized.
"Kakashi!" Obito, separated from Kakashi by another figure, couldn't see exactly what had happened.
He only knew that Kakashi had successfully advanced and landed a strike, only to be knocked away by a hammer blow.
With a furious roar, Obito rapidly formed hand seals and unleashed a Great Fireball Technique directly at Jinin Akebino.
Jinin immediately retreated, but from behind, a silent attack arrived-a series of Vacuum Sphere projectiles.
Unlike ordinary Vacuum Sphere, these were infused with far more Chakra, making them larger and far more powerful.
Sizzle...
The cyan wind bullets pierced several bloody holes in Jinin's body.
Roaring in pain, he spun around and hurled his axe, but it only struck a tree branch.
Seizing the opportunity, Obito charged forward again.
Rin was frantic with worry for Kakashi and Obito.
Raj circled through the forest, stealthily approaching Kakashi to assess his injuries.
At first, it had been genuinely concerned.
But after a closer look, it relaxed.
Kakashi's sword was broken in half, and his hair was a mess, likely from using the blade and the Wild Lion's Mane Technique to block the attack.
He was only unconscious, with perhaps a few broken ribs.
Nothing too serious.
Kakashi would gradually get used to this level of injury.
It was just a pity about the sword...
In that moment, Raj realized its iron ball was nothing compared to this.
Having confirmed Kakashi's safety, it looked up at the battle.
Rin had joined the fight, though she couldn't offer much help.
Occasionally throwing shuriken provided a slight distraction.
As for Obito, despite Jinin Akebino's relentless attacks, he hadn't managed to land a single blow...
"Opened your eyes, huh?"
Jinin Akebino wasn't just skilled with blades; he was also proficient in Water Release techniques.
While his Water Release skills might not have been as powerful as some others, they were more than sufficient to handle a Genin like Obito.
Judging by the rapid series of hand seals he was forming, it was clearly an A-rank ninjutsu.
Raj had no choice.
He knew using Wild Lion's Mane would pull him closer, but if he didn't act, the A-rank ninjutsu would be unleashed.
Others might not realize it, but Kakashi and Rin, lying on the ground, would certainly be caught in the blast.
His hair shot out,
Binding their hands.
Jinin grinned ferociously.
His Water Clone had previously blocked Raj and Minato. He had been nearby at the time, so how could he not know about the cat's abilities?
As his hands were bound, he abruptly stopped forming seals and instantly shifted his hand gestures.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique."
In the forest, Water Clones lacked the river's enhancement, but their Chakra consumption remained minimal.
The clone materialized and immediately entangled Obito, while Jinin yanked Raj forward and leaped into the air, swinging his axe and hammer down at Raj.
Raj hastily canceled his ninjutsu, but the momentum still dragged him closer.
The little black cat soared through the air, desperately trying to regain its balance.
Seeing Jinin's savage grin, something oozed from its lower body.
With a flick of its hind paw, the projectile shot out like an iron ball.
Jinin, who had never owned a cat, mistook it for a metal shuriken and casually swatted it away.
But the sticky substance splattered across his hand.
Though he managed to knock some of it off, much remained clinging to his skin.
It was disgusting, and it stank horribly.
Worse, some of it had splattered onto his face...
Jinin Akebino was both shocked and furious, feeling that his personal standards as a ninja had just been shattered.
This was the first time in his life he'd encountered a Ninja Beast using such a tactic in battle!
To his further bewilderment, Raj was summoned away by the Summoning Technique the very next moment, causing Kusabira's strike to hit nothing but air.
Infuriated, he landed and immediately turned to attack Kakashi.
But in that instant, a figure materialized beside Kakashi, and as Kusabira lunged forward...
"Great Ball Rasengan!"
Boom!
Kusabira took the full force of the attack, sending him flying backward.
He landed motionless on the ground, his Water Clones vanishing without a trace.
Obito, who had been surrounded and beaten, immediately collapsed into a seated position.
"Teacher, let me heal you."
Rin rushed over.
Minato's injuries were severe, a combination of Lightning Release burns, blade wounds, and Water Release injuries, compounded by the exhaustion of his hasty return.
He was at his limit.
Minato swallowed a Soldier Pill and slumped down, gasping for breath.
"Heal Kakashi first. I'm not in critical condition."
For good measure, Raj scurried over and swiftly delivered a Rasengan to Kusabira's chest.
When the man shuddered once and then stopped breathing altogether, Raj finally relaxed.
"Don't cause too much damage. I need to bring this back to the village."
Minato pushed himself up and staggered over to Jinin Akebino's side.
The man was already dead.
However, his corpse still held considerable value.
If sealed and brought back to the village, it could reveal many secrets about Kirigakure.
Having been isolated from the mainland for years, Kirigakure had resurfaced and attacked Konoha.
Gathering intelligence on the village was now a top priority.
Otherwise, Minato wouldn't have risked his disciples' lives to seize the Thunder Blade from the enemy.
"Meow~ Did you take down the electric guy?"
Raj noticed the Thunder Blade and was immediately surprised.
"No, I only killed a ninja from the Snow Clan. This blade was taken from him."
The Thunder Blade was a pair of short swords.
Minato had only managed to seize one.
However, with Raiga Kurosuki having lost one of his blades, he likely couldn't use his powerful Lightning Release Ninjutsu anymore, which was still a significant advantage for Konoha.
Reaching the edge, he crouched down and retrieved two Sealing Scrolls from his robes, then began performing the hand seals for the Sealing Technique.
One scroll sealed the Thunder Blade and Blunt Blade: Kabutowari, while the other sealed Jinin Akebino's corpse.
Raj quietly observed from the sidelines, glancing at his Points Panel.
He was secretly delighted to see his Points, which had stagnated for so long due to daily Cat Food consumption, finally surge.
His balance now exceeded 3,300.
Halfway to mastering the Expansion Jutsu.
But these Points likely wouldn't last.
He calculated that his body's Natural Energy had probably been fully digested, making him eligible for another purchase of Deluxe Cat Food.
Deluxe Cat Food directly infused Natural Energy, which was crucial for him since he couldn't safely absorb it from the environment to fuse with Sage Art Chakra.
Like Ninja Cat Special Food, it was an indispensable consumable.
'This is too hard...'
Raj sprawled on the ground, mentally strategizing.
He'd only resorted to this tactic today out of desperation, hoping to annoy his opponent and provoke him.
But the taunt backfired, and the enemy nearly killed Kakashi instead.
Thankfully, Minato hadn't been late this time.
So, the Points were merely an unexpected bonus.
'I can't stoop this low,' Raj thought to himself.