Flying Thunder God Second Stage!

Minato Namikaze arrived at the battlefield with incredible speed. Before the Nine-Tails could cause any greater damage within Konoha, he had already transferred the Tailed Beast to the outskirts.

Fearing that he might miss the best opportunity to reseal the Tailed Beast, Minato returned to Konoha without the slightest hesitation after transferring it away. He brought Kushina and a group of Hyuga Clan elites with him, reappearing before the Nine-Tails.

Even young Shinichi and Naruto, still wrapped in swaddling clothes, had been brought to the battlefield by Minato Namikaze.

The Nine-Tails was only a hundred meters away. Its terrifying Chakra filled the air, making the Hyuga Ninja standing so close to it swallow nervously.

Yet the elites' gazes quickly turned incomparably resolute. Without needing any instructions, they surrounded Hyuga Hiashi, Shinichi Hyuga, and Kushina and Naruto at the center.

Even when facing a Tailed Beast, these Hyuga Clan ninja showed no intention of retreating.

Shinichi Hyuga stared at the Nine-Tails, which had just sent Gama Bunta flying and begun rampaging, then looked back at Kushina and Naruto. A flash of understanding crossed his eyes.

Why had Minato Namikaze brought Naruto to the battlefield as well? In Shinichi's view, it was probably not simply because he was love-struck.

Minato did not fully trust the information Shinichi had provided. Though he was working toward it, he clearly had other plans as well. If resealing the Tailed Beast could not solve the problem and Kushina still could not escape death, then they would have to choose another Jinchuriki.

Obviously, his son Naruto, with the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, was the best choice.

Minato was meticulous in his actions. Even Shinichi himself was not certain that Kushina would truly be fine after the Tailed Beast was resealed.

After all... unexpected developments were not impossible in reality. Minato's caution could instead prevent greater risks to some extent.

"Kushina... can you help me restrain the Nine-Tails for a while?"

After being thrown aside by the Nine-Tails, Gama Bunta quickly returned to the battle. To deal with such a massive creature, Minato continued using the Summoning Technique, calling two more giant toads from Mount Myōboku to assist.

The arrival of Gama Ken and Gama Hiro stabilized the battle somewhat, but Minato knew it was only temporary. The power of a Tailed Beast was not something the giant toads of Mount Myōboku could withstand.

"Mm!"

Kushina had only recently given birth, and the Tailed Beast within her had been extracted by Obito Uchiha. She was at her weakest, yet when faced with Minato's question, Kushina still nodded firmly. Without another word, she released golden chains that wrapped around the Nine-Tails on the battlefield.

The Nine-Tails, currently fighting the three giant toads, did not notice the Adamantine Sealing Chains shooting toward it at all. In an instant, the chains bound its body, restraining its tail and limbs and leaving it unable to move.

"Next..."

Seeing the Tailed Beast restrained, Minato looked at the Sharingan that had yet to fade from its eyes, his voice turning low.

Just as he was preparing to search for Obito's whereabouts, a spatial distortion suddenly appeared within the Hyuga Clan formation.

"What a nuisance—"

Obito Uchiha's figure rapidly rose from the ground beside Kushina, reaching out directly to seize her.

There was no need for Minato to search for Obito Uchiha. Having failed to complete his objective, Obito had instead come to them himself.

Although he had encountered some resistance while carrying out the plan, Obito had ultimately succeeded in releasing the Tailed Beast.

Accomplishing such a thing right beneath the eyes of the Hyuga elites and the Hokage filled Obito with confidence in his Kamui.

Now, Uchiha Kenji faced even more elite ninja, yet still attacked without restraint, intending to finish off Kushina, who was binding the Tailed Beast.

The instant Obito Uchiha appeared, the Hyuga Clan ninja all sensed the enemy's presence. Over a hundred Byakugan turned toward him in unison, and an indescribable pressure suddenly weighed on Obito's heart, making his movements stall for an instant.

Hyuga...

As a prestigious clan on par with the Uchiha, even though Obito was fully confident in his own strength, being watched by so many ninja at once still made him feel pressured.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The two sounds of rushing air nearly overlapped into one.

The instant Obito appeared, Shinichi had already placed one hand on Hiashi's leg. The next moment, Hyuga Hiashi and Minato Namikaze appeared beside Kushina almost simultaneously, attacking Obito Uchiha together.

There were two ninja present who had mastered the Flying Thunder God.

Though Shinichi was "young and frail," using the Flying Thunder God to support Hiashi in battle was more than enough.

And the pressure Obito Uchiha gave him was not even as great as the pressure of the Nine-Tails.

The shock caused by a gimmick monster and a stat monster was ultimately different.

"!!!!"

Obito Uchiha clearly had not expected their reaction to be so fast. Especially when he saw Hyuga Hiashi, who looked identical to Hizashi yet was several degrees faster, a trace of astonishment flashed through Obito's eyes.

The next instant, Minato and Hiashi passed straight through Obito's intangible body.

Though surprised by the speed of the Hyuga Clan ninja, Obito still had no intention of leaving.

As they passed each other, a Flying Thunder God Kunai shot back toward Obito from behind. Trying to seize Kushina, Obito simply tilted his body, passing through her and vanishing into the ground once more.

He came without a shadow and left without a trace. Even weapons and ninjutsu could not affect Obito's Kamui.

That terrifying ability greatly alarmed the Hyuga elites present.

"Hiashi, taijutsu attacks are useless against his intangible body."

"If I'm right, he must become tangible when he counterattacks. Only then can our attacks work on him."

This was not the first time Minato had encountered Obito. After seeing him only a few times, Minato had already analyzed most of Obito's abilities.

Unlike Shinichi, who had opened the "Heavenly Eye," Minato's battle instincts and combat intelligence were genuine.

"Yes!"

"I'll support you."

Hiashi instantly understood his role. Lowering his head slightly, his Byakugan pierced through the soil and searched for Obito's whereabouts.

With the Hyuga Clan elites present, Obito became increasingly cautious.

However, Obito, unwilling to leave just like that, would expose an opening himself.

"Fourth Hokage, beneath your feet!"

As Hiashi called out a warning, a pair of hands suddenly reached out from the earth beneath Minato, grabbing for his ankles.

Minato leaped lightly, evading Obito's attack while deliberately exposing an opening.

Obito flashed out from the ground. Unlike before, he held a Chain in his hands.

Looking at Minato suspended in midair with nowhere to brace himself, Obito realized his opportunity had come!

As he shot up from the ground toward Minato in the air, the Chain behind Obito rang out with a clattering sound.

"Hm?!"

Hearing the sound, Hiashi immediately struck at Obito through the air with an Air Palm. Yet the Air Palm passed through Obito's body and had no effect at all.

At the same time, seeing Obito charging toward him, Minato in midair threw out a Kunai.

"Mudada—"

"Fourth Hokage, I win!"

The Kunai passed through Obito's head. Seeing Minato so close at hand and unable to move in midair, excitement flashed in Obito's eyes.

"Rasengan!"

However, at that moment, Minato Namikaze's figure suddenly vanished from before Obito. The instant his shout entered Obito's ears, a powerful impact slammed Obito into the ground.

As sand and stones flew, the Hyuga Clan ninja protected Kushina at the center.

The powerful Rasengan struck Obito directly, blasting apart the right half of his body.

"Flying Thunder God Second Stage..."