At this moment, even Uchiha Madara, who had lost his Rinnegan after being caught off guard, could not possibly be so easily taken down.
Uchiha Madara's shadow clone had dodged the kunai that Minato had instinctively thrown through space, but without the Rinnegan, he was unable to discern that it was no ordinary ninja tool—it was a specially marked Flying Thunder God kunai.
Just as the shadow clone dodged the attack and prepared to swiftly seize that Rinnegan...
Whoosh!
A barely perceptible ripple spread through the air.
A golden flash, as swift as teleportation, appeared beside the other Rinnegan that had been thrown into midair and had yet to hit the ground!
It was the Fourth Hokage, the Allied Shinobi Forces' Supreme Commander—Namikaze Minato!
"What?!"
Even without his eyes, Uchiha Madara instantly sensed the spatial fluctuation and that familiar chakra signature that he loathed beyond measure—the Flying Thunder God Technique!
"Damn that bastard!"
Boundless fury mixed with the humiliation of having been outmaneuvered instantly engulfed Madara's consciousness.
Without a moment's hesitation, his shadow clone erupted with murderous intent.
It lunged violently toward the spot where Minato had appeared, attempting to crush him with the most savage force possible!
But it was too late.
Minato's target had been perfectly clear, and his movements were a step faster.
His fingers, as though they had practiced this motion countless times, precisely reached for the Rinnegan that represented the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
The instant his fingertips touched that icy eye, his figure blurred once more!
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
With another flash of gold, Minato and the precious Rinnegan vanished completely from where they stood, reappearing far away.
Only Uchiha Madara's shadow clone remained, grasping at empty air, along with the lingering traces of spatial distortion in the atmosphere.
"Na—mi—ka—ze—Mi—na—to!!!"