Minato Namikaze

"Good thing it wasn't that kid..." After using the unique Substitution Technique he had developed himself, Orochimaru had evaded the joint attack of two Kage Level opponents, but his condition had worsened yet again.

After all, although this Substitution Technique had a higher success rate than the ordinary Five Elements Substitution Technique and could even heal his injuries, it also consumed considerably more Chakra.

Orochimaru still had the slippery liquid left over from using the Substitution Technique clinging to his body, making him look rather disgusting.

But he was somewhat relieved that the one who had arrived wasn't that Gold Sand kid. Otherwise, the kid's Gold Sand attacks would undoubtedly have been accompanied by Sealing Techniques. Under those circumstances, using the Substitution Technique would have been much more difficult.

"Heh! The power of your Magnet Release seems no match for one of your village's juniors..." Orochimaru had reappeared off to the side. He looked at Rasa, dozens of meters away, with contempt in his eyes.

"Hmph!" Rasa furrowed his brows, displeasure appearing on his face.

He had long sensed that Souya's reputation, as one of his juniors, was growing. Both of them used "Magnet Release: Gold Sand," but these days, whenever people talked about Magnet Release, they tended to mention the Third Kazekage and that young Magnet Release prodigy...

And as the one who had guided Souya, Rasa naturally felt bitter about it.

At the start of the war, however, he had followed the Kazekage to the Land of Stone, where they had run headlong into a force of Land of Earth shinobi.

Not only had he failed to show what he could do, he had been left in a sorry state by the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release. If the Kazekage hadn't saved him, he would most likely have left his life behind in the Land of Stone.

After spending a long time recovering before he could return to duty, he naturally wanted to make a name for himself and show the other villages that Sunagakure had more than just two Magnet Release shinobi!

"You can find out how powerful it is for yourself!" Rasa said coldly.

After forming several hand seals, he raised both hands. A torrent of Gold Sand surged out of the ground and rolled toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru gave a sinister laugh, formed hand seals, then crouched and pressed his hands to the ground.

Bang!

Three dark-gray snakes, each more than ten meters long, suddenly appeared in front of Orochimaru. They either swung their tails or used their bodies to block the torrent of Gold Sand.

The giant snakes not only stopped Rasa's wave of Gold Sand, but kept slithering forward, like water snakes swimming upstream.

With a dark expression, Rasa changed his hand seals. Several thick, long golden spears instantly took shape in the surging Gold Sand and shot toward the three snakes.

"Hiss!"

The spears plunged straight into the snakes' bodies, and blood gushed out. Stung by the pain, the snakes thrashed even more violently, their frenzied expressions growing more apparent.

When the snakes drew a little closer to Rasa, a dangerous glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. His hands abruptly formed seals.

"Evil Snake Arm Explosion!"

The three snakes suddenly lunged forward with their jaws wide open. They let the Gold Sand pour into their mouths, showing no sign of backing down.

At the same time, their bodies abruptly swelled as if they were being inflated.

Rasa's expression shifted. He sensed danger, and in his haste, all he could do was press both hands to the ground, raising a wall of Gold Sand to shield himself.

As soon as he had done so, the three snakes' bodies exploded with a bang.

Foul-smelling flesh and blood flew in every direction. The powerful blast of air carried purple poison, which hissed continuously as it struck the wall of Gold Sand.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Orochimaru pressed his advantage, spewing a howling gale from his mouth toward Rasa.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Though it was an ordinary Wind Release Ninjutsu, when Orochimaru used it, it was like a high-pressure wind cannon. Even the air seemed to wail.

A layer of Gold Sand was blown straight off the ground. The battered wall of Gold Sand in front of Rasa held for only a moment before breaking apart, and the gale swept Rasa into the air as he stared in shock and fury.

When everything settled, the ground was a complete mess. A vast area ahead looked as if it had been raked by countless blades of wind.

But Orochimaru's eyes remained fixed on the figure hovering in the air.

"Being able to fly seems pretty useful..." Curiosity lit Orochimaru's eyes. After all, in the Ninja World, where the ability to fly was extremely rare, Sunagakure had produced three Magnet Release shinobi in a row.

Rasa stood on a platform of Gold Sand, hovering in the air. His body was hunched slightly, and a crimson wound marked his abdomen.

After looking down and confirming that the injury wasn't serious, he raised both hands again. This time, he wouldn't underestimate his opponent; he planned to stay on the Gold Sand platform and keep his distance.

Swoosh!

The Gold Sand around Orochimaru rose again, aiming to trap him in its center.

On the other side of the battlefield, the Third Kazekage beat his broad Iron Sand Wings and charged forward, firing a dense hail of slender Iron Sand needles down at the enemy.

With the Sunagakure Ninja charging in formation, only a handful of Konoha Ninja remained at Kikyo Mountain, and their morale was already very low.

Just as the Third Kazekage gazed at the towering mountain before him, imagining himself tearing away a vast stretch of the Land of Fire...

He suddenly heard the Konoha Ninja cheering.

"Sorry, everyone. I'm late..." A handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes appeared in the woods. He wore a green Jonin vest over a blue bodysuit, and a Konoha Forehead Protector. Sunlight filtered through the lush leaves and fell across him.

The young ninja wore a gentle smile, and seemed to radiate a warmth like the sun.

"Lord Minato is here! We're saved!"

"That's right! Lord Minato!"

"Lord Minato, you finally made it..."

The dozen or so Konoha Ninja who remained gathered around Minato. Only when they stood behind this legendary figure could they finally put their anxious hearts at ease.

Minato looked around at the Konoha Ninja. Each had suffered injuries of one kind or another, and some had tears welling in their eyes now that they had survived.

"All you need to do is throw these Kunai as hard as you can toward the enemy. Leave the rest to me!" Minato's voice was like the sweet burble of a clear stream, flowing into their parched hearts.

As he spoke, Minato took off his backpack and pulled out dozens of specially made Kunai. Each handle bore the engraved seal inscription, "Sword of Ninja Love."

The edges of the specially made Kunai, shaped like short swords, gleamed with a cold, bright light.

"So you're Minato Namikaze?"

The Third Kazekage spread his Iron Sand Wings and swooped down in front of Minato, kicking up a dusty gust that made the Konoha Ninja across from him shield their eyes with their hands.