Silent Observer True Gentleman

Faced with Minato's question, Liao Wu did not answer directly.

Instead, he asked Minato, "Minato, that child Obito has always aimed to become Hokage. Do you believe an Uchiha people can become Hokage?"

Minato said decisively, "He can! He definitely can. As long as he's a Leaf Ninja and the Will of Fire burns in his heart, he can definitely become Hokage."

Liao Wu burst out laughing. "Don't joke around, Minato. Do you have any idea how guarded the Third has been against me ever since I was little?"

"When it came to the Rasengan, I originally planned to trade with you for your Flying Thunder God Technique."

"But I never expected that guy, the Third, to interfere and force me to hand the ninjutsu over."

Liao Wu controlled the serpent beneath his feet. The serpent swung its head and charged toward Minato.

Minato's speed was like the Yellow Flash. In the blink of an eye, he appeared on the serpent's head, a kunai radiating cold killing intent slashing toward Liao Wu's neck.

"I know the village has always been wary of the Uchiha. Only now do I understand that this is Hokage-sama and the Advisors' fear of Uchiha power."

Before now, Minato had never fully understood why the Uchiha in the village occupied such an awkward political position. Why were the Uchiha in Konoha basically rejected by all the Great Ninja Clans?

Now, after witnessing Madara Uchiha's power and hearing the secret of the Mangekyō Sharingan from the Third, he finally understood completely.

The Higher-ups were afraid of the Uchiha's power.

Their generation had basically grown up listening to stories of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. The strength of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha was enough to change the entire Ninja World.

The more they knew, the more afraid they became.

Liao Wu completely ignored the kunai Minato was about to drag across his neck. The chakra in his hands condensed into the shape of blades.

This was the Chakra Scalpel, a combat ninjutsu used by Advanced Medical Ninja. In the Original Work, Kabuto had used it.

Liao Wu's Chakra Scalpel slashed toward Minato's head and chest.

After all, this body of his was a spore clone. If he could take Minato with him, that would be a profit.

Minato reacted extremely fast. Before Liao Wu could cut him, he flipped over, condensed a Rasengan in his hand, and smashed it into Liao Wu's back.

Liao Wu's serpent was caught in the blast and was sent straight back to Ryuchi Cave by Minato's Rasengan.

The Third Hokage had already led a large group of ninja to the opposite side of the canyon. Seeing Minato rush out of the smoke while holding Liao Wu's figure, he smiled and said, "Minato, you're still as fast as ever!"

The Third was truly afraid that Minato would act on impulse and kill Liao Wu to avenge Jiraiya.

Liao Wu was not the main point. He was only a Minion. The main point was Madara Uchiha behind Liao Wu.

The most rational choice was to capture Liao Wu and interrogate him for information on Madara Uchiha.

Minato walked over, holding Liao Wu, who had been knocked unconscious by the Rasengan.

Suddenly, Hizashi loudly warned Minato, "Minato, be careful! That's a clone—"

A figure drilled out from the ground, and a ball of flame seemed to be burning in his hand.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Heavenly Prison!"

Liao Wu had learned the Uchiha Clan's Fire Style Scroll, so he basically did not lack ninjutsu.

But against a high-end mobility ninja like Minato, the Uchiha Clan's Fire Style ninjutsu was simply useless. Only this Fire Style Sealing Technique from Grass Village had something to it.

As long as it hit Minato, it could bind the chakra in his whole body and burn him as well.

Unfortunately, Minato's Reaction Nerves far surpassed ordinary people's. The instant Hizashi spoke, he used the Flying Thunder God to dodge away.

Liao Wu's Heavenly Prison Secret Technique did not hit Minato. He turned back and cursed at Hizashi.

"Hizashi, damn you and your grandmother, who told you to shout a warning? Don't you understand that a Silent Observer True Gentleman says nothing?"

Hizashi did not lose the bearing of the Hyuga Noble Family in the slightest. "Senior Liao Wu, your clone is too special. If my Byakugan hadn't seen your chakra underground, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to tell that what was in Minato's hands was your clone."

Liao Wu had split off a clone on the back of the Ryuchi Cave Serpent to deceive Minato.

Minato had been completely fooled by Liao Wu's Spore Clone, but the battlefield did not belong only to him and Minato. The battlefield was complicated.

With the Hyuga's Byakugan present, the clone Liao Wu had hidden was easily seen through.

Minato teleported beside the Third and thanked Hizashi. "Thanks, Hizashi. If it weren't for you, I would've almost fallen for it."

Toward the Young Jonin who was currently in the village's limelight, Hizashi did not dare be negligent. He smiled and said, "Even without my warning, I believe that with your reactions, Minato, you would have dodged it."

The first requirement for training in the Flying Thunder God Technique was fast reactions. Minato did not have the Uchiha's eyes, but his reaction speed was fully comparable to the Sharingan's insight.

Kakashi's Chidori was a high-speed straight thrust. It was too fast, and his Visual Nerves could not keep up. Only after installing Obito's Sharingan could he bring out the Chidori's power.

Minato's battles were likewise high-speed battles, yet he did not need the Sharingan to make up for dynamic vision.

His Reaction Nerves could completely keep up.

Even without Hizashi's warning, Liao Wu could not have hit Minato.

Yūhi Shinkō walked up and looked at Liao Wu with some regret. "After Liao Wu resolved the Kekkei-genkai Illness in his body, his Ninja Talent completely awakened. His talent is definitely no weaker than Jiraiya's or Orochimaru's."

The Third Hokage nodded. "Indeed. Unfortunately, a wrong path is a wrong path. If I had been even more guarded against him, today's scene would not have happened."

The Third Hokage took a step forward and said, "Liao Wu, surrender and accept judgment!"

Liao Wu closed his Sharingan, revealing Ink-black Eyes.

After splitting off half his chakra to create a clone, and then using the ninjutsu Great Fire Heavenly Prison, Liao Wu did not have much chakra left.

He had put on enough of a show on this trip. It was time for him to make his exit.

"Heh! Surrender quietly? Sarutobi Hiruzen, you're still as hypocritical as ever! You indulged Danzo and Orochimaru in their evils—how are you any better than me?"

Liao Wu mobilized the chakra throughout his Whole Body, and chakra flames rose from all over him.

Hiashi stared in shock. "Does he have a death wish? He's refined all of his chakra. He's forcefully overdrawning his life."

When a ninja's chakra was completely Depleted, they would fall into a state of extreme weakness, because chakra was formed from the mixture of Physical Energy and Mental Energy.

With no chakra left, it meant the body no longer had the energy to keep Refine Chakra.

So-called forcefully refining chakra meant overdrawing one's energy, which carried the risk of death.

In the Original Work, Kakashi had been on the verge of Depleted chakra and still overdrawn his body to use Kamui, ultimately wringing dry the source of his life and dying.

In Hiashi's Byakugan, Liao Wu was treating his entire body like firewood, burning it into chakra.

Liao Wu brought his hands together.

"Fire Style—Ghost Lantern!"

Bang, bang, bang!

All of Liao Wu's chakra transformed into Fire Attribute chakra, and fireballs in the shape of Hannya Demon Masks circled around him one after another.

There were over a hundred of them. At that moment, Liao Wu looked like a king commanding flames.

Under Liao Wu's control, the Ghost Lanterns formed a swarm of fireballs and charged toward the Leaf Ninja.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

Hizashi used a chakra air palm and knocked down a swath of Ghost Lanterns, then immediately warned everyone, "Be careful! A large amount of explosive chakra is condensed inside the fireballs. Don't let them get close."

As soon as he finished speaking, one of Liao Wu's Ghost Lanterns Flew to a Konoha Chunin and landed on him. With a bang, it exploded like an Explosive Tag.

The Chunin let out a cry, and was blown into charcoal on the spot.