Cold sweat appeared on Orochimaru's forehead.
Not because of Hiruzen Sarutobi or Ōnoki, but because of Jingxin.
Susanoo could definitely break the Four Violet Flames Formation, but Jingxin hadn't done so.
Now, Orochimaru didn't dare attack Ōnoki anymore.
Orochimaru knew all too well that he absolutely didn't want to face a technique of that caliber.
If he accidentally threw out this little old man's back, that brat outside would skin him alive.
Jingxin watched the scene from beyond the barrier and felt a little more at ease about Ōnoki's safety.
But...
Jingxin's gaze fell on Hiruzen Sarutobi again.
The Flying Thunder God was so damn cool!
It was incredibly practical, too, and didn't consume much chakra.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was among the very best non-bloodline ninja.
Though old and frail, and though Orochimaru wasn't familiar with the Flying Thunder God Technique and couldn't bring out Minato's or Tobirama's true strength, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still struggling immensely against the Flying Thunder God.
How could he...
Get his hands on it?
Jingxin pondered the question.
Wait!
I've got a great idea! o.O!
Orochimaru was familiar with the Four Violet Flames Formation. He should be able to tell that Jingxin could break through it.
So...
It all depended on how perceptive Orochimaru was.
The battle inside the barrier was heating up.
Orochimaru didn't dare attack Ōnoki, so Ōnoki was all the more brazen in supporting Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Even so, Hiruzen Sarutobi was under mounting pressure and looked on the verge of defeat.
Jingxin sprang into action, darting toward the barrier as he formed Hand Seals and unleashed ninjutsu.
One after another, seemingly powerful Fire Release, Earth Release, and Wind Release techniques slammed into the barrier, producing deafening booms.
Orochimaru's heart lurched, and he looked toward Jingxin.
"Orochimaru, it's time to put an end to this farce." Jingxin's voice was calm.
What?
A question rose in Orochimaru's mind.
If you want to stop the fight, why not use that terrifying ninjutsu to break the Four Violet Flames Formation?
No...
This brat must have some other motive.
What could it be?
Orochimaru's mind raced as he considered every possibility.
But as he analyzed the situation, he unconsciously thought of Jingxin as a twelve-year-old child.
That was hardly his fault. After all, nobody knew that Jingxin's soul was actually over thirty years old.
So what did a twelve-year-old want most?
Or rather, what was he hoping to gain by doing this?
Fame, of course!
Jingxin was so powerful, yet he'd never attracted much attention in the Ninja World.
Though Jingxin seemed very rational and mature, children of his age were bound to have emotional needs.
Orochimaru followed that line of thought.
If he wanted fame, then Orochimaru would give him fame.
Orochimaru turned his gaze to the battlefield inside the barrier and considered who would make a suitable opponent.
Hashirama was undoubtedly the best choice.
But hardly anyone would believe that a twelve-year-old could defeat Hashirama, even in an Impure World Reincarnation body.
Rasa?
Forget it. The leader of some backwater village might sound impressive, but he was nowhere near as famous as the other two.
Tobirama was from an earlier era, so his name was less widely known than Minato Namikaze's.
That left you.
Whoosh~
Minato's Impure World Reincarnation suddenly left the battlefield and threw a Flying Thunder God Kunai toward the top of the barrier.
Just before the kunai touched the barrier, a small opening appeared, allowing it to pass through.
The next moment, Minato appeared outside the barrier.
"Not good! Lord Fourth is out!"
"What do we do?!"
The moment Minato left, panic spread through the crowd.
Everyone knew the Yellow Flash's fearsome reputation, and now they were his enemies.
Everyone immediately feared for their lives, terrified that Minato might attack them at any moment.
Orochimaru glared at Jingxin in feigned anger. "In that case, I'll deal with you first."
Jingxin stopped attacking the barrier and retreated, putting some distance between himself and Minato.
The Flying Thunder God Kunai flew straight at him. Jingxin drew his ninja blade, ready to knock it aside.
Below, Kurotsuchi let out a long breath when she saw this.
Jingxin's swordsmanship was strong too, but it was relatively weak compared to his other abilities.
Whenever Jingxin used a ninja blade against an enemy, there were basically only two possibilities.
First: the enemy was so weak it was laughable, and Jingxin was testing the squad's coordination.
Second: Jingxin wasn't actually trying to defeat the enemy quickly; he was about to go easy on them.
Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside the kunai. He flipped lightly in midair, and the Rasengan in his hand curved around Jingxin's blade.
"Careful, kid!" Minato called out to Jingxin. "On your left."
Jingxin drew on his chakra, channeling it into his black blade. A layer of sharp Wind Release chakra nature transformation coated its surface. He swung his wrist and slashed to the right, ready to cut Minato's Rasengan in half.
But then...
Minato's Rasengan curved around and headed for Jingxin's left shoulder.
Jingxin's heart lurched, and he hurriedly activated Susanoo.
Thud!
Minato's Rasengan struck Susanoo's rib cage, sending Jingxin flying several meters before he managed to stop.
"Huh?!" Minato asked blankly. "I said left. Why did you—"
Jingxin's mouth twitched. "Your left is my right, isn't it?"
"Whoa!" Minato's body began to fall as he exclaimed, "In that situation, I thought you wouldn't have time to think about that. My mistake—I didn't realize you could think that fast."
Jingxin: "..."
"Hahaha!" Minato laughed. "Looks like you've got a real talent for learning the Flying Thunder God Technique~"
He tossed another Flying Thunder God Kunai from his body and hurriedly warned Jingxin, "This time, it's on the right!"
Thud!
"Why is it on the left?!"
"Uh... I thought you'd keep thinking about that."
What a blockhead!
Jingxin's face tensed. He couldn't even be bothered to complain. He looked at the cracked rib cage of Susanoo and used his ocular power to repair it.
"Ah..."
As everyone watched the comical fight between Jingxin and Minato, a muffled cry of pain came from inside the barrier.
Hiruzen Sarutobi clutched his arm. His body was covered in wounds, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping one drop at a time from his mustache to the ground.
"Lord Hokage!"
"How did this happen!"
"What should we do?!"
The area grew noisy.
Jingxin knew his chance had come. While sparring with Minato, he said, "I need to find a way inside."
Minato was thinking too. As he bombarded Jingxin with Rasengans, he said, "You could try that technique with the white statue. I think there's a sixty percent chance it could break the barrier."
His guess was exactly right.
But Jingxin couldn't actually help Hiruzen Sarutobi. He shook his head slightly. "I'm running low on chakra."
As he spoke, he glanced at the system panel.
Hmm...
Remaining chakra: 91.7 percent.
"Got it!" Jingxin's eyes lit up. "I can use Sealing Jutsu to seal your chakra, then use it to connect to the Flying Thunder God Mark you left inside the barrier and enter with the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
"Quick! Teach me the Flying Thunder God Technique. I'll learn it on the spot!"
These outrageous, explosive words rang across the entire battlefield.
Nearly everyone turned to stare at Jingxin in horror.
Even Orochimaru shuddered and whipped around to look at Jingxin.
For a moment, he even forgot to pursue the injured Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But perhaps Orochimaru couldn't be blamed for this "possibility."
After all...
Just listen to yourself. Is that even something a human would say?
That was the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Ever since it was developed, no one but its creator had learned it.
In the world's number one ninja village, famed as a "cradle of prodigies,"
only one person had managed to learn it after all those years.
So, please explain this to me.
What do you mean...
You're going to learn it on the spot?
Before you continue