The Hidden Organization

Judging people by their appearance wasn't Minato's style. Even if the person in front of him was a baby still in swaddling clothes, if they threatened Konoha, they would have to face his crushing counterattack.

But since the other party looked like a child, perhaps he could find a way to trick some information out of him?

Minato didn't believe Jack had come to Konoha to kill people just for fun. There had to be a huge conspiracy behind it.

"I'm almost out of magic power..."

Jack tried to gather the thick fog again from the open space, but to no effect. He pursed his lips in displeasure. At the same time, Qian Yu sent him the order to retreat.

Though he hadn't gotten a new heart, he'd probably earned plenty of Dimensional Points from fighting Minato, right?

Then he could just buy a "Chakra Scroll," and he wouldn't have to send Jack out hunting hearts all the time. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Of course, greedy by nature, Qian Yu definitely wanted to earn even more Dimensional Points. Since Jack's appearance had already been exposed and he'd shocked everyone, it wouldn't be too much to make up some identity for him, would it?

"Stop, child." Having recovered from his shock, Minato deliberately softened his voice. His tone held a warmth that was nonetheless impossible to defy. "Your abilities are unusual, but continuing to fight won't do you any good. Tell me, who sent you? And what is your purpose? Perhaps... we can talk."

Jack had no interest in responding to the blond in front of him. Just as he was about to attack without warning and give him a taste of "Maria the Ripper," Qian Yu, who had already prepared what to say, used Jack's voice to offer a calm introduction:

"The Hidden Organization... Jack..."

His childish voice echoed through the night. Minato frowned and thought for a moment, but the organization and name meant nothing to him. "Is it some new organization...?"

Jack slowly stood up. His crimson eyes remained expressionless, as if he hadn't heard Minato's question. He simply reached out and touched the wound on his arm, left by blocking the Senjutsu Rasengan head-on. His gesture was childlike and innocent, yet carried a sinister quality that sent chills down the spine.

He looked down at his damaged black robe and the wound, knitting his delicate brows slightly as if displeased.

Minato didn't let his guard down for a moment. Jack had even managed to launch a sudden attack without warning. His figure blurred abruptly. It wasn't the high-speed movement of the Body Flicker Technique; it was as if he had merged directly into the fog!

"Is he suddenly launching a fierce attack?!"

Following the principle of "emptying the mana bar before heading back," Jack unleashed "Parting Gift."

His swift, ghostlike attacks were so fast that even Minato, who had entered Sage Mode, could barely react. He could only fend them off as best he could. Fortunately, the Rasengan required no Hand Seals. After more than a dozen fierce exchanges, Minato found an opening and thrust the Rasengan forward from his palm—

But this time, it missed. Jack leapt nimbly into the air, swept right over Minato's head, and landed steadily on a utility pole.

"I have enough magic power to use my Noble Phantasm just one more time..."

A flicker passed through the depths of Jack's green eyes. The next moment, both eyes turned crimson. With a "trailing-light effect" accompanying him, he began carrying out Qian Yu's order to "make as much of a scene as possible" and invoked his Noble Phantasm.

"This place is Hell—"

Jack crouched slightly, holding his dagger in a reverse grip, and chanted:

"We descend upon this place as fire, rain, strength, and slaughter—Maria the Ripper!"

The instant his words fell, the thick fog that had just begun to dissipate gathered once more. Minato felt like prey being watched by a beast. His heart pounded, and cold sweat ran down his back.

"What kind of technique is this?"

In a flash, a crimson figure flickered out of the gray-black fog and charged at Minato like a beast pouncing on its prey.

Minato instinctively used the Flying Thunder God Technique to evade the attack, but the four knives proved impossible to dodge. No matter how he moved, it made no difference.

Seeing this, Minato could only hold his Kunai in front of him and try to block the attack head-on. But the knives passed straight through his Kunai, his arms, and finally his body.

!

Pain surged through him. Minato's pupils contracted sharply, and his eyes flew wide open. He felt as though his organs had been violently wrenched and churned inside him. He couldn't even muster the strength to stand.

"What... exactly happened...?"

His Senjutsu Chakra dissipated, and Minato returned to his normal state. Tensing his body, he struggled to push himself up with his arms and looked toward Jack, who had finished his attack and clearly intended to retreat. Minato's face was pale with weakness, but he was also deeply confused.

That attack... had gone straight through his defenses... as if it were intangible...

As Jack's figure disappeared completely into the fog, Minato, having recovered a little strength, slowly stood up and looked at the full moon hanging in the sky once more.

"The Hidden Organization... What are they after...?"

Though he hadn't completed the mission Sarutobi Hiruzen had assigned him—to capture the Fog Demon—at least he'd learned the enemy's identity. Minato considered that a worthwhile result.

However, it seemed there was still something he didn't know how to deal with...

Though Jack had already left, the poisonous fog around them had only thinned a little. It showed no sign of clearing completely. If this continued, it would probably affect the Anbu Ninjas out on patrol...

"Maybe I should try sealing it in a Sealing Scroll?"

As Minato muttered to himself, thinking over what to do, the surrounding fog suddenly seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible pair of hands, piling up along both sides of the road. Then two familiar figures appeared in the street.

"Uncle? Chixing?!"

The ones who had appeared before Minato were Uncle, holding a pufferfish that glowed green, and Chixing, whose pointed head had turned into lava to light the way.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Nothing much... Uncle sensed the presence of dark chi, so he came out for a walk."

Wait... Why weren't they afraid of the poisonous fog? It even seemed like the fog was afraid of them!

Before Minato could ask, his gaze remained fixed on the "glowing pufferfish," giving away his curiosity. Uncle made no attempt to hide anything and immediately explained:

"This gray-black fog was formed by a curse similar to black magic. Of course Uncle can deal with it easily using Qi Magic."

So that was it... As Chixing's partner, who controlled lava, Uncle also had some kind of special ability? "Qi Magic"... Another power he'd never heard of...

"Minato... Why do you look so pale?"

After extinguishing the lava on its head and switching to lights-out mode, Chixing asked slowly in its deep voice.

"It's nothing..." Minato was just about to speak when Uncle interrupted him with an "Oh!" "Why are you covered in curses? I can sense dark chi on you, too!"

"Curses? Dark chi?"

Was Uncle talking about the four knives from Jack that couldn't be dodged...? Minato wondered silently. At the same time, another thought occurred to him: Uncle seemed to be everywhere. Maybe he knew something about the Hidden Organization?

As Minato asked his question, Qian Yu, who had stitched all the characters' backstories together, sprang into action too. "In that case, let's have Uncle become the 'Hero of Justice'!"