Minato Namikaze's Shock, Ato Arrives!

At the bottom of the massive crater that Bellflower Mountain City had become.

"Bellflower Mountain City was destroyed by a sudden white Energy Blast?"

Inoichi Yamanaka removed his right hand from Minato Namikaze's forehead.

Just moments ago, Inoichi Yamanaka had used the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique to transmit everything that had happened in Bellflower Mountain City into Minato Namikaze's mind.

As a result, Minato Namikaze had seen that utterly unstoppable white Energy Blast.

He had also witnessed Bellflower Mountain City being obliterated in an instant beneath the white Energy Blast.

Even the future Fourth Hokage was stunned beyond words.

"Minato, don't waste time. It doesn't matter what happened to Bellflower Mountain City. Take me to the Stone Shinobi battlefield immediately. As long as we find Haruki Hyuga, we can uncover the whole truth!!"

Orochimaru's pale face was furrowed with concern. He did not care about Bellflower Mountain City at all right now. All he wanted to know was what kind of ninjutsu that white Energy Blast had been.

Orochimaru, who was devoted to mastering every ninjutsu in the Ninja World, could clearly tell that the Energy Blast had completely surpassed the scope of ninjutsu.

Even senjutsu did not possess such astonishing destructive power.

Having discovered an "unknown" ability, how could Orochimaru not be excited?

Bellflower Mountain City, the Third Shinobi World War—

Neither was as important as uncovering the source of that white Energy Blast.

"Calm down, Lord Orochimaru!

The most urgent matter is not investigating the truth. It is immediately reporting the situation here to the Third Hokage and relocating the surviving Ninja to safety."

Faced with Orochimaru's increasingly impatient urging, the shock on Minato Namikaze's face gave way to calm once more. He directly refused Orochimaru's order.

As Konoha's Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze was qualified to refuse Orochimaru.

After being refused, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes fixed on Minato Namikaze. Looking at Jiraiya's high-spirited disciple, Orochimaru snorted twice. "The Will of Fire? Sensei really did raise an excellent successor!"

Looking at Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru suddenly lost interest. His expression shifted from excited agitation back to cold gloom.

"Jonin Minato, send me back to Konoha. I'll leave matters here to you." Orochimaru then gave Minato Namikaze an order.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Minato Namikaze nodded, then turned and handed a specially made kunai to Kakashi Hatake.

He then walked over to Orochimaru and placed his right hand on Orochimaru's shoulder.

"Flying Thunder God Technique."

Whoosh.

Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru vanished from the battlefield together.

The next second, Minato Namikaze reappeared here with two Anbu.

"Jia, Ding, restrain Sunagakure Village's One-Tail Jinchuriki."

"Hizashi, Kakashi, stay alert."

"Rin, treat the wounded immediately."

After returning, Minato Namikaze naturally took control of the situation. He already carried a hint of the future Fourth Hokage's bearing.

Under Minato Namikaze's orders, the two Anbu who had just arrived recovered from their shock and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before the Sand Shinobi.

"What are you Konoha Shinobi trying to do?" Chiyo of the Sand Shinobi stared darkly at the two Anbu.

However, Chiyo and the few Sand Shinobi puppet masters behind her were already at the end of their strength. How could they possibly stop Konoha's Anbu?

"Secret Technique: Shadow Imitation Technique."

The shadow beneath Anbu Jia's feet rapidly stretched and split apart, swiftly binding every Sand Shinobi.

Meanwhile, Anbu Ding arrived before Bunpuku, the critically injured One-Tail Shukaku Jinchuriki, and rapidly formed hand seals.

Then, the characters for "metal, wood, water, fire, earth" appeared on his five fingers.

"Sealing Jutsu: Five Elements Seal!"

Anbu Ding pressed his right hand directly against Bunpuku's abdomen, and a sealing formula quickly closed.

The Five Elements Seal reinforced the Tailed Beast seal within Bunpuku's body.

That way, even if Bunpuku died, the One-Tail Shukaku inside him would not break free from its seal due to the Jinchuriki's death anytime soon.

"The sealing is complete!"

Anbu Ding released his hand seals, bent down, picked up Bunpuku, the One-Tail Shukaku Jinchuriki, and walked over to Minato Namikaze.

"Lord Minato, send me back to Konoha." Anbu Ding spoke coldly to Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze nodded and placed his right hand on Anbu Ding's shoulder, preparing to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport Anbu Ding and Bunpuku, Sunagakure Village's One-Tail Shukaku Jinchuriki, back to Konoha.

Boom!

A sonic boom rang out.

Then, a streak of light tore through the sky, trailing an air-shockwave plume as it raced toward them at an unimaginable speed.

"Hizashi, what is it?" Minato Namikaze turned to Hizashi Hyuga.

Hizashi Hyuga had activated his Byakugan the moment he heard the sonic boom.

Yet even with his Byakugan activated, Hizashi Hyuga saw nothing.

"It's too fast. The Byakugan can't track its movement." Cold sweat streamed down Hizashi Hyuga's face.

Although his Byakugan possessed powerful reconnaissance abilities, its dynamic vision was far inferior to the Sharingan and Rinnegan. The Byakugan simply could not track objects moving at extreme speeds.

"Obito!" Minato Namikaze ordered Obito Uchiha beside him.

"Sharingan, activate!"

Obito Uchiha's eyes turned crimson as a single tomoe spun rapidly.

"No, I can't see it!" Obito Uchiha pushed his One-Tomoe Sharingan to its limits, but he still could not make out what was within the streak of light.

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

Minato Namikaze fixed his gaze on the streak of light in the sky, drew a kunai, and prepared to fight.

Behind Minato Namikaze, Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara stood in a swastika formation, warily awaiting a possible attack.

The dozen or so Konoha jonin who had been resting also swiftly entered combat readiness.

Everyone stood on guard, staring at the sky with complete focus.

Above the crater, the streak of light vanished. Ato hovered in the air with his arms folded, looking down at the battle-ready Konoha Shinobi below.

"Minato Namikaze?"

Ato's gaze paused on Minato Namikaze before sweeping over the Konoha Shinobi behind him.

He recognized a few familiar faces among them.

The Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.

Kakashi Hatake.

Obito Uchiha.

Rin Nohara.

Hizashi Hyuga.

Inoichi Yamanaka.

Ato's gaze shifted from those familiar Ninja to Anbu Ding.

More precisely, to Bunpuku, the One-Tail Shukaku Jinchuriki in Anbu Ding's hands.

"A child?"

As Ato looked at the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Minato Namikaze stared at him with a grave, astonished expression and asked in disbelief.

Ato was simply too young.

The body of an adorable four-year-old left the Yellow Flash momentarily dazed, even making him wonder whether he was seeing things.

"A tail! That brat actually has a tail!"

Behind Minato Namikaze, Obito Uchiha's One-Tomoe Sharingan caught every detail, and he was the first to notice the tail swaying casually behind Ato.

"What?" Everyone's attention was drawn by Obito Uchiha's voice, and they instinctively looked at Ato's tail.

Then, they all felt a sense of absurdity.

The Kekkei Genkai of the Ninja World came in all kinds of strange forms, but there had never been a human with a tail.

This child was far too strange.

"Who are you?" Minato Namikaze asked hesitantly. He was not sure whether a four-year-old child could understand him.

Although the Ninja World had a tradition of children going to war and killing enemies at the age of six.

Four years old was still far beyond the limit.