Submit to These Eyes

Minato Namikaze transformed into a yellow flash, crossing the crowd with the power of the Flying Thunder God and appearing before Uchiha Kyu.

"I've been waiting for you."

Uchiha Kyu, who had long been waiting in place for Minato Namikaze, hurled a kunai from his hand like an arrow.

Clang!

As Minato Namikaze blocked it, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan entered his view, and Uchiha Kyu appeared before him in an instant.

"Genjutsu: Naraka Seeing Technique."

"Damn it!"

Minato Namikaze's heart sank. He wanted to retreat using the Flying Thunder God, only to discover that he had already fallen into a terrifying illusion.

Seeing his opponent caught in his genjutsu, Uchiha Kyu viciously stabbed toward Minato Namikaze's heart.

Whoosh!

Minato Namikaze broke free from the genjutsu and narrowly escaped danger at the critical moment with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"What a pity."

Uchiha Kyu curled his lip, though there was not the slightest hint of regret on his face.

If Minato Namikaze could be taken out that easily, then the Fourth Hokage's reputation would be worth far too little.

"Kushina!!!"

Minato Namikaze muttered to himself, drenched in sweat, terror from the genjutsu lingering in his eyes.

Clearly, he had encountered the most terrifying thing in his heart within the illusion.

At that moment, a Tailed Beast Bomb that had formed at some unknown time crashed down toward Minato Namikaze from the sky.

The berserk aura radiating from the Tailed Beast Bomb caused the ground to collapse several feet, while the surrounding buildings were blasted apart and sent flying in every direction.

Whoosh!

Boom!

The blinding light lingered, the ground shook wildly, and the deafening explosion left the ninjas present briefly ringing in the ears and unable to hear.

"The number of times you can use Flying Thunder God is already counting down."

"How much longer can you hold on?"

Uchiha Kyu rubbed his still-ringing ears. The explosion point of that Tailed Beast Bomb had been very close to the village.

Clearly, the closer the Flying Thunder God: Transfer destination was, the less chakra it consumed.

That also meant Minato Namikaze's remaining chakra had reached the point where he had to use every bit of it carefully.

After the threat of the Tailed Beast Bomb was gone, Minato Namikaze took the chance to let out a breath and asked in confusion.

"At such close range, weren't you afraid of implicating your own people with that Tailed Beast Bomb?"

"Afraid?" Uchiha Kyu almost laughed. "If you're afraid, then don't become a ninja."

"Besides, I bet you don't dare sacrifice these people."

Uchiha Kyu's utterly fearless attitude made Minato Namikaze grit his teeth in hatred.

"But..." Uchiha Kyu instantly closed in and kicked Minato Namikaze, his Lightning-nature chakra turning into a crackling lightning blade.

"Isn't it a little insulting to send just a clone to face me?"

"How did you know?"

A flicker of astonishment appeared on Minato Namikaze's face. The next second, Uchiha Kyu's lightning blade pierced his vital point, and he burst into white smoke with a bang, disappearing on the spot.

Roar!!!

The Nine-Tails behind them suddenly became restless and violent, struggling fiercely in place as its nine tails repeatedly lashed the earth.

Within a few breaths, the berserk Nine-Tails chakra gradually dispersed, and the enormous Nine-Tails vanished from Uchiha Kyu's sight.

The disappearance of the Nine-Tails was bad news for Fugaku Uchiha and the others.

But for Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, it immediately boosted morale. Without the terrifying combat power of the Nine-Tails looming over them, their chances of defeating Uchiha Kyu doubled.

Kushina Uzumaki lay in Minato Namikaze's arms, a trace of apology in her weak eyes. "Minato, I'm sorry."

If she had not recklessly left the location of the sealing barrier on her own, she would not have caused Minato so much trouble.

"It's all right, Kushina. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

"Let's leave first. Once I settle everything, I'll come get you."

Minato Namikaze gently held her in his arms, preparing to leave with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Just then, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan uncontrollably appeared in Kushina Uzumaki's eyes.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan."

Caught completely off guard and controlled, Minato Namikaze ignited the fire of sealing with one hand and pressed it directly onto Kushina Uzumaki's navel.

"Seal: Release."

The Nine-Tails, which had originally been resealed within her body, went berserk once more, its enormous and terrifying chakra instantly spreading outward.

"Die, old man!"

The Nine-Tails' claw suddenly struck toward Minato Namikaze.

"No!!!"

Kushina Uzumaki, with only a sliver of rationality remaining, could not accept this scene. Chain after chain emerged from behind her, forcibly blocking the Nine-Tails' furious attack.

"Lightning Release: Dancing Lightning Serpent."

Uchiha Kyu's gaze was utterly calm as he rapidly formed hand seals with one hand.

The dancing lightning serpents immediately bit down on Kushina Uzumaki's limbs. Lightning surged violently, taking half her life in an instant.

If not for the Uzumaki Clan's formidable vitality, Kushina Uzumaki would likely have already been at death's door.

With Uchiha Kyu's assistance, Kushina Uzumaki had already fainted.

Without Kushina Uzumaki restraining it, the Nine-Tails was completely freed and appeared before everyone once again.

"Damn it!"

Minato Namikaze, who had escaped the genjutsu thanks to the opportunity Kushina Uzumaki had bought with her life, broke free.

Then Minato Namikaze could only watch helplessly as Kushina lost control again, allowing the Nine-Tails to escape completely.

"You wanted to use the Tailed Beast Bomb to block my vision, then use a clone to stall me while you dealt with the Nine-Tails."

"You didn't think I was an idiot, did you?"

"With such a huge Nine-Tails sitting right here, how could I possibly let my guard down?"

Uchiha Kyu's Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly.

"Eye Technique: Space Crushing."

"Flying Thunder God Technique."

With no other choice, Minato Namikaze fled the scene.

"Damn Uchiha! I'll kill you!"

The newly freed Nine-Tails was not under genjutsu. In its rage, the moment it saw Uchiha Kyu, it began gathering a Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Beast, you're courting death."

"Eye Technique: Space Crushing."

Seeing that the Nine-Tails actually dared to attack him with a Tailed Beast Bomb, Uchiha Kyu flew into a rage.

It was merely a pet, yet it dared to bite its master.

The terrifying Tailed Beast Bomb was forcibly crushed and pulverized by space, vanishing without a trace.

Within the spiritual world, the Nine-Tails gripped the iron bars and roared furiously at Uchiha Kyu outside them.

"Those eyes again! You evil Uchiha Clan!"

"Don't let me find an opportunity, or I'll wipe out your Uchiha Clan!"

"A beast should have the awareness of a beast."

Uchiha Kyu effortlessly used the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular power to control the Nine-Tails once again.

The originally violent Nine-Tails immediately calmed down.

Speaking of which, the Nine-Tails had truly been unlucky. Ōtsutsuki Indra had once used the Mangekyō Sharingan to control it in battle against Asura.

Later, Madara Uchiha used the same method, and in an even more humiliating fashion, forcibly contracted the Nine-Tails as a summoned beast.

And now, the Nine-Tails still could not escape the cycle. Once again, it was controlled by the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan.

"You can run from the monk, but not the temple. Minato, if you don't come out, I'll start killing them all."

Uchiha Kyu controlled the Nine-Tails and effortlessly slaughtered one Konoha ninja after another as if killing chickens.

Minato Namikaze had now vanished without a trace. Uchiha Kyu suspected that he had gone to the territory of the summoned beasts, Mount Myōboku.

"Minato, are even you no match for Uchiha Kyu?"

Uchiha Kyu's unrestrained slaughter through his control of the Nine-Tails filled Hiruzen Sarutobi with despair.