Well Done, Minato—Our Coordination Was Flawless

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed up blood, roaring with all his strength despite the danger to his life.

"Even if it costs me my life, this old man will never allow anyone to harm Konoha. That is my ninja way."

"So confident?"

A strange smile appeared on Uchiha Kyu's face.

The next second, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched in stunned disbelief as the Ultra-Great Rasengan, powerful enough to kill Uchiha Kyu, passed through his body and came straight at him.

From behind, Minato Namikaze could only see his Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan strike Uchiha Kyu.

"It worked!"

Minato Namikaze shouted in triumph.

Boom!!!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was sent flying, his blood streaking through the air.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Kyu, who had been attacked first, stood unharmed where he was and slowly turned to look at Minato.

"Well done, Minato."

"Our coordination was flawless."

Uchiha Kyu gave a mocking smile and raised a thumbs-up at him.

"How is that possible?"

Minato Namikaze's pupils widened in shock. I killed Lord Third.

"Gah!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slid across the ground for more than ten meters, blood continuously pouring from his mouth. Barely alive, he stared at the night sky with disbelief in his eyes.

He simply could not understand why he was the one who had died.

Could it be just as Uchiha Kyu had said—that Minato had stabbed him in the back?

"Old man!"

A familiar, tearful cry came from nearby.

Slugs crawled all over Hiruzen Sarutobi's body, channeling pale green healing energy into him.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi's insides had already been thoroughly shredded into pulp. There was no possibility of recovery.

Before dying, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt an unbearable heat inside his chest, while blood clogged his throat. Veins bulged across his face in agony.

"Tsunade..."

At death's door, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhausted the last of his strength. The arm he raised toward Tsunade dropped heavily onto the blood-soaked ground.

"No!!!" Tsunade scrambled over and lifted her teacher.

Minato Namikaze stared at his own hands in disbelief, trembling all over as he repeatedly questioned himself. "I killed Lord Third."

"Old man..."

The horrifying blood instantly stained Tsunade's vision red, making her recall scene after scene of her loved ones' deaths.

Her younger brother Nawaki, whose internal organs had been blown to nothing.

Her lover Dan Katō, who had died in battle.

"Ah!!!"

The hemophobia she had managed to suppress flared up again. Tsunade stared fearfully at her bloodstained hands, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.

At the same time, the surrounding ninja in battle noticed Tsunade crying over the Third Hokage's body in a pool of blood.

An Akimichi Clan Jonin shouted tearfully, "Lord Third has fallen!"

One spread it to ten, ten spread it to a hundred, and news of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's death gradually spread.

Seeing that the granddaughter of the great Hashirama Senju actually suffered from hemophobia, Uchiha Kyu snorted disdainfully. "What a worthless fool."

"As the last bloodline of the Senju Clan, it is truly ironic that a ninja like you would fear blood."

Uchiha Kyu ignored Tsunade and looked toward the culprit responsible for killing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"This time, I have you to thank. Otherwise, it really would have taken me some time to deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"But even if you killed Hiruzen Sarutobi to show me goodwill, I still won't go easy on you."

"Let me see just how strong this Sage Mode really is."

"Heh heh heh!!!"

Uchiha Kyu gave a strange laugh. While Minato Namikaze was still lost in self-doubt, he rushed before him and instantly planted a genjutsu with his Mangekyō Sharingan.

The iron-fisted blow made Minato Namikaze's internal organs shudder, rupture, and bleed.

But under Sage Mode, Minato Namikaze's injuries healed extremely quickly and did not hinder him from continuing the fight in the slightest.

After regaining his senses, Minato Namikaze was still thinking about what had just happened, gritting his teeth as he sought to know why.

"Your hands had already been restrained by Lord Third, and that was not something Flying Thunder God could accomplish."

"Want to know? I simply won't tell you."

Uchiha Kyu was not in the habit of casually revealing his intelligence to others.

"You personally took down the Third Hokage. I'd like to ask how you feel right now."

Minato Namikaze's eyes were filled with sorrow, and his voice was low. "Shut up. Lord Third died protecting Konoha."

As a ninja, he had to stay calm.

The most important thing now was dealing with Uchiha Kyu. Otherwise, Lord Third's sacrifice would have been in vain.

Seeing Minato Namikaze create a Shadow Clone, Uchiha Kyu lowered his gaze slightly and looked at his own chest.

"That trick won't work on me."

A fist passed through Uchiha Kyu's body. Tsunade looked stunned as she passed through him herself, stumbling and nearly falling.

Tsunade hurriedly stopped herself and stood beside Minato Namikaze, her eyes filled with killing intent.

"Still couldn't do it." Minato Namikaze sounded somewhat regretful.

He had clearly drawn enough of Uchiha Kyu's attention just now, yet the sneak attack had still failed.

"Minato, Sensei died protecting the village. Don't blame yourself."

Rather than answering her, Minato Namikaze calmly analyzed Uchiha Kyu's ability from just now.

"Lady Tsunade, the instant you touched Uchiha Kyu, did you feel nothing at all?"

"It was as if you had struck air, without encountering the slightest resistance."

"That's right." Tsunade nodded firmly.

Minato Namikaze nodded solemnly as he analyzed, "It was definitely a space-time ninjutsu, but not the Flying Thunder God Technique. It should be Uchiha Kyu's ocular technique."

Clap clap clap!!!

Uchiha Kyu had no choice but to applaud as he laughed. "They all say Minato Namikaze's greatest strength is the Flying Thunder God Technique."

"On the contrary, your greatest strength is your brain."

Uchiha Kyu's gaze could not help shifting toward Tsunade, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.

What happened to this woman's hemophobia?

Why had it suddenly disappeared?

Could Hiruzen Sarutobi's death have stimulated her? Had the power known as bonds allowed her to suppress her hemophobia?

Minato Namikaze asked worriedly, "Lady Tsunade, your hemophobia..."

Tsunade waved a hand, her expression grave. "It's temporarily under control. What matters now is dealing with Uchiha Kyu."

Intense grief and hatred had allowed Tsunade to suppress her hemophobia for the time being.

"I'll hold him down. You look for an opening."

After saying that, Tsunade took a step forward, and the terrifying force instantly made the ground buckle upward.

Heaven Kick!

Uchiha Kyu immediately retreated. The terrifying kick caused the spot where he had been standing to explode instantly.

Tsunade's Superhuman Strength was that terrifying.

"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan."

The Rasengan Minato Namikaze formed came hurtling toward him again.

In the blink of an eye, Minato Namikaze's Shadow Clone silently appeared behind Uchiha Kyu and wrapped both arms around him.

"Trivial tricks."

A strange red gleam flashed through Uchiha Kyu's Mangekyō Sharingan as its ocular power erupted.

"Explode!!!"

Minato Namikaze's Shadow Clone was covered in Explosive Tags.

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

Boom!!!

The Explosive Tags detonated at different intervals, and the explosions continued for more than ten seconds.

When the explosions faded, a massive skeletal giant appeared before the two of them.

Uchiha Kyu gained a deeper understanding of Minato Namikaze's mind for gathering intelligence.

If he had used his Kamui ocular technique to teleport away just now, then the explosions would have followed him into Kamui's alternate dimension.

He would still have taken the full damage from the Explosive Tags.

However, his knowledge of ninja intelligence far surpassed everyone else's.

"Superhuman Strength."

Tsunade slammed a fist into the Susanoo.

With a crack, a small fissure appeared in Susanoo's defense.

Tsunade snorted. "It seems your turtle shell isn't invincible either."

Uchiha Kyu glanced at the crack in the Susanoo. His gaze was deep and completely calm as he spoke indifferently.

"I've played enough. Now, let me show you my true power."

Uchiha Kyu formed a hand seal with one hand, and the Nine-Tails, which should have been fighting elsewhere, suddenly appeared here.

Standing atop the Nine-Tails' head, Uchiha Kyu's Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly.

"Armored Susanoo."