Minato, Pain Rin, Offensive and Defensive Battle!

"Poof~~!" A towering cloud of summoning smoke rose high into the air~~. Great Toad Bunta descended amid billowing smoke, a gigantic pipe clenched in his mouth. His enormous bulk made the forest clearing seem incredibly cramped, even crushing the little hut where the Scroll of Seals had been stored.

Bunta spoke in a streetwise tone, "Gwa ha ha~! Jiraiya, you old fool, summoning me to such a cramped place again! Believe me, I'll shake you right off my head!"

"Mr. Bunta." A polite voice came from atop his head.

"Gwa?" Bunta's laughter stopped as he looked up. "Ah... so it's you, Minato!"

His expression immediately turned solemn. "You summoned me in an emergency. Did something happen to the village?"

Minato gazed into the distance at the Yata Crow speeding toward the edge of Konoha and concisely explained, "The village has been attacked. One of the enemies excels at fighting with summons and is about to leave with the Scroll of Seals!"

"Huh? Strange... isn't the Scroll of Seals strapped to your back?"

"Ah, I didn't explain clearly. This is the Scroll of Seals I recovered. During the struggle, part of it was taken by the enemy. Most importantly, the part that was taken contains the final volume of the Scroll of Seals. The techniques recorded there are exceedingly dangerous. If they fall into enemy hands, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"I see..." Bunta took a deep puff from his pipe, his toad eyes narrowing. "For even you to fail to keep it all under control, the other side must be quite something."

Minato respectfully said, "That is exactly why I need to ask for your help, Mr. Bunta. The enemy is in the air. Without your assistance, I fear I won't be able to reach him!"

"Easy enough. Leave it to me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bunta's massive body shot forth like an arrow loosed from a bow. He stomped through the forests of Konoha, leaping repeatedly, and within a few bounds, he had closed the distance to the Yata Crow!

On the Yata Crow's back... Pain Rin looked back at the colossal figure rapidly closing in below and murmured, "The Preta Path and the Asura Path... are currently tangling with the Third Hokage."

"If I summon them over, Uchiha's side will lose its outer cover."

"Should I summon the main body over?"

"No... it is still too early to meet."

Pain Rin formed hand seals with her small hands.

"I'll handle this with the Animal Path itself!"

—Summoning Technique: Hellhound!

Poof!

Amid the white smoke, a Hellhound descended from the sky, baring its fangs as it lunged at Great Toad Bunta, who was charging forward at high speed!

Minato exclaimed in surprise, "Does he have more than one summoned beast?"

"Hmph!" Bunta blew out a puff from his pipe, as though he regarded the opponent as a mere minnow. "Boom!" He leaped high into the air, then his heavyweight body came crashing directly down upon the Hellhound, stomping it out amid the smoke.

Pain Rin sighed, "The Third Hokage is really strong. It's a shame I can't summon an Amplified Hellhound yet. Otherwise, I'd give him a real beating!"

Her small hands formed seals once more!

—Summoning Technique: Hell Crab!

Poof!

Looking at the giant crab descending from the smoke, Minato cried out, "Flying in the sky, running on land, swimming in water... can he fight using amphibious summons across sea, land, and air?!"

"Whoosh!!"

The Hell Crab spat out foam like a crashing ocean wave from midair...!!

"Mr. Bunta, the enemy is trying to use those bubbles to stop our pursuit!!"

"Hmph!! Such a cheap trick!!" Bunta formed a seal with his toad hands, his cheeks contracting as he fired a condensed water bullet packed with Mount Myoboku Sage Art chakra!

—Water Release: Water Gun!!

It was a technique on par with Sand Shukaku's Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!!

Rumble...!!!

The Water Gun pierced through the foam and slammed into the Hell Crab's abdomen. Even with its shell for protection, it could not withstand that power...

With a boom, it vanished into a cloud of white smoke!

"Hmph." Pain Rin lowered her hands and gave a delicate snort. The Yata Crow circled through the air, aimed at Great Toad Bunta, and rapidly fired bird eggs from its mouth!

"Gwa ha ha~~, how ridiculous... this idiot is actually mocking me by laying eggs. Watch me split your eggs apart with one slash!!!"

Bunta laughed three times, drew his blade, and slashed at the eggs falling toward him...

He sliced them apart with ease...

"Gwa ha ha ha... as expected, they were utterly worthless!!"

Suddenly... a dazzling light flooded Bunta's vision!!!

"What... the hell is this!??"

At the critical moment... Minato crouched and pressed his palm against Bunta's head. At the same time... a kunai landed in distant bushes!!!

—Flying Thunder God Technique!!!

Boom...!!

Bunta's enormous body appeared out of thin air, crushing swathes of trees beneath him!

Countless beasts fled in terror, while birds took flight amid alarmed cries...

Rumble rumble rumble...!!!

Behind them... the firelight from the explosions spread into one continuous blaze!!

Bunta's face turned red. "Those eggs it threw were all bombs?! Damn it, that almost made a fool of me!!"

"Whew... indeed. If you didn't know beforehand, they would be impossible to guard against." Minato had expended considerable stamina transferring Bunta with the Flying Thunder God in such haste. Sweat now appeared on his face, though mixed with rainwater, it was impossible to tell...

Bunta glared at the Yata Crow circling overhead, fury burning in his eyes. "You damn bastard, I'll slaughter you right now!!"

The pursuit and counterattack began anew!!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bunta leaped and dodged from side to side, nimbly evading the bombardment of bombs!!

"Now that I know they're bombs, don't think the same trick will work again!!!"

Seeing the Yata Crow about to fly beyond Konoha's airspace, Minato urgently said, "Mr. Bunta... it is approaching Konoha's barrier. Once it leaves Konoha, it will be difficult for us to pursue it!"

"Yeah, I know. I'll finish it now!!!"

"Crack!!!" Bunta bit down on his pipe, gathered strength in his toad legs, and launched himself into the air, his great blade sweeping down!

"Quite capable, aren't you~?" Pain Rin controlled the Yata Crow to pull upward, narrowly avoiding Bunta's blade!!!

"Whoosh!" Bunta's body began to fall. The next moment, he somehow exerted force in midair and hurled the great blade in his hand!!

"What!?" This move was completely beyond Pain Rin's expectations!!!

Bang!!!

The Yata Crow was pierced through by the great blade and vanished into white smoke!!

Pain Rin lost her footing and fell amid the raging wind. She stretched out with all her strength, grabbing the loose pages of the Scroll of Seals drifting through the air... before crashing heavily beside Konoha's outer wall...

"Thud!" Great Toad Bunta landed heavily. "Minato, this is as far as I can help you!!"

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Bunta."

Poof!!

Bunta vanished into white smoke...

Beneath Konoha's outer wall, Pain Rin clutched the torn volume of the Scroll of Seals and covered the hole in her left shoulder, where Kakashi's Chidori had pierced through her.

"You have nowhere left to run." Minato spoke calmly. "The wound in your left shoulder was caused by Kakashi's Chidori, wasn't it?"

"I heard... Kakashi was seriously injured and has already been taken away by the medical team."

"And yet, with such a severe wound, you did not treat it. You kept circling around with me all this way and held on until now."

"That is simply incredible."

"No matter who you really are, or whether the one before me is merely a 'puppet'..."

"Whoosh!" A Rasengan formed in Minato's palm as he charged toward Pain Rin, standing alone beneath the wall!

—"At the very least, let me see your true face beneath that mask!"

The Rasengan... closed in on the cat-faced mask!!

Boom!!

"What...!?" Minato's pupils suddenly contracted.