"Phew."
Minato let out a long breath. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and one drop landed in his left eye.
A sharp sting shot through it, and Minato instinctively squinted. In that instant, Uchiha Fū charged.
A kunai flashed coldly. Several shuriken appeared in Minato's hand, and he hurled them before forming hand signs.
"Fire Release: Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Breakthrough!"
Facing Uchiha Fū's sudden attack, Minato formed two sets of hand signs in rapid succession and unleashed two ninjutsu.
The Great Fireball had barely formed when the gale from his Wind Release swept in behind it.
The wind fed the flames. Two techniques that were not especially powerful on their own combined to devastating effect. In the blink of an eye, a sea of fire blotted out the sky and surged toward Uchiha Fū.
Before the flames reached him, waves of heat were already scorching his body.
Gasps rose all around. It was not especially complicated for one person to combine two ninjutsu, but it was exceedingly rare for someone Minato's age to pull it off.
It required a deep familiarity with both techniques, exceptionally fast hand signs, and the ability to release each ninjutsu at just the right speed.
Otherwise, the Fire Release would go out before the Wind Release even appeared.
Surprise flashed in Uchiha Fū's eyes. He retreated swiftly, forming hand signs as he moved.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
An earth wall rose. Uchiha Fū fell back again, pushing off the ground and accelerating to his limit as he watched the sea of fire with a grave expression.
A solid barrier like an earth wall did little against a sea of fire, which could change shape and direction at will—unless the wall was large enough.
But Uchiha Fū's strength was limited. He could