Gales swept past, fierce winds buffeting his face as the blond hair atop his head whipped wildly.
Facing River's strike, Minato Namikaze looked somewhat surprised.
The speed was far beyond his expectations, and the force was astonishingly fierce, swift, and precise.
Bang!
The tip pierced the space between his brows, but at that very instant, smoke burst out, followed by the sound of wood hitting the ground.
River stopped and turned to look to one side.
His opponent had already appeared there. Extending his right hand, he hurled a kunai at River.
"The Three-Body Technique?"
River's eyes brightened, a hint of interest stirring in him at this world's methods of combat.
Compared to the fighting styles of the pirate world, most ninja in the Naruto World relied on their brains rather than brute force, unless their strength was overwhelmingly superior.
Various ninjutsu, genjutsu, and battle strategies played crucial roles here.
The thought flashed through River's mind. He stood without moving, allowing the kunai to pierce the space between his brows.
The next second, with a bang, his figure also turned into a block of wood.
At the same time, he darted out from behind Minato Namikaze. With a swift step, he reversed his kunai and thrust it toward his opponent's neck from behind.
The shift from rapid motion to perfect stillness happened in an instant, the kunai's tip stopping steadily just before Minato's neck.
"Your movements are fast, and you're very proficient with the Substitution Technique."
"Sui, you don't look like an inexperienced beginner at all."
Minato Namikaze spoke with a smile, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
Brief as the fight had been, it revealed a great deal. This younger brother of his undoubtedly had secrets of his own. Otherwise, he could never have moved with such seasoned skill, speed,