Thud, thud...
Before Minato Namikaze, Shisui Uchiha controlled the green giant as it climbed out of the deep crater step by step, its violent chakra surging in every direction.
Including straight toward Minato Namikaze!
"Lord Hokage, forgive my impudence."
Yet Minato Namikaze paid no mind to those chakra shock waves, evading them all with a few quick flashes.
What truly concerned him now was the man before him, whose blood-red eyes bore the shape of four-bladed shuriken!
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
Faced with Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Second Step, Shisui Uchiha had immediately activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and unleashed Susanoo.
Wait!
As Shisui Uchiha emerged from the crater, Minato Namikaze finally noticed something.
The green skeleton before him seemed to consist of only an upper body.
His Susanoo wasn't even in its complete form!
Seeing this, Minato Namikaze held a kunai bearing a Flying Thunder God Mark in one hand and asked with a smile.
"Why summon only half of it? This isn't Susanoo's complete form, is it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had asked him to test Shisui Uchiha's true strength.
Yet not only had Shisui failed to reveal his true strength, he hadn't even summoned a complete Susanoo!
"You aren't an enemy."
Shisui Uchiha spoke calmly.
"Besides, you haven't gone all out either, Lord Hokage."
Against a Minato Namikaze who wasn't fighting seriously, he only needed Susanoo to protect his upper body.
Moreover, given the power of that last attack, he could have taken it head-on with his body and weapon without much difficulty, if he hadn't been unwilling to expose his identity.
After all, since obtaining Wood Release, his physical toughness and regenerative power had far surpassed their former levels!
He was strong now.
Even without revealing his Wood Release, he could defeat Konoha's Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, without moving from his spot!
"..."
At Shisui Uchiha's words, the Rasengan already formed in Minato Namikaze's left hand trembled slightly, and his smile grew broader.
But in the next instant, the chakra within the Rasengan quickly stabilized and began swelling at a furious pace.
"In that case, I now order you, as Hokage, to show me your true strength. This will determine the difficulty of the missions assigned to you in the future."
"If you truly wish to protect the village and carry on the will of fire, then come at me with everything you have!"
Whoosh!
A yellow flash streaked past.
"Come on, Shisui!"
"Heh heh heh. He's only asking to be humiliated."
As Minato Namikaze attacked again, elsewhere, outside the Hokage's office, Shimura Danzō walked up beside Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His face was full of scorn.
"He is the Uchiha Clan's greatest prodigy of this generation. His strength speaks for itself, and his Mangekyō Sharingan possesses the ultimate genjutsu, capable of permanently changing a person's thoughts!"
"Even Minato Namikaze, the village's Yellow Flash, cannot possibly be his match."
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued blowing smoke rings in silence, tacitly agreeing with him.
Minato and Shisui had very similar fighting styles, relying on speed to end a battle.
But if their attacks failed, Shisui's advantage over Minato would be considerable.
Susanoo enhanced his defense and offensive power, and on top of that, he had his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability, Kotoamatsukami!
Unless Minato fought with his eyes shut for the rest of the battle, Shisui could end it with a single Kotoamatsukami the moment he found an opening.
To Shimura Danzō, however, Hiruzen Sarutobi's silence meant he was considering what Danzō had said earlier.
So he continued fanning the flames.
"That ability of his is far too dangerous. It must be placed under Konoha's control-under our control!"
But no sooner had Shimura Danzō finished speaking than a light flickered several times in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He lowered his pipe and spoke gravely.
"Shisui belongs to Konoha. He is one of my men! If you dare lay a hand on him, you know what will happen."
"Hmph!"
Shimura Danzō swept his hand sharply, then turned his back on Hiruzen Sarutobi and looked toward Hokage Rock again, utterly unconvinced.
Shisui Uchiha, one of your men?
Heh. Before long, those Sharingan of his will be mine!
With those Sharingan, I'll be able to control all of Konoha!
No!
Even controlling the entire Shinobi World won't be impossible!
As madness filled Shimura Danzō's eyes, elsewhere, the battle continued.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique once more, Minato Namikaze instantly appeared beside Shisui Uchiha.
He threw several kunai bearing Flying Thunder God Marks at once, targeting the cracks scattered across Susanoo.
Meanwhile, with a kunai in hand, he thrust straight at Susanoo's back.
Although Susanoo's defenses were powerful, his earlier attack had already cracked them.
As long as he kept launching sufficiently powerful attacks, he would surely be able to injure Shisui Uchiha, who was sheltered inside!
Seeing this, Shisui Uchiha was utterly speechless.
Stabbing Susanoo with a kunai?
It reminded him of a certain someone...
But just as Shisui Uchiha calmly waited for Minato Namikaze's attack, brilliant yellow lightning suddenly crisscrossed around him.
At the sight, Shisui Uchiha's crimson Mangekyō Sharingan abruptly narrowed.
Dense networks of channels and flesh rapidly spread over the surface of Susanoo, which had been nothing but a skeleton moments before.
Then the Tengu Armor appeared, enclosing Shisui Uchiha within its protection.
Others might not recognize this move of Minato Namikaze's, but he knew it all too well.
Like Flying Thunder God Second Step, it was one of Minato Namikaze's signature ninjutsu!
"Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Three!"
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