[Naruto : Yellow Flash] Chapter 486 - 490

Chapter 486: Tailed Beasts and Nature

“Everyone, stay alert!”

Hanzo’s voice cut through the battlefield, his usual confidence replaced by fear. His eyes remained locked on Minato, who stood radiating power in Sage Mode.

Rōshi frowned, sensing an unsettling change in the air, while Rasa, standing nearby, looked puzzled.

The trio halted their charge immediately.

“Boom!”

Minato, now fully immersed in Sage Mode, punched forward. The air itself seemed to ripple, forming an invisible force that radiated outward.

Even Hanzo, a seasoned ninja, couldn’t discern the exact nature of Minato’s attack.

“Lava Release: Granite Wall!”

Reacting swiftly, Rōshi spewed molten lava from his mouth. The magma solidified instantly, forming a barrier between him and the incoming force.

“Bang!”

The newly formed barrier shuddered violently before crumbling into pieces as if struck by an invisible hammer.

“What… what is this?”

Rasa’s voice trembled slightly. He had witnessed Minato’s punch, but the collapse of Rōshi’s solid granite barrier seemed inexplicable.

Among the onlookers, only Jiraiya, a fellow practitioner of Sage Mode, understood what had just transpired.

“Using shadow clones to condense sage chakra and entering Sage Mode at such incredible speed?” Jiraiya thought, both amazed and envious. Minato’s mastery of Sage Mode surpassed his own, allowing him to enter the state far faster and with greater precision.

Even with this advantage, Jiraiya knew Sage Mode had its limits—Minato could sustain it for only five minutes.

Five minutes to turn the tide against three S-ranked ninjas… Can he really pull it off?

Still, something puzzled Jiraiya. Minato had mentioned a new technique earlier. What could it be?

Rōshi, meanwhile, felt a chill run down his spine. The attack that had shattered his barrier was invisible, yet he had sensed its presence through the molten chakra coursing through his body.

Minato narrowed his eyes as he observed Rōshi. Hanzo and Rasa, formidable as they were, couldn’t detect his Frog Kumite strikes, yet Rōshi had clearly perceived their flow.

How is this possible?

Sage Mode attacks, fueled by natural energy, were imperceptible to ordinary sensory ninjas. Yet Rōshi could somehow sense them.

“Could it be the tailed beast?”

A theory began to form in Minato’s mind. The tailed beasts were unique entities with immense chakra reserves, capable of reforming after death. Their origins and connection to natural energy had always been shrouded in mystery.

Minato glanced briefly at Rōshi, his curiosity piqued. The Four-Tails Jinchūriki’s ability to detect natural energy might point to a deeper link between tailed beasts and the natural world—a connection yet unknown to ninja society.

The thought lingered, intertwining with other questions Minato had recently unearthed: the mysterious disappearance of the Senju clan, the identity of the masked man who attacked Konoha, and the deeper secrets of the tailed beasts.

This war… this chaos… there’s something bigger at play, Minato mused, his resolve hardening.

Hanzo’s voice broke through Minato’s thoughts.

“Can you sense those invisible attacks?” Hanzo demanded, stepping closer to Rōshi.

“Yes,” Rōshi replied, his tone tinged with unease. The molten chakra in his body allowed him to detect the otherwise imperceptible movements of natural energy.

Hanzo’s face lit with grim determination. “Good. Let’s put that to use.”

He turned to Rasa, who nodded silently, already forming hand seals to ready his golden sand.

“Then let’s test this!” Hanzo bellowed, charging toward Minato.

Rasa manipulated the gold sand around him, creating shuriken-like projectiles that hovered protectively as he followed Hanzo.

Minato readied himself, drawing upon Frog Kumite once more. His attack, invisible to the naked eye, surged toward Hanzo.

“Four o’clock!” Rōshi shouted, his voice cutting through the din.

Hanzo adjusted his trajectory instantly, veering to the side. A sharp tingle grazed his body, the only sign of the narrowly avoided attack.

It worked!

Hanzo’s heart raced, but a glimmer of satisfaction crossed his face. For the first time, Minato’s invisible strikes had been evaded.

“Gold Dust Shuriken!”

Rasa’s golden projectiles shot forward, forming a defensive screen around Hanzo. The glinting sand moved in synchronized arcs, warding off Minato’s rapid advances.

Minato smiled faintly as he observed their coordinated efforts. “Interesting.”

He launched another Frog Kumite strike, prompting Rōshi to call out another direction. Once again, Hanzo dodged, narrowly escaping the attack.

The battle continued in this manner, with Minato launching strike after strike, and Rōshi guiding Hanzo out of harm’s way.

However, Minato wasn’t deterred. With each exchange, his understanding grew clearer.

There’s definitely a connection between the tailed beasts and natural energy, he thought. Rōshi’s ability to sense his attacks was beyond normal sensory perception, and the tailed beast chakra within him seemed to be the key.

Jiraiya, meanwhile, grew increasingly anxious.

“Minato, what are you waiting for? You’re running out of time!” Jiraiya called out, his voice tinged with urgency.

What Jiraiya didn’t know was that Minato’s Sage Mode wasn’t bound by the usual five-minute limit.

Chapter 487: ·Flying Thunder God Stage 3!

Rustle!

Hanzo slid back several meters, his wary eyes locked onto Minato.

“Swoosh!”

A shuriken of golden sand shot toward Minato from behind. Its speed was impressive, but for someone like Minato, it posed no threat. With a subtle shift of his body, he dodged the projectile effortlessly.

“Boom boom!”

Not far away, Jiraiya and Kitsuchi clashed with their respective ninjutsu. Their battle was fierce and evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand. The earth trembled under their continuous exchanges.

Minato’s sharp gaze took in the battlefield. He noticed that Hanzo, Rōshi, and the Fourth Kazekage remained within range of Jiraiya’s position, unwilling to stray too far.

It’s because of my Flying Thunder God mark on Jiraiya’s arm, Minato realized.

“Bang Bang!”

Suddenly, Minato formed seals with his hands, and two shadow clones materialized beside him. Without hesitation, the clones hurled several specially crafted kunai.

The kunai, infused with senjutsu chakra, glowed with lightning as they zipped through the air at incredible speeds, causing the very atmosphere to tremble in their wake.

Even Rōshi, with the enhanced perception granted by the Four-Tails' chakra, struggled to track their movement.

“Shhh!”

Rōshi reacted quickly, unleashing a wave of molten lava from his mouth. The searing magma spread like a curtain, intending to cover the kunai’s path and neutralize their threat.

Swish!

Before the lava could engulf them, Minato’s two sage clones disappeared and reappeared mid-air, right in the path of the moving kunai.

Their speed suddenly surged, leaving streaks of yellow light as they bypassed the molten wave entirely.

“Even the clones’ speed has increased?”

Hanzo, ever observant, noticed the dramatic shift in their agility. His eyes narrowed in thought.

Minato’s original speed was already faster than mine, but now his clones are moving at a level beyond anything I’ve seen.

“Not only can he use that invisible attack, but his overall speed has increased as well…” Hanzo muttered, his expression grim.

At that moment, Minato’s two sage clones flanked their opponents, chakra swirling in their palms.

“Senjutsu: Ōdama Rasengan!”

As the two massive Rasengan attacks barreled toward them, Rasa acted quickly, summoning gold sand from the ground. The shimmering sand rose rapidly, forming two thick barriers to block the incoming assault.

“Boom boom!”

The Rasengan collided with the barriers, generating a deafening explosion. The gold sand trembled violently under the impact before shattering into fragments.

Rasa’s pupils dilated in shock. My defenses couldn’t even hold for a moment?

Unbeknownst to Rasa, Minato’s attacks weren’t ordinary ninjutsu—they were enhanced by senjutsu chakra, vastly amplifying their destructive power.

As the barriers crumbled, Minato’s clones pressed forward, their Rasengan aimed directly at Hanzo and Rōshi.

“Zheng!”

Hanzo dashed to the left, his blade flashing as he intercepted one of the clones.

Rōshi moved to the right, his magma-coated fist meeting the other clone head-on. The sheer heat from his punch caused the air to ripple and steam.

“Bang!”

The explosive collision of their attacks sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, forcing both sides to retreat. Minato’s clones dissipated into puffs of smoke, their chakra spent.

Across the field, Jiraiya, Rasa, and the other combatants paused momentarily, sensing a shift in the battle’s intensity.

Minato stood at the center of the battlefield, his hands forming intricate seals. His chakra flared around him, glowing with a brilliant azure hue. If one looked closely, faint traces of blood-red chakra swirled within the blue, creating an ominous aura.

“What is this?”

A muffled voice echoed from within Rōshi.

“It’s him…”

Rōshi froze, startled by the Four-Tails’ sudden reaction. The beast, usually aloof and indifferent, now radiated an unmistakable emotion—surprise.

“What’s going on?” Rōshi demanded internally. In all his years as a Jinchūriki, he had never felt the Four-Tails express such human-like emotions.

But the beast remained silent, refusing to elaborate.

Rōshi returned his focus to the battlefield, but a nagging unease gnawed at him.

At this moment, Hanzo, Rasa, and Rōshi all moved to interrupt Minato’s actions.

“Senjutsu: Flying Thunder God Stage 3!”

Minato’s voice echoed across the battlefield. The chakra around him surged outward, transforming into an ethereal rain of azure light.

“Swish, swish, swish!”

The chakra light rained down across the battlefield, covering an area of several hundred meters. The spectacle was breathtaking, momentarily halting the fighting on the outer edges as ninjas from both sides turned to witness the phenomenon.

“Is this… Minato’s chakra?”

Suzuka, positioned further away, felt the immense energy wash over her. Though she had always known Minato to be strong, she never expected his chakra reserves to reach such overwhelming levels.

The light rain fell gently to the ground, leaving no visible damage. But Hanzo and the others remained wary, forming defensive stances as they observed its effects.

As the light faded, the chakra transformed, twisting and condensing into black lines that spread across the battlefield.

The intricate web of lines resembled a living organism, pulsating with energy.

Hanzo’s eyes widened in realization. “Careful!” he shouted.

Swish!

A golden blur appeared behind Rōshi.

Hanzo reacted instinctively, swinging his blade in a backward arc. But by the time his sword sliced through the air, the figure was gone, returning to its original position.

“Boom!”

Rōshi, unable to react in time, felt the impact of a chakra ball slam into his back, sending him hurtling across the battlefield.

Chapter 488: Incident

“Boom!”

Under the horrified gazes of Hanzo and Rasa, Rōshi was blasted backward, his molten chakra armor cracking under Minato’s relentless assault.

“Zheng!”

At the same time, Minato brought down his special kunai, its edge surrounded by wind blades.

“Clang!”

Hanzo reacted instantly. As Rōshi was sent flying, he spun his samurai sword in a defensive maneuver, thrusting it toward Minato.

Seeing the counterattack, Minato halted his strike mid-motion and vanished in a flash.

“Damn it!”

Hanzo cursed under his breath. His failed strike left him momentarily vulnerable. As he glanced around, his eyes fell on the black lines sprawling across the battlefield, and a wave of unease washed over him.

Those marks…

The ground was now covered in countless black lines, all connected to Minato’s chakra. These weren’t ordinary marks—they were the coordinates Minato needed to teleport freely.

Within this area, Minato was unrestrained, capable of instant movement anywhere on the battlefield. The sheer number of marks made it impossible for even Rōshi’s Molten Release to erase them all.

Rōshi, still reeling from Minato’s last attack, steadied himself. Most of his molten chakra armor had shattered, but he quickly formed seals, reinvigorating the magma shield around his body.

Yet before he could fully recover, a golden figure appeared before him.

“Boom!”

Minato’s Rasengan smashed into Rōshi’s chest, sending him flying once more.

Are all these marks for teleportation?

Rōshi groaned as he struggled to his feet. The realization dawned on him: as long as Minato remained within this network of marks, he could strike at will.

If I don’t disrupt this setup, I’ll be killed eventually.

Determined, Rōshi unleashed a surge of molten chakra, spreading magma in all directions. The intense heat melted the ground within a radius of several meters, destroying some of the black lines.

But no sooner had the magma spread than a wind blade cut through it, slicing cleanly through the molten rock. A golden blur appeared again, and before Rōshi could react, Minato was upon him.

“Boom!”

Rōshi crossed his arms defensively, taking the hit head-on. Though his experience in battle allowed him to mitigate some damage, the relentless assault was wearing him down.

Minato, observing his opponent’s tactics, noticed Rōshi’s strategy: prioritize destroying the marks, even if it meant exposing weaknesses.

On the other side of the battlefield, Hanzo remained on high alert, while Rasa retreated into a dome of gold sand, his third eye forming above the barrier.

If I don’t fortify my defenses now, I won’t stand a chance, Rasa thought grimly. He was the slowest among the three and knew that any mistake could cost him his life.

As the three adversaries assessed their situation, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

This is the new technique Minato mentioned…

Jiraiya’s eyes trembled as he took in the scene. The battlefield was now blanketed with Minato’s Flying Thunder God marks.

The biggest drawback of the Flying Thunder God Technique had always been its reliance on marks. Minato traditionally used kunai or brief physical contact to leave these marks, but that method had its limitations—it was predictable.

Minato’s solution was ingenious. By materializing his chakra and dispersing it across a wide area, he created a network of marks in an instant. This "Flying Thunder God: Stage 3" allowed him unparalleled mobility and offensive capability.

But this technique… it must require incredible precision and chakra control. It’s only possible because he’s in Sage Mode, Jiraiya realized.

Minato, meanwhile, evaluated the situation.

I need to eliminate one of them first, he thought. The battle had dragged on, and even with Sage Mode, the strain was mounting. If he could incapacitate just one opponent, the momentum would shift decisively in Konoha’s favor.

As this thought crossed his mind, a blue Rasengan began forming in his palm. Wind chakra spiraled around the ball, sharpening its edge and amplifying its destructive power.

“That move…”

Rasa, observing from within his gold sand barrier, felt a chill run down his spine. The chakra emanating from Minato’s technique caused his entire body to tense.

“Ding ding!”

The piercing hum of Minato’s Rasengan Shuriken filled the air, its vibrations unnerving even seasoned fighters like Hanzo and Rōshi.

“You can’t let him use that move!”

Inside Rōshi’s mind, the Four-Tails suddenly spoke, its voice heavy with urgency.

“What?”

Rōshi was startled. The Four-Tails rarely communicated with him, let alone offered assistance.

“With your current condition, if you’re hit by that, you’ll die. And I’ll be dragged down with you,” the beast growled.

Though tailed beasts were immortal chakra entities that reformed after death, none of them relished the experience.

“Fine,” Rōshi muttered, feeling a surge of molten chakra coursing through his body.

“Don’t thank me,” the Four-Tails snapped, though its tone betrayed a hint of concern.

“Boom!”

A volcanic eruption of chakra radiated from Rōshi. The magma surrounding him intensified, flowing like rivers of fire. The ground melted beneath him, transforming into a molten lake.

Minato paused, his Rasengan Shuriken nearly complete, as he turned to face the sudden change.

From the flames, Rōshi emerged, his entire body encased in a monstrous form. Magma flowed like hair over his grotesque figure, flames licking at the air around him.

The once-human Jinchūriki had become a living inferno.

“Roar!”

The molten creature let out a thunderous roar, slamming its arms into the ground. Rivers of lava surged forward, racing toward Minato like a tidal wave.

Chapter 489: Tailed Beast Transformation, Second Stage!

“His chakra… it suddenly surged!”

Minato’s sharp gaze locked onto Rōshi as his chakra spiked to an unprecedented level. The sudden intensity of the energy made Minato’s skin prickle as if it were burning.

In his Sage Mode perception, Rōshi’s chakra now radiated with overwhelming power, infused with a brutal, murderous intent.

“Boom!”

Scalding magma erupted from Rōshi, spreading across the battlefield. The ground beneath him melted into a searing pool, covering dozens of meters.

Hanzo, Rasa, and Kitsuchi froze momentarily, their expressions grim as they watched the ground dissolve into molten earth.

Hiss!

All three took an involuntary breath, realizing that even getting close to Rōshi now would be perilous.

Swish!

Minato’s figure flashed as he teleported out of the danger zone, reappearing hundreds of meters away. His eyes narrowed, observing Rōshi’s monstrous transformation.

The searing heat emanating from Rōshi filled the air with visible ripples, and the brutal intent behind his chakra reminded Minato of something hauntingly familiar—the Nine-Tails’ ferocity on the night of its attack.

The Four-Tails… Minato thought, his Rasengan Shuriken dissipating as his concentration wavered.

“Roar!”

The monstrous Rōshi turned his blazing eyes toward Minato, letting out an ear-piercing roar that reverberated across the battlefield.

“Boom!”

Tilting his head upward, Rōshi released a stream of molten lava from his mouth, which rapidly condensed into a massive fireball. The sphere, nearly five meters in diameter, radiated unbearable heat, rippling the air around it.

Minato’s expression hardened.

Within moments, Rōshi hurled the enormous magma sphere at Minato.

Swish!

In an instant, Minato disappeared, reappearing in a flash of yellow light. However, instead of retreating, he positioned himself directly in front of the descending fireball.

His hands moved like a blur, forming seals faster than the eye could follow. Gripping two kunai infused with his chakra, Minato charged forward.

“Buzz!”

Black lines materialized around the fireball, forming a barrier. The lines expanded, enclosing the massive sphere and gradually consuming it.

In a stunning display, the magma sphere vanished completely, swallowed by Minato’s technique.

Far away in the desolate Gobi Desert, the fireball reappeared in the sky, hurtling toward the ground. It exploded upon impact, creating a fiery inferno that engulfed a hundred-meter radius.

Back on the battlefield, the sudden disappearance of the magma sphere left everyone stunned.

Even the Three Kingdoms Coalition forces, who had been fighting in the distance, paused to gape in shock.

Hanzo, Rasa, and Kitsuchi exchanged uneasy glances. They realized that had the fireball landed, it would have devastated everyone in its range, friend and foe alike.

“An indiscriminate attack…” Minato muttered, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed Rōshi’s actions.

There were only two possibilities for such a move. Either Rōshi was fully aware that Minato would divert the attack to protect his allies, or he had lost all rationality, consumed by a primal desire to destroy.

Either way, this is getting dangerous, Minato thought.

Swish!

Rōshi lunged forward, molten claws forming as he slashed at Minato.

“Senjutsu: Super Odama Rasengan!”

Minato countered, summoning a massive chakra sphere in his palm. The two forces collided with a deafening boom, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.

The impact forced Rōshi back momentarily, but magma surged from his claws, melting away the chakra layers of the Rasengan.

“Boom!”

Minato rotated his palm, destabilizing the Rasengan’s chakra, which exploded outward. The resulting blast dissipated the magma while propelling Rōshi backward.

But before he could be sent too far, Rōshi’s molten chakra condensed into two blazing claws that gripped the ground, steadying him.

Standing upright, Rōshi’s monstrous form seemed to calm slightly. The once-chaotic flames surrounding him now flowed like molten streams, revealing his fiery eyes beneath the heat.

“This power…” Rōshi murmured, his voice guttural and hoarse.

The flames around his body condensed further, no longer radiating wildly. Slowly, they formed distinct shapes behind him—four tails of pure molten chakra.

Minato watched closely, his sharp eyes catching the subtle shifts in Rōshi’s energy.

He’s regaining control…

The savage brutality that had dominated Rōshi moments ago was fading, replaced by a focused, controlled aura.

From a crouched, beast-like stance, Rōshi stood upright. Turning slightly, he addressed the battlefield with a growl.

“Something… happened to me just now. But I’m fine now,” he said, his voice eerily calm.

Hanzo and Rasa exchanged wary looks before moving to stand beside Rōshi.

Hanzo, always calculating, couldn’t help but reevaluate Rōshi’s power. Despite his usual disdain for the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, he now recognized the threat Rōshi posed.

Even Rōshi himself seemed surprised by his transformation.

Within his mind, the Four-Tails chuckled.

“Not bad,” the beast rumbled. “You’ve adapted to the second stage of Tailed Beast Transformation faster than I expected.”

Chapter 490: Power

The battlefield stretched across several hundred meters, reduced to utter devastation. The once-solid ground, already warped by earth-release techniques, now lay melted and uneven, scorched by waves of molten magma.

“Raging!”

Around Rōshi, flames blazed fiercely, yet they no longer seemed chaotic. The fire moved with purpose, radiating intense heat that caused visible ripples in the air.

Minato stood a distance away, his sharp blue eyes taking in the scene before him. His expression was grave.

Rōshi had undergone a transformation, his power now far beyond what Minato had initially perceived. Though Minato couldn’t gauge the exact extent of this newfound strength, one thing was clear—any misstep could have catastrophic consequences, not just for him but for the entire battlefield.

Rōshi’s glowing eyes locked onto Minato. His hands moved, forming seals with deliberate precision as a burning aura rose from his body.

“Lava Release: Lava Flower Bloom!”

Flames erupted from Rōshi, and magma surged outward like an unstoppable tide. Within seconds, the molten river expanded, spreading across the ground and transforming the battlefield into a churning ocean of lava.

“Shhh!”

The sound of the earth melting echoed as the magma consumed everything in its path, including the terrain altered by earlier battles.

Minato’s expression darkened further. The molten sea wasn’t just destructive—it was erasing the Flying Thunder God marks he had carefully placed across the battlefield.

He’s trying to neutralize my mobility, Minato realized.

Rōshi’s intent was unmistakable. By flooding the battlefield with magma, he sought to trap Minato and eliminate the advantage of his teleportation.

Jiraiya and Kitsuchi, who had been locked in their own duel, halted abruptly as the oppressive heat forced them to retreat.

The spectacle caught the attention of ninjas on the outer edges of the battlefield, drawing their gazes toward the molten landscape.

“Magma’s spreading outwards like a volcanic eruption,” Jiraiya muttered, sweat dripping from his brow as he backed away.

The relentless heat forced allied and enemy ninjas alike to pause their fights and retreat further.

“All forces, pull back!” Kitsuchi bellowed to his troops, realizing the danger posed by the expanding lava.

Within the Konoha ranks, Hyūga Tenki activated his Byakugan, his veins bulging as he scanned the battlefield.

“All Konoha units, stop fighting and retreat!” Tenki’s voice rang out, urgent and commanding.

As the magma continued to flow, panic spread among the ninjas.

“Run away!”

“Get out of here, now!”

Shouts and hurried movements filled the battlefield as thousands of ninjas scrambled to escape the ever-expanding lava.

Swish!

Minato darted backward, staying ahead of the molten tide. With his unparalleled speed, he remained untouchable.

Mid-air, he formed seals with his hands. Two shadow clones appeared beside him, each exuding the same composed determination.

In Minato’s hand, chakra swirled and condensed into a brilliant blue orb.

“Ding ding!”

The high-pitched hum of wind blades forming around the Rasengan resonated, growing louder with every passing moment.

“Senjutsu: Wind Style—RasenShuriken!”

The Rasengan Shuriken took shape, its edges crackling with energy.

One of Minato’s clones hurled a special kunai toward the barrier of magma surrounding Rōshi and the others. The kunai sliced through the heated air, leaving a glowing streak in its wake.

Swish!

As the kunai flew, Minato’s second clone retreated, its movements deliberate.

Minato watched intently, his sharp eyes tracking the kunai’s progress as it skimmed the surface of the magma.

At the exact moment the kunai reached its intended position, Minato vanished.

“Flying Thunder God Stage 2!”

He reappeared beside the kunai in a flash, his Rasengan Shuriken glowing ominously in his hand.

“Ding ding!”

With a swift motion, he hurled the shuriken directly into the heart of the molten battlefield.

“Boom!”

The explosion rippled through the air, sending shockwaves across the field. Magma erupted in all directions, flames dancing wildly in the aftermath.

Despite the power of the attack, Minato’s senses told him the truth—his target remained unscathed.

“Their chakra hasn’t diminished,” Minato muttered, his voice calm despite the realization.

Rōshi, Hanzo, and Rasa emerged from the aftermath, their combined defenses holding firm against the assault.

From a distance, the battlefield looked like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, the molten sea radiating heat that warped the air.

The weather itself seemed to shift. What had once been a humid drizzle on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain now turned oppressively hot, the air heavy with steam.

Thousands of ninjas continued to retreat, the sheer scale of the battle forcing them to spread further apart.

In the periphery of the Konoha forces, a young boy sprinted toward a group of medical ninjas. His breaths were labored, but his focus was unwavering.

“Rin!” Obito called out, his voice filled with urgency as he approached.

In the center of the medics stood a short-haired girl, unconscious but stable.

“How is she?” Obito asked, his tone laced with worry.

One of the medics, startled by his sudden arrival, quickly replied. “The bleeding has stopped. Fortunately, she managed to focus chakra to her back before the impact. Otherwise, the damage to her internal organs could have been irreversible.”

Obito exhaled in relief, his gaze softening as he looked at Rin.

At that moment, another figure approached.

“Are you okay?” Kakashi asked, concern etched into his features.

Obito chuckled, his usual lightheartedness returning. “I’m fine. Here, this is yours.”

He tossed the short blade he had borrowed back to Kakashi, who caught it effortlessly.

Kakashi’s eyes lingered on the scarlet Sharingan in Obito’s gaze before shifting back to the battlefield, now completely transformed.

“I wonder if Minato-sensei is okay…” Kakashi murmured, his voice tinged with unease.