The gazes of Minato and Hanzo locked, their unspoken challenge vibrating in the air. The tension built steadily, and in an instant, their eyes froze—sharp and unwavering.
Without warning, the massive salamander beneath Hanzo raised its enormous front paw, aiming to crush Minato.
"Boom!"
The paw struck the ground with an earth-shaking force, sending mud, water, and shards of stone flying in all directions. The ground beneath cracked under the sheer weight of the attack.
Hanzo's expression stiffened as his sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. His heart skipped a beat.
So fast!
The salamander's strike had landed, but Minato's figure had vanished. Hanzo hadn't even caught a glimpse of the blonde ninja's movement.
Despite his own mastery of instant movement, renowned across the ninja world, Hanzo realized Minato's speed was beyond what he had anticipated.
Without hesitation, Hanzo pressed his feet slightly into the salamander's back. The massive creature responded with uncanny agility, leaping into the air, its colossal form defying its size. Its tail swung down with devastating force, targeting Minato's reappeared figure below.
Minato's sapphire eyes flashed with intrigue as he observed the coordination between Hanzo and his summoning beast.
The stories don't do him justice. This level of synergy is exceptional.
Hanzo had earned the title "Hanzo of the Salamander " for good reason. Few in the ninja world possessed such harmony with their summons. The only other person Minato could think of who approached this level of mastery was the Third Hokage with his summon, Enma.
But Minato's confidence didn't waver.
No matter how strong their coordination, this salamander doesn't have the speed to match me.
"Instant Step!"
With a subtle shift of his body, Minato avoided the incoming tail strike. To the Konoha ninjas watching from afar, his movement seemed to blur, like a streak of light bending at impossible angles.
"Boom!"
The salamander's tail smashed into the ground, sending another tremor through the battlefield and leaving behind a wide fissure.
The massive creature let out a guttural sound, almost a growl, as it prepared for its next move. Hanzo, perched atop its back, remained vigilant, his piercing gaze scanning for Minato's next move.
Suddenly, the air around Hanzo buzzed as multiple kunai, each shimmering with electric blue light, flew toward him.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The kunai cut through the rain-soaked air, their trajectory precise and unrelenting. Hanzo's sharp eyes quickly noticed the marks engraved on them.
Flying Thunder God kunai!
Without hesitation, Hanzo's figure blurred as he sidestepped the projectiles, his movements fluid and calculated. Yet as the kunai flew past him, a flicker of light materialized in their path.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
Minato appeared, his special kunai already slashing toward Hanzo with deadly precision.
"Clang!"
A metallic ring echoed as Hanzo's samurai sword met Minato's kunai. Sparks illuminated the rain between them, their weapons locked in a test of strength and speed.
"So, this is the Second Hokage's technique," Hanzo muttered, his voice carrying a hint of admiration.
Despite his composed demeanor, Hanzo was impressed. As a veteran of countless battles, he recognized the technique immediately. It was the Flying Thunder God Slash—a devastating derivative of the legendary Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique. The Second Hokage had once used it to severely injure Izuna Uchiha, one of the strongest warriors of the Uchiha clan and wielder of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
However, Hanzo wasn't just impressed by the technique itself. It was Minato's execution that truly stood out.
To master such a technique at his age… remarkable.
Hanzo's body shifted, breaking the weapon lock as he prepared for Minato's follow-up.
Minato's movements were seamless. In one fluid motion, he flipped his kunai and prepared to strike again. This time, he let go of the kunai with his left hand, a swirl of blue chakra forming in his palm.
"Rasengan!"
The chakra sphere crackled with power, glowing against the gloom of the rainy battlefield. Minato lunged, aiming the Rasengan at Hanzo's torso.
Hanzo's reaction was instantaneous. He released the chain in his left hand, pulling hard on the sickle hidden beneath his robes.
"Boom!"
The Rasengan connected with the sickle, knocking it away with a burst of force. Seizing the moment, Hanzo leaped backward, putting distance between them.
His chain recoiled, and with a deft movement, Hanzo caught the sickle in one hand while sheathing his katana with the other. The twin weapons—a sickle and axe—were now firmly in his grip, their sharp edges gleaming ominously.
Hanzo's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation.
I can't hold back. Against this opponent, hesitation is death.
Minato's speed and precision left no room for error. Hanzo knew that every second counted. Minato could close the gap and land a decisive blow before most ninjas even realized what was happening.
No wonder the Rock Ninja and Cloud Ninja fear him. His reputation as the Yellow Flash is well-earned.
Hanzo's thoughts turned to the many strategies devised by the other nations to counter the Flying Thunder God Technique. Though formidable, the technique wasn't invincible. Its greatest weakness was its reliance on marked coordinates for teleportation.
But Minato wasn't just a ninja who relied on one jutsu. His understanding of his own weaknesses and ability to compensate for them made him a truly formidable opponent.
This boy is no ordinary prodigy. He's a monster.
Hanzo's mind raced as he recalled his previous battles against Konoha's elite. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—the famed Sannin—had struggled to challenge him during the Second Ninja World War. Yet Minato, at such a young age, had already surpassed them in some ways.
And he doesn't even have a bloodline limit or a special lineage… just sheer talent and skill.
Despite himself, Hanzo couldn't help but feel a flicker of respect for the young shinobi standing before him.
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