"What—he can still move freely in the air?"
Minato stared upward in shock. A shinobi who could maneuver mid-air was extremely troublesome to deal with.
So far, only the Light–Heavy Boulder Technique from Iwagakure's Tsuchikage allowed limited flight—but even then, power and speed were weakened.
"I can't let him touch my clothes. If he marks me with the Flying Thunder God formula, I'm finished."
Suspended in the air through Moon Step, Ash's Sharingan spun rapidly as he kept Minato locked in sight.
"Is that kid really an Uchiha? …Have they decided to cooperate with Kumogakure?"
Jiraiya blocked another of the Raikage's blows, then used a brief opening to shout toward Orochimaru, who was clashing with Killer B.
"No," Orochimaru replied coolly.
"Even with the Sharingan, it's impossible he was sent by the Uchiha clan. They have no reason to provoke internal conflict right now—and all Uchiha fighters were deployed to other fronts."
"And someone with that level of power? There's no way the village wouldn't know him."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
The Raikage, hearing this, only smirked.
A divided Konoha would be an excellent outcome for Kumogakure.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
High above, Ash's hands blurred through signs.
A razor-thin jet of high-pressure water blasted from his mouth—its edge keen enough to slice through steel—and shot toward Minato like a blade of liquid death.
"What—?! He can use Water Release at this level without a water source? Even the Second Hokage struggled with this technique. And not all Uchiha specialize in Fire or Lightning…"
Minato dodged with a quick FTG teleport.
Flying Thunder God was powerful—but its chakra cost was enormous.
He couldn't warp endlessly.
"Hmph."
Ash's mouth curved into a cold smile.
Even though Minato dodged, the high-pressure water blade did not stop.
It simply redirected—
—toward the Konoha shinobi still fighting nearby.
"AAAAAH—!"
"HELP—!"
"My arm—!"
Screams erupted as the water blade tore through the battlefield.
"That brat—damn it!"
Minato's face hardened.
He flicked a three-pronged kunai upward toward Ash.
"Hm?"
Ash tilted his head slightly.
The kunai whistled past his cheek, missing by a hair.
"Moon Step!"
With a burst of air, Ash vanished.
Minato instantly reappeared at the point Ash had just left, gripping the very same kunai he'd thrown moments earlier.
"Damn… he's so fast."
Minato clenched his teeth.
"Ever since I mastered Flying Thunder God, this is the first time someone's speed has kept up with—and even surpassed—me."
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
Lightning flared from Ash's right hand, shrieking like a thousand birds.
Instantly, the Chidori extended into a long, razor-thin spear of lightning—stretching more than fifteen meters as it stabbed toward Minato.
"That's Kakashi's Chidori?
No… the nature transformation is far more advanced.
His control surpasses even Kakashi's."
Minato teleported again, FTG flashing him out of the Chidori's deadly range.
Ash clicked his tongue.
"Space-time ninjutsu… truly annoying to fight."
"Since that's how it is…Mangekyō."
Accepting that his attacks weren't landing, Ash closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, Minato's expression darkened in disbelief.
"Mangekyō Sharingan!"
The moment Ash's eyes transformed, four voices—the Raikage, Minato, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—shouted in shock.
The Mangekyō stood above the standard three-tomoe Sharingan, known throughout the Uchiha clan as the pinnacle of ocular power—a pupil technique reserved for legends.
"We can't let this kid walk away."
The Raikage's thoughts sharpened instantly.
Ash's power already threatened Kumogakure's balance.
If he grew any further, he could become a future enemy capable of harming the village.
That alone was reason enough.
"B!"
With a single look, the Raikage signaled Killer B.
Years of brotherhood made the message clear without a word.
Both men disengaged from Jiraiya and Orochimaru simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized as they split—one rushing in front of Ash, the other behind.
"What are they planning?!"
Jiraiya frowned as he saw the sudden shift.
"This is politics," Orochimaru replied coldly.
"Some villages simply cannot tolerate power they don't control."
"Lariat—Double Lariat!"
The Raikage and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki shouted in unison.
Lightning flared, chakra exploded—and their speed spiked to terrifying levels.
Their joint attack was powerful enough to tear a man in half.
For an instant, even Minato felt pressure.
If Ash were caught between them, he'd be crushed instantly.
"What?! You want to break the employment contract?"
Ash hadn't expected Kumogakure to turn on him mid-battle.
Their jealousy of his strength was stronger than their loyalty to the mission.
"Since you are not of Kumogakure," the Raikage growled, lightning dancing across his body. "we cannot allow a future threat to live. Your Sharingan—will belong to us."
...
TN:
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