"Hmph, although you're strong, thinking you can stop thousands of my shinobi alone is just plain arrogant!"
Rasa's face darkened in anger.
Did the Raikage really think the entire Sand army was made of paper?
Minato remained calm, but deep down, he was moved.
Even if they were on opposite sides, he had to respect the Third Raikage's determination. The man was risking his life for his subordinates—a true act of sacrifice.
Because even in Minato's eyes, there was no way the Raikage could walk away from this battlefield alive.
"Haha! Enough talk—try keeping up with me first!"
"Strongest Lightning Release Armor!"
With a thunderous roar, the Third Raikage activated his technique and burst into motion, flashing toward the distant Sand Shinobi forces like a living lightning bolt.
"Damn it!"
Rasa's expression shifted instantly.
The Raikage wasn't going to confront them head-on. He was planning to wreak havoc from the flanks and force the Sand army to retreat and defend!
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Flight!"
With no time to spare, Rasa formed seals and summoned a dense cloud of gold sand beneath his feet, soaring into the air in hot pursuit.
He had to stop the Raikage.
But the Raikage's speed was terrifying. He weaved through the Sand forces like a demon of thunder, cutting down shinobi as if swatting flies.
Rasa struggled to catch up. Worse, he couldn't unleash large-scale jutsu for fear of hitting his own troops.
He clenched his jaw, powerless for the moment.
"Don't panic! Everyone, regroup!"
"Our lives in exchange for the Raikage's is worth it!"
"Focus fire—give Lord Kazekage a chance to strike!"
More Sand Shinobi began to recover from their shock. Under orders from their commanders, they quickly fell into formation and began channeling chakra.
"Wind Style: Fierce Wind Palm!"
Five hundred Chūnin on the left unleashed a massive wall of compressed wind, forming a deadly hurricane of kunai and shuriken toward the Raikage!
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
On the right, another five hundred Chūnin fired off concentrated gusts, loaded with sand and debris.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!"
Twenty Jōnin stood directly in his path, inhaling deeply before firing compressed air bullets the size of boulders.
"Careful!" came Rasa's voice, anxious and distant.
"Too late," the Raikage muttered coldly.
And he didn't slow down one bit.
Electricity crackled wildly around his right arm as lightning gathered at his fingertips, glowing brighter than his armor.
"Hell Stab – Four-Finger Piercing!"
Pchkk!
A Jōnin who dared to stand in his way had his head sliced clean off. It bounced twice before stopping, the eyes still wide in disbelief.
"Flash sale!"
"Wait, what!?"
"How did he even—!?"
"This guy's a damn monster!"
The Sand Shinobi who had launched the attack were stunned.
Thousands had worked in sync, combining their chakra into powerful jutsu—and yet they hadn't even scratched him.
Worse, he killed one of their Jōnin without breaking stride.
"Damn it..."
Hovering above the battlefield, Rasa gritted his teeth.
He knew firsthand how hard it was to land a hit on the Raikage, but still, the scale of this slaughter was shocking.
Against such raw power and speed, he had no opening.
Fine. If the Raikage wanted to force his army to retreat, he'd give him what he wanted.
"Relay my orders! All units abandon pursuit of the Cloud forces! Circle back and surround the Raikage! I want him buried here!"
Rasa's command boomed across the field.
Even if it cost hundreds of lives—he would bleed the Raikage dry.
"Lord Kazekage, I'll go inform the Uchiha forces to fall back before they're caught between both armies."
Minato stepped forward calmly.
He wasn't about to let the Uchiha be dragged into a battle they didn't need to fight.
"…Alright, Minato-brother. Move quickly."
Rasa gave him a nod, grateful.
He had considered asking Minato to stay and help—but one look at the Raikage's expression had made him abandon the thought.
Konoha was just an ally. He couldn't demand that they throw lives away for Suna.
Minato disappeared in a flash.
High above the battlefield, yellow light flickered and vanished repeatedly as Minato zipped through enemy lines.
Soon, he arrived near the Uchiha unit, who were still fighting their way forward.
"Minato-kun!"
Uchiha Fugaku looked up in surprise, recognizing the man instantly.
He and Minato had always gotten along well—partly due to Mikoto's friendship with Kushina.
"Fugaku-san!"
Minato greeted him with a rare smile.
The two men exchanged a firm, warrior's hug.
"What's going on out there?" Fugaku asked, sensing something big.
Minato wasted no time. "Kazekage has recalled the Sand forces. The Raikage is retreating. You and your clan should follow me and regroup with Rasa—before you're surrounded."
Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "That bad?"
"Yes," Minato replied seriously.
Fugaku understood instantly. "You arrived just in time. Otherwise, we'd be boxed in."
He gestured to his clan, and they immediately began moving with Minato, bypassing the frontline and heading to regroup with the Sand Shinobi.
As they moved, Minato explained what had happened.
Fugaku listened carefully—and by the time the story was done, his brows were knit in deep thought.
"So the Third Raikage really charged an entire army alone…"
"He's still going," Minato said softly. "But not for long."
Fugaku exhaled. "It's almost a shame… Someone like that shouldn't die like this."
"Perhaps," Minato replied. "But since he started the war..."
"…He should end it himself," Fugaku finished, nodding.
The two shinobi walked in silence for a moment, surrounded by the soft crackle of lightning in the far distance.
Then Fugaku looked at him and smirked.
"Well, since he's going down anyway… why not give him a proper send-off?"
Minato's lips curled slightly. "Glad we're on the same page."
To be continued.....