485. A Clash of Kages
"Looks like I have to finally step on the battlefield!" Minato glances at the confrontation on the Kumo battlefield.
Swoosh…
He vanishes from the HQ.
Back on the battlefield,
Whoosh…
Minato appears beside Kakashi and A on the battlefield.
"Minato!" A turns towards Minato with a frown.
"I can handle this on my own!" A clenches his fists with lightning overflowing from his body.
"Spare the unnecessary debate for some other time. For now, our priority should be them." Minato turns towards the three former Raikages.
Hmm…
The First Raikage and the Second Raikage curiously stare at Minato.
"That's the Teleportation Jutsu of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju!"
The second Raikage recognizes Minato's teleportation jutsu.
"Who is he?"
"That's the Fourth Hokage of the Konoha!" One of the Edo-Tensei reveals Minato's identity.
"I thought he was dead. How is he alive?" Another shinobis question.
"I am also not sure. But it looks like he faked his death for some reason." Another shinobi remark.
"No, Lord Fourth wasn't dead. After the Nine-tails attack, he went MIA to investigate the incident." A Konoha shinobi remark.
"Lord Minato is the current Supreme Commander of the Allied Shinobi force." Another shinobi who recently died in war and was brought back as Edo remarks.
"I remember him. He is a shinobi with exceptional skills who rose to fame during the Third Shinobi War." Third Raikage Ay recalls Minato's name from his memories.
'I wonder where is white fang?'
Ay recalls his battle against Sakumo Hatake during the Third Shinobi War.
'Hmm… now that I think about it. There was that brat too.' The image of an Uchiha kid with black-blue hair appears in Ay's mind.
"So, another Konoha shinobi with exceptional talent and skills." The First Raikage raises an eyebrow.
The previous battle between Master Chen and Might Guy has already colored him impressed and now there is another shinobi who is also a Kage like them.
"Very well, I will take him head-on." The Second Raikage steps forwards towards Minato.
In front of the Second Raikage's giant muscular body, Minato looks like a little child with no build to boast about. However, Minato isn't intimidated by Second Raikage's strong aura. Instead, he calmly stares at the latter's body movements to anticipate his every move.
Haah…
The Second Raikage makes a single monkey hand sign. He claps his hand and aims them toward Minato.
ROOAAR…
The Second Raikage releases a powerful stream of lightning from his hands. The lightning stream condenses into a gigantic dragon with large fangs and shining red eyes. It opens its mouth gigantic maw and lunges toward Minato in an attempt to swallow him in a single gulp.
Whoosh…
Minato disappears from his place and reappears at some distance near his kunai.
ROOARR…
The lightning dragon opens its mouth and spews out a powerful lightning bolt from its mouth toward Minato's direction.
"I haven't fought against the Second Hokage and his teleportation jutsu for nothing." He remarks as the lightning dragon shoots multiple lightning spears toward each of Minato's kunai.
Minato dodges the attack and wonders.
"The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was renowned as the most powerful water-style user of his era. Similarly, the Second Raikage held a reputation for his mastery of lightning style, making him the greatest lightning user of all time. In terms of versatility and arsenal of jutsus, the Second Raikage surpasses the Third Raikage. However, the Third Raikage holds an advantage in his extraordinary amount of chakra and stamina, which further enhances his endurance."
Minato respects the Second Raikage's fame and stretches it out his palm to reciprocate the attack.
Shoom…
A large amount of chakra gathers into Minato's palm and turns into a football-size Rasengan.
"Wind Release: Wind Rasengan,"
Minato adds wind chakra to the Rasengan and throws it toward the giant lightning dragon. A disc of wind chakra shrouds the Rasengan.
ROOARR…
The lightning dragon roars and fires a barrage of lightning attacks toward the rapidly approaching Rasengan.
However, the wind disks around the Rasengan nullifies the lightning and slam into the gigantic lightning dragon.
Both jutsus collide with each other and a storm of chakra brews in the surroundings due to their intense clash.
Fwoosh…
Minato vanishes from his position and reappears behind the second Raikage.
Shiing…
He wields a kunai with sealing fuinjutsu runes and stabs it through the second Raikage's heart.
Heh…
A smile appears on the second Raikage's face as his body disperses into lightning. The lightning turns into chains and binds Minato to a place.
"A lightning decoy?!" Minato frowns.
The second Raikage jumps out of the eye of the storm of the previous clash of the Rasengan and the lightning dragon.
"I see!"
Poof…
Minato also disappears in a puff of white smoke.
"A shadow clone?" Now it's the second Raikage who frowns.
"Looks like it's a mistake to underestimate you."
The second Hokage crosses his arms in front of his chest and riles up his chakra.
"Lightning Chakra Mode,"
He wraps his body in a cloak of lightning chakra. His hairs stick up and lightning crackles around his body. His muscles expand as the lightning simulates his body and nervous system, greatly increasing his speed and reflexes.
Minato also reveals himself. He takes a step forward.
Shoom…
An orange cloak shrouds Minato's body. Several magatama markings appear on his cloak.
"Sensei, this!"
"Lord Fourth!"
Kakashi and the rest are surprised by Minato's appearance.
"Looks like you have trump cards of your own." A glance at Minato's cloak and turns towards his father before returning his gaze to Kakashi and Guy.
"Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, I will leave my grandfather to you while I battle against my father." A clench his fists and grits his teeth.
He turns towards his father, Ay.
"Old man, here I come!"
BANG…
A stomp on the ground and disappear with a burst of blue lightning.
Hmm…
The Third Raikage also closes his eyes.
Shoom… Crackle… crackle…
A lightning cloak also shrouds his body.
Haah…
Ay opens his eyes and throws a punch behind him.
BANG…
Ay, and A's punches clash with each other.
Rumble… rumble…
The sparks of lightning from their bodies rend the nearby tree and rocks apart.
Bang… bang…
Both of them exchange a series of rapid punches while flickering across the entire battlefield. A's punches are faster and more precise, while Ay's punches are stronger and heavier.
"Guess we have no choice!"
Kakashi and Guy stare at each other and turn towards the First Raikage.
"Lee, Neji, Tenten! I will leave the rest of these Edos to you."
"Leave them to us, Guy Sensei!" Lee clenches his fists.
"Well, it's much better than fighting against those monsters." Tenten helplessly takes out a bunch of scrolls from her storage bracelet.
This storage bracelet was awarded to her by Kushina Uzumaki for winning first place in the girl's triple-leg marathon during the annual Konoha sports festival.
"You two are exceptional shinobis!" The First Raikage nods at the Kakashi and Guy. While the duo warily stares at them with their guard up against any sneak attack.
"Worry not, I am not as strong as those two!" He continues.
"However, don't be complacent after hearing this. Since a single mistake can be fatal during a battle."
Fwoosh…
The First Raikage's figure disappears into a blur.
"An afterimage!"
Kakashi's expression turns grim as he swiftly throws a kunai toward a spot behind Guy.
"Behind you, Guy!"
Guy also performs a roundhouse kick.
"Leaf whirlwind!"
Clang… BANG…
The first Raikage deflects Kakashi's kunai with his own and blocks Guy's kick with his arm.
"What a heavy kick?" He shakes his hand after blocking Guy's kick.
Bzzt…
Once again, the first Raikage disappears into a flash of lightning.
Hmm…
"What's this?" The tomoes in Kakashi's Sharingan flicker as the figure of the first Raikage turns into a lightning bolt and disappears in his vision.
'He can turn his body into lightning?!'
This is the first time Kakashi has seen an odd thing.
'If I count the smoke body clan, then it might be the second time.' Kakashi warily holds the kunai in his hand.
"Looks like we have one tough battle ahead."
----------------------------
Back at Naruto's position.
"Back then, if only I was there for you." Jiraiya sighs as he gently pats Nagato's head.
Nagato's body slowly disappears into motes of white light as he finally makes peace with his Sensei.
He turns towards Naruto.
"Naruto, I located Kabuto's position quite a while ago using the abilities of my Rinnegan. I am revealing them to you now since I have broken free of Kabuto's influence and he can no longer hear our conversation."
Nagato stretches out his finger and taps Naruto's forehead. He passes the information to Naruto using the abilities of the Human path.
"Farewell, Sensei, Naruto!"
Nagato finally vanishes into white light and returns to the Pure Land.
"Nagato!" Jiraiya stares at the empty space in front of him with an outstretched hand.
"Pervy-Sage, I will stop Kabuto." Naruto bumps his fists together.