Chapter 213: The "Yellow Flash"
Several figures blurred through the forest. The Uchiha fan crest on their backs identified them as members of the clan. The two leading the group moved with an authority and presence that marked them as Jonin-level shinobi, at the very least.
They were the two secret guards Kyosuke had sent as reinforcements.
"According to the intel, Kakashi's team should be somewhere in this area," Number 7 said, scanning their surroundings.
He gave a hand signal, and the shinobi behind him fanned out, searching for any sign of their target. The squad was composed of skilled trackers as well as fighters. It didn't take them long to find the site of the recent battle.
As masters of the Chidori themselves, the two guards easily recognized the lingering traces of Kakashi's jutsu. The fact that there was no sign of the team itself led them to one grim conclusion.
"Lord Kyosuke's worries were justified. Something has happened to them," Number 7 said, exchanging a resigned look with Number 13.
Leaving a few men behind to continue investigating the scene, they led the rest of the squad in the direction the Iwa ninja had retreated, hoping to intercept them.
At that moment, Minato Namikaze was fighting alongside Kyosuke, completely unaware of the fate that had befallen his students. If he had known, he would not have been able to maintain his calm demeanor.
It's been a long time since I've seen so many enemies charge at me all at once, he thought, a sense of nostalgia washing over him as he watched the approaching Iwa forces.
Ever since he had made a name for himself with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had rarely seen large groups of Cloud ninja on the battlefield. They knew better than to bunch up and let him wipe them all out in an instant. These Iwa ninja, on the other hand, were charging forward like clueless fools.
But he would not be merciful.
He produced a scroll and, with a single hand sign, unsealed the dozens of custom-made kunai within, each marked with his Flying Thunder God formula.
"When the enemy gets closer, I need you all to throw these kunai," he said to the shinobi of the temporary squad under his command.
"Understood, Captain Minato!"
"You can count on us!"
They replied, their voices filled with a mixture of excitement and curiosity.
As the Iwa forces closed in, a palpable tension spread through the squad. They were outnumbered by more than ten to one. Even with their faith in their captain, it was impossible not to feel nervous.
Minato noticed their apprehension but did nothing. The facts would speak for themselves.
500 meters... 300 meters... 100 meters...
As the enemy crossed the hundred-meter mark, dozens of the three-pronged kunai were thrown into their ranks.
"Well done," Minato's voice said.
But when they looked to where he had been standing, he was gone.
The Iwa ninja, seeing the incoming projectiles, prepared to dodge and defend.
"A feeble struggle," a squad leader sneered.
Before the words had even left his mouth, a brilliant golden light flashed before his eyes. A searing pain erupted from his throat. In that single, blinding instant, he had been killed.
As his body fell to the ground, the last thing he saw was not his killer, but a fleeting streak of gold.
He was not the only one. Though the Iwa forces were beginning to realize what was happening, a space-time ninjutsu like this was impossible for most shinobi to counter.
With every flicker of golden light, one to three Iwa ninja fell dead. The sheer, terrifying speed of it all sent a wave of panic through their ranks. Some turned to flee. But they could not outrun the Flying Thunder God. Death was their only end.
In a matter of seconds, the entire force of over one hundred shinobi had been completely annihilated.
"My god... how is that possible...?" one of Minato's subordinates stammered, his voice filled with disbelief as he stared at the sea of corpses before them.
"It's like... a yellow flash," another whispered in awe.
From the looks on their faces, it was clear that what they had just witnessed would be seared into their memories forever. The story of this battle, and the name born from it, would spread like wildfire.
As they were preparing to leave, they saw Minato bending down, collecting his special kunai.
An idea sparked in one of the ninja's minds. "Captain Minato... you don't mean..."
"That's right," Minato said with a gentle smile. "The battle is not over yet. Give me a hand, would you?"
With a strange mix of awe and trepidation, they began to help him retrieve his kunai.
If this keeps up... Captain Minato is going to completely crush the Iwa forces today, the same thought occurred to all of them.
They began to work with a newfound urgency.
This was the plan Minato and Kyosuke had devised. Instead of a direct confrontation with the powerful Onoki, they would use Minato's Flying Thunder God to inflict massive casualties on the Iwa army before they even knew what was happening.
Once their losses reached a critical point, Onoki, no matter how reluctant, would be forced by his own command staff to retreat.
The plan had been unanimously approved by Shikaku Nara and the others. And it was working perfectly.
As time went on, the number of Iwa casualties skyrocketed. The attacks were so swift and widespread that it took a considerable amount of time for the Iwa command to even realize the extent of the damage.
The terrified intelligence officers immediately reported the situation to Onoki, who was still engaged in a stalemate with Kyosuke.
Hearing the news, Onoki abandoned his fight and shot off in the direction indicated in the report. He was going to stop the formidable Minato Namikaze himself.
Kyosuke followed close behind, using his Body Flicker Technique to keep pace.
He watched the Tsuchikage's retreating back, a faint smile touching his lips.
The plan is proceeding smoothly.
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