The ruined Kannabi Bridge stood in ruins. Minato, Tsuchikage, and Raikage were all panting heavily. After three continuous days of battle, they had all reached their physical limits and were now relying purely on willpower to keep fighting.
Among them, Tsuchikage was in the worst condition. First, his age made it harder for him to endure compared to younger fighters. Additionally, the old wounds from the Third Great Ninja War—the blade injury and the waist injury—had flared up again. During the fight, he nearly died, but fortunately Raikage, without holding any grudges, saved him. That was essential—against Minato's speed, even the smallest opening could be fatal.
Minato, too, was struggling. He was walking a tightrope—both Tsuchikage and Raikage possessed the power to kill with a single strike, and he couldn't afford even the slightest mistake.
"I know you're already out of strength. Right now, the entire area outside is filled with my ninja. I don't know what you're still holding out for," Tsuchikage began his psychological assault, while also testing Minato—trying to see whether he could still use the Flying Thunder God technique.
"Not a chance," Raikage growled, exhausted as he was—his Lightning Armor no longer surrounding him—but still fierce as ever in tone. "He's an opponent I acknowledge. I will kill him myself."
Tsuchikage practically fumed with rage. What an unyielding bull. He could only hope they both killed each other.
Fighting one against two, Minato was clearly in worse condition than both of them. Furthermore, the Space-time Barrier had already shrunk down to just around him. Everywhere he looked, enemy ninja swarmed in thick clusters. Even if he managed to kill these two, he wouldn't have enough strength left to escape. It seems… this is as far as I can go.
Memories flickered through Minato's eyes—Jiraiya-sensei, Kushina, Anya... I might never see you again—
[Sage Art: Gogyōma (Five Elements Inferno)]!
A divine voice rang out from afar.
Oil combined with Wind Release and Fire Release formed a devastating large-scale fire technique. The range was so expansive that it nearly engulfed all the enemy ninja within it. The flames burned hot enough to melt nearly everything in their path.
"Ahh!"
Massive screams of agony erupted. Some ninja reacted quickly, instinctively raising defenses. "Earth Release: Earthen Rampart!"
Earthen walls shot up, but they lasted barely a few seconds before collapsing—melted away entirely. The wind intensified the flames, which in turn ignited the oil, spreading wider and wider. The space-time barrier that had originally trapped Minato shattered completely in an instant.
Then, a towering figure leapt into the sky—Jiraiya soared through the air and landed directly in front of Minato. His immense presence pressed down so heavily that the rock beneath his feet cracked and shattered. On each of his shoulders sat a small toad. Red markings stretched across his cheeks, his eyes transformed like a frog's, and powerful chakra radiated visibly from him, easily several times stronger than usual.
The Sage Mode of Mount Myoboku had arrived!
Seeing Minato safe, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief and smiled happily. "Haha! Shima Sage, thank goodness for your sensing ability. Don't give up, Minato! You're the disciple of Jiraiya the Toad Sage—how could you fall so easily? Today, let's fight side by side!"
"Jiraiya-sensei," Minato's heart steadied, deeply moved. A bright, warm smile broke out across his face as he forced himself to shout, "Yes!"
The Tsuchikage and Raikage's hearts sank. Dealing with Minato alone had nearly drained them completely, and now Jiraiya had appeared—another formidable opponent. Instantly, they considered retreating.
An hour had passed since the battle at Mount Hakuto began. During this time, the entire mountain had been shrouded in the smoke of war. Under the command of the Second Hokage, the Konoha ninja, using the terrain to their advantage, had actually gained the upper hand. Yet, Tobirama Senju's eyes were lifeless, his expression calm and devoid of joy.
In a fair fight, Konoha could never lose. Even if the enemy doubled their numbers, he still had confidence in victory. But now, it was impossible—the enemy outnumbered them more than twentyfold. Defeat was only a matter of time.
Sure enough, enemy ninja surged forward without end. Under the relentless tide of attacks, the Konoha forces began retreating step by step. After a continuous wave of jutsu assaults, casualties began to mount, and the number kept rising.
"Brat, how long do you plan to wait? Where's your plan? It's time to bring it out," Tobirama Senju said, clearly aware the situation was turning unfavorable. Once that thread broke, everything would fall apart.
Anya replied coldly, "You should have figured it out the moment I asked you to teach them all the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags. They were always going to die eventually. Why not take more enemies down with them before they go? The kinjutsu I'm preparing requires enough corpses."
Tobirama, after all, was not Tsunade. He didn't argue with Anya but instead asked, "I need to know which kinjutsu."
Anya didn't hold back, answering directly, "Kekkaijin: Pot of Poison."
"I see. I understand now." As a master of forbidden techniques, Tobirama was well aware of this jutsu. What Anya said was true—it could be extremely effective even against an army of twenty thousand. However, he frowned and said, "Even if they all die, the number of corpses might still not be enough to activate this jutsu."
Anya pointed at the mountain beneath them, saying, "Do you know that a thousand years ago, Mount Hakuto was an active volcano?"
Tobirama frowned. "Are you saying you have the ability to trigger a volcanic eruption?"
Brilliant—so sharp-witted. Among all the Hokage he had known, this kid in front of him likely had the highest intelligence.
"Already underway."
After carefully sensing the tremors from deep underground and the immense chakra yet to erupt, Tobirama finally understood the truth. He had only felt chakra this powerful from his elder brother, Hashirama Senju. In that moment, he fully grasped Anya's plan.
"Brat, I underestimated you," Tobirama thought, weighing the odds in his mind. "This way, we actually have a fifty percent chance of victory. I'll buy you enough time."
Tobirama immediately used the Flying Thunder God to arrive directly at the front lines. With a single strike, he cut down an enemy ninja, then raised his hand and shouted, "Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags—prepare to detonate!"
The real carnage began. Aside from Senju Tobirama, whose [Immortal Body] allowed him to continuously unleash chain explosions, nearly all other Konoha ninja who used this technique perished instantly along with their enemies. Of course, the effect was tremendous. The endless wave of ninja was nearly wiped out in an instant. Below Mount Hakuto, black smoke from the explosions choked the air, littered with severed limbs and shattered remains. The battlefield had turned into a slaughterhouse—life, in that moment, was heartbreakingly fragile.
In unnoticed corners of the battlefield, each fallen corpse was quickly covered by black insects before vanishing from the field. Blood stained the earth and filled the air. The crimson evening sky gradually faded. Both sides continued their brutal clash, neither retreating nor begging for mercy. Smoke, explosions, screams, and the clang of steel upon steel echoed across the battlefield, creating a symphony more soul-rending than any in the world!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>