After Takuno left, Minato did not delay for a moment either.
He quickly escorted Kushina to an absolutely safe hidden location far away from the flames of war.
After confirming Kushina was temporarily safe, a heavy stone fell from his heart, and he then rushed back into the Village at full speed.
With a flash of golden light, Minato's figure already stood atop the towering Hokage Rock.
The smoke-filled breeze blew through his golden hair as his gaze swept over the chaotic Konoha below.
Thanks to the preparations made in advance, the defensive lines had been organized.
Although the fighting was intense, the overall situation was completely under control.
However, Minato's heart did not relax in the slightest.
This temporary "control" was entirely built on the foundation that the human bombs created by Orochimaru had not yet been detonated.
He couldn't imagine what kind of disaster it would be, enough to shake the very foundations of Konoha, if these lethal "bombs" suddenly exploded among the unsuspecting Konoha Shinobi!
The consequences... would be unimaginable!
Time was life!
Minato instantly etched all the locations of the fierce battles below firmly into his mind without the slightest hesitation.
In the next moment, his figure turned into a golden flash, flickering between the various battlefields of Konoha at a speed difficult for the naked eye to capture.
Using the ultimate speed of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he immediately relayed the lethal intelligence about the "human bombs" to the Konoha commanders and elite Shinobi in every war zone.
The instructions were clear and urgent: "Maintain high vigilance during combat; if you notice anything unusual about a target or receive a signal, disengage immediately at all costs!"
Meanwhile, Minato himself took on the most energy-consuming task.
He precisely locked onto enemies whose bodies were surging with ominous Tailed Beast chakra.
Space warped instantly, and with the flickering of golden light, these dangerous "bombs" were forcibly stripped one by one from the center of the intense battlefields, transferred to a relatively empty forest not far outside Konoha using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
It wasn't that Minato didn't want to banish them to more remote, uninhabited areas.
However, the most scarce resource at this moment was his chakra.
The number of human bombs was unknown, and transferring each target required precise spatial coordinate positioning and strong chakra support.
In this moment of life and death, he had to calculate carefully and use every bit of strength where it mattered most.
This nearby forest was the only feasible choice after weighing the risks and efficiency.
Besides this, there were also sealing methods, but...
To seal these guys filled with violent Tailed Beast chakra, the consumption would definitely be higher than using the Flying Thunder God Technique to send them to the nearest forest!
Naturally, he rejected this plan.
Of course, he also verified the authenticity of The Collector's intelligence.
He selected a target that had been transferred deep into the forest and decisively moved to kill them.
At the moment he used the Flying Thunder God to instantly send the corpse even further away...
"BOOM!!!"
A dull yet highly penetrating roar came from the distance; even across a considerable distance, the impact of that violent energy release could be felt.
Although the explosion's power was far less than the devastating attack encountered on the observation deck earlier, its destructive power was still shocking, enough to cause devastating casualties in a dense crowd.
Having personally confirmed this terrifying truth, Minato's face instantly turned pale, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Fear and lingering dread rushed in like a cold tide, almost suffocating him.
At this time, a strong sense of relief also rose.
"Fortunately... fortunately, The Collector gave a timely warning..." Minato thought to himself.
Otherwise...
The thick smoke had not yet completely dissipated as Minato stood in the middle of the ruined street, his chest heaving slightly, and unspeakable complex emotions intertwined deep within those azure eyes.
For a moment, Minato was somewhat unable to distinguish whether he should be grateful for The Collector's intelligence or hate the other party for taking the Nine-Tails from within Kushina's body.
After a long time, a faint sigh rippled through his heart.
The power of the Nine-Tails was indeed precious, but on his scales, every living life in Konoha, the people he promised to protect, weighed far more than any Tailed Beast.
Of course, the prerequisite for all this was that Kushina must be safe and sound; this was the unshakable bottom line in his heart.
Thereafter, in the vast forest on the outskirts of Konoha, explosions sounded one after another, unending.
The golden flash flickered rapidly within the Village, each flicker accompanied by a loud bang and a lethal "package" instantly transferred to the uninhabited wilderness.
That was Minato using the speed of the Flying Thunder God Technique to race against time.
He pushed the Flying Thunder God Technique to its limit, his figure so fast it almost tore through space.
However, human strength has its limits.
Even though he gave his all, becoming the swiftest light of protection over Konoha, he still failed to clear all the hidden death traps.
A few dull booms eventually exploded in different corners of the Village; flames soared, dust filled the air, and sturdy houses collapsed in the shockwaves, leaving behind shocking ruins.
Fortunately! Thanks to Minato's warning and his transfer actions, there were not many casualties.
This was already the best result that could be fought for.
At this moment, Minato's figure coalesced once more upon the scorched earth.
His signature short golden hair was soaked with sweat, clinging to his pale forehead.
His cheeks had lost their usual color, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and a slight tremor exposed the limits his body had endured.
Having continuously overloaded the Flying Thunder God, every spatial jump felt like it was wringing out his last bit of chakra.
His chakra could be said to have long since dried up; to maintain his speed, he did not even hesitate to consume a large amount of bitter food pills, forcibly squeezing out his body's potential, the burning taste of the medicine seemingly still lingering in his throat.
However, when his gaze swept over his surroundings.
Those Konoha Shinobi who had experienced a moment of life and death and were lingering with fear but mostly safe, seeing the relief of surviving a disaster and the trust in him in their eyes, a warm current dispelled the cold and fatigue of his body.
A tired yet incredibly real smile bloomed on his face.
Yes, to protect all of this before him, all the effort was worth it.
This was his conviction and responsibility as the Fourth Hokage.
His gaze involuntarily turned toward the distant horizon.
Just now, while weaving through to transfer the human bombs, he had keenly sensed it.
The unique Flying Thunder God Mark coordinate belonging to his son, Naruto, from afar.
There was even a massive, wild, and familiar chakra aura existing alongside it—it was the power of One-Tail Shukaku!
Worry instantly wrapped around his heart.
He had a moment of hesitation: should he immediately tear through space and rush to his son's side?
But the crisis within Konoha had not yet been resolved; ultimately, trust in his son's abilities triumphed over a father's instinctive anxiety.
He chose to believe that Naruto could stand on his own.
Now, the threat within the Village was finally contained.
At this moment, his expression suddenly changed drastically because... it was the aura of a Nine-Tails chakra eruption.
Could it be...?
Minato didn't even have time to catch his breath, nor did he care about the emptiness of his body.
The golden light emerged once more, and that Yellow Flash symbolizing protection and speed vanished abruptly before the reverent eyes of the crowd, without staying for a single second.
The remaining Shinobi stared blankly at the place where the Hokage-sama had disappeared.
They had personally witnessed how the Fourth Hokage had disregarded everything to race against the Shinigami for time, how he had exhausted his chakra to protect the Village, and how he had dragged his near-collapsing body to repeatedly activate that miraculous Ninjutsu...
Until this moment when the crisis had slightly eased, he didn't even give himself a moment's respite before rushing to the next unknown battlefield.
Deep respect and heartfelt adoration filled the chests of every witness.
This... was their Hokage-sama!
On Naruto's side, the situation was actually okay.
Facing the fully Tailed Beast-fied Gaara, he merely summoned Gamabunta to entangle with Shukaku.
Meanwhile, Naruto himself, under Gamabunta's reminder, punched Gaara awake.
In this, he did not use the Transformation Technique for Gamabunta as in the original story, but used his own method to achieve this, so his consumption was nowhere near as large as in the original story.
Looking at Gaara, who had fallen to the ground with a withered aura but had returned to human form, Naruto was about to step forward to take him back to Konoha.
His tensed nerves had just slightly relaxed when a bone-chilling malice enveloped him without warning!
"Sasuke!"
Naruto's pupils suddenly contracted.
He saw Sasuke, unconscious and being held like a marionette in Orochimaru's hand!
Clearly, in the brief interval while Naruto was fighting fiercely with Shukaku, Orochimaru had precisely locked onto Sasuke's location and subdued him in just two or three moves with overwhelming strength.
Orochimaru's golden snake pupils swept over the battlefield, finally landing on Naruto, a trace of indiscernible surprise flashing in his eyes.
His original intention was to settle things quickly, take Sasuke and flee immediately amidst the chaos, not wishing to get too entangled with the son of the Fourth Hokage, especially fearing that the Yellow Flash might appear at any time.
However, the speed of Shukaku's defeat far exceeded his expectations; this Tailed Beast was actually so pathetic, and the neatness with which Naruto ended the battle surprised even him.
"Let go of Sasuke!"
Without a hint of hesitation, the anxiety and anger in his heart instantly overrode all considerations.
Naruto erupted with astonishing speed, shrouded in chakra flames, and charged toward Orochimaru, vowing to take back his best friend from the opponent's hands.
"Heh, an overconfident brat," Orochimaru let out a raspy sneer.
Although he was wary of Minato, he certainly did not fear this exceptionally gifted yet still green youth before him.
Even while holding the unconscious Sasuke in one hand, his movements remained effortless.
He was seen twisting his body strangely like a snake, easily dodging Naruto's anger-filled heavy punch, while his other hand swung out casually; a seemingly understated strike contained terrifying power and a tricky angle.
"Bang!"
Naruto only felt a surge of immense force, his whole person as if struck by a heavy hammer, giving a muffled groan as he was violently knocked back several steps, his blood and Qi churning.
The gap in strength was revealed unmistakably at this moment.
Orochimaru did not even deign to get too entangled; taking advantage of the moment Naruto stumbled back, he quickly formed a seal with one hand.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Poof!"
Accompanied by a massive cloud of white smoke, a hideous giant snake appeared out of thin air, opening its bloody maw, a fishy stench assaulting the nose.
Orochimaru did not hesitate to throw the unconscious Sasuke in his hand, like tossing an object, precisely toward that giant snake's mouth!
Naruto watched helplessly as his best friend Sasuke's body slid powerlessly toward the giant mouth of that summoned snake, which was dripping with foul-smelling saliva, his eyes nearly bursting!
Burning anger and unwillingness churned in his chest, yet his body betrayed his will.
The sharp, agonizing pain left by Orochimaru's sinister and tricky punch made even remaining standing incredibly difficult, let alone moving like lightning to the rescue.
"No... absolutely not!" Naruto gritted his teeth, blood nearly seeping from between them, a silent roar echoing in his heart.
To let Sasuke be swallowed by that beast before his eyes, and then let Orochimaru leave leisurely with a triumphant smirk via Summoning?
This kind of future, he, Naruto, would never accept!
Even if the price was embracing the power he feared most deep within...
"You damn fox!" he roared in the depths of his soul, his voice carrying unprecedented urgency and determination, "Lend me your power! Fast!"
Every time he borrowed this power, it was like walking on the edge of a cliff, liable to fall into the abyss of being consumed by hatred at any moment.
But at this moment, compared to the outcome of losing Sasuke, that danger of going berserk actually seemed bearable!
He chose this thorny path without hesitation.
However, the only response was a deathly indifferent silence in the depths of his consciousness.
The Nine-Tails, that massive beast entrenched in his mental cage, seemed to be watching his despair with cold eyes.
Time slipped away in a suffocating wait; the corner of Sasuke's clothes had already been swallowed into the snake's belly, and the smile on Orochimaru's face grew even thicker...
"Bastard!" Naruto went completely berserk, all his anxiety transforming into a violent rage that exploded within his body like a volcano.
"Don't play dead! Since you're residing in my body, give me your chakra as rent!"
This roar from the soul, carrying an unquestionable dominance, slammed hard against the seal within him.
As if responding to this angry "rent bill," a terrifying energy as hot as molten lava suddenly erupted within his parched Tenketsu!
The chakra within his body, which had been nearly exhausted from fighting Shukaku, now surged and roared!
Even more startlingly, the deep wounds on his body were actually healing and regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye under the wash of this violent energy!
"What?!" This signature eruption of evil chakra caused the pupils of the previously smug Orochimaru to suddenly shrink into dangerous pinpoints!
He could clearly perceive that familiar crimson energy—the Nine-Tails! How was this possible?!
"The Nine-Tails... why is it inside this kid? It clearly should... clearly should still be in Uzumaki Kushina's seal!"
During the Nine-Tails Riot years ago, he had chosen to watch from the sidelines and was completely unaware of the top secret that the Nine-Tails had later been split in two and sealed separately.
The intelligence he held was that Kushina was still alive, so the Nine-Tails's main body should logically be firmly imprisoned within her!
The scene before him completely overturned his understanding, and an ominous premonition so strong it made his scalp tingle uncontrollably seized the mind of this "Sannin."