For Minato, Ye Zi, Orochimaru, and Kotoe were all targets. This allowed him to shift his focus as needed, utilizing the unique properties of the Flying Thunder God Technique to change targets instantly just as he had done earlier. If Ye Zi hadn't intercepted with lightning speed, Kotoe might have been taken out on the spot.
"After all, he's no weakling," Minato thought calmly as he observed Ye Zi.
Though Minato appeared composed and in perfect condition, the reality was different. Having used the Flying Thunder God Technique over long distances multiple times, his chakra reserves had dropped to less than fifty percent.
Even so, this amount of chakra was more than enough to handle Ye Zi in his current state.
Standing on Katsuyu's head, Kushina clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, drawing thin streaks of blood. Her goal was only to stop Ye Zi, but Minato's intent was to kill him. This divergence created an inner conflict that she couldn't reconcile.
"Run! Avoid those kunai!"
Ye Zi held his blade and glared coldly at Minato. If he hadn't reacted quickly earlier, Minato's sudden change of target to Kotoe would have succeeded.
"Ye Zi…" Kotoe bit her lip, gazing at Ye Zi's back before resolutely turning around.
Orochimaru said nothing, moving with Kotoe to evade the kunai scattered around them, heading toward the shoreline.
Minato wasn't about to let Orochimaru and Kotoe escape. He understood that Ye Zi had stayed behind to buy time for them. As long as Orochimaru and Kotoe hadn't escaped, Ye Zi wouldn't retreat either. Thus, Minato decided to eliminate Orochimaru and Kotoe first.
Swish, swish!
Minato threw two Flying Thunder God kunai, one aimed at Orochimaru and Kotoe, the other at Ye Zi.
"So, what will you do?" Minato's azure eyes gleamed with intensity.
Ye Zi quickly pulled a kunai from his pouch with his left hand and hurled it, precisely intercepting the kunai heading toward Orochimaru and Kotoe.
With a metallic clang, the two kunai collided mid-air, spiraling to the ground.
However, because Ye Zi's right hand was occupied with his blade, Chijin, he couldn't throw kunai at two separate targets. While he deflected one, the other kunai continued toward him.
Suddenly, Minato appeared directly in front of Ye Zi, his left hand catching the kunai just as it reached Ye Zi's face. Instead of attacking immediately, Minato flicked the kunai in his right hand, sending it spinning toward the space behind Ye Zi.
Ye Zi had anticipated Minato's move, driving his blade straight toward him.
At such close range, both moved with lightning speed, every action executed in the blink of an eye.
Ye Zi's blade thrust forward, while Minato flicked another kunai. Each movement was captured in the other's gaze, their battle intensity palpable.
Minato's figure suddenly vanished from Ye Zi's sight, reappearing above and behind him. Kunai in hand, Minato thrust toward the back of Ye Zi's head.
Ye Zi remained composed, swiftly retracting his blade and spinning around. With a quick motion, he raised his blade overhead and intercepted Minato's kunai precisely.
At that moment, their gazes locked again, and both could see the fierce resolve in the other's eyes.
Crackle!
Lightning flowed from Ye Zi's blade, Chijin, into Minato's kunai.
Minato's eyes narrowed as he dropped the other kunai in his hand and disappeared once more, evading Ye Zi's attempt to paralyze him through the weapon.
As Minato vanished, Ye Zi swung his blade to knock the discarded kunai away, preventing Minato from using it to teleport close again.
Minato reappeared closer to Orochimaru and Kotoe. Observing that Ye Zi had neutralized his previous kunai, Minato abandoned his immediate attack and refocused on Orochimaru and Kotoe instead.
He vanished again, reappearing a short distance behind Orochimaru and Kotoe. With a swift motion, he threw three Flying Thunder God kunai at them.
In battle, Minato didn't rely solely on the Flying Thunder God Technique for positioning. Occasionally, he paired it with the Body Flicker Technique, creating unpredictable combinations.
Seeing Minato attack Kotoe again, Ye Zi's eyes turned cold. Using Lightning Body Flicker, he disappeared from his position, racing toward Kotoe.
Hearing the sound of kunai cutting through the air behind her, Kotoe turned while running and threw three senbon, perfectly intercepting the trajectory of Minato's kunai.
Kotoe was skilled with projectiles and could easily strike other weapons mid-air.
However, just as the senbon were about to hit the kunai, the three kunai collided with each other in mid-air, forcibly altering their paths.
Two kunai fell to the ground from the collision, but the third changed its trajectory and sped past the senbon toward Kotoe.
At that moment, Orochimaru acted, summoning a snake to block the kunai. The kunai embedded itself in the snake, stopping its advance, but now Minato was only five meters away.
Seeing the kunai stopped by the snake, Minato didn't hesitate. He vanished again, reappearing above the snake. At this range…
Orochimaru cast a cold glance at Minato but didn't stop running, continuing forward without pause.
"Hm?" Minato murmured.
Minato's expression shifted slightly. Barely a second after arriving, he swiftly teleported away from the snake.
Boom!
The snake Orochimaru had thrown suddenly exploded. After the blast, Minato reappeared, his figure emerging unscathed.
Realizing the danger at the last moment, Minato had teleported away just in time, returning immediately after the explosion.
Silently acknowledging Orochimaru's cunning, Minato sensed Ye Zi approaching. However, he chose to ignore him for now and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Kotoe, who was nearby. In his hand, a Rasengan began forming, it was a standard-sized sphere, but infused with Sage Chakra, making it several times more powerful than a normal Rasengan.
Minato adjusted the power and chakra consumption of his techniques based on his opponent's capabilities.
His speed was overwhelming. Each time he closed the distance, it was nearly impossible to react. Holding the Rasengan, he aimed it at Kotoe's back.
The exploding snake had momentarily delayed Minato, granting Ye Zi just enough time to intercept.
Ye Zi appeared beside Minato, his blade slashing toward him.
"A rushed rescue only puts you in greater danger," Minato thought.
Minato's azure eyes gleamed as he moved with precision. Anticipating Ye Zi's attack, he adjusted his movement mid-action. While dodging the slash, he lightly tapped Ye Zi's arm with his left palm. Using the momentum, he spun around and drove the Rasengan into Ye Zi's back.
Boom!
The powerful energy surged through Ye Zi's body, forcing a muffled grunt from him as he was sent flying with incredible force.
"Ye Zi!"
Kotoe's pupils constricted as she abandoned her escape to rush toward Ye Zi, who had been struck by the Rasengan.
Orochimaru's brows furrowed deeply. Once again, they had become burdens. He stopped as well, following Kotoe toward Ye Zi.
Seeing Ye Zi take the Rasengan to protect Kotoe, Kushina's gaze trembled. She bit her lip hard, remaining motionless. She neither intervened nor tried to dissuade Minato from dealing the killing blow.
Having taken the full brunt of a Sage Art Rasengan, Ye Zi rolled several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop. Pain surged through his back like a tidal wave, and his consciousness felt as though it had been struck with a massive hammer. His vision blurred several times.
Despite the agony, Ye Zi forced himself to his feet with immense willpower. When he saw Kotoe and Orochimaru running toward him instead of continuing their escape, his brows furrowed.
"This may be an unfair way to win, but this isn't a duel," Minato thought silently as he watched Ye Zi struggle to stand. He made no move to stop Kotoe and Orochimaru from reaching him.
Before his Rasengan had struck, Minato had already placed a Flying Thunder God marker on Ye Zi's right arm. No matter what condition Ye Zi was in now, escape was impossible.
Minato extended his right hand, forming a massive Rasengan in his palm. With the Flying Thunder God marker left behind, he planned to deliver a decisive blow.
The Giant Rasengan, with its terrifying power, would ensure Ye Zi's defeat.
With that thought, Minato vanished from his position and reappeared directly in front of Ye Zi, the powerful Giant Rasengan ready to strike.
Crisis loomed, immediate and deadly!
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Currently on Chapter 452 - The Tailed Beast Plan Resumes