"Mm." Hearing this, Minato nodded. He still trusted Yuki Seisui.
As Yuki Seisui reached out his hand, the five of them appeared in the vast, boundless arena of the dueling field.
This was the second time Sarutobi Hiruzen had entered this dueling space. Although it wasn't his first time, the sheer scale and aura of the arena still impressed him greatly.
Uchiha Setsuna, staring at the arena, seemed lost in thought.
Minato and Seisui, however, were completely unfazed, having been here many times before.
"Minato, give it your all this time."
"All right!"
Minato had never experienced Yuki Seisui's full power before. He couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation—but he also knew he would probably get beaten badly.
Still, Minato remained calm.
As the duel's countdown began, everyone was restrained within the arena.
Setsuna and Hiruzen tried to struggle, but their bodies remained completely immobile.
As the countdown ended, their restraints vanished—and at the same time, the battle began.
Both Yuki Seisui and Minato were seasoned duelists.
The moment the countdown ended, Minato hurled more than ten kunai in all directions.
His strength was immense; the kunai flew far and fast.
Yuki Seisui, in contrast, clapped his hands together. Beneath the watchful eyes of Hiruzen and Setsuna, a white light began to shimmer around him, dazzling even in the dueling space.
Simultaneously, black-and-white spiral shadows appeared under his lower eyelids.
"Sage Mode—Activate!"
Yuki Seisui's body was enveloped in the radiant white light of the sage technique. Above it, pale blue chakra began to merge with the white glow.
White and blue intertwined—you in me, me in you.
"Water Release Chakra Mode—Flowing—Activate!"
Minato set up his formations without disturbing Yuki Seisui, knowing he couldn't interfere anyway.
Better to use this time to prepare.
Yuki Seisui's pupils had turned golden with Sage Mode, but now the golden eyes contracted sharply, transforming into fox-like slits as the Mangekyo Sharingan activated.
A red, destructive chakra of the Nine-Tails covered the blue-and-white chakra of Flowing Mode and Sage Mode.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Mode—Activate!"
"Eight Gates Activate!"
Green steam swirled around Yuki Seisui, merging with the flowing lights surrounding him.
In an instant, a golden radiance burst forth from his body. The multiple modes layered together transformed into pure gold.
Simultaneously, a golden chakra cloak appeared around him.
The green steam of Eight Gates, the white light of Panda Clan's Sage Art, the blue chakra of Flowing Water Mode, and the red, violent chakra of the Nine-Tails merged. Under the Nine-Tails' dominance, they became gold.
Yuki Seisui could also allow other modes to dominate—Sage Mode, Flowing Mode—but that only changed the color, with little significance.
Setsuna and Hiruzen exchanged glances, silently evaluating him—and realized they couldn't comprehend Yuki Seisui's techniques.
Sei, standing nearby, explained:
"This is Seisui's ultimate mode, a fusion of all his powers."
She pointed toward him.
At that moment, Yuki Seisui exuded an overwhelming aura.
His life energy swelled visibly—pure strength manifesting before their eyes.
Seisui continued:
"Eight Gates, Sage Mode, Water Release Chakra Mode, Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode, and Susanoo—all these become the essence of his 'Ninefold Gold Body Mode.'"
As she spoke, Hiruzen and Setsuna looked again.
Yuki Seisui's previously rampant aura had now become restrained.
A restrained aura is far stronger than one in full explosion.
His fox-like pupils returned to normal.
The Mangekyo Sharingan forcibly reverted his fox eye, with a fleeting red glow now covered by the golden radiance of Sage Mode, splitting into three sections, each with a small dot.
Mangekyo Sharingan—Activate!
Perfect Sage Mode, perfect Nine-Tails Golden Body Mode, perfect Water Release Chakra Mode, and the first five Gates of Eight Gates.
This, truly, is the Perfect Ninefold Gold Body Mode.
Golden chakra cloaked him, and his golden Mangekyo Sharingan fixed on Minato.
"You ready?"
"Minato!"
Yuki Seisui's golden eyes glimmered, his chakra spilling outward, turning black.
As he spoke, a black Susanoo skeleton formed, its black-and-gold contrast making him appear both sinister and divine.
However, this black Susanoo lasted only briefly before the golden chakra cloak converted it to gold.
In its first form, the Susanoo formed a circle around him, with one normal-sized Susanoo arm emerging from his back.
Yuki Seisui now had one Susanoo arm and one fox claw.
Minato's forehead glistened with sweat.
Unreal… this is insane!
Yuki Seisui had warned that the Ninefold Gold Body Mode would give him unparalleled full-body enhancement.
"Don't think Sage Mode is only for you!" Minato inhaled deeply, bringing his hands together as frog-like traits appeared on him.
A faint red shadow emerged at the corners of his eyes, his aura exploding.
Two small toads appeared before him.
"We're at your service!"
Summoned by Minato, the two sages exchanged a glance and leapt onto his shoulders.
"Minato, is there a powerful enemy?"
"Yes. Our opponent is Yuki Seisui. Though it's a spar, we'll both give it our all!"
Minato looked ahead; the two sages nodded in agreement.
"In this world where we cannot die, we can fight with full power!"
"Good!" Minato said, summoning a white mist at his feet.
Gamabunta appeared beneath him.
Seeing this, Yuki Seisui smiled.
"If you summon, I'll summon too!"
He glanced toward Seisui's direction.
"Step back!"
Without waiting for their reaction, he clasped his hands.
Three clouds of white smoke rose.
As the smoke cleared, Shukaku appeared first, followed by the Panda Sage, and finally Kurama.
Yuki Seisui stood with arms crossed atop Kurama's head.
"Then, let's dance!"