Chapter 212: A Blond Ninja? No — Minato Namikaze!
Having successfully evaded the middle-aged woman's "pursuit," Sakura finally had a moment to take in this completely unfamiliar yet thriving city — brimming with exotic flair and a striking sense of technology.
Skyscrapers dozens of stories tall filled her vision, connected by elevated rail lines, and even the ground was dotted with patches of lush green lawn.
This was a desert. Transforming Rōran into something like this required more than just the Dragon Veins' power — Mukade's abilities were equally essential.
She scanned her surroundings. No one in sight.
The moment she'd entered this world, she'd been separated from Naruto, Sasuke, and Kushina.
Just as Sakura prepared to search for her teammates, her expression shifted slightly. A familiar sensory pulse had spread across the entirety of Rōran.
This is... Kushina's Blood Haze Mind's Eye?
So Kushina was nearby.
Sakura headed toward the epicenter of the sensory field.
The Blood Haze Mind's Eye was supposed to be an extremely covert sensory technique. But Sakura's body had grown increasingly perfected, making her hypersensitive to any form of observation.
Whether it was someone's gaze or a sensory jutsu — the instant it touched her, she noticed. Like a tiger in the forest whose vigilance never, ever dropped.
Hm?
Somewhere in Rōran, a blond ANBU operative wearing a mask looked up sharply.
That feeling...
Someone is sensing me?
No — that's not it. The detection range is enormous, covering all of Rōran. If the caster wanted to sense ME specifically, they wouldn't need coverage this wide.
Behind his mask, the blond operative's brow furrowed. He began moving toward the sensory field's origin point.
According to his intelligence, neither Rōran nor the entire Land of Wind contained anyone with sensory abilities on this scale.
And this type of wide-range perception reminded him of his girlfriend.
The Uzumaki clan's kekkei genkai.
Though his girlfriend hadn't awakened this particular ability — the one called Blood Haze Mind's Eye.
Kushina hid in the shadow of a skyscraper. The moment she'd activated her technique, every living person in Rōran had appeared in her perception. She'd also detected that the massive chakra they'd seen erupting from underground had been threaded throughout the entire city.
Remarkably, that volatile chakra was being controlled and put to practical use.
Hard to believe — that wildly unstable chakra had actually been harnessed by someone.
"Intruder... eliminate."
Three or four towering humanoid puppets had materialized behind Kushina without warning, blades gleaming viciously in the sunlight.
The blades fell like lightning!
But in the instant the puppets appeared, Kushina had already spun around. Golden chains erupted from her hands!
In a flash, all three or four puppets were wrapped tight!
The razor-sharp blades trembled to a halt above Kushina's head!
Then the Adamantine Sealing Chains contracted with explosive force — and the puppets shattered into scattered parts!
Puppets?
Mukade's doing?
Kushina frowned at the debris.
But then — the puppet blades that had fallen to the ground, seemingly inert, suddenly levitated and shot toward Kushina like bolts of lightning!
Kushina moved to destroy them — but at that moment, several silhouettes, backlit against the sun, descended and engulfed her in shadow!
This chakra—
It's—!
"RASENGAN!"
A golden figure clutching a swirling blue sphere of chakra charged straight at the puppet blades!
Meanwhile, Kushina herself was scooped up by a certain familiar golden-haired idiot, swept clear of the incoming blades!
A series of explosions followed. The puppet blades were obliterated.
"Hehe — you okay, Kushina?"
Naruto grinned down at the girl in his arms.
Kushina stared flatly at the boy who'd grabbed her without so much as asking.
"Idiot. It's not like I couldn't handle those things. Why did you pick me up?"
Naruto belatedly set her down. A chain of white smoke puffs erupted as the Shadow Clones that had destroyed the puppet parts all dispelled.
"I was just worried about you!"
Naruto set Kushina on her feet and scratched his head with a sheepish grin.
"Hmph."
Kushina's feet hit the ground. She was somewhat annoyed but didn't press the issue.
"What are those things?"
Naruto peered curiously at the scattered mechanical parts.
"They're puppets."
Kushina was about to elaborate when an unfamiliar voice cut in.
"Who's there!"
Naruto whirled — and saw a tall, masked, blond ninja standing on an elevated position, looking down at them.
"One of Mukade's lackeys?!"
Naruto snarled and formed hand seals without a second thought.
Multi Shadow Clone Technique!
"Wait — hold on..."
The blond ninja instinctively tried to explain, but several hundred Shadow Clones had already surrounded him and were charging from every direction!
Wait for WHAT?!
Not listening!
Sakura had taught him: beat the enemy into submission FIRST, THEN talk. Otherwise they won't listen, and you'll just make them angrier.
Beat them down, then win them over. That's what "winning hearts and minds" really meant!
Naruto wholeheartedly endorsed this philosophy!
Rasengan!
Several hundred clones — each wielding a Rasengan — swarmed the blond ninja!
"Could you PLEASE just let me explain—"
The blond ninja kicked one clone into oblivion while dodging another's ambush from behind, then grabbed that clone by the collar and hurled it into a cluster of incoming clones on his right.
Multiple clones went down — and their Rasengans detonated on impact!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Every clone that got within range was systematically dismantled by the blond ninja's virtually flawless hand-to-hand combat!
What an incredible fighter...
Kushina watched the man's taijutsu — so refined there wasn't a single opening — and thought of one person.
Sakura.
Both possessed seemingly airtight taijutsu, but their styles were polar opposites.
If Sakura was brute force conquering all, miracles through sheer power—
Then this man was technique refined to its absolute limit, skill polished and polished again.
Naruto's human wave tactic was crude and unoriginal.
But it was also one of the most effective strategies in existence.
Can't beat you one-on-one? Fine — try ten. A hundred. Five hundred. A thousand!
"Two fists can't beat four hands" wasn't an idle saying.
"GIANT RASENGAN!"
After dozens of clones had been eliminated, Naruto — who'd been hiding among them the entire time — finally spotted an opening.
Behind the mask, the blond ninja's eyes narrowed.
This must be the original.
If I capture him, we can actually have a conversation.
Watching the reckless boy charge straight at him, the blond ninja feinted — and in the next instant, was standing behind Naruto!
WHAT—!
Naruto stared at the man now at his back in shock.
Sage Mode!
Wait—
Where are my Sage Shadow Clones at Mount Myōboku?!
Oh no—!
I used them all and forgot to go back for refills!
This is all SASUKE'S fault! If he hadn't been showing off in front of me, I wouldn't have popped one just to flex back! I'd still have one left!
Even in mortal danger, Naruto didn't miss the chance to blame Sasuke.
"Naruto!"
Kushina sprang into action. Golden chains rocketed toward the blond ANBU!
Hm?
The blond operative looked at the golden chains streaking toward him — and froze, momentarily stunned.
"NOW!"
Naruto's eyes lit up. He dodged the hand reaching for him and drove his basketball-sized Rasengan straight at the blond ninja!
IDIOT!
So you see an opening — do you have to SCREAM it?!
Kushina was instantly furious.
But at that moment, a piercing whistle cut the air — and a shuriken embedded itself in the grass right beside Kushina!
Huh?
A shuriken?
Did he miss?
Wait — that shuriken looks weird...
Kushina eyed the strange trident-shaped shuriken near her feet. Something felt off, but instinct told her to move away.
But—
Kushina's eyes flew wide.
She'd been at least thirty meters from the blond ninja. Yet he was now standing directly behind her — without any warning whatsoever!
No—!
Kushina's heart lurched. He was already reaching for her!
She prepared to fight for her life — when a chakra signature suddenly blazed into her perception!
That's—
At the same instant, the blond ninja sensed a wave of lethal danger that made every hair on his body stand on end!
This—!
I can't fight this!
"Heaven Stomp!"
A pink figure materialized from nowhere!
One stomp — and the earth shattered. Everything within a fifteen-meter radius disintegrated!
Dust billowed skyward. Two figures burst from the cloud!
"You okay?"
Setting Kushina down gently, Sakura spoke.
"Fine. Sakura — he's strong."
Kushina stared at the distant point where the blond ninja had vanished under Sakura's strike, expression taut.
"Obviously."
Sakura's eyes burned with fighting spirit as she fixed on the man across from her.
She knew he wasn't an enemy. But her hands were itching.
The Fourth Hokage!
Sakura had already killed three Fourth-generation Kage. She was just one Fourth Hokage and one Fourth Tsuchikage short of completing the golden achievement: Annihilation of the Fourth Kage.
She wouldn't actually kill him, of course. But she desperately wanted to spar with Minato Namikaze.
As for the Fourth Tsuchikage — that would probably have to wait until the Boruto era...
And honestly? The Fourth Tsuchikage would be a freebie.
She could headbutt that one to death.
"Excuse me — I believe there's been some kind of misunderstanding."
The blond ninja—
No. Minato Namikaze regarded the battle-hungry pink-haired girl with grave caution.
Strong. Incredibly strong. Unprecedentedly strong.
Minato rarely used those words for an opponent.
But neither Hiruzen Sarutobi in Konoha, nor Rōshi and Han during the Great War, nor even Kushina's rampaging Nine-Tails had ever pressed him with this kind of overwhelming pressure.
And she looked younger than him.
Eighteen at the absolute most.
She was the strongest shinobi he had ever encountered in his life.
"Misunderstanding?"
Pinky's smile curved wider.
"I don't care about any misunderstanding."
"Let's fight first."
The long-absent black gloves were slowly pulled on. Even as she dressed for battle, her words kept flowing:
"Don't worry — I won't kill you. And even if you get hurt, as long as you're alive..."
"...I can heal you!"
The instant that last word dropped, Sakura vanished!
!!!
So FAST!
Minato's pupils contracted to pinpoints!
Without thinking, he activated Flying Thunder God and teleported!
The spot where he'd been standing exploded!
"Sakura!"
"Eight hundred meters east!"
Kushina's voice carried a note of disbelief. What the—
Under one second and she covered eight hundred meters?!
"Got it!"
Sakura rocketed toward Kushina's indicated direction!
Having escaped in an instant, Minato allowed himself a small breath of relief.
Who IS that girl?
He'd never heard of her.
And her strength defied comprehension.
If he hadn't been fast enough, that punch would've sent him to meet ancestors he'd never known.
"Hey..."
"Found you."
A familiar voice sounded from behind him, and Minato's blood ran cold.
!
Pure reflex — he threw himself into a roll. The spot where he'd been standing shattered!
"Come on!"
"Fight me!"
"You're the last one I need for the complete set!"
Minato couldn't begin to understand what she meant by "complete set" — but his Flying Thunder God kunai had been destroyed in the shockwave of that punch. He had no retreat.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding."
Kunai in hand, Minato regarded the pink-haired girl with the utmost seriousness.
"Misunderstanding?"
"We'll talk after we fight."
Sakura cracked her knuckles, bouncing lightly on her toes, warming up a body that hadn't seen real combat in three years. Her pink ponytail swayed with each little hop. (Reference: Goku vs. Broly warm-up.)
What?
A rampaging Nine-Tails?
She'd punched that thing into a kitten with one hit.
It didn't even have rational thought.
Minato's expression was grave as he studied the battle-hungry girl, his words measured and slow.
"You're a Konoha shinobi?"
That red-haired Uzumaki and the blond kid had both been wearing Leaf headbands.
This pink-haired girl wasn't wearing one, but from those two children's attitudes, it was clear she was a Leaf ninja too.
And her outfit was distinctly Konoha in style.
"Yep. I'm the boss of Konoha's shinobi."
"Are we done talking?"
"Because I'm about to start."
Sakura had already settled into her stance — ready to launch at Minato at any moment.
It had come to this. Since she wanted to fight, Minato wasn't the kind of man to sit there and take it.
Besides — she carried no killing intent. Only pure fighting spirit.
And most importantly, Minato was himself a genius.
And geniuses had their pride.
Unmatched among his peers — was he really going to surrender against a powerful opponent without even trying?
"In that case — COME!"
The instant the last syllable left his mouth, Minato vanished from the spot!
And simultaneously — blue and pink chakra flames erupted across Sakura's entire body!
!
Minato's eyes contracted at the sight.
Jinchūriki?!
No — not a jinchūriki!
Her own chakra is so dense that it's materializing on its own!
At full power, that astronomical chakra concentration simply manifested visually without any effort!
Unimaginable — chakra reserves this massive in someone who ISN'T a jinchūriki!
A fist grazed past Minato's ear, and the sonic boom that accompanied it drowned out every other sound in existence!
That kind of force—
One hit and it's over!
Having dodged Sakura's punch, Minato flipped his wrist — and a kunai was already driving toward Sakura's chest!
Planting one foot, the pink-haired girl executed a gorgeous mid-air spin, her body arcing overhead as a shuriken materialized in her hand!
Using the rotation for acceleration, combined with monstrous strength—
Ninja Art — Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Almost simultaneously, both Minato and Sakura deployed the same jutsu!
Sakura's shuriken multiplied into countless streaks of pink light, colliding head-on with the green streaks Minato had unleashed!
Without contest — Minato's shadow clones were obliterated on contact!
WHAT—!
The instant he saw the result, Minato turned and ran.
Like carpet-bombing, the entire floor they were on — ground included — was annihilated by a single Shuriken Shadow Clone barrage!
CRASH!
Minato dove through a window, shielding his face with both arms. He looked back — not just at the shuriken destruction, but at the aftermath of the punch that had grazed his ear. The fist-wind alone had shattered a wall eight meters away!
One punch!
Just ONE PUNCH!
And he was done!
In this moment, Minato once again registered exactly how terrifying this girl's raw power was.
"Fighting me and you dare let your mind wander."
"Who gave you that kind of courage?"
Her voice sounded in his ear again, and Minato's heart sank.
Another punch — aimed directly at his head!
But in this critical moment, Minato displayed combat instincts that bordered on inhuman. Mid-air, with nothing to push off from, he caught Pinky's wrist at lightning speed, twisted his body, vaulted over her, and dove back into the building through another opening!
He'd used Sakura herself as a pivot point to escape!
And given Sakura's strength, one miscalculation in that maneuver would have meant — at best — shattered bones. At worst — instant death on the spot.
"Now THAT'S interesting. This is why you're you!"
Sakura looked back at the man who'd spun past her, eyes alight with exhilaration.
Landing cleanly on the ground, she vaulted upward and plunged into the floor Minato had entered!
That level had already been wrecked by the Shuriken Shadow Clone barrage. Sakura dropped through to the floor below.
And this floor — was now saturated with Flying Thunder God markers!
In mere moments, Minato had transformed the entire space into his personal battlefield!
"Interesting."
Sakura raised her wrist and looked down.
On that pale skin — a black Flying Thunder God formula had been inscribed.
Formula of Love.
Pinky's expression was one of pure disgust.
"I've won."
Across from her, Minato had removed his mask, revealing features that bore more than a passing resemblance to Naruto's.
"You've won?"
"Did I agree to that?"
Standing amidst countless Flying Thunder God markers, Pinky looked at Minato and raised an eyebrow.
A battlefield constructed from Flying Thunder God markers was indeed inescapable for any conventional ninja. Nothing to do but wait for death.
But—
A golden flash materialized before Sakura — the tip of a blade, like a scorpion's lethal stinger, drove toward her throat!
But—
CLANG!
A sharp, ringing impact echoed through the space!
Minato stared in disbelief.
She reacted to the Flying Thunder God?!
IMPOSSIBLE!
The human body's reaction limit was 0.1 seconds. Minato himself was already infinitely close to that threshold.
But looking at the Flying Thunder God kunai now spinning through the air — there was no denying it. This pink-haired girl had exceeded the limits of the human body!
Under the full speed of Flying Thunder God, she'd swatted his marked kunai out of his hand as if she'd known it was coming!
This person!
She's beyond imagination!
When did Konoha produce a MONSTER like this?!
If she appeared on the battlefield, Iwa, Kiri, Suna, Kumo might as well surrender on the spot!
Even a fully transformed Tailed Beast wouldn't have a chance against that absolute strength and superhuman speed!
And now — a thundering fist was already hurtling toward Minato!
Minato's scalp went numb!
Without thinking, he flashed gold and vanished!
One punch!
One punch and I'm DEAD!
Minato pressed his lips together, reminding himself for the hundredth time — DO. NOT. GET. HIT.
One punch!
One punch and I WIN!
Sakura reminded herself — land one hit and it was over!
And after I land it?
I can demonstrate my exquisite medical ninjutsu on this golden retriever!
What was power?
Power was explosive force!
Explosive force was speed!
One step — the ground shattered — Sakura vanished!
Minato's heart dropped. He vanished from the spot, reappearing at another Flying Thunder God marker!
And Sakura was right there with him — the thunder of her footsteps at his heels, locked on like a guided missile!
What followed was like watching a film skip frames — golden light flickering frantically across the space as a pink afterimage trailed each flash, never more than a heartbeat behind!
"WOULD YOU STOP CHASING ME?!"
Minato felt his chakra plummeting and couldn't help the note of exasperation.
"NO! I HAVE TO BEAT YOU!"
Sakura rejected his proposal.
"FINE — I SURRENDER!"
"THAT DOESN'T WORK EITHER! LET ME HIT YOU ONCE!"
A thousand horses stampeded through Minato's mind.
Let her hit him ONCE?! Would he even SURVIVE?!
"Over here — found them!"
Kushina arrived at the battlefield with Naruto in tow.
But the scene before her made Kushina blink in confusion.
The blond ninja lay sprawled on the ground, eyes vacant. Sakura was crouched beside him, replenishing his chakra.
This was clearly the same masked ninja from before — now unmasked.
But why did he look like someone whose soul had left his body?
"Hey, you made it."
Sakura greeted Kushina and Naruto with a smile.
Minato had given up on speaking.
He hadn't actually been hit by Pinky. But he'd been ground down into defeat through sheer attrition.
In terms of raw chakra reserves, he couldn't hold a candle to this sixteen-year-old pink-haired girl.
After several hundred consecutive Flying Thunder God jumps, even Minato's respectable chakra reserves had been bled completely dry.
And so — another Fourth Kage fell at Sakura's hands.
Sakura cheerfully pumped chakra into Minato, already thinking about how the next time she saw Kurotsuchi, she'd open with a forehead flick that would put the girl out of commission.
That would complete the golden achievement: Annihilation of All Fourth Kage.
☆☆☆
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