I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

The intelligence was delivered to the northern camp in the middle of the night.

Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake stood at the entrance of the command center; both of them had just arrived.

Raindrops still clung to Jiraiya's hair, and mud clung to Sakumo Hatake's scabbard.

Minato stepped out of the tent, clutching a secret report that had just been delivered from the Dark Bureau.

"The Hidden Clouds have moved."

Minato handed the secret message to Jiraiya.

"The main force, led by the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito, is feigning an attack. The Fourth Raikage, A, and Killer Bee are leading a dozen elite troops, taking a detour through the mountains, with their target being Konoha."

After reading the secret report, Jiraiya handed it to Sakumo Hatake. Sakumo Hatake glanced at it but said nothing.

"How did you know their route?" Jiraiya asked.

Minato crouched down and drew a line in the sand with his finger.

"I've deployed Flying Thunder God kunai around Konoha and between the front-line camps. If they take this mountain path, I can intercept them." He looked up at Jiraiya.

"I'll leave the main battlefront to you two."

Jiraiya glanced at Sakumo Hatake. Sakumo Hatake nodded.

-

Shuimen walked to Shuoge's tent and lifted the curtain.

Sakugo was wiping his sword, Kai was doing push-ups, and Kurenai was organizing her ninja tool bag.

"Put on your gear. Follow me."

Shuoge stood up and hung the knife behind his back.

Kai and Hong also stood up.

"You guys come too." Minato glanced at them.

The three people followed the water gate out of the tent.

The campfire in the camp flickered in the night wind, casting long shadows of the five people.

Minato stood in the center of the camp, holding a trident kunai in his hand.

"Stand still."

He put his hand on Shuoge's shoulder, and Kai and Hong also came closer.

The next second, the wind howled in their ears, and the campsite in front of them disappeared, replaced by a gray, misty forest.

Shuoge's feet stomped on the gravel, making a crisp sound.

Kai staggered and was supported by Hong.

Minato released his grip, pulled another kunai from his ninja tool pouch, and threw it into the distance.

The kunai was nailed to the tree trunk; his figure appeared there, then disappeared, then reappeared in a more distant place.

He was setting up his formation.

The Flying Thunder God Technique requires coordinates, and each kunai represents a coordinate.

He turned this mountain forest into his own domain.

Sakugo stood still, his three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotating. He was watching Minato's movements, memorizing the positions of the kunai.

Kai squatted down and touched the pebbles on the ground with his fingers. Hong leaned against the tree trunk, holding a kunai in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

Minato is back, his breathing steady, and his eyes are extremely calm.

"Here you are." His voice was very soft.

More than a dozen figures appeared on the mountain road in the distance.

Ai was walking at the front; her short, golden hair shone like a flame in the hazy sunlight.

His body was enveloped in blue lightning chakra, and the ground trembled slightly with each step he took.

Killer Bee followed behind him, carrying eight swords on his back, his eyes behind his sunglasses seemingly gazing into nowhere. Behind them followed a dozen or so Cloud Village Jonin, each an elite.

Shuimen emerged from behind the tree trunk and stood in the middle of the mountain path.

Ai stopped in his tracks. He looked at the water gate, his eyes showing no surprise, only one thing—understanding.

"You know."

"Understood." Minato's voice was flat.

Ai clenched his fist.

Lightning Release chakra exploded from his body, and blue lightning crackled in the air.

He didn't ask "How did you know?" or "When did you get here?" None of that mattered anymore.

The important thing is that the Golden Flash is standing here, blocking his way to Konoha.

—Now that the scheme has been exposed, let's crush everything with absolute power!

"Bee!" Ai's voice was low. "Those brats are yours."

Killer Bee stepped out of the group, his eight swords jingling on his back. He looked at Minato, then at Sakugo and the other two, a smirk playing on his lips.

Minato looked at Ai. The two of them moved at the same time.

A's fist, imbued with lightning chakra, slammed into Minato's face, moving so fast that the air itself seemed to be torn apart.

Minato's figure disappeared and reappeared next to the kunai behind Ai.

The Rasengan condensed in his palm and slammed into Ai's back.

A didn't turn around; his Lightning Release chakra exploded on his back, taking the Rasengan head-on. He was sent flying, crashing into three trees, but quickly got up and dusted himself off.

"Flying Thunder God... what a nuisance."

Minato remained silent.

His figure disappeared again, reappearing next to another kunai.

Ai's fist slammed into the open ground, cracking the ground and sending shards of stone flying.

Minato appeared to his side, and another Rasengan came hurtling towards him.

A dodged to the side, his fist sweeping across, and Minato vanished again. The two figures moved through the forest, the sound of kunai clashing like raindrops, the light of exploding lightning chakra and Rasengan flashing intermittently.

Killer Bee didn't help A. He watched Minato and A's fight, humming off-key rap, but his feet didn't move. He was waiting—waiting for Minato to make a mistake.

As for those three brats, he didn't take them seriously.

Shuoge emerged from behind the tree trunk. Kai and Hong followed behind him.

Killer Bee glanced at them. "Kids, stand over there if you don't want to get beaten up."

Sakugo didn't give way. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his three-tomoe Sharingan fixed on Killer Bee's eyes.

Killer Bee frowned slightly.

"Uchiha?"

"That genius named Blade?"

Sakugo remained silent. His Sharingan was swirling, not in attack, but infiltration. He mixed his chakra with the spiritual power of his Sharingan, silently spreading towards Killer Bee.

It's not an illusion, just a very straightforward interference.

The consciousness of a tailed beast and the consciousness of its jinchūriki coexist. The spiritual power of the Sharingan can influence the tailed beast, causing it to stir within the jinchūriki's body.

Killer Bee's expression changed. Not from pain, but from discomfort—like something was scratching at his brain, an itch he couldn't quite reach. The Eight-Tails within him suddenly stirred, causing a brief disruption in the flow of chakra.

"Bi!" Ai's voice came from afar.

Killer Bee's hand paused for a moment.

Just this one moment.

Minato appeared behind Killer Bee.

The Rasengan condensed in his palm and slammed into Killer Bee's back.

boom!

Killer Bee flew out, crashing through five trees before landing on the ground and sliding for more than ten meters.

He lay on the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, his sunglasses shattered. But he was still alive, still conscious. He pushed himself up, looking at Shuimen, then at Shuoge.

"Those eyes... Damn Uchiha!" Ai's voice changed slightly.

Minato did not answer. He stood between Killer Bee and A, holding a trident kunai in his hand, his golden hair fluttering in the wind.

-

"Retreat," Ai said in a low voice.

Killer Bee glanced at him. "Aren't you going to fight anymore?"

"beat."

Ai's gaze shifted from Minato, sweeping over Sakugo, Kai, and Kurenai, before finally settling on the forest where Minato had laid down kunai.

"But first, clear away what's in the way."

He raised his hand, and the dozen or so Cloud Village Jonin behind him scattered at the same time.

It's not an escape, it's an encirclement.

Their movements were synchronized and their coordination was excellent, clearly indicating that they had practiced the tactics countless times.

Four people rushed towards Kai and Hong, six people blocked the direction from which Minato might teleport, and the remaining four people followed Ai and Killer Bee, closing in on Shogo.

Kai rushed out from behind the tree trunk.

He was fast; his fist slammed into the first Cloud Village Jonin with a whooshing sound.

The man dodged to the side and swung his knife backhand. Kai blocked with his arm; the blade tore his sleeve but did not injure his flesh.

The second person charged in from the side, thrusting a kunai straight at Kai's ribs. Hong followed up from behind, blocking the attack with her own kunai, the sound of metal clashing ringing out.

"You little brats, you're pretty good at fighting." A Cloud Village Jonin sneered.

Kai didn't speak. He swung his fist again, this time faster, striking the first man in the chest. The man staggered back three steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't fall.

Kai's punch wasn't heavy enough.

Kurenai was entangled by two people, and her kunai and shuriken clashed in mid-air, sparks flying everywhere.

She didn't have time to form hand seals for her illusion, so she could only barely defend herself.

A Jonin's sword slashed from the side, tearing a gash in Hong's sleeve, and blood seeped from her arm.

Shuoge drew his sword. He didn't go to save Kai and Hong, but walked towards Ai.

Ai looked at him, a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Kid, you think you can take me on alone?"

Shuoge did not speak.

His sword was held horizontally in front of him, and his three-tomoe Sharingan was fixed on Ai's eyes.

It's not provocation, it's calculation.

He was waiting for A to make a move, waiting for A's feet to move, waiting for A's shoulders to move. But A didn't move. He stood there, his body wrapped in blue lightning chakra, like a thunder god.

-

"By," Ai's voice was low. "Don't waste time."

Killer Bee charged in from the side.

He was fast; he drew all eight knives at once, drawing a deadly net in the air, but not toward Shogo—he was aiming at Kai and Hong.

The dozen or so Cloud Village Jonin also moved at the same time, flanking from both sides, unleashing a torrent of kunai and shuriken.

Kai punched away one shuriken, but another grazed his thigh and tore his pants.

Red blocked a Jonin's short sword with her kunai, but was knocked back three steps. Another Jonin pounced from the side, thrusting his kunai straight at the back of her neck.

Unstoppable.

Sakugo's Sharingan made a judgment in an instant. Gai and Kurenai were no match for these people; they wouldn't last ten seconds. And he was too far away to come to their aid.

There is only one way.

Shuoge turned around and walked towards Ai.

It's not "rush," it's "go."

The sword was in its sheath, his hand rested on the hilt, and his steps were neither fast nor slow, as if he were going to the river to practice his swordsmanship.

Seeing this, Kai and Hong immediately understood and retreated simultaneously, hiding behind some rocks in the distance. Their mission was to keep watch, not to die.

How long Sakugo can hold off the Raikage is how many people Minato can kill.

-

Ai frowned slightly.

Instead of running away, this brat is walking towards him? He raised his fist, lightning chakra exploding on it, blue lightning crackling. He slammed his fist down, the speed so fast it tore the air apart.

Shuoge drew his sword.

It's not blocking, it's guiding.

The blade rested diagonally on Ai's fist, using the force against him to guide the fist to his left.

Ai's fist slammed into the open ground, cracking it open and sending shards of stone flying. Shuoge smoothly withdrew his knife, took a step back, and stood in front of Ai, his clothes fluttering in the shockwave, but he remained motionless.

Ai's pupils contracted slightly.

This brat changed the direction of his fist with a knife.

It's not about a direct clash of forces, but about deflecting the force from a tricky angle.

He threw another punch, even faster.

Shuoge's knife was raised again, the blade sliding along the arc of the fist, guiding the fist to his right.

Ai's fist missed again, and his body leaned forward slightly.

Shuoge's knife tip pointed towards his throat—not to stab him, but to stop short of piercing it, forcing him to halt!

The tip of the knife stopped three inches in front of Ai's throat.

Ai leaned back abruptly, dodging the knife. He looked at Shuoge, his eyes changing.

"Your knife... is very tricky."

He seemed to see the shadow of a silver-haired man, but something was different.

Shuoge remained silent. His sword was held horizontally in front of him, and his three-tomoe Sharingan was fixed on Ai's shoulders and feet.

He knew that in a pure contest of strength, it would be difficult to contend with the Raikage.

But he didn't need to confront it head-on. He just needed to make sure Ai's fists couldn't hit him. By using leverage, guiding the opponent's momentum, he could deflect a powerful blow with minimal effort.

The greater the force of the force, the greater the inertia that causes it to be swayed.

This isn't a head-on collision; it's based on the principles of Tai Chi.

The soft overcomes the hard, and the weak triumphs over the strong.

Ai's fist came down for the third time. This time he held back a third of his strength, making the punch faster and lighter, but at a more difficult angle.

Shuoge didn't strike, but instead took a half step back, the tip of his blade pointing towards Ai's ankle.

Ai's fist grazed his hair, but his foot was touched by the tip of the knife, causing him to lose his balance. He staggered half a step before regaining his footing.

"You—" Ai glared angrily.

Shuoge remained calm. He had already sheathed his sword, returning it to its original position and holding it horizontally in front of him. From beginning to end, he hadn't retreated a single step, always standing in front of Ai.

-

Watergate seized the opportunity and made its move.

His figure vanished from his original spot and reappeared behind a Cloud Village Jonin.

The Rasengan struck the man in the back, sending him flying. He crashed into a tree and lay motionless.

The figure disappeared again, reappearing next to another Jonin.

The kunai flew from his hand and embedded itself in the man's throat. The third, the fourth, the fifth—the Flying Thunder God Technique was so fast that the Jonin didn't even have time to react.

"Watergate! Stop him!" Ai shouted.

Killer Bee turned around and slashed at Minato with eight swords.

The blade net blocked all of Minato's teleportation landing points, but Minato's figure did not appear in the blade net—he appeared behind Killer Bee.

The Rasengan slammed into Killer Bee's back, causing him to stagger forward a few steps, blood gushing from his mouth. He turned around, unleashing eight swords again, and Minato vanished once more.

Appearing to his side, the Rasengan slammed down again.

Kirabi is fast, but Watergate is even faster.

Flying Thunder God is not about speed, but about spatial jump.

No matter how fast Killer Bee's sword was, it couldn't outrun Minato appearing behind him in an instant.

The seventh Jonin fell, then the eighth, then the ninth.

Minato's figure moved through the mountains and forests, each flash of light taking a life.

Kirabi couldn't catch up with him, and Ai was pinned to the spot by Shogo.

The tenth Jonin has fallen.

"Stop right there!"

Killer Bee roared, and the tailed beast chakra surged from his body, forming eight tails behind him.

He had partially transformed into a tailed beast, and his speed, strength, and defense all increased dramatically.

Eight tails swept across, and Minato's figure appeared in mid-air, dodging the attack.

Killer Bee gave chase, his eight tails blocking out all directions—but Minato appeared above him, slamming a Rasengan into his head. Killer Bee was slammed into the ground, his head bleeding profusely, and most of his tailed beast chakra dissipated.

The water gate landed beside him, and a kunai was pressed against his neck.

"Don't move."

The chill pierced the skin, filling the air with the scent of death.

Kirabi stopped moving.

A's fist froze in mid-air. He glanced at the corpses of the Jonin on the ground—twelve, all dead. Then he looked at Minato, and at Killer Bee beneath Minato's blade.

Then he withdrew his fist and took a step back.

"Let's go all out."

Minato didn't move. "You withdraw your troops, and Kumogakure and Konoha will sign a ceasefire agreement."

Ai fell silent. He glanced at Shuoge—the brat was still standing there, his sword held horizontally in front of him, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his three-tomoe Sharingan slowly turning in the hazy daylight.

He was not injured or disheveled; he simply stood there, like a wall.

"..."

Ai's gaze swept over the restrained Killer Bee and the corpses scattered on the ground.

Golden flash, blade—

Why are all the geniuses in Konoha Village?

One after another, generation after generation?

He was suppressed by Minato Namikaze.

And the next generation.

Who can stand against Blade?!

"I see."

Ai's tone was somewhat stiff and dejected.

It's not because of the immediate outcome of the game.

Rather, it's the future of Kumogakure...

-