Starting as the mastermind behind Naruto

Chapter 241 Minato Namikaze's Choice to Surrender and Jiraiya's Unyielding Spirit

After losing their own will, the combat power of the Edo Tensei bodies fluctuates wildly, relying purely on their instincts to fight.

However, there is no doubt that after the elderly and frail Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, obtained the Edo Tensei body, his combat power increased significantly.

"Sword Shadow Clone Technique!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi flung a giant shuriken at the top of his lungs, then swiftly formed hand seals with his fingers. Instantly, the shuriken split into a dense array of shadow clones that shot towards Jiraiya and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio!

"Earth Escape·Earth Style City Bi!"

Jiraiya simultaneously clasped his hands together in a hand seal, releasing a wall of earth that blocked the giant shuriken. Even the thick wall was cracked by the shuriken!

Jiraiya couldn't help but frown, and said with lingering fear, "That old man really went all out!"

However, just as Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief, the clear voice of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, reached his ears: "Shadow Clone Technique!"

This is something Jiraiya almost forgot!

Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze was also skilled in the technique of creating shadow clones with his sword, but they focused on different aspects of it!

After throwing a shuriken into the air, Minato Namikaze quickly clasped his hands together in a hand seal, moving much faster than Hiruzen Sarutobi!

The next second, the small shuriken suddenly split into countless clones!

Just like the countless twinkling stars in the night sky, these stars then fell from the sky!

Those countless shooting stars were all the work of Minato Namikaze in unleashing his Shadow Clone Technique. Every ninjutsu in Minato Namikaze's hands would be developed into an extremely powerful technique!

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya quickly closed his palms and opened his mouth, spewing a powerful burst of flames at the falling shuriken, scorching the densely packed shuriken in the air!

The countless shuriken turned into smoke and dissipated under the attack of the flames.

Even a shadow clone of a shuriken is still just a shadow clone; it will disappear when it encounters a sufficiently powerful attack.

"Phew, is it finally resolved?"

Choza Akimichi stood up, shook his head, and looked at Minato Namikaze in the distance, muttering softly, "Minato is still as terrifying as ever..."

"After all, he was the most perfect ninja..."

Nara Shikaku slowly closed his hands and whispered, "Let's try to control them first. Shadow Binding!"

A shadow rapidly extended from beneath his feet, spreading towards the Fourth Hokage's position. Although it was only a probing move, Nara Shikaku would still go all out!

After all, if Minato Namikaze were to run rampant on the battlefield, it would be a huge problem for them.

Obviously, this is of no use at all.

Minato Namikaze's speed was far beyond what his shadow could catch, but Shikaku Nara didn't stop. He simply watched Minato dodge the shadow's movements and whispered to his teammates, "Stop him, Choji!"

"Understood! Partial multiplication technique!"

Akimichi Choza's fist suddenly grew huge, and he slammed it into the area where Namikaze Minato was located, forcing Namikaze Minato to disappear instantly!

But no one expected that Minato Namikaze would jump into Choza Akimichi's hand and leave a Flying Thunder God mark on him!

"Is it over?"

This was the first thing that came to Akimichi Choza's mind.

Once you've been marked with the Flying Thunder God technique by Minato Namikaze, it's almost impossible to escape his pursuit!

"No, it's perfect!"

Nara Shikaku chuckled softly, glanced at Yamanaka Inoichi beside him, and said gently, "Then it's up to you now, Inoichi!"

"Um…"

Yamanaka Inoichi extended his palm and placed it on Nara Shikaku, using the Mind Turn Technique to control Nara Shikaku's body and sense the location of Namikaze Minato.

"They're here!"

Yamanaka Inoichi located Namikaze Minato within his perception range and whispered, "But we can't predict when he'll appear next to Choza..."

"Now!"

Nara Shikaku's shadow instantly expanded, enveloping the entire surrounding area, and just as it did, it also enveloped Namikaze Minato, who had just landed!

The next second, just when they thought they had Minato Namikaze under control, a wisp of golden chakra gradually emerged from Minato's body, gathering into a golden chakra cloak around him.

Nine-Tailed Mode!

Minato Namikaze instantly broke free from the control of the Shadow's restraints and unleashed a sweeping kick, sending Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza flying!

"..."

Jiraiya's jaw nearly dropped in shock. He stared intently at Minato Namikaze, who was bathed in golden light, and muttered, "This is... the Nine-Tails' chakra!"

What the hell is going on?!

Even if it were just Nara Shikaku and the other two, dealing with an ordinary Minato Namikaze would be difficult enough, but this Minato also had the Nine-Tails' chakra on him!

No, not only that, he can even perfectly utilize the Nine-Tails' chakra!

Minato Namikaze's current aura is clearly far stronger than when Naruto Uzumaki revealed his eight tails during the Chunin Exams!

What the hell is this?!

However, it wasn't a bad thing that Minato Namikaze was able to unleash the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Because his will was restored, although he was still unable to break free from Uehara Naraku's control, he could at least report a lot of information to Jiraiya...

A hint of relief flashed across Minato's face as he turned to look at Jiraiya, a look of relief on his face: "It's been a long time, Jiraiya-sensei..."

"Watergate..."

Jiraiya's face was still fixed on his golden chakra cloak as he asked in a low voice, "What exactly is going on?"

"This matter..."

"Your Excellency the Fourth Generation!"

Before Minato Namikaze could even begin to explain, he suddenly felt Naraku Uehara's will descend upon his mind once more!

Within the realm of the mind.

Minato Namikaze stands in the middle of a lake.

Uehara Naraku's face appeared above him like a god, and he said in a gloomy voice, "Fourth Hokage, there are some things you shouldn't say. My original task for you was just to keep them occupied. If you say too much, then I will have no choice but to let you kill them."

"..."

Minato Namikaze looked up at the enormous face above his mental world, his expression grim, and asked, "At least tell me what your purpose is!"

"Don't ask too many questions."

Uehara Naraku stared gloomily at the golden figure in the spiritual world, and whispered, "I thought the Second Hokage would be the first to regain his senses, but it turns out it's you. Whatever, if you dare leak information, I'll just control your body and kill them!"

After finishing speaking, Uehara Naraku added, "Just a friendly reminder, the current Fifth Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade, is right beside me. I can kill her at any time and wipe out all of Konoha's high-ranking officials!"

Feeling uneasy, Uehara Naraku added, "Since you used the Nine-Tails' chakra, you should be able to sense your son's location, right? Obito Uchiha is nearby, and I can kill Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake at any time!"

Minato Namikaze: "..."

This person... is a bit ruthless!

Minato Namikaze finally regained his senses and wanted to use this opportunity to reveal some information to Jiraiya, but Uehara Naraku immediately threatened Jiraiya's life.

It must be said that this threat was very effective.

Minato Namikaze was well aware that with his current ability to use the Nine-Tails' power, Jiraiya, Shikaku Nara, and the others would be no match for him.

If Jiraiya obtains the information and the entire Konoha leadership is purged, then what's the point of obtaining the information?

No, it seems there's another way?

For example, code words?

"Don't even think about using code words or gestures to leak information."

Uehara Naraku spoke coldly, essentially writing Minato Namikaze's ending: "I never look at the process, I only look at the result. If I feel something is wrong, I'll eliminate them immediately. So you'd better think carefully about where you should stand!"

Uehara Naraku looked at the silent Namikaze Minato and said coldly, "Don't think you're the only pawn. To me, you and I are just mouthpieces, and we can be replaced at any time. If you want to do more with this body in the future, you'd better obey my orders."

The enormous face in Uehara Naraku's mental world added in a deep voice, "If the entire Konoha leadership were killed, you should know what fate awaits Konoha, right?"

"I see."

Minato Namikaze slowly lowered his head.

This threat is very simple and brutal, yet very effective.

Compared to spells and incantations, Uehara Naraku's use of his emotions and bonds was undoubtedly a more effective method, and could even bring Minato Namikaze to his knees.

After all, Minato Namikaze wanted to leak information for the safety of Konoha. If Konoha were gone, what would be the point of him leaking information?

But if we don't leak information...

What awaits Konoha is probably a slow death, right?

Minato Namikaze felt he had to come up with a foolproof plan.

Uehara Naraku slowly gazed at Minato Namikaze beneath his mental world, then suddenly revealed a sinister smile: "Just in case, I should warn you in advance that besides what I threatened you before, I think I should add something else."

In Minato's eyes, the enormous smiling face of Uehara Naraku in his mental world was the smile of a demon. He spoke softly, "If Jiraiya and the others knew my true identity, I would resurrect Kushina Uzumaki using the Impure World Reincarnation technique and control her to fight your son, Naruto Uzumaki. To prevent this human tragedy from happening, you'll surely obey, right?"

"..."

Minato Namikaze couldn't help but grit his teeth.

If Naruto Uzumaki, who has never seen his mother, and Kushina Uzumaki, who has never seen her son, were to fight each other, is this something only one person could do?

This demon has considered almost every aspect of him.

Teacher, wife, son, disciple, companion.

Almost every threat was fatal to Minato Namikaze; this was the first time in Minato Namikaze's world that he had seen such an evil guy!

This demon!

In particular, his strength is also very great.

Minato Namikaze gritted his teeth, looked up at Naraku Uehara's face, and asked, "I need to know why you did this, don't I?"

"You'll find out sooner or later."

Uehara Naraku's voice gradually became somewhat ethereal: "Don't worry, everything I've done isn't a bad thing for Konoha. I had to hide myself in order to deal with a mastermind behind the scenes."

"That…"

Minato Namikaze raised his head and said coldly, "I will cooperate with you for now, but I don't want to hurt Jiraiya-sensei!"

"Yes, that's very good. I don't want to hurt him either."

Within the realm of his mind, Uehara Naraku slowly nodded and whispered, "That battlefield is yours to handle. Just help me hold off Jiraiya and the others."

Uehara Naraku's projection of his will dissipated from Namikaze Minato's mental world, leaving only one sentence: "I am also a kind person, and I would not do something as cruel as forcing a disciple to kill his teacher."

After Uehara Naraku's will dissipates.

Minato Namikaze returned to reality, his expression slightly pale. He carefully examined his body and found that he was still bound by Naraku Uehara.

The only thing he can be free of is his mouth.

Remembering Uehara Naraku's threat, Namikaze Minato slowly clenched his fist, looked at Jiraiya, and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sensei, I have to stop you from doing what you're about to do. This is a choice I have to make."

"Ha ha ha ha…"

Jiraiya, far from being annoyed, let out a hearty laugh. He slowly closed his fingers, forming a contrasting hand seal: "Minato, if I remember correctly, you really wanted to challenge me back then, didn't you?"

"That's right."

Minato Namikaze slowly formed a counter-seal, and the golden chakra cloak within his body gradually faded away, returning him to his normal state.

Minato Namikaze looked directly at Jiraiya's increasingly serious expression, and a hint of earnestness appeared on his face as well: "Then... teacher, please guide me."

"You go and fight the old man!"

Jiraiya instructed Nara Shikaku and the others to attack the Third Hokage, then leisurely closed his hands and continued his casual conversation, "Do we need to establish any rules?"

"No rules are needed."

Minato Namikaze shook his head and said in a low voice, "Even Jiraiya-sensei could kill me, because I can't die in the Edo Tensei state!"

"Can we use sealing magic?"

Jiraiya looked at Minato Namikaze and continued, "I'm very skilled at sealing techniques... I wonder if I could seal you away in your current state?"

Minato Namikaze's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment: "That might be possible, but I am also very skilled in sealing techniques. Even if Master used the Reaper Death Seal at the cost of his life, it wouldn't work, because I was..."

Minato Namikaze's voice stopped abruptly. He couldn't reveal any information about Naraku Uehara; he had almost let it slip!

"Then, can we use magic?"

Jiraiya's face revealed a meaningful smile. He slowly applied toad paint, formed a summoning hand seal, and shouted in a deep voice, "Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

"Teacher... is still the same as always!"

Minato Namikaze shook his head somewhat helplessly and said softly, "Master has been chatting with me all this time to prepare enough time to summon Fukasaku and Shima, the two sages, and enter Sage Mode, right?"

A psychic sound of smoke arose.

Jiraiya's appearance has changed drastically. His face is covered with paint, and two small toads have appeared on his shoulders. However, his aura has become much more imposing!

Jiraiya waved his hand triumphantly, laughing heartily, "Hahaha...you guessed right, you little brat!"

"Who is the enemy this time?"

Master Shima looked around at everything, then suddenly stared at Minato Namikaze in disbelief and said, "Wait, Jiraiya, isn't that Minato?"

Minato Namikaze nodded amicably and said softly, "It's been a long time! Master Shima, Master Fukasaku."

In short, Minato has been resurrected and taken over by someone.

Jiraiya succinctly summarized the current situation, saying in a deep voice, "We must defeat him now and rush to support Naruto and Kakashi. They might be trapped in Akatsuki's encirclement!"

"I see..."

Fukasaku nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "This is not a good situation. If I remember correctly... Minato seems to have also learned Sage Mode, right?"

"That's right, Sage Mode activated!"

After Minato Namikaze calmly nodded, the paint of Sage Mode flashed in his eyes: "Because of the Nine-Tails' help within me, it can also draw on natural energy, allowing me to enter Sage Mode at any time..."

Jiraiya: "..."

Fukasaku Sennin: "..."

Shima Sennin: "..."

"I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sensei."

Minato Namikaze shook his head, a hint of apology flashing across his face. He solemnly declared, "I can only tell you that I must prohibit your passage."

"Let's go then!"

Jiraiya clasped his hands together, his face also becoming solemn: "Minato, there's no need to feel sorry. I've told you before, in the world of ninjas, there's no such thing as a disciple having to obey their teacher. Besides, you're just being controlled by someone else right now!"

After saying that, Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "What we need to do is not to defeat Minato, but to break through his defenses and get to Naruto and Kakashi's location!"

(End of this chapter)