Tsunade asks, "Only the Rasenshuriken can break the Third Raikage's Absolute Defense?"
Minato hedges, "Well, I haven't fought him myself, so I'm not completely sure. But based on everything I know about the Third Raikage... a simple Rasengan or ordinary taijutsu? No, they won't break through that defense."
Tsunade nods. "Alright. I'll give you plenty of time. Focus on developing that Wind Release transformation for the Rasengan. If you can pull it off, I'll see to it you get a special commendation right away."
Takeshi had originally just planned to find Minato, but finding him already with Tsunade in her war tent meant he had to report his findings right then and there.
Minato seemed to agree with Takeshi's assessment.
Tsunade didn't have extensive knowledge of Kumo's forces, but Takeshi's report, that a full-power 'Super Strength' blow had only injured the notoriously fast Fourth Raikage Candidate, Ay, gave her an even greater respect for the Third Raikage's rumored defense.
Caution was paramount.
Takeshi interrupted, "Meow~ Actually, I already have a preliminary idea. I just wanted to run it by Minato-sensei. It'd be faster for us to perfect it together."
"Oh?" Tsunade's eye twitched. 'Did I hear that right?' She recovered quickly. "Well, if it can be developed quickly, we can get you both into the fight that much sooner."
Minato nodded.
The three stepped out of the war tent into the open space near the camp. Plenty of room to work. Tsunade was swamped with duties and shouldn't have left, but curiosity had gotten the better of her.
Inside, Shizune, only eleven years old, was left to hold down the fort, along with the guard posted outside the tent who would report any visitors. Poor kid, getting stuck with Tsunade...
"Actually," Minato began, "I've almost developed it. There's just one problem I can't solve yet." He held out his hand. In a flash, a Rasengan shimmered into existence. But unlike a normal one, as it spun, four distinct blades of chakra began to extend outwards, steadily growing until they reached their full size in just a few seconds.
"Incredible!" Tsunade breathed, clearly surprised. Now she understood why Takeshi believed this technique was key to damaging the Third Raikage. Just sensing the raw power of the Wind Release chakra infused into the Rasengan was enough.
As he spoke, Minato explained the principles and challenges of the jutsu, readily admitting that the core idea had come from Takeshi. Takeshi couldn't help but admire his genius, the visible form of Minato's Rasenshuriken was remarkably similar to Naruto's first version.
After a moment, Minato let the Rasenshuriken dissipate. He sighed. "But like I said, there's a problem I can't solve."
"The chakra storm after the Wind Release Rasengan explodes, meow?" Takeshi asked.
Minato nodded. "Exactly."
"So," Tsunade murmured, realizing, "it's an possible A-Rank Forbidden Jutsu or maybe even S-Rank." As a Senju descendant, Tsunade understood ninjutsu well, even if she didn't practice many herself. The moment Minato and Takeshi articulated the issue, she grasped the terrifying implications. 'A dilemma indeed.'
"Meow~ This requires Sage Mode, but I'm not completely sure it will work, so I need you to watch," Takeshi added.
"No problem," Minato agreed, nodding. He was a master of sealing jutsu, if Takeshi's chakra went berserk, he could suppress it and stop the technique.
Takeshi hopped to the ground and began to gather Senjutsu chakra. After Minato's explanation, the shop had given him a 3,000 point discount.
Now, the Rasenshuriken cost exactly 10,000 points.
Without hesitation, he bought it! With his current wealth, he would still have over 10,000 points left even after buying the Rasenshuriken. After looking around, Takeshi also bought the discounted Water Release: Water Severing Wave Jutsu.
He spent a total of 21,000 points.
A hefty sum, but worth it.
As long as he could beat up the Third Raikage, the points would come back quickly. It was just a small investment.
Soon, the black cat entered Sage Mode.
Minato instantly sensed the difference, his eyes widening. Tsunade, who had already heard from Rin that Takeshi had learnt Sage Mode, wasn't surprised by that, but she was intensely curious.
Could Sage Mode really allow him to launch the Rasenshuriken?
Chakra began to gather in the Takeshi's mouth. In just a second, a small "shuriken" sphere appeared.
The cat opened his mouth and let loose the jutsu. The Rasenshuriken shot out, carving a path through the air before slamming into the nearby forest with a deafening *CRASH*. Then... *BOOOOM!* A terrifying vortex of wind and chakra exploded outwards. In moments, the forest was utterly annihilated, reduced to nothing but a scarred, barren landscape.
The sheer destructive power was staggering. Minato and Tsunade stared, wide-eyed.
"That power..." Tsunade breathed, taking a sharp inhale. 'It's absolutely an S-Rank Forbidden Jutsu!' She'd expected it to be powerful, but the reality far exceeded her predictions. Without perfect Sage Mode control, using this technique more than once or twice would likely cripple the user's arm permanently.
"Combined with the Flying Thunder God," Minato mused, "I might be able to use it once." He'd originally hoped he could manage two or three uses before needing medical treatment, but seeing the sheer force of the blast, he doubted he could manage more than a single shot.
"You really mastered it?" Tsunade asked, staring at Takeshi.
Tsunade's expression turned sharp. "Alright. In that case, Takeshi, Minato. I'm assigning you two as a strike team. Your mission: cross into the Land of Lightning and carry out retaliatory strikes against their camp. Can you handle that?"
"Yes," Minato replied instantly.
"Meow~ Can I get some sleep first?" Takeshi asked.
He wasn't sure. He hadn't slept the night before, and going up against the Third Raikage at less than full strength seemed like a bad idea.
"Don't worry," Tsunade chuckled. "I didn't say we were leaving right this second." Letting the enemy get away with an attack was never her style, especially not now.
She already had the perfect plan forming in her mind: Takeshi just needed to get within range, fire off that monstrous Wind Release Rasenshuriken, and Minato would whisk him away with the Flying Thunder God.
'Let the Raikage try to catch it. Having such formidable defense for decades must've made him arrogant, so to boost morale of his army, he might actually try to catch it. And even if he does try to catch Minato and Takeshi, What good was speed or strength against teleportation?'
As the granddaughter of the Flying Thunder God's developer, Tsunade couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Takeshi and Minato spent the next day catching up on sleep.
While they rested, intelligence reported that Kirigakure had mobilized large numbers of ninja, but hadn't yet launched a full offensive, seemingly focusing on gathering their forces.
Kumogakure was doing the same.
However, to the west, Sunagakure and Iwagakure launched near-simultaneous attacks: the Sand taking a route through the Land of Rivers to hit the western Land of Fire, while the Iwagakure struck directly at Kusagakure.
The four great nations launched offensives against Konohagakure almost at the same time, in a coordinated manner.
The following night, while Kumogakure was still staging its forces, Takeshi and Minato quietly crossed the border from the Land of Iron, slipping into enemy territory.
They moved with practiced stealth, and Takeshi's enhanced senses quickly pinpointed the location of the main Kumogakure camp.
However, getting close enough to land a hit and escape, as Tsunade had outlined, proved difficult. The Kumo ninja patrols had an incredibly wide range, and the camp itself was nestled deep within the mountains.
This was not ideal.
"Meow?" Takeshi questioned.
"I'll draw them out first," Minato replied, already moving, "You use the diversion to pinpoint their main camp." *Whoosh!* He was gone.
'That speed, that decisiveness... incredible.' Takeshi crouched low, settling in to wait for his chance.
Before long, the 'Yellow Flash' was living up to his name, causing chaos. Screams and alarms echoed from multiple locations, making it sound like an entire Konoha squad had descended.
'Honestly, Minato's full-speed was only slightly less ridiculous than my own.'
Takeshi activated Sage Mode instantly, amplifying his senses, specifically, searching for the Third Raikage's unique chakra signature. 'He'd have to be near the main camp.'
Moments later, a monstrously powerful chakra signature roared down from the mountainside, heading straight for the diversion. Takeshi moved, silent and swift, paralleling the Raikage's path.
He reached the peak overlooking the camp moments before the Raikage could reach Minato, settling in and slowly gathering Sage Art chakra. 'Raikage... Future is now old man!' He began the jutsu. Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!
The Third Raikage, halfway to the noise, froze. He sensed it, a terrifying fluctuation, unlike anything he expected from Konoha. He snapped his gaze upwards, spotting the distinctive shape of a black cat silhouetted against the rocks atop the mountain overlooking his camp.
And in the cat's jaws... a swirling ball of chakra, growing rapidly.
'Damn it!' "AY!" he roared, his own Lightning Release chakra flaring violently as he turned back, a desperate charge towards Takeshi's position. But he was too far.
Just then... *ROOOAR!* A second, equally immense chakra flared from the camp itself. A faint blue, tiger-like beast solidified in the air, wreathed in ethereal blue flames. And in its mouth, another colossal chakra sphere was already forming.
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.