Naruto: I Survived Two Wars Without You, System!

Splash!

With his Hyper Reaction Speed from [Zero-Frames Start], Kei Yamanaka preemptively turned the vulnerable parts of his body into flowing water using the Hydrification Technique.

More than ten puppets, each uniquely outfitted with an array of blades and mechanical parts, whizzed past him, scattering water droplets in every direction!

Although the dozens of Sand ninja around him remained still, almost each controlled one or two puppets hovering nearby.

Sunagakure's elite puppet squad!

And it was Chiyo's most formidable asset!

Has Chiyo already arrived?

Didn't Pakura say she'd depart three days after Rasa with two thousand reinforcements?

No, no, no—the voice just now sounded like a man.

Ebizō?

But it didn't sound that weak. So then…

Rasa?

Now that's what I call timing!

Kei's mind raced as he instinctively reached for a kunai from the ninja tool pouch at his waist.

Just about to charge in and wreak havoc—and give his spy ally, Pakura, a shot at becoming Kazekage—

When a low shout suddenly came from among the puppeteers nearby.

"Hold on! It's Hozuki Clan from Mist! They're probably here for intelligence gathering. We are allies with Mist now."

Clickety-clack~ clickety-clack~

The more than ten puppets, already turning back for another strike, came to an abrupt halt under their puppeteers' control.

Various intricately designed mechanisms locked ominously onto Kei's figure.

Hundreds upon thousands of senbon needles, coated with deadly poison, shimmered ominously under the moonlight.

Kei twitched slightly at the corner of his cheek.

Looking down at his Konoha Jonin flak vest and the Konoha Forehead Protector on his arm, he felt momentarily dazed.

This...

I was ready to fight tooth and nail, and now you're calling me an ally?

So was putting on this outfit a complete waste?

Or maybe you folks are just too clueless to recognize the Flying Thunder God Technique from before?

Vibrate~

A subtle tremor rumbled from deep below, and the surrounding puppets subtly shifted position.

[Magnet Release: Gold Dust Boundary]!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Numerous sharp spikes of gold dust, rising like bamboo shoots, burst from the earth beneath Kei's feet.

At the same time, Rasa's voice rang clearly into every Sand ninja's ears:

"All puppeteers, retreat immediately! This is Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Golden Flash! He's no match for any of you!"

Swish~ swish~ swish~

The puppeteer unit, being Sunagakure's ace team, was well-trained and highly coordinated.

Although they couldn't fathom why their leader, Rasa, believed a ninja using the Hydrification Technique was none other than Konoha's Minato Namikaze,

They still obeyed without hesitation, using their puppet comrades to quickly create dozens of meters of distance between themselves and Kei Yamanaka as soon as the order came through.

In ninja battles, the biggest danger is always underestimating yourself.

If this man really was Minato Namikaze—the Golden Flash himself—they'd be downright foolish to challenge him directly!

Me? MINATO NAMIKAZE?

Damn it!

Kei activated the Hydrification Technique once more, instantly dispersing his body into a spray of countless water droplets, dodging Rasa's Magnet Release: Gold Dust Boundary attack entirely.

He transformed into streams of flowing water and reformed his body on the opposite side of the ground where he had been standing.

As Kei Yamanaka saw Rasa emerge from the shadows of the forest, flanked by Pakura wearing a grim expression, he felt only exasperation.

What's wrong with these Sunagakure people? Did they all come down with conjunctivitis at once?

Honestly, how can someone mistake the same person twice in a row?

And Pakura, couldn't you at least warn him?

This sort of thing… Makes everyone lose face!

Perhaps sensing Kei Yamanaka's resentment,

Pakura leaned close to Rasa, who stood with his arms crossed and a coldly arrogant look on his face, whispering something into his ear.

Rasa's icy expression wavered slightly for a moment before hardening again.

"My mistake. I mistook the Shadow of the Leaf's lapdog for the Golden Flash."

"…"

(╯‵□′)╯︵┴─┴

If you can't talk properly, just shut up!

Clutching the kunai tightly in his off-hand, Kei Yamanaka muttered bitterly—if only he hadn't been so swamped lately and had more time to practice the Eight Gates technique.

He would've shouted right then and there, "If your grandma knocks, you'd better open the door!"

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his rising anger.

Kei gave Rasa a long, scrutinizing look and said solemnly,

"Are you married?"

"Hm? Dog of Danzo, what are you getting at?"

Rasa motioned with his hand to the puppeteer forces around him, signaling them to continue blocking the Konoha ninja's escape routes.

Beside him, Pakura clenched her jaw, struggling to keep her expression neutral.

Nice work—seems like she's locked in as Kazekage now.

When did she miss that Rasa was this bold?

(▼皿▼#)!

Kei's face darkened; the last shred of patience was gone.

With a flick of his right arm, he hurled the kunai toward Rasa while making a one-handed seal with his left.

[Water Release: Hiding in Drizzle Technique]!

In an instant, thick mist surged upward and billowed outward, rapidly engulfing hundreds of meters of forest.

And as time passed, it kept spreading further.

Who cares about Karura or Gaara at a moment like this—

First things first, he needed to smash this guy's mouth shut!

[Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral]!

Rasa roared, his hands flashing through seals before slamming them onto the ground.

While holding Kei Yamanaka at bay, golden sand surged upward from beneath the earth, transforming into rolling waves of golden sandstorm shooting high into the sky.

Engulfing an area spanning a hundred meters!

So what if the mist blocked visibility? If the attack range was wide enough, the enemy wouldn't be able to escape, much less retaliate.

Boom!

The golden sands piled atop one another within moments, forming a golden hill that suddenly collapsed inward, crushing everything at its core!

No shrieks were heard.

No sound of bodies or bones being crushed either.

Frowning, Rasa leaped back swiftly, his hands flashing through seals in rapid succession!

"Pakura! Get airborne!"

Whoosh!

A seemingly ordinary black kunai sliced through the dense fog clouding Rasa's vision.

Recalling how he had earlier mistaken Kei for Minato Namikaze using [Flying Thunder God Technique],

Rasa wore an attentive expression.

The gold dust beneath his feet—meant to lift him into the air and carry him beyond the thick mist—instantly transformed into a massive [Golden Sand Shield], surging toward the embedded kunai!

He kept drawing gold dust from the ground, reinforcing his golden sand armor even further!

But Kei Yamanaka did not emerge where he expected—at the kunai's location.

Instead, he became a streak of azure light, hurtling straight at him!

Already in Sage Mode, Kei Yamanaka exuded terrifying chakra from every inch of his body.

A swarm of azure dragons made from condensed Sage Chakra roared and clamped onto Rasa's sand-covered limbs.

In the next instant, Kei Yamanaka lunged forward and drove his elbow straight into his opponent's chest with bone-shattering force!

BOOM—Todoroki!

An explosion of power burst from his elbow.

Rasa, already clamped by the chakra dragons, sprayed a mist of blood into the air. His body shot backward like a cannonball, obliterating everything in its path.

Realization struck him in an instant.

So that sly fox Rasa had shed the gold dust from his body the moment those limbs were seized!

Otherwise, given such an attack—

his chest wouldn't have just flown back—it would've been blown apart.

Hua～

The countless golden sands dispersed into fine grains, scattering throughout the mist.

Dazed and teetering on unconsciousness, Rasa sensed the immediate danger and fought to stay awake, commanding the gold dust to swiftly lift him into the sky!

Far above,

Pakura stood atop her whirling gold dust, raising both hands high. A Scorch Release fireball several meters across had already formed above her head.

"Pakura! Finish him! Ha—cough!"

Gritting his teeth, Rasa growled through clenched jaws. As soon as he finished speaking, another torrent of blood spilled from his mouth.

Most of his ribs were already broken—one dangerously close to piercing his heart!

The sheer force had also severely damaged his internal organs.

Wave after wave of unbearable pain tore at his nerves, threatening to pull him into blackness.

"Alright."

Pakura eyed the target spot marked by the drifting gold dust.

She replied curtly, then slammed the massive Scorch Release fireball downward with full force!

At the same time, she mentally spoke through the Mind Body Transmission Technique connection already established earlier with Kei Yamanaka inside the mist:

"Can you dodge it? Want me to miss on purpose?"

"Don't worry about it—just play your part. If I wasn't covering your trail, I'd already be up there."

"Tch~ Don't blame me if you get killed."

"Heh~ Just don't whine when my hit lands harder than expected."

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