Starting Over As Minato

Minato watched as everyone retreated from the battlefield. He then turned his gaze to the towering One-Tailed Shukaku before him and smirked.

"Sorry, I don't like looking up at others. So why don't you come down instead?"

With that, Minato vanished from sight. Shukaku's eyes darted around in confusion.

"What?! Where did he go? Why can't I sense his chakra?!"

The massive raccoon twisted its head, searching frantically. Then, a cold, merciless voice rang out behind it.

"Rasengan!"

A spiraling chakra sphere, over a meter in diameter, slammed into Shukaku's body with devastating force. The impact sent the massive beast crashing to the ground, flattening the surrounding trees and carving a deep crater more than twenty meters wide. A deafening explosion followed, sending a shockwave through the area as dust and debris filled the air.

The watching Konoha shinobi could only stare in stunned silence.

"Is this... the strength of the Fourth Hokage?" one of them muttered in awe.

The sheer force of the battle was terrifying, even from a distance. Meanwhile, within the protective barrier, Rukia glanced at Naruto in surprise.

"You don't seem shocked at all that he took down this 'Shukaku' guy so easily."

Naruto grinned. "You don't know, do you? I've got someone in my body way stronger than that overgrown tanuki."

Rukia frowned, unfamiliar with the concept of tailed beasts. Seeing her confusion, Naruto launched into an animated explanation, his enthusiasm growing as he recounted how his father had once defeated the Nine-Tails in an instant. He even attempted to mimic Minato's movements, dramatically declaring, "The Nine-Tails was taken down in seconds!"

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Minato is truly strong! Even among powerful beings, he stands at the peak."

Back on the battlefield, as the dust settled, Minato gracefully landed a short distance away. The sight before him confirmed the extent of his attack's power. Shukaku's massive body had been ruptured—half of its upper torso torn apart by the Rasengan. Streams of sand leaked from the gaping wound as the beast struggled to reform itself.

Yuhi Kurenai gasped. "Incredible... We fought that thing for so long without leaving a scratch, and the Fourth Hokage did this in an instant."

Kakashi's expression darkened. "I underestimated sensei's power. Did he not even use his full strength back when he was resurrected?"

Asuma took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled. "It seems like the Fourth was holding back during Orochimaru's invasion."

On the sidelines, Might Guy clenched his fists with excitement. "This is the power of true youth! A battle of real men! I must unleash my Konoha Tornado!"

Kakashi quickly stepped in front of him. "Guy, no. There are two monsters fighting over there. We, as mere mortals, should stay out of it."

Guy took a deep breath. "I understand, Kakashi! You are truly my eternal rival!"

Kakashi sighed. "That's not what I meant..."

Meanwhile, Shukaku's body rapidly reassembled itself, and its furious brown eyes locked onto Minato. The beast roared in frustration.

"You... You really deserve to die!"

With a monstrous roar, Shukaku swung a colossal arm at Minato. But the Hokage merely smirked. In a flash, he drew a long sword from his storage space and slashed through the beast's incoming limb. The severed sand-arm crumbled before it could even hit the ground.

Minato studied his weapon with satisfaction. Forged in Konoha's blacksmith shop, it was a weapon of superior craftsmanship. He had come to realize that kunai, while effective, lacked the reach he desired. And as someone who had received a proper education in his previous life, he knew the saying: "An inch longer, an inch stronger."

With several more swift strikes, Minato sliced off another arm, then swiftly severed Shukaku's tail. The raccoon-like beast flinched, finally realizing the severity of the situation.

"Damn it..." Shukaku growled, a flicker of fear appearing in its eyes.

Knowing it stood no chance in close combat, the beast opened its massive maw, chakra rapidly condensing into a dense, swirling sphere of black energy.

"Go to hell!" Shukaku roared, firing the Tailed Beast Bomb straight at Minato.

The Konoha shinobi collectively tensed.

"That's... a Tailed Beast Bomb!" someone shouted in panic.

"Even the Fourth Hokage can't survive that... can he?" another voice murmured with worry.

Minato, however, remained perfectly calm. As the black sphere of destruction hurtled toward him, he slowly raised his right hand and murmured:

"Bakudō #81: Dankū."

A towering transparent barrier shot up before him, stretching across the battlefield. The Tailed Beast Bomb struck the shield with a deafening explosion. The impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield, uprooting trees and leaving devastation in its wake.

Shukaku burst into laughter. "Hah! The great Minato Namikaze is nothing before my power! He was completely wiped out!"

Just as the beast was celebrating, a cool, mocking voice cut through the smoke.

"Is that all you've got? Pretty weak."

Shukaku's laughter abruptly died. His pupils shrank as he stared at the dissipating smoke. A figure stepped forward, completely unharmed.

Minato Namikaze stood there, gazing at Shukaku with an amused smirk.

Panic flickered in the tailed beast's eyes. It knew—this man was on an entirely different level.