Sora gathered the seventeen Flying Thunder God kunai that had pinned Namikaze Minato to the ground using silk threads.
Minato's expression darkened.
Sora hadn't been attacking—only defending, waiting for him to exhaust all the Flying Thunder God kunai in his ninja pouch.
He had been careless. Too careless.
Minato felt a twinge of annoyance at himself for not being more meticulous in the battle.
Since mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had never lost.
Against any opponent, Minato had always won with overwhelming speed and precision.
Because of that, even though he had reminded himself countless times not to underestimate Sora, Sora's passive defence had made him believe he was in control. And that led to his mistake.
Minato took a deep breath.
Now that things have reached this point, no amount of frustration can change the situation.
He glanced at the single Flying Thunder God kunai remaining in his grip, his eyes narrowing sharply.
Just as he was about to throw it at Sora, Sora moved first.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Chakra surged through Sora's throat as he expelled a massive fireball straight at Minato.
As the fireball erupted, a Flying Thunder God kunai shot out from within the flames, heading directly for Sora's face.
"Thunder Breathing: Fourth Form—Distant Thunder!"
Lightning crackled around Sora's body as he burst forward at incredible speed, aiming for the incoming kunai.
However, Minato's figure did not appear in front of Sora. Instead, he reappeared at another cluster of Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Wind Style: Kaze-kiri Technique!"
Minato exhaled sharply, shaping the wind into a razor-sharp blade that sliced through the silk threads binding the seventeen Flying Thunder God kunai.
But Sora smirked.
"I've been waiting for this move!"
In an instant, his Shadow Clone unsheathed a ninja sword.
"Thunder Breathing: Land Form—Lightning Boom!"
The clone unleashed a barrage of lightning-infused slashes in all directions.
The wind blades Minato had released were instantly swallowed by the electrified strikes.
Now, Minato was in a predicament.
He couldn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Sora's real body guarded the Flying Thunder God kunai in his possession while his Shadow Clone protected the seventeen others.
And he couldn't afford to take a direct hit from the clone's attack.
If Lightning Boom struck him, his body would be paralyzed for a moment—leaving him completely vulnerable to the next strike.
Minato had no choice but to fight on a razor's edge, relying solely on his reflexes to evade the incoming attacks.
After narrowly dodging the electrified slashes, he quickly pulled back, creating distance between himself and Sora.
Panting slightly, Minato's gaze shifted between Sora's real body and his Shadow Clone.
Sora twirled a Flying Thunder God kunai between his fingers while his clone remained firmly positioned, guarding the other seventeen.
Minato frowned.
Because of Sora's strategy, using the Flying Thunder God Technique freely was no longer an option.
Just as Namikaze Minato was contemplating countermeasures, Sora suddenly dispelled his Shadow Clone, tossed the Flying Thunder God kunai onto the ground, clapped his hands, and walked away.
Minato frowned in confusion.
"Sora, where are you going? The battle isn't over yet!"
A voice came from another direction.
"It's over."
The Sora standing in Minato's line of sight gradually became translucent before vanishing completely.
Minato's pupils contracted.
An illusion?!
When was he caught in genjutsu?
Throughout the fight, he had deliberately avoided making direct eye contact with Sora. It shouldn't have been possible for him to be affected.
Minato ran through the events in his mind, analyzing where he had gone wrong.
After a few moments of silence, he let out a bitter smile.
"So that was it..."
He realized that the only moment he could have been caught in the illusion was when Sora had said, 'There are only eighteen Flying Thunder God kunai in total.'
At that moment, he had been momentarily shocked and instinctively looked at Sora. That brief lapse had been enough to ensnare him in a genjutsu.
"That was hard to guard against."
Minato exhaled, his expression serious.
"I can't afford to drop my guard against Sora.
But... even if I hadn't been caught in the illusion, I likely would have lost anyway."
Rather than feeling discouraged, Minato was filled with determination.
This battle had taught him a valuable lesson.
For instance, he needed to ensure that his opponent never knew the exact number of Flying Thunder God kunai he carried. Otherwise, he could be put in a vulnerable position, just as he had been against Sora.
If his kunai were controlled, then he would be forced onto the defensive.
With a sigh, Minato gathered the scattered Flying Thunder God kunai from the ground and vanished into the night.
Back in his room, Sora also reflected on his battle with Minato.
Unless his reaction speed surpassed Minato's, there was no perfect way to counter him.
Right now, Minato's primary weapon was the Flying Thunder God Technique—he had no other particularly overwhelming offensive techniques.
It seemed that Jiraiya had mainly taught him combat fundamentals.
Since Minato wasn't particularly skilled in Wind Release, he only knew a handful of common Wind Style jutsu.
However, if Minato were to master Sage Mode in the future, he would become an even greater challenge.
And now that he had suffered a loss, Minato would undoubtedly adapt and correct his weaknesses.
Fighting him in the future is going to be much more difficult.
Two Days Later
Sora arrived at the combat strategy meeting room.
Orochimaru glanced at him and spoke.
"Your transfer order has been approved.
When you return to Konoha, go directly to Lord Sarutobi.
He will give you your appointment letter, and from there, you'll depart for the Land of Grass."
Sora nodded.
"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Orochimaru."
Orochimaru continued, his tone calm yet firm.
"There's one more thing.
You should already be aware of it from last time.
As a Jōnin, you're required to lead a team of Genin."
Sora's expression immediately soured.
"Teacher Orochimaru, I'd like to decline.
I don't have time to babysit Genin during missions."
Orochimaru shook his head.
"I understand that you don't want to.
But now that you're affiliated with the Hokage's faction, you'd do well not to refuse such responsibilities.
Even if you manage to find an orphan of the Uzumaki clan, convincing Konoha to discard Kushina, who has already been trained, in favour of your chosen candidate as the Nine Tails' jinchūriki will not be easy."
Sora's expression turned serious as he listened.
"That means you need to do more than just increase your strength.
You also need to establish influence.
Most importantly, you have to be obedient, at least in their eyes.
Only by doing this will the higher-ups even consider choosing a secondary jinchūriki from your candidate instead of relying solely on Kushina.
They will evaluate not just the child's potential but also your worth to them."
Hearing Orochimaru's analysis, Sora's expression hardened.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion