Chapter 45: The Final Battle (Part 4)
Imai Kenta had been holding back from the very beginning — whether before or after teaming up with Uchiha Kei, he had always appeared to be the weakest, the most harmless of them all.
But he knew full well that his restraint wasn't invisible to Uchiha Kei and the others. After all, being a Chūnin was just a title. To survive eight years on the battlefield without keeping some cards close to your chest was simply impossible.
What he was certain of, however, was that they had no idea just how much he was holding back.
And now, with no support in sight and his life hanging by a thread, he had no reason to keep up the act. If he kept pretending now, that bastard Uchiha Kei probably wouldn't even bother retrieving his corpse. Knowing him, he'd toss a Fire Release jutsu his way and walk off happily without a second thought.
"Interesting, kid," the Iwagakure shinobi sneered before lunging forward once more.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Kenta's demeanor shifted — suddenly calm, composed, and full of battle-hardened resolve. While dodging the enemy's attack, his hands moved swiftly through a series of seals. In the next moment, a massive water dragon burst out from beneath the bridge.
Imai Kenta can use Ninjustsu!
If Uchiha Kei had seen this, he would've been genuinely shocked. Especially with how seamlessly Kenta executed it — this wasn't someone who had just recently learned Ninjutsu. Clearly, he had undergone rigorous training and practice.
It would have shattered every impression Kei had of him — a civilian shinobi with no access or opportunity to learn advanced techniques like this.
The water dragon surged toward the Iwa-nin with terrifying force. But the enemy wasn't to be underestimated either.
Without using any flashy moves or jutsu, he simply adjusted the grip on his kunai and, with monstrous strength, drove it into the dragon's head — splitting it cleanly in two!
And he didn't stop there.
Using the momentum, he charged straight toward Kenta once more.
Kenta remained calm. The aura of the Iwa-nin was overwhelming, but not enough to shake him.
He formed hand seals rapidly again. The charging Iwa-nin's eyes narrowed — then suddenly, he leapt into the air.
A forest of earth spears erupted from the ground.
Had he not jumped, he would've been skewered like a pincushion.
While the Iwa-nin was still airborne and vulnerable, Kenta drew his blade with lightning speed and struck — cleaving the enemy cleanly in half.
Still, his expression didn't change. It was as if he'd done something utterly mundane.
But the next moment, his body turned into a puff of smoke — a shadow clone.
Within the thinning smoke, a silhouette stood frozen, unmoving.
Drip. Drip...
Blood began to pool on the ground.
As the mist cleared, the Iwa-nin looked down at the blade protruding from his chest in disbelief. He could feel his strength bleeding away with every drop.
"S-Shadow Clone...? When...? You could see me from the start?"
"I triggered the Earth Pillar Spear jutsu to mask my presence," came Kenta's voice from behind, cold and emotionless. "No, I couldn't see you. I'm not from the Uchiha clan. But I can sense chakra. You think the first time you tried to ambush me and failed was just luck?"
"You hid well," Kenta continued. "But I could still feel you. Chakra sensing — it's not perfect, but it's enough."
As the last wisps of smoke vanished, Kenta stood behind the Iwa-nin, his blade buried deep through the man's back, the tip piercing through his chest.
The blood flowed freely, soaking the bridge pillars. Kenta pulled out his blade without hesitation, and the enemy collapsed in a pool of crimson.
Kenta dropped to the ground with a sigh. "That was exhausting..."
He chuckled softly to himself.
"To think I ran into a camouflage-type jutsu user. Kei's going to be so pissed. If it were him, he'd probably just stage a little scene and trick the guy to death."
"Even Ayaka could probably make short work of this guy," he muttered, thinking of the advantage dojutsu clans had in combat.
Taking a deep breath, Kenta calmed himself. The battle wasn't long, but the mental strain was considerable.
Still, he stood up again. His mission wasn't over yet.
Compared to Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Kei, his assignment was much lighter — but also the most important.
Working quickly, he laid out explosive tags under the bridge. He was still beneath it, unaware of the situation above, but the violent tremors and booms he'd felt earlier made it clear — the battle raged on.
"I hope Minato is okay… Without him, how am I even getting home?"
...
It wasn't just Kenta who was hoping Minato was unharmed — Uchiha Kei felt the same.
Unlike Kenta, though, Kei wasn't worried. He knew full well how powerful Minato was.
Few shinobi in the Fourth Great Ninja War fought with such godlike prowess — and Minato was one of them.
Sure, he'd been beaten pretty badly by Madara and Obito — but back then, those two were practically on another plane of existence.
If Minato hadn't died so early, Kei figured his talent could've rivaled even Naruto's.
Currently, Minato didn't feel particularly pressured. Even though the Five-Tails had fully emerged, Minato's sheer speed kept him in control of the fight.
And now, with nothing holding him back, he didn't hesitate to burn through chakra.
Using the Rasengan as a base, he unleashed a barrage of strange and oddly-named techniques — ridiculous in title, but devastating in execution.
The Five-Tails had little room to counterattack, battered by the onslaught. Minato didn't need to worry about sealing the beast — it wasn't Konoha's tailed beast, and they weren't even in the Land of Fire.
He was free to fight at full strength.
The Five-Tails was already starting to falter.
"This should be over soon... as long as nothing unexpected happens."
Minato glanced toward the bridge.
"I wonder how things are going elsewhere. There was a battle beneath the bridge earlier... so there really was someone hiding down there. And Kei — he's fighting four Iwa-nin on his own. That can't be easy."
"I need to hurry."
With that thought, a new Rasengan materialized in Minato's hand — this one even larger, its chakra more fearsome than before.