Chapter 85: This… Is the Difference
Uchiha Dali and Minato Namikaze simultaneously activated high-level movement techniques.
One used the advanced version of Flying Thunder God, while the other employed the second stage of Flying Thunder God, both rushing toward each other in an attempt to seize the initiative.
Just then, a long-missed system notification rang out in Uchiha Dali's mind.
[Ding! You are currently using the advanced Flying Thunder God to engage with a modified version of the same technique. The two ninjutsu have merged, and you have comprehended the High-level Flying Thunder God Technique!]
[The High-level Flying Thunder God Technique is a major improvement built upon the advanced version. It eliminates all negative side effects and limitations while drastically reducing chakra consumption.]
Whenever he was in battle, Uchiha Dali's heaven-defying comprehension would naturally kick in.
This allowed him to grow stronger with each fight, gaining explosive progress at any time in the midst of combat.
So upon hearing the system's voice, Uchiha Dali merely curled his lips upward—he wasn't the least bit surprised.
In that instant, his speed multiplied dozens of times.
Minato had already calculated the distance between them, the timing and angle of his attack, and had simulated dozens of possible outcomes in his mind.
He had also prepared various countermeasures.
For someone of civilian lineage, achieving such precision was already an impressive feat.
He was confident that this move would at least result in a draw against Uchiha Dali.
Unfortunately, what he hadn't accounted for was that Uchiha Dali's speed would far exceed his own.
The moment his target vanished, Minato immediately sensed danger.
All the scenarios he had rehearsed in his mind flashed past at light speed.
Drawing on his instincts and the sensations around him, Minato acted without hesitation.
He thrust his Flying Thunder God kunai to his rear right side.
Clang!
His timing and precision were flawless.
His kunai collided perfectly with Uchiha Dali's, intercepting what would have been a fatal attack.
"Your speed is impressive," Minato said, "but in close combat, at this range, your speed advantage over me doesn't mean much."
With that, he forcefully pushed away Uchiha Dali's kunai and used the momentum to retreat.
In the same split-second, he performed a hand seal at lightning speed and silently summoned a shadow clone that stealthily positioned itself behind Uchiha Dali, ready to strike.
Uchiha Dali immediately gave chase, closing in on Minato.
He seemed completely unaware of the shadow clone Minato had summoned.
But in reality, both his Sharingan and heightened senses had already seen through everything.
"Rasengan!"
Minato's shadow clone used the Flying Thunder God kunai to teleport at light speed from behind.
But at that very moment, a shout echoed from above the clone's head: "Rasengan!"
Boom—
With a thunderous crash, the target Minato's clone was about to strike vanished.
His Rasengan hit nothing.
Instead, the clone was smashed into the ground from above by another Uchiha Dali clone wielding a Rasengan of his own.
Boom—
Violent Wind Release chakra exploded outward, blasting a crater ten meters wide into the ground. Soil and debris were hurled in all directions by the force.
Spectators in the stands all turned pale, scrambling to dodge the blast.
At the same time, the system's notification once again rang out in Uchiha Dali's mind.
[Ding! You are currently engaging in combat using Wind Release: Rasengan against another Wind Release: Rasengan. The two techniques have merged. You have comprehended Wind Release: Giant Rasengan!]
[Wind Release: Giant Rasengan far surpasses the regular Rasengan in power and can be used in rapid succession.]
As the new Wind Release technique information surged through his mind, Uchiha Dali immediately put it into practice—launching the Giant Rasengan on the spot.
Minato, on the other side, was still reeling from the overwhelming shock brought by Uchiha Dali's display.
He couldn't understand how Uchiha Dali was able to use both his Flying Thunder God and Rasengan techniques.
And now, more Rasengan were flying toward him.
Only this time, they were clearly far more powerful than the ordinary version.
Each one was over a meter wide—massive swirling wind orbs being hurled directly at him!
Boom!
Boom boom!
Uchiha Dali showed no mercy, unleashing a storm of Wind Release: Giant Rasengan toward Minato like a hurricane of destruction.
Each blast, whether it hit or missed, devastated the battlefield—tearing through terrain and forests alike.
In less than thirty seconds, the massive training field was utterly ruined. Dozens of craters, each several tens of meters wide and at least ten meters deep, now marred the ground.
The once-lush forest, with trees hundreds of feet tall, was reduced to splinters one after another under Uchiha Dali's onslaught.
And that wasn't all—the shockwaves generated by the Wind Release chakra were like blades, slicing through everything they touched.
The sheer brutality of the attack left Minato completely stunned.
All he could do was retreat under pressure, barely dodging each strike, unable to mount any real counterattack.
Naturally, the surrounding ninjas were left utterly shaken by the sight.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, Danzo Shimura, the elite Anbu, and top ninjas from the major Konoha clans—
Every single one of them was shocked by the terrifying strength Uchiha Dali displayed.
Right from the start of the battle, he had fully suppressed the "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze, leaving him with no chance to fight back.
"That's the Uchiha genius? He's way too powerful!"
"Minato doesn't even have a chance to fight back? Isn't that a little excessive?"
"Every jutsu he unleashes causes catastrophic destruction. And he's been using these high-level moves nonstop without the slightest sign of chakra depletion—what is he, a monster?"
"I finally understand why Lord Third chose Lord Dali!!"
"No wonder he was able to single-handedly crush the Hidden Cloud's forces on the battlefield—they never stood a chance!"
"Judging by the sheer power of that Wind Release, even a Jonin would be lucky to pull it off ten times in a row. But he's launched over forty! This guy's a chakra monster!!"
"…"
Faced with Uchiha Dali going all-out and completely overwhelming Minato Namikaze, every single spectator could only gasp in awe.
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