Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

Onoki's strategy was brilliant; he knew that Minato's greatest advantage was his mobility. Restricting Minato's mobility was equivalent to giving A more opportunities to attack, and A's fist was powerful enough to shatter mountains.

Minato's heart sank slightly, but he did not back down. Every flash, every instantaneous movement, carried with it a challenge to fate. His eyes held no fear, only calm and unwavering resolve. On this battlefield where life and death intertwined, he had no other choice. As the guardian of Konoha, he was prepared. Bearing the future of Konoha on his shoulders, standing in this world of blood and fire, despite facing attacks from two powerful enemies, he maintained his inner peace.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!" Minato shouted, his feet stomping as he instantly vanished from his original spot, reappearing at another high point. However, the moment he appeared, his expression turned somewhat grave. Onoki's space-time barrier was meticulously constructed, forcing him to expend more energy with each teleportation and making it impossible to evade the enemy's sight. All of this greatly limited Minato's mobility.

"You can't escape, guardian of Konoha." A's voice boomed like thunder, followed by a thunderous punch. Minato's expression changed slightly, and he quickly changed direction to avoid A's fierce attack. However, his speed was greatly reduced by the barrier, and A's attack followed him relentlessly.

With a loud bang, Minato's body was sent flying by Ai's fist. He quickly adjusted his posture in mid-air, stabilizing his body, but his gaze became even more determined.

"Ai's attacks aren't just about power, they're also about his determination," Minato murmured to himself. He knew Ai was no ordinary man; he couldn't be compared to him based on mere strength. What truly made Ai powerful was his determination, that spirit of fighting for his family and comrades, which gave Ai's attacks a different level of threat.

The rhythm of the battle gradually became clear. Onoki observed coldly from the sidelines, occasionally providing support to A. Whenever Minato tried to teleport or dodge, the barrier's restrictions acted like invisible shackles, tightly binding him and preventing him from escaping. Onoki's composure at this moment put some pressure on Minato; after all, facing the combined might of two Kage-level powerhouses, any oversight could lead to disaster.

“Minato, you can stop now.” Ai abruptly withdrew his fist, his eyes gleaming. “Konoha no longer has the strength to fight us. Shouldn’t you face reality?” There was no sarcasm in his words, only cold resolve.

Minato understood the sarcasm in Ai's words, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he lowered his head, as if deep in thought. After a moment, he raised his head, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "Even so, I will not fall," he replied coldly, then crossed his arms and quickly adjusted his tactics.

"One more time!" Minato charged towards A, his speed suddenly increasing, almost breaking free of the barrier's restraints. He appeared before A like lightning, his hands flashing with a powerful light, imbued with the aura of thunder. This was a power he had never fully displayed before—Lightning Release: Flying Thunder God Technique! Minato's figure left a trail of afterimages in the air before vanishing instantly.

Ai's pupils contracted, and he unleashed a burst of power, his fist slamming out like thunder, but the punch struck empty space. Minato was already behind him, ready to launch a fatal blow. However, Ai's intuition was extremely sharp; he whirled around, grabbed Minato's arm with lightning speed, and slammed him violently to the ground.

"You're still too young." Ai's voice was steady and deep. His fist pressed down like a boulder, followed by a tremendous tremor that seemed to shake the entire battlefield. Minato was pinned to the ground by Ai's power, unable to move.

However, Minato's eyes remained defiant. He gasped for breath, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his resolve remained unwavering. Despite his severe injuries and his insignificance before two Kage-level powerhouses, he did not give up and chose to continue fighting.

"A ninja's mission is not to live or die for himself, but to protect everything," Minato said through gritted teeth. Although his voice was weak, the light in his eyes burned even brighter.

Meanwhile, standing some distance away, Onoki narrowed his eyes, observing Minato's unwavering resolve, and gently shook his head. "You truly are an unpredictable opponent, Minato."

Just then, another figure silently appeared outside the battlefield. A gust of wind blew from afar, stirring up dust. Luo Sha, the new Wind Shadow, carrying his decision, quietly stepped into the heart of the battle.

"It seems that the guardians of Konoha have not lost their fighting spirit," Rasa said in a low voice, his gaze deep, as if he could already see the future.

Zhang Hai's gaze pierced through the dim casino lights, fixed on the card game on the table. His fingers lightly traced the dice, the touch sending a shiver down his spine, as if the game were a microcosm of his current predicament. Despite his unparalleled gambling skills, he felt something was amiss today. The dice rolled a few times between his fingers before settling with a thud on the table. Failure. Yet another failure.

"What bad luck," he murmured softly, looking up at Sasori and Kakuzu beside him, but his eyes showed no sign of anxiety. On the contrary, his calm demeanor suggested that even this defeat could not shake the resilience in his heart.

Kakuzu frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. He always felt that Zhang Hai's plan was fraught with uncertainty, especially with the four-nation alliance approaching, which made him question Zhang Hai's confidence even more.

"Judging from his appearance, he seems to have victory in the bag," Kakudo said sarcastically, though his tone still carried a hint of approval.

Sasori remained silent as always, the mechanical puppet in his hand turning gently, his mind seemingly far removed from this gamble. Unlike Kakuzu, Sasori's gaze never left Zhang Hai. Although he had reservations about Zhang Hai's decisions, he had always been a supporter of Zhang Hai, especially at crucial moments, when Sasori was always willing to step forward.

Mabui chuckled softly, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "You're really calm. Aren't you nervous? You've already lost several rounds in a row."

Zhang Hai smiled slightly and said calmly, "It has nothing to do with them." His tone was indifferent, as if he had long been accustomed to his fate. He knew that the gamble was just a game, and success or failure could no longer affect his ultimate goal.

A strong sense of oppression began to well up deep within him. His eyes briefly became unfocused, as if he were seeing the distant battlefield.