Qingshui, of course, had no idea that somewhere behind the scenes, Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage—had already begun to seriously consider him as a future Hokage candidate.
At this very moment, Qingshui had no time for such distant matters.
The instant the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was fully formed, its violent chakra spinning with terrifying precision, Qingshui did not hesitate in the slightest.
He immediately sent a shadow clone forward.
"Go."
Without complaint or hesitation, the shadow clone dashed straight toward Satori, clutching the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken in its hand.
The clone's face twisted into a strange grin as it shouted while charging.
"You're so noble! You're so amazing!"
But deep down, the shadow clone could only sigh.
I'm just a clone. No human rights at all. I can only obediently follow the main body's orders…
At this moment, Satori was still evading attacks from the surrounding jonin. Fire Release, Lightning Release, and explosive tags detonated continuously around it, forcing it to maneuver constantly through the air.
Yet none of those attacks truly threatened it.
That was when the shadow clone seized the opening.
Leaping high into the air from behind, it raised the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken above its head and smashed it downward with all its strength.
Satori sensed danger at the last second and twisted its massive body violently, trying to evade.
But it was too late.
Bang—!!!
The moment the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken made contact, it exploded violently.
A terrifying storm of microscopic wind blades erupted outward, shredding everything within its range. The shadow clone, being at the center of the explosion, was instantly torn apart and dissipated into white smoke.
The shockwave surged outward like a raging tide.
Even the jonin standing far away stiffened, their expressions changing drastically.
Despite the distance, the overwhelming impact pressed against their bodies like an invisible wall.
This power…
It's absurd!
As for Satori, which had taken the attack head-on, the pain was beyond anything it had experienced before.
Ordinary ninjutsu barely scratched it. Even if they hit directly, they failed to cause meaningful damage.
But the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was different.
This was an attack that shredded the body at the cellular level.
No matter how monstrous Satori was, it could not ignore such destruction.
For the first time since its release, Satori let out a shrill, agonized scream.
Its massive body lost balance, blood spraying as it fell straight from the sky and crashed heavily into the ground.
"Now's our chance!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted sharply. "Seal it—now!"
At his command, several jonin specializing in sealing techniques rushed forward.
"Three-Way Seal!"
A massive green, translucent barrier instantly rose from the ground, forming a pyramid-like structure that enclosed Satori within its solid walls.
The sealing formation glowed brightly, suppressing chakra and locking space itself.
For a brief moment, hope surged through everyone present.
But that hope was short-lived.
Within the seal, Satori began to thrash violently.
Cracks spread rapidly across the barrier as the monster roared in fury.
Although the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken had injured it severely, it was far from fatal.
This was an ancient monster—something born from immense chakra and malice. It would not be subdued so easily.
Despite the sealing jonin pouring more chakra into the formation, the seal failed.
With a thunderous crash, Satori shattered the barrier and burst free.
"No way…!"
Someone cried out in despair.
"Even sealing jutsu doesn't work on this thing?!"
"It's not that sealing is useless," Qingshui said immediately, his voice calm but firm.
He drew his ninja sword and held it horizontally before his chest.
"It must be severely wounded first."
As if responding to his words, Satori turned its bloodshot eyes toward him.
"You bastard…" it roared. "You die first!"
With a violent flap of its wings, Satori shot toward Qingshui like a meteor.
Qingshui was the only one who could nullify its abilities and truly injure it. Naturally, Satori prioritized killing him above all else.
Its speed was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, Satori appeared before Qingshui, its massive claws slamming down with crushing force.
Clang!
Metal screeched as Qingshui blocked the strike with his sword.
The impact sent shockwaves through his arms, forcing his feet to dig into the ground.
At the same moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade launched their attacks.
Fire Release erupted like a blazing dragon, while Tsunade shattered the ground with monstrous strength.
Sensing danger, Satori abandoned its assault and flew into the air to evade.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
This time, Qingshui created dozens of shadow clones at once.
It was his current limit.
Since rescuing Kushina, he had been fighting nonstop. Even with his chakra reserves, the consumption was immense.
Still, he pressed on.
"Lord Hokage," Qingshui said, breathing steadily. "Buy me some time. I'll crush it next."
In the original timeline, Naruto had defeated Satori with a single Wind Release: Rasenshuriken in Sage Mode.
Qingshui didn't have Sage Mode yet.
One attack wasn't enough.
But if one wasn't enough… then he would use many.
Dozens of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken formed simultaneously, their chakra fluctuations warping the air itself.
"I don't believe it can survive this."
"Understood," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied without hesitation.
Qingshui was their only hope.
Under the Hokage's command, Tsunade and the jonin attacked with everything they had. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and sealing tools rained down, preventing Satori from interfering.
Protected by their efforts, Qingshui completed his preparations.
Seeing the danger, Satori attempted to flee upward.
But the Four Violet Flames Formation sealed its fate.
Purple flames erupted, forming an unbreakable barrier.
Ignoring the searing pain, Satori slammed into the walls in desperation.
But a formation maintained by four elite jonin was not something it could destroy easily.
"Bastards!" Satori roared. "I won't forgive you!"
Then it happened.
Dozens of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken struck Satori simultaneously.
Explosions overlapped, shockwaves stacking upon shockwaves.
The Four Violet Flames Formation twisted grotesquely, deforming as if it had turned soft.
Finally, the formation shattered.
Even so, Satori was utterly devastated.
Hiruzen and Tsunade stared in disbelief.
"It destroyed the Four Violet Flames Formation…" Tsunade muttered.
Silence followed.
Then awe.
Though Qingshui was only a genin, in a world where strength reigned supreme, he had already earned everyone's recognition.
Someone shouted, "Lord Qingshui!"
Others followed.
At that moment, Qingshui had become a hero.
Without him, defeat would have been inevitable.
Severely wounded, Satori collapsed once more. This time, sealing jonin stepped forward, sealing it successfully.
Hiruzen added additional seals personally.
Satori would never escape again.
As the battle ended, Qingshui finally relaxed.
The name Hirakawa Qingshui would soon spread throughout the entire ninja world.
A super genin who turned the tide of battle alone.
A true hero.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)