Konoha’s Five-Element Ninja

Chapter 36: The Power of Sealing Jutsu

Namikaze Minato was a prodigy among prodigies. A civilian-born ninja, he had caught the eye of Jiraiya thanks to his mature mindset and exceptional talent, making him one of the Sannin's most trusted disciples. Unlike the relatively unremarkable Hayama, Minato seemed destined for greatness.

Minato's genius extended beyond ninjutsu into the realm of sealing techniques, where he demonstrated an uncanny knack for understanding even the most complex methods. Many formidable foes had met their end under his mysterious and unpredictable seals. As his partner in battle, Hayama was well aware of how this system worked.

Hayama crouched slightly, shifting his weight to his lower body. Then, with a burst of chakra exploding from his feet, he launched himself at the Suna ninja. For him, close-quarters combat was the ultimate thrill.

Without any flashy moves, Hayama delivered a straight punch to the Suna ninja's chest. Simultaneously, he tossed a kunai over the enemy's shoulder, as though it were a piece of trash.

Ikegami Aonobu felt a sudden weight on his back—two feet planted firmly against it. Alarmed, he didn't bother countering Hayama's frontal strike. Instead, he quickly formed hand seals. Within moments, a powerful gust of wind erupted around him, sending both Konoha attackers flying.

A seasoned and knowledgeable warrior, Ikegami Aonobu immediately recognized the sealing tag in Minato's hand. Regardless of its true power, he wasn't about to test its effects on himself. However, just as he prepared a counterattack, Minato appeared abruptly behind him—without any telltale disturbance in the air.

Aonobu's heart raced. According to the ANBU handbook, the opponent relied on specialized kunai to teleport. But how could he have appeared without one? Before he could puzzle it out, Aonobu instinctively turned his body and opened his mouth, firing several senbon toward Minato's neck.

The senbon struck home, but Minato turned to smoke. It was just a shadow clone.

Aonobu felt a brief surge of relief, only to see a kunai fall to the ground where the clone had been. In the blink of an eye, a flash of yellow light heralded Minato's return—this time in his true form.

A sealing tag, radiating danger, stuck to Aonobu's side. As it activated, the tag's intricate, tadpole-like patterns spread across his body, halting his chakra flow to a crawl. Before he could react, the gleam of a kunai approached his neck.

Even with his chakra suppressed, Aonobu's reflexes and taijutsu skill were formidable. He managed to twist his head just enough to avoid a fatal blow, turning what could have been a lethal strike into a superficial cut on his cheek.

Gathering every ounce of chakra he could still command, Aonobu focused it into his right hand and reached for the sealing tag. He knew that as long as the paper tag was intact, it would continue to suppress him. His only option was to tear it off.

But Minato wasn't about to let his opponent escape so easily. In one fluid motion, Minato stepped forward, thrusting his kunai toward Aonobu's wrist.

Aonobu's eyes hardened with determination. He extended his left arm to intercept the kunai, willing to sacrifice it in order to remove the tag. To him, tearing off the seal was worth any injury.

Yet Minato wasn't fighting alone.

Just as Aonobu's hand brushed the tag, a surge of lightning chakra from below struck his leg. The paralyzing effects of the Lightning Release made him pause for a crucial instant.

Minato seized the opportunity. With a quick flick of his wrist, he redirected the kunai toward Aonobu's throat.

In that life-or-death moment, Aonobu made a brutal choice. Drawing on the fierce resolve forged in the harsh deserts of the Land of Wind, he used his own face to deflect the kunai. The blade slashed deep into his cheek, even severing part of his nose. But the pain was worth it—he successfully tore off the sealing tag.

Freed from the seal's constraints, Aonobu's chakra surged violently, filling the air with an oppressive aura. Despite his fury, his first priority was survival. He leapt back to stop the bleeding, clutching his face as blood streamed down. The pain was intense, but it wasn't enough to stop him.

However, before he could act, the sound of a companion's dying scream reached his ears. Aonobu looked up just in time to see Hayama pull a bloodied blade from the chest of another Suna ninja. After wiping the blade on his clothes, Hayama gestured for his teammates to regroup. The Konoha squad retreated before Aonobu could make a move.

While Aonobu noticed their intentions, he was in no condition to pursue. The wound on his face was too severe, and without immediate treatment, he risked bleeding out.

Both sides understood their limits and reluctantly ended the skirmish. Hayama's team withdrew without losses, while Aonobu was left with an irreparable scar. It was a decisive victory for the Konoha squad, who not only inflicted a lasting injury on the Suna commander but also killed a key sensor ninja before making their escape via the Flying Thunder God technique.

As for why they didn't press their advantage, there were two main reasons.

First, Inuzuka E and Akimichi Tangdong were both exhausted. The intense chase and combat had drained their chakra reserves. Tangdong, in particular, looked visibly thinner. Continuing the fight risked further casualties—something they couldn't afford in the final stages of the Wind Country campaign.

Second, the sealing tag hadn't been as effective as hoped. Although it momentarily suppressed Aonobu's chakra, it wasn't enough to secure a kill or deal a crippling blow. With the tag used up, the fight would revert to a traditional contest of strength and tactics.

In the end, discretion was the better part of valor. No one wanted to gamble their lives for a mission that was already a success.

That evening, the Konoha squad returned to the battlefield, only to find it littered with corpses. Not a single living soul remained. After encountering some wounded troops, they learned that the entire force had joined the Third Hokage in pursuing the retreating Suna forces deep into the Land of Wind's territory.

Without rest, Hayama and his team pressed on, eager to witness the final chapter of the Second Shinobi World War.

In the 41st year of the Hidden Leaf calendar, Konoha emerged victorious in the Land of Wind, delivering a crushing defeat to Sunagakure. Once again, the Hidden Leaf proved that even without the Senju Clan, it could still dominate the ninja world.

...

Sunagakure, the Kazekage's Office.

The Third Kazekage stood at the window, staring blankly into the swirling desert winds. Lost in thought, he was jolted back to reality by a knock at the door. After settling into his chair, he called out, "Come in."

A red-haired ninja entered—none other than Rasa, the Kazekage's trusted aide and the possessor of the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai.

"Rasa, Sunagakure has failed. What are your thoughts?" the Kazekage asked.

Having prepared his response beforehand, Rasa replied, "My recommendation is to negotiate a peace treaty immediately. Only by ending the war can we focus on rebuilding our village."

Rasa carefully chose the term "rebuilding" over "restoring," showing respect for his leader's pride. The reality, however, was grim. Sunagakure was on the brink of collapse. Any further fighting would mean the village's total dissolution.

The Third Kazekage nodded, then posed another question. "Konoha will likely demand harsh terms. How should we respond?"

"I suggest ceding Akihabara," Rasa said without hesitation.

"What?"

The Kazekage stood up in shock, his eyes narrowing in displeasure.

But Rasa calmly explained, attempting to persuade his leader. "Rather than relinquishing our limited iron mines, we should give up Akihabara, our agricultural hub. Sunagakure can survive without food production, but we cannot afford to lose the raw materials needed to forge weapons."

The Kazekage paced back and forth, his reluctance clear. "Can't we just offer monetary compensation instead?"

From a practical standpoint, paying a ransom was the most straightforward solution. Magnet Release users, naturally skilled at extracting gold from the desert, could easily generate wealth. If necessary, the Kazekage could even set up camp in the desert and personally mine gold to appease Konoha.

But Rasa shook his head, his tone chilling. "Sunagakure's shame isn't deep enough yet. We need a loss so humiliating that it ignites a fire in our ninja. Only then can we instill the will to rise again."

The Kazekage stopped pacing, fixing Rasa with a long, appraising stare. The more he looked at this fellow ninja, the more he admired him.

As a master strategist, the Kazekage had already considered surrendering Akihabara. His earlier reaction was just for show. Inside, he knew the truth: with the death of Chiyo's son, Rasa was the only one capable of leading Sunagakure's resurgence. Not because he was the strongest, but because he had the necessary ruthlessness.

In the aftermath of defeat, Sunagakure didn't need a compassionate leader. It needed a harsh reminder of the humiliation inflicted by Konoha—a burning hatred that would push the village to reclaim its lost honor, no matter the cost.

The Kazekage understood that a true leader, like the alpha of a wolf pack, must be willing to tear off a piece of their own flesh to sustain the pack. Even if it meant sacrificing something as vital as the village's heart, the leader must ensure that the pack survives.