The group of villains charging towards Minato, Kaminari, Jiro, and Momo in the Mountain Zone suddenly halted, their crude weapons lowering. Their eyes, accustomed to the dim light of the simulated mountainside, widened in confusion and a touch of alarm. A glint of steel had caught their attention—a three-pronged kunai, deeply embedded in the rocky ground directly in their path. It was a strange, unfamiliar weapon, seemingly thrown out of nowhere.
Before they could fully process the oddity, a **yellow flash** erupted next to the kunai. In an instant, the air shimmered, and a figure materialized out of thin air, standing perfectly still where the weapon had landed. It was **Minato**, his hero costume distinct against the rugged backdrop, his expression calm and unyielding.
A moment of stunned silence hung in the air. Then, the villains, regaining their composure, began to laugh. "A pop idol?!" one sneered, pointing a grimy finger. "Look at this little pretty boy! He's here to fight us?"
"Looks like a baby face to me!" another scoffed, brandishing a pipe. "Did the pros send a kid to play hero?"
"Go back to your concerts, blondie!" a third villain jeered, stepping forward menacingly. "This ain't no stage for you!"
Their taunts and mockery washed over Minato, but his face remained impassive. Not a flicker of emotion, not a hint of anger or irritation crossed his features. He simply watched them, his blue eyes holding a dangerous calm.
Then, with a subtle shift in his stance, the air around him began to crackle. A faint, blue aura erupted, shimmering with the raw power of electricity, enveloping his form. It was the **Lightning Release Chakra Mode**, though to the villains, it simply appeared as an unbelievably potent Quirk activation. The sheer density of the aura, the way it seemed to make the very air vibrate, instantly wiped the sneers from the villains' faces. Their bravado evaporated, replaced by wide-eyed apprehension.
Minato didn't waste another second. He moved, not with the explosive burst that marked his dash, but with fluid, almost ghostly speed. He didn't rush them head-on. Instead, his right hand moved with impossible swiftness, and eight more of his unique kunai spun through the air, each burying itself silently into a different rock face, strategically placed behind and to the sides of the villain group.
Before the first villain could even register the trajectory of the thrown kunai, Minato vanished in another blinding **yellow flash**, reappearing instantly behind the villain closest to the leftmost kunai. The villain barely had time to gasp before Minato delivered a swift, precise **karate chop** to the back of his neck. The villain's eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Another **yellow flash**. Minato was gone again, reappearing near the next kunai. The remaining villains, disoriented and terrified, spun wildly, trying to pinpoint his location. Their eyes darted from the now-unconscious body to the new kunai, desperately trying to anticipate his next move, but their limited Quirks and basic combat training were no match for Minato's honed instincts and superior speed.
He moved like a phantom, a whisper of gold and lightning, flickering between the marked spots. Each flash was followed by the soft thud of a falling body, a barely audible grunt, or the clatter of a dropped weapon. The villains could only react to the aftermath, seeing Minato appear for a split second, deliver a decisive, non-lethal blow, and then vanish again before they could even raise a defense.
"Where is he?!" one villain shrieked, swinging wildly at empty air.
"He's too fast!" another screamed, stumbling backward in terror.
They tried to coordinate, to anticipate, to cover each other, but it was futile. Minato's mastery of the technique was absolute. He wasn't just teleporting; he was orchestrating a dizzying dance of incapacitation, systematically dismantling their ranks. Their fear mounted with every flash, every fallen comrade. They became a disorganized, panicked mess, fighting shadows that moved with the speed of thought.
Within moments, the entire half of the villain group Minato had targeted lay unconscious on the rocky terrain, neatly incapacitated. He stood amidst them, his blue aura still crackling faintly, his breathing even. He hadn't broken a sweat. The mockery had ceased. Only the silence of the mountain zone remained, broken only by the distant sounds of battle from other parts of the USJ.
Minato turned, his gaze already searching for the remaining villains.
Minato's blue aura shimmered, a silent testament to the effortless victory he had just secured. He turned his attention to the area where the other half of the villain group was still engaged with Momo, Jiro, and Kaminari. Though his senses confirmed they were holding their own, the prolonged engagement was taking its toll. Momo was actively creating small shields to deflect attacks while trying to bind villains, Jiro was using her Earphone Jacks to disrupt, and Kaminari, having likely exhausted his ranged Quirk, was attempting to fend off close-quarters attackers with increasingly wild punches. They were doing well, but they were nearing their limits.
Minato didn't hesitate. With another yellow flash, he appeared amidst the fray, a blur of motion. The remaining villains, already disoriented by the prolonged fight with Momo's clever tactics, Jiro's sonic disruptions, and Kaminari's erratic movements, barely registered his presence before they were dealt with. One by one, Minato moved through their ranks, a precise chop to the neck, a swift, incapacitating strike to a pressure point. In less than a minute, the entire second half of the villain group lay unconscious, added to the growing pile of neutralized threats.
He deactivated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the golden glow fading. "Are you three okay?" Minato asked, his voice calm, assessing each of them for injuries. "Are you hurt?"
Momo, slightly breathless, adjusted her costume. "We're fine, Minato-kun," she replied, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow. "Just a little tired from the exertion. Your intervention was... remarkably swift."
Kaminari, rubbing his arm, let out a relieved sigh. "Dude, that was insane! You just... poof! And they were all out! You're seriously awesome!"
Jiro, though weary, managed a small, impressed smile. "Yeah, I barely saw you move. Thanks, Minato."
"Good," Minato said, a nod of approval. "Now, listen carefully. Head towards the main exit of the USJ. The one we entered through. It's the safest way out. I'm going to go and help Aizawa-sensei."
Their eyes widened. "But Sensei's fighting all those villains!" Kaminari exclaimed, looking towards the central plaza.
"And All Might's not here yet," Momo added, her brow furrowed with concern.
"He'll be fine," Minato stated with unwavering confidence, his gaze already fixed on the massive dome's ceiling. "I'll make sure of it. Your priority is to get to safety and, if Iida hasn't already, ensure backup arrives."
Before they could protest further, Minato pulled out one of his signature three-pronged kunai. With a calculated surge of strength, he hurled it with incredible force towards the domed ceiling of the USJ. The kunai soared, a glinting streak against the artificial sky, embedding itself deeply into the metal framework high above.
The instant the kunai reached its apex, Minato vanished in a yellow flash, reappearing next to it. He was now perched high above the entire facility, a bird's-eye view of the sprawling disaster zones below. From this vantage point, his keen eyes instantly located the central plaza, where Aizawa-sensei was still locked in a brutal, exhausting battle against a massive number of villains. Erasure was a powerful Quirk, but even Aizawa's relentless dedication and combat prowess couldn't indefinitely hold off so many opponents. He was getting overwhelmed, his movements slowing.
Then, Minato's eyes narrowed. He saw Shigaraki pointing towards Aizawa, his voice, though unheard from this distance, clearly giving an order. And from the shadows, a monstrous, black figure with exposed brains and bird-like features lumbered forward—the Nomu. Its very presence radiated an oppressive, unnatural power.
The Nomu moved with terrifying speed, launching itself towards Aizawa, its massive fist pulled back for a devastating strike. Aizawa, already battered and weary, would not be able to fully avoid it.
Minato didn't hesitate. With another flash of movement, he flung a kunai directly between the Nomu and Aizawa. It spun through the air, embedding itself on the ground just inches from where the Nomu's fist was about to connect. The very instant the Nomu's hand moved for its deadly blow, Minato teleported, appearing directly in its path.
With Rasengan in his right hand, the ball of chakra met the Nomu's incoming strike. He didn't try to block or counter straight on; instead he redirected the Nomu's massive punch downwards. The force was immense, but Minato's body held firm. The Nomu's redirected fist slammed into the mud floor, shattering it instantly and creating a deep, jagged crater with a violent explosion of dust and debris. The ground trembled.
Before the Nomu could recover from its own redirected force, or Shigaraki could react to the sudden, golden apparition, Minato vanished again in a yellow flash. He reappeared a safe distance away from the now-cratered ground, holding the battered, but very much alive, Aizawa-sensei securely in his arms.
As Aizawa groaned, disoriented but spared from the blow, Minato also placed the intricate symbol of the Flying Thunder God seal, was placed upon its rough skin.