Hiruzen's hands blurred through a rapid series of hand signs before he exhaled sharply, unleashing a massive sea of flame. The fire roared across the air, surging toward Sinbad like a living inferno.
Sinbad leapt high, narrowly evading the blazing torrent. But even before he could land, the cliffside erupted—countless earth spikes shot toward him in a deadly wave. He twisted in midair, flipping backward with precise control to avoid them, his senses sharpened to the extreme.
'I just need to make him use lightning release…' Sinbad thought, eyes narrowing as he calculated. 'If I use Earth release, he's more likely to counter with lightning, since lightning beats Earth.'
He'd already foreseen the other transformations by looking into the future, Hiruzen had displayed fire, water, wind, and earth. Only one remained. If he could just draw out lightning, then he'd see it. And once he saw it, he'd instantly master it.
So, without a hand sign—just a single thought—Sinbad seized control of the very earth spikes that had been aimed at him. With flawless precision, he redirected them mid-flight, turning them around to shoot straight toward Hiruzen.
In response, the Third Hokage's fingers moved swiftly, forming a single seal as a thick earth wall erupted in front of him, blocking the incoming barrage.
'Such advanced chakra control… he didn't use a single hand seal,' Hiruzen thought, narrowing his eyes as he studied the man before him. 'By all rights, I'm faster than him, and yet… why do his movements feel like he already knows what I'll do next? It's as if he's seeing the future.'
As Hiruzen thought this, he glanced down at his feet—only to find fresh spikes beginning to sprout from the ground beneath him.
He moved fast, fluidly dodging the rising spikes as he rushed toward Sinbad with deadly intent. But Sinbad didn't stand still—each step he took seemed to awaken the ground beneath him. The earth shifted and surged, responding to his will like a living extension of his body, launching sharp, jagged spikes directly at Hiruzen.
Hiruzen swung his staff with expert precision, smashing through some of the attacks while weaving between others. At times, he jumped, spinning in mid-air to avoid the ground trying to impale him from below.
'He's in Sage Mode… but he looks completely normal,' Hiruzen thought, confused. 'And his chakra… It's so weak. How did someone like this overpower Minato?'
He didn't understand. The disparity between Sinbad's chakra signature and his capabilities didn't make sense. No matter how high the skill, there had to be strength behind it, so Sinbad had to be hiding something.
Hiruzen prepared to close the distance—but froze when Sinbad suddenly began to rise, his feet lifting off the ground as if gravity itself had released him.
"The only reason I defeated Minato so easily was because I outsmarted him," Sinbad said calmly, now floating in the air with a faint smile. "You, on the other hand… defeating you will be far trickier. You're more durable than Minato. A simple punch won't be enough to put you down like it did him."
As he spoke, a ball of fire ignited above his head, its heat warping the air around it. To one side, a swirling sphere of water took shape, pulsing with power. Below them, a chunk of solid stone hovered, while opposite it, arcs of lightning crackled violently. Above it all, a sharp, howling ball of wind formed, slicing the air.
"I had you show me every nature transformation," Sinbad continued, voice steady. "So I could master them. Now that all five are mine… and with yin and yang added to the mix…"
He trailed off, letting the spectacle speak for itself. Before Hiruzen's shocked and horrified eyes, the individual elements spun together in a breathtaking dance, fusing and reshaping into something far more dangerous. Ice Release, Lava Release, and other advanced elemental natures formed with ease, as if bending to Sinbad's will. What should have been impossible was now unfolding before him,
These were all kekkei genkai—bloodline releases. Even for someone like Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, who had mastered every elemental nature, such a feat should have been impossible. Mastery over water and wind didn't grant access to Ice Release. No, that required a specific genetic trait—either you were born with it, or something had to forcibly grant you the ability. There were no shortcuts, no exceptions.
Yet here Sinbad stood, conjuring bloodline abilities as if they were mere stepping stones.
"Shocked?" Sinbad asked, his voice cutting through the disbelief thick in the air. "You've 'mastered' all the nature transformations? That's not true. As long as you still need hand seals to shape your chakra, you've never truly mastered anything."
His words weren't boastful—they were a statement of fact. "The scale of mastery I've reached… isn't something you could comprehend, not even if you were granted another lifetime."
As he spoke, the separate elements around him began to spin, merging together with a slow, ominous force. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, yin, and yang—all collapsed inward, fusing into a single black orb.
"This here is the peak of nature transformation—the Truth-Seeking Orb," Sinbad said, his voice steady as he extended his hand outward. "They encompass every nature transformation… and yin and yang. They are the absolute pinnacle."
As he spoke, the swirling black orb slowly descended, hovering above his head before melting into a thick, dark liquid. The substance didn't splash or fall haphazardly—it molded with precision, coating his body as if it had a mind of its own. Piece by piece, it formed into a suit of armor.
It was seamless and fluid like water, yet held a presence that felt unbreakable, denser, and more resilient than any earthly material. Flexible, yet indestructible, the armor clung to him perfectly, radiating silent power as if daring the world to test it.
Hiruzen stared at the sight before him, disbelief written across his face. But then—without warning—Sinbad vanished. His pupils shrank as Sinbad reappeared in front of him, closing the distance instantly.
Reacting on instinct, Hiruzen crossed his arms to brace for the blow, but it was already too late.
This was no ordinary strike—it was infused with conqueror's Haki. The power from the attack hit before the actual kick even landed, collapsing the air between them with crushing force. The sensation was overwhelming, like being struck by the Nine Tails itself… and yet, something about this hit was far worse.
Boom.
The haki rippled through him, not just battering his body, but attacking him from within. His organs trembled under the spiritual pressure, and pain blossomed at a depth he couldn't brace against. Blood burst from his mounth as he was launched across the Hidden Leaf, crashing through rooftops like a missile gone off course.
He slammed hard into where Minato was currently being healed, leaving everyone stunned by the sight. The impact cracked the walls and shook the room, catching the medics off guard as they scrambled to check on the Third Hokage's condition. Dust settled around the old man's crumpled form, his breathing shallow as blood trickled from his mouth.
"After everything I told him, he thought I would need a seal to teleport?" Sinbad said lightly while sitting down and waited. His tone was casual, almost bored, as if the devastating blow he'd just delivered was nothing worth thinking about.
Minato needed to put a seal on something to teleport to. Sinbad, who mastered the Flying Ryjin, needed no such seal. He just needed to lock onto a location… in other words, he needed a thought to teleport.
By the way, thanks to Sage Mode, he could now see forty-eight seconds into the future. He had hoped it would've been more—especially considering the significant boost in strength Sage Mode granted him—but even so, he was more than satisfied with the power it brought.
So, he waited. Calm and unmoved, he sat atop his makeshift chair while keeping his senses sharp. It didn't take long before more and more shinobi began to quietly surround him, their presence masked to the untrained eye. Among them were members of the Uchiha clan, their Sharingan glowing faintly in the distance. But none of them attacked.
They kept their distance, forming a silent perimeter as they watched his every move.
"What do you want?" Leading the group of Uchiha was none other than Fugaku, his eyes narrowed, the Sharingan in full view as he stared directly at Sinbad.
Sinbad didn't so much as flinch under the weight of their gazes. "Have Minato give me what he owes me, and I'm going to leave. Be grateful I'm not seeking payment for the many attempts to take my life. The time is ticking—two hours and thirty minutes," he said calmly, his voice carrying a quiet finality.
He didn't raise his guard, didn't move an inch. Surrounded, watched, and measured, yet completely unbothered by the pressure pressing in from all directions. His posture was relaxed, almost as if he were the one keeping them hostage rather than the other way around.
Fugaku frowned, his gaze lingering on Sinbad with narrowed eyes. By all accounts, he wasn't weaker than Minato—the two were often considered equals in raw power. But Hiruzen… Hiruzen was a different level entirely. The man had earned the title of God of Shinobi for a reason. For someone like that to be defeated so easily, and so quickly… Fugaku wasn't sure if continuing this confrontation was the wisest course of action.
His fingers twitched slightly, though his expression remained composed. "What promise was that?" Fugaku asked, voice measured, hiding the tension building beneath the surface.
"Hashirama cells, the Reaper Death Seal, and the ability to buy anything I want within the Hidden Leaf for free—for a week," Sinbad said, his tone calm as he met Fugaku's gaze without the slightest hesitation.
Suddenly, the world around Sinbad shifted, washed in a deep, blood-red hue. The trees, sky, and rooftops all took on a twisted tone, as if reality had thinned to reveal a more sinister layer beneath. Still, Sinbad's expression remained as relaxed as ever, unaffected by the shift.
He turned his gaze toward Fugaku—only to find the clan leader frozen in place, spikes piercing through his body, holding him in place. Fugaku's Sharingan eyes twitched, his body subtly trembling as he fought to break free from the very genjutsu he had cast. Pain flickered across his features, but his pride kept him from letting it show fully.
This was known as Shackle Stakes jutsu—the same genjutsu Itachi had once used on Orochimaru in the anime. Sinbad had always assumed it had been the infamous Tsukuyomi that subdued Orochimaru, but now he realized it was something far simpler: a standard Sharingan genjutsu.
"No one has higher chakra control than me. I'm pretty much immune to genjutsu," Sinbad said with a calm, almost amused smile, watching the horror on Fugaku's face.
After a moment, he allowed the Uchiha patriarch to break free of the illusion.
"…" Fugaku raised his hand, signaling the Uchiha clan members to stand down. He didn't say a word, but his expression said everything. His gaze was heavy, weighed with the realization that the Hidden Leaf had entangled itself in something far more dangerous than they were prepared for—something that could very well end in the village's ruin.
Then, behind him, a kunai suddenly cut through the air, gleaming as it sailed skyward. In the next instant, Minato appeared, teleporting to it midflight and catching it with practiced ease. He landed lightly, but it was clear his body was still recovering. Even standing seemed like a struggle.
Still, he stepped forward, coming to a stop before Sinbad with a complex look in his eyes.
"The Hidden Leaf will honor its end of the deal. I apologize for my poor judgment earlier," Minato said, bowing his head, one that left everyone around stunned. For the Fourth Hokage to bow… it was not a sight anyone expected.
"Thank you," Sinbad replied calmly, rising to his feet. "And here I was, moments away from becoming the reason the Hidden Leaf would've been reduced to rubble. Still, your attempt to go back on your word caused me unnecessary trouble…" He trailed off, his tone carrying a faint edge. "So, I want something extra for the inconvenience. I'll come collect it on a later date."
He stood waiting, patient yet unreadable, expecting his promised reward.
Minato gritted his teeth but gave a sharp nod before vanishing with a flicker of light. Within seconds, he reappeared, handing over a scroll and a sealed test tube containing the Hashirama cells.
Sinbad took both without a word. He unrolled the scroll first, his eyes scanning the jutsu inscribed within—the Reaper Death Seal. The moment his eyes reached the end, knowledge clicked into place. He had mastered it in an instant.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the scroll back to Minato, no longer needing it. His attention shifted to the test tube, the greenish fluid within catching the light as he turned it in his hand.
Now came the real question—how was he going to inject the Hashirama cells into his own body?