Chapter 272: The Second Suffering of the Raikage
"Rin, take the client and step back. Kakashi and I will block them," Obito said quickly when he saw the Cloud ninja charging toward them.
Rin was the weakest among them, so Obito subconsciously assigned her the safer task.
Rin glanced at Kakashi, who also nodded. It was impossible to focus only on fighting and ignore the client. Letting the weakest, Rin, watch over the client while providing support was the best option for now.
With their opinions unified, Rin led the somewhat frightened client back, putting some distance between them and the enemy while gathering Chakra, ready to support at any time.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito quickly formed hand signs, gathered Chakra in his throat for Fire Release Nature Transformation, and exhaled a large mass of flames, forming a three meter Great Fireball that roared toward the charging Cloud ninja.
Although the Great Fireball Technique had many drawbacks, its low consumption and high power made it an excellent opening Ninjutsu. When the enemy's true strength was unknown, using it as a probing attack was ideal.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Kakashi threw a large number of Shuriken, intending to use ninja tools to interfere with their movements and make it harder for them to dodge.
The four did not resist head on. They spread out and each used Body Flicker Technique to dodge the Great Fireball, drawing their weapons to block Kakashi's Shuriken, then continued forward.
"With movements like that, their strength isn't weak," Kakashi exhaled, feeling the pressure.
Although he didn't have any appraisal technique and could not directly see the enemy's Chakra and Ninjutsu, from how the four reacted to the attack, Kakashi knew these people were not simple. There was not a single Genin among them.
However, this was also within Kakashi's expectations, as it was a team led by a Raikage candidate.
The last time they encountered a Raikage candidate, just two Cloud ninja had pushed them into a desperate situation. If Might Guy and Obito had not broken through their limits, Kakashi might not have been able to hold on until he understood his inner self.
Clutching the White Fang Short Sword in his hand, Kakashi pondered countermeasures.
If his teammate were Might Guy, he would have Obito suppress them with firepower and then charge in with Might Guy.
But now his teammate was Rin. Rin clearly did not have the suppressive strength of Guy, who could steadily and quickly defeat enemies. The power of Strength of a Hundred Technique was considerable, but it had to land first.
"Let's first see their strength. If there are no Jonin among them, then there's no problem." As the enemies drew near, Kakashi decided to probe them first.
"Lightning Breathing, Total Concentration!"
Kakashi inhaled a large amount of oxygen into his body to enhance his physical abilities. Chakra gathered in his lower body and then rapidly underwent Lightning Release Nature Transformation, activating the cells in his legs.
Then Kakashi charged straight toward Motomu, who appeared to be the leader. If the leader was not a Jonin, then it would be even less likely that the others were.
Clang!
Kakashi's White Fang Short Sword and Motomu's sharp sword collided, producing a harsh metallic clang.
"Your speed is decent, but it's still not enough in front of my perception," Motomu said as he unleashed his strength, pushing Kakashi back. Then a large amount of Chakra gathered in his hand, turning his sharp sword into a lightning sword, which he thrust toward Kakashi.
Although he was a sensory ninja, his true strength was that of a Jonin. He just was not outstanding among Jonin.
At that moment, a burning Kunai stabbed in, forcing Motomu to abandon his attack and dodge the flaming blade.
Relying on the high speed of Lightning Breathing, Kakashi returned to Obito's side and said with a serious expression:
"That leading Cloud ninja should be a Jonin. The remaining three might be Chunin, but there could also be other Jonin."
Listening to Kakashi's guess, Obito felt a headache. He had experienced the power of a Kumogakure Jonin. Even with his two tomoe Sharingan and Guy's second Gate of Eight Gates, that battle had been incredibly difficult.
Having one Jonin was one thing. He and Kakashi could team up and, even if they could not kill him, at least hold him off. But if three more Chunin joined in, they would not be able to hold on. They could not possibly let Rin fight those three Chunin alone; that was clearly impossible.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito desperately used the Great Fireball Technique to keep the enemy from getting close, while continuously retreating.
"We're too outmatched in terms of combat power," Kakashi thought anxiously, searching for a way out of their current situation.
When he thought of the Flying Thunder God Kunai in his tool pouch, and Minato, who was currently playing a strategic game with the Raikage candidate, Kakashi thought of the only way to solve the problem.
Although relying on others was not ideal, Kakashi could only think of Minato as the one who could resolve this crisis.
Just then, Kakashi saw Minato looking toward them. Minato had been waiting for a chance. Their eyes met, and Kakashi decided to trust him.
Kakashi took out the Flying Thunder God Kunai and shot it toward Motomu.
Since the Kunai was thrown from Kakashi's hand, Motomu did not pay much attention. He did not notice the Flying Thunder God mark on it. He twisted his body to dodge and was about to continue forward.
Whoosh!
Minato used Flying Thunder God and appeared behind Motomu. He stabbed Motomu's body with the Kunai, then immediately grabbed him, left a Flying Thunder God mark on him, and hurled him toward the Fourth Raikage A.
A had not expected Kakashi to have another Flying Thunder God Kunai. He stared at Minato warily, quickly caught Motomu, pulled out the Kunai and tossed it aside, then signaled the Cloud ninja to treat Motomu's injuries.
For A, there were two people in his unit he cared about most: the first was Killer Bee, who, though not related by blood, was like a real brother; the second was Motomu, a rare sensory talent who was also extremely loyal to him.
If others died, A would feel regret and sadness, but if Motomu died, it would not be just a little regret; he would be furious.
"Don't move anymore. Just stay by Bee's side obediently," A said with a serious expression.
"Understood!" Motomu accepted A's concern.
After severely injuring Motomu with one strike, Minato again focused on A, preventing him from using extreme speed to launch a surprise attack on Obito and the others.
Seeing Minato take a Jonin out of the fight, Kakashi instantly felt relieved. He gripped his White Fang Short Sword and burst forward, slashing at the nearest Cloud ninja.
"Flame Breathing, Total Concentration Breathing!"
In this critical situation, Obito could not care about anything else. He immediately activated his two tomoe Sharingan while entering the Flame Breathing Total Concentration state, pushing his strength to its peak. Wielding a Kunai, he faced two Cloud ninja by himself.
"Sharingan!"
The moment Obito's eyes turned blood red, the two Cloud ninja instantly recognized the Uchiha Clan's Bloodline Limit. They immediately gave up the idea of attacking Rin and teamed up to deal with Obito instead.
Obito silently thanked Mugetsu for the evasion training he had drilled into them. With the Sharingan's sharp perception and his refined footwork, even when the two Cloud ninja used Ninjutsu and Taijutsu together, they still couldn't touch a single strand of his clothing.
However, Obito still lacked a clean opening. After all, two fists could not overcome four hands. Even though he held the upper hand in skill, facing two Jonin level opponents alone made it impossible to finish either quickly.
But he was not worried. Kakashi only had one opponent. Once Kakashi finished his side and came to help, the two Cloud ninja would not last long.
Before Kakashi could finish off his opponent, Rin saw that the immediate surroundings were momentarily safe and ran toward Obito.
Obito and the Cloud ninja noticed Rin at the same moment.
"This Uchiha kid is troublesome. You hold him off, I'll grab the girl and use her to threaten him," one of the Cloud ninja said decisively.
He assumed Rin must be weak. Otherwise, she would have already used Ninjutsu instead of simply watching.
Without waiting for a reply, the Cloud ninja charged straight toward Rin.
His teammate wanted to curse, but he also knew this was their only chance. If they continued the fight normally, they would lose for sure.
As the Cloud ninja dashed toward Rin, Obito knew instantly that the man had gravely underestimated her. He only spared a glance with his peripheral vision, keeping his focus on the Cloud ninja in front of him.
Originally at a disadvantage fighting two at once, the moment the second Cloud ninja left, Obito's footwork and Sharingan pressure immediately took effect. In an instant, several bloody cuts appeared on the remaining Cloud ninja.
"Hold on!" The fleeing Cloud ninja silently prayed for his teammate as he threw a punch aimed at Rin's head, intending to knock her out on the spot.
"Strength of a Hundred Technique!"
Rin gathered a huge amount of Chakra into her arm and unleashed it, swinging her slender fist to meet his punch.
This was her first real battle. Worried her power wouldn't be enough, she directly poured half her Chakra into this one strike.
Looking at Rin's thin, fair arm, the Cloud ninja felt disdain. How could such a small girl—with limbs thinner than his own arms—possibly match a trained Taijutsu fighter?
Bang!
A figure blasted backward like a launched cannonball, slamming into a tree and shattering it.
Seeing his companion fly through the air, the Cloud ninja fighting Obito froze in shock.
Is that… how you capture someone?
The Cloud ninja who took the punch was even more bewildered. He simply couldn't accept that his strength had been completely crushed by this small, seemingly frail girl.
The sharp pain and the blood dripping from his palm forced him to face reality. He could barely move a finger; it felt like all the bones in his hand had been crushed.
Bang!
Obito seized the opening. With a Leaf Whirlwind, he sent the remaining Cloud ninja flying.
Meanwhile, the Cloud ninja fighting Kakashi already had several deep, bleeding wounds and was barely standing.
At the same moment, Raikage A continued to attack Minato—only for Minato to once again use Flying Thunder God.
A immediately surveyed all known Flying Thunder God points. He had memorized every mark and could strike at Minato's landing locations with extreme speed.
But then something happened that even A did not expect.
Minato appeared beside Killer Bee.
He held a Kunai to Bee's head.
"There shouldn't be any marked Kunai there," A growled, his expression darkening.
Could he… engrave that technique on people?
A recalled Motomu—injured by Minato—and the brief moment of physical contact. A possibility flashed in his mind.
Killer Bee, with his lightning fast reaction, instantly pointed his blade backward.
He did not turn his head.
"If you want a mutual kill, then come. I'm not afraid," Bee said calmly.
He was young, but he understood the cruelty of the ninja world. And he trusted that his brother would avenge him. An injured Minato Namikaze would not be a match for A.
"Even though we're enemies, I admire you," Minato said sincerely. "Your reaction and decisiveness are worthy of a ninja known as a killer."
From instantly analyzing Flying Thunder God, to reacting in the split second Minato appeared behind him, Minato genuinely believed Bee would shake the future of the ninja world.
"How about this? We all stop and take a step back," Minato continued.
"Our missions do not conflict. We are not on a battlefield."
He had no intention of killing Bee. Doing so would trigger A's wrath—and A's strength was too great. If A went mad, Obito and the others would not survive.
That was one reason Minato had only heavily injured Motomu earlier instead of killing him—he left room for negotiation.
A thought for a moment, then nodded. He ordered the Cloud ninja to stop and fall back.
Bee was willing to risk his life to take Minato out, but A refused to let his brother die—no matter how injured Minato might be afterward.
Minato and A's words were like a sudden freeze on the battlefield. Everyone stopped.
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin regrouped and took defensive positions around the client.
"Minato Namikaze… I'll remember you. You're good," A said in a low voice.
Before meeting Minato, he had only ever suffered defeat once—against the Hidden Mist lightning user.
This was the second time in his life he had been forced to acknowledge another ninja.
"I won't forget you either," Minato replied seriously.
He had a strong feeling this would not be their last encounter.
Kumogakure and Konoha were at war. With their level of strength, another clash was almost inevitable.
Both sides withdrew. A led his injured team to find a place to recuperate, while Minato took his students and completed the escort mission.
Because of the danger they encountered, Minato returned to the Land of Fire immediately afterward, not wanting to run into another situation of this level again.
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]