Chapter 625: Battle with the AB Team
In a forest near the border of the Land of Fire, a team of roughly seventy Ninja advanced steadily through the trees.
"Motoi, sense the surroundings," A suddenly stopped and ordered the sensory Ninja beside him.
As a surprise unit meant to flank the enemy, their most important task was avoiding detection. Now that their battle plan had reached its final stage, A had no intention of letting a moment of carelessness ruin everything.
"Yes!" Motoi nodded, closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and focused his Chakra to activate his sensory Ninjutsu.
"There's nothing nearby... wait. A powerful Chakra is approaching us."
Motoi had been about to say there were no Ninja nearby when he suddenly sensed a powerful presence closing in at high speed. That Chakra also felt familiar to him.
"It's Minato Namikaze!" Motoi immediately recalled the name tied to that Chakra.
He would probably never forget Minato. After all, he had nearly been killed by Minato when he and A had encountered him during a mission.
"Hmm?" A's eyes sharpened.
"Did he discover our plan this quickly?" A frowned.
According to their estimates, Minato should have been busy hunting down Kumogakure's guerrilla squads in the northwest.
The Cloud Ninja in the team all looked toward A, waiting for his order.
"Stop advancing. Prepare for battle," A said after a moment of thought.
Without using Flying Thunder God, Minato was not faster than him, but not every Cloud Ninja had A's speed.
No matter how unwilling A was, he understood one thing. The moment Motoi sensed Minato, their surprise attack plan had already failed.
At A's command, the Cloud Ninja drew their swords or pulled out Kunai.
After sensing that Kumogakure had stopped advancing, Minato also slowed down, giving his teammates time to catch up.
Because of his speed and sensory ability, Minato had always been running at the very front.
A coldly watched as Minato, Nara Shikaku, and the others slowly approached.
The Kumogakure squads in the northwest of the Land of Fire would withdraw from the Land of Fire tonight. The Cloud Ninja captured or killed by Konoha during these past few days would definitely not outnumber the Konoha Ninja killed by Kumogakure in the northern Land of Fire.
Therefore, if he could keep Minato here, then this plan could still be considered a success, just not as successful as originally intended.
"We meet again," Minato said, taking two Flying Thunder God Kunai from his Ninja tool pouch.
He and the new AB Combo were old rivals. They had met not only on the battlefield, but also during missions.
However, every battle had ended almost the same way. Neither side could truly do anything to the other.
Flying Thunder God's divine speed and Minato's natural superhuman reactions made him nearly impossible to defeat.
However, A's Lightning Release Chakra Mode was only slightly slower than Flying Thunder God at close range. He could also enhance his reaction speed through Lightning Release Nature Transformation, and Killer Bee was not a useless accessory. Because of that, Minato also had no reliable way to defeat the new AB Combo.
"Perhaps there won't be a next time," A said coldly, giving Killer Bee a look as he spoke.
This was Killer Bee's first time stepping onto the battlefield after becoming the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. Minato could not possibly have information on Killer Bee, so they could use that gap in intelligence to catch him off guard.
Killer Bee suppressed the urge to rap and gave a slight nod in response.
"Then let's wait and see," Minato replied, not provoked in the slightest. His expression only became more serious.
The AB Combo had always been Kumogakure's signature. Even the new AB Combo, which had not yet fully matured, had to be faced with one hundred percent of his strength.
"The enemy has seventy-two people in total. That's nineteen more Ninja than we have," Minato thought as he assessed the situation.
Although he and A were speaking harshly to each other, this was not a one-on-one or one-on-two duel. It was a small-scale battle between elite Ninja teams.
And because of the urgency of the situation, Minato had not brought as many Ninja as the well-prepared A.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Both sides moved at almost the same time, launching a large number of Shuriken and Kunai at each other.
However, those standing here were either Kumogakure elites trusted by A or Konoha elites trusted by Minato. Neutralizing ordinary Ninja tool throws was simple for them.
Both sides used their own methods to intercept the weapons.
Buzz, buzz!
Crackling!
Brilliant blue lightning erupted around A, and an oppressive aura surged through the forest.
After entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode, A stared intently at Minato, who had not moved, while also keeping an eye on the Flying Thunder God Kunai that had been knocked down by Ninjutsu.
That Flying Thunder God Kunai was already very close to them. With Minato's speed, he could use Flying Thunder God to appear there, then follow with a Body Flicker Technique to arrive directly at their side.
Whoosh!
Minato did not use Flying Thunder God to transfer. Instead, he used the Body Flicker Technique to shift to the right on his own, then threw out two more Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"Bee!" A shouted, and in the next instant, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and charged toward Minato.
Killer Bee calmly drew two Kunai and threw them, accurately striking Minato's Kunai and intercepting both Flying Thunder God Kunai.
Whoosh!
Minato appeared at the location of the first Flying Thunder God Kunai.
That was within A's expectations. He instantly changed direction and attacked.
Because their speed was extreme, the others only saw a flash of blue light streak past.
But Akimichi Dōton, who had excellent coordination with Minato, immediately made his move.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
With the enhancement of Yang Release Chakra, Dōton's body rapidly expanded, instantly becoming a thirty-meter-tall giant that blocked the path between Minato and A.
A's expression did not change. He continued charging forward.
"Lightning Style Kill!"
Facing the giant blocking his path, A mercilessly swung his Lightning Release Ninja Body Technique hand chop.
Dōton wanted to attack A immediately as well, but compared to A, his speed was too slow.
Bang!
A powerful force slammed into Dōton's body, knocking the thirty-meter-tall giant backward step after step until he sat heavily on the ground.
"Rasengan!"
Minato was not idle either. A Rasengan formed in each of his hands as he flashed in front of two Cloud Ninja and sent them to meet the Six Paths Sage.
"Lightning Release: Electric Light Pillar!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Devour!"
The Cloud Ninja who reacted attacked Minato one after another, but all of their attacks missed.
Minato had already teleported beside a Konoha Ninja through a Flying Thunder God Kunai placed on one of his own allies.
A's expression remained unchanged. He understood that Minato had also made significant progress.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Lightning Release: Grateful Wave!"
As both commanders went all out, their subordinates also began fighting fiercely.
"Shadow Sewing Jutsu: Black Spider Lily!"
Nara Shikaku, who had yet to make a move, suddenly activated his Shadow Secret Jutsu. The shadow beneath him spread like a blooming spider lily, shooting rapidly toward the Cloud Ninja nearby and restraining six of them in one move.
A's speed was too fast, and Shikaku was not confident he could restrain him with Shadow Secret Jutsu, so he focused on the Cloud Ninja who had been performing well.
"Ninja Art: Mind Disturbance Dance Technique!"
Yamanaka Inoichi, who had long worked alongside Shikaku, immediately followed up. Five of the six restrained Cloud Ninja swung their blades at their comrades, or even at themselves, horror filling their faces.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
The elite Cloud Ninja who successfully resisted Inoichi's secret jutsu was still trying to decide what to do next when a huge fist appeared before his eyes.
Bang!
A burst of blood mist erupted, and the elite Cloud Ninja flew backward at high speed, smashing through an unknown number of trees before finally stopping.
Akimichi Chōza withdrew his Yang Release power, and his fist quickly returned to normal size.
"It's a good thing Sandaime arranged for Ino-Shika-Cho to serve as my deputies this time," Minato thought, nodding inwardly as he saw Shikaku and the other two take down nearly ten Cloud Ninja with their opening move.
Individually, the three families of Ino-Shika-Cho could not compare to noble clans like the Hyūga or Uchiha. But when the three families combined, they became a force that no Konoha Ninja could underestimate.
Bang, bang!
Blue lightning flashed, and two Konoha Ninja were sent flying by A's tremendous strength. A's cold gaze swept across every Konoha Ninja, as if choosing his next target.
He could not catch Minato, but killing these Konoha Ninja was as easy as slaughtering chickens.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two Kunai shot toward A.
Perhaps the faster Minato could kill the Cloud Ninja more quickly, but he could not stand by and watch A kill his comrades.
Whoosh!
A dashed aside and dodged.
The Kunai themselves could not hurt him, but Minato's Rasengan still posed a threat. If Minato managed to place a Flying Thunder God Mark on him, the fight would become even more troublesome.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
At that moment, Shikaku, Inoichi, and Chōza moved in perfect coordination. Each of them took out a Flying Thunder God Kunai and threw them from three different directions toward the area around A.
Minato had given those Kunai to them before they set out. First, they could use them in emergencies for Flying Thunder God transfers. Second, they could help Minato create opportunities in battle.
A frowned. Fighting Minato was troublesome precisely because of this. He not only had to guard against Minato's Kunai, but also the Kunai thrown by Minato's teammates.
Under a Ninja's strength, Kunai flew extremely fast. Without a Dōjutsu, it was impossible to tell whether a high-speed Kunai was a Flying Thunder God Kunai or an ordinary Kunai.
Worried about being caught off guard, A dodged with all his might.
Whoosh!
Minato suddenly appeared beside a Cloud Ninja and ended his life with a Rasengan.
One of the Kunai thrown toward A had landed beside that Cloud Ninja. Since it had not been thrown by Minato, A had not paid much attention to it and had not realized it was still a Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"Lariat!"
Killer Bee saw the situation and took the initiative to attack. He charged into a Konoha Ninja and sent him flying, then used a strange posture to control multiple long swords at once, cutting down a group of surrounding Konoha Ninja.
He seemed so absorbed in fighting that he failed to notice his surroundings. Bit by bit, Killer Bee was approaching a Flying Thunder God Kunai stuck in the ground.
A had originally wanted to warn him, but after thinking of something, he merely condensed Chakra in silence.
Whoosh!
Minato, holding a Rasengan, suddenly appeared behind Killer Bee.
When an enemy revealed a weakness, Minato naturally had no reason not to attack. If he could take down Bee, one half of the AB Combo, Kumogakure might quiet down for a while.
Just as Minato's Rasengan was about to strike, terrifying Tailed Beast Chakra erupted from Killer Bee's body. Thick octopus tails appeared behind him and wrapped around his body.
At that moment, A transformed into a bolt of lightning and attacked Minato.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
Akimichi Dōton swung a giant fist at A.
"Get lost!"
A impatiently swung his lightning-clad fist. The terrifying power not only sent Dōton flying again, but also left a scorched mark on his fist.
But that split second was enough for Minato to finish his Rasengan, activate Flying Thunder God, and leave again.
"He actually became the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and he can already use the Tailed Beast's power!" Minato looked at Killer Bee, whose body was wrapped in thick octopus tentacles, with surprise.
If Killer Bee had not erupted with Tailed Beast Chakra just now, that Rasengan would likely have killed him instantly, or at least left him severely wounded.
Just as Minato condensed Chakra and prepared for the next wave of attacks, the octopus tentacles around Killer Bee suddenly broke off. Bee threw them far away while also distancing himself from the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
Even as an enemy, Minato could not help but admire Killer Bee's calmness and decisiveness.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I exposed information but didn't achieve anything," Killer Bee said as he moved closer to A.
"It's fine as long as you're safe. The Yellow Flash isn't that easy to deal with," A said, shaking his head.
Through his observations during the battle, he found that Minato's taijutsu had improved significantly, and his movements were faster than before.
Minato seemed to have made even greater progress than they had.
"Retreat toward the Land of Rice Fields!" A shouted without hesitation.
At present, both his battle with Minato and the battle between their subordinates were evenly matched. If they continued fighting, the outcome would be hard to predict.
But this was the Land of Fire, not the Land of Lightning. If they continued fighting and caused this much commotion, more Konoha Ninja would eventually be drawn here.
Killer Bee once again erupted with Tailed Beast Chakra, extending multiple giant octopus tentacles to help the Cloud Ninja escape.
A, meanwhile, pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to its limit, glaring at the Konoha Ninja as if warning that anyone who dared to pursue would be killed.
Minato and Shikaku exchanged glances and gave chase, but they did not pursue at full speed. They merely followed at a measured pace, with the other Konoha Ninja trailing behind them.
They pursued all the way to the border of the Land of Rice Fields before Minato and Shikaku finally stopped.
The Konoha Ninja all looked toward Minato and Shikaku.
"The enemy still has enough strength to counterattack. We can't carelessly go deeper," Minato said, unwilling to continue the pursuit.
A and Killer Bee were both still in good condition. Minato believed that pursuing further would be meaningless.
Moreover, their mission had already been accomplished. With fewer Ninja, they had stopped A's flanking maneuver.
Shikaku nodded, showing his approval.
After that, Minato reported the battle results while arranging the task of clearing out the remaining Cloud Ninja in the Land of Fire, then awaited the next orders from Konoha's higher-ups.
"My strength is still a bit lacking. I need to go back and ask Mugetsu about the advanced Breathing Technique," Minato thought as he looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.
Some time ago, Mugetsu had taught him a taijutsu called Basic Breathing, saying that once he could maintain a highly concentrated state at all times, he would be able to learn advanced secret techniques.
Minato had already reached the Constant State realm in the Land of Grass, but he had not had time to find Mugetsu.
This time, after another battle with the AB Combo, he had discovered some of his shortcomings and felt that he should consult Mugetsu about them.
If it were Mugetsu, then the moment he used Flying Thunder God to appear beside Killer Bee, even if Killer Bee used octopus tentacles to defend himself, he still would not have escaped death.
…..
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