"They're really here!"
"These two chakra signatures clearly belong to different individuals. There's no mistake—it's Kumogakure's A and Killer B."
Aburame Shibi, who was in charge of reconnaissance, delivered his report in an unusually solemn tone. He was always serious, but this time the gravity was unmistakable.
Minato's team had been carrying out a routine battlefield inspection mission between the two national front lines. They were prepared for small-scale skirmishes—but no one expected such a sudden development.
"Numbers, direction, distance?" Minato asked immediately.
"Six in total, including the A–B Combination. Bearing eleven o'clock, distance ten kilometers. They're moving extremely fast—straight toward us. At this range, they've probably already detected us. Their team includes an exceptionally capable sensor ninja."
Some of this was Shibi's judgment, but it was unlikely to be far from the truth.
"What do we do, Minato?" Akimichi Chōza asked. "Evade or engage? They outnumber us."
Four versus six.
And anyone capable of operating alongside the A–B Combination—just as Hagoromo and the others were qualified to guard Minato—was certainly no ordinary shinobi.
Their overall combat strength demanded caution.
At moments like this, hesitation was unacceptable. The captain had to decide instantly.
And decisiveness was something Minato never lacked.
"We advance and intercept them," Minato said without pause.
"We can't allow that level of force to get any closer to Konoha's lines."
"Understood!"
The other three responded at once.
Thus, two elite squads from the shinobi world's greatest villages surged forward like arrows through the dense forests of the Land of Rice Fields. Ten kilometers vanished in moments.
They met.
Rapid movement.
Sudden halt.
Silence.
Stillness.
A tense standoff.
"Blond hair. That squad formation… there's no mistake. It's Konoha's Yellow Flash," one of Kumogakure's shinobi said, breaking the silence.
"A, we chose the wrong target. We should withdraw for now."
Such was Minato's deterrent power over ordinary shinobi.
"Is that so? The Yellow Flash…" A replied calmly.
"Years ago, when he was still just a brat, he single-handedly thwarted a mission to seize an Uzumaki. And that Uzumaki…"
He paused briefly.
"In any case, since we've confirmed it's this squad, retreating is even less acceptable. There's another person here who must be eliminated first."
Killing the Yellow Flash would deal a devastating blow to Konoha's morale—and might even shatter the current stalemate of the war.
This A was strikingly similar to the Third Raikage Hagoromo had killed—not just in appearance, but in temperament.
The Third Raikage had once faced ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi alone.
Likewise, the future Fourth Raikage had no intention of retreating simply because of Minato's reputation.
If he encountered him—
He would come prepared to kill.
"Big brother, it's the White Yaksha, no doubt," Killer B said from the side.
After so long being hunted by Kumogakure, Hagoromo had become easy to recognize.
The Eight-Tails' jinchūriki looked unusually alert. Though his speech still carried traces of his trademark style, he had none of his usual urge to rap.
Minato's pressure didn't come from fame—
It came from strength.
Any shinobi with real ability could feel that immediately.
Strength first.
Reputation second.
Anyone who couldn't grasp that didn't even qualify to be instantly killed.
"That's the same technique as the Third Raikage's," Hagoromo said quietly.
"Minato-senpai, it really is the A–B Combination."
A was currently using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, identical to the Third Raikage's.
As for A's feelings toward Hagoromo—there was personal hatred there, yes.
But it didn't blind him.
As a shinobi of Kumogakure—and a man destined to become Raikage—he could not allow the assassin of the previous Raikage to live.
"So this fight is unavoidable," A declared.
"Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
"The Yellow Flash is mine," he continued.
"B, you take the White Yaksha. No mistakes this time."
He said this because he knew his brother well—Killer B could be careless when he got playful.
"Relax, big bro. That so-called White Yaksha is just a kid."
"They've completely locked onto the two of us," Minato said calmly. He could hear every word at this distance.
"Chōza, Shibi—cover us."
Minato and Hagoromo would face A and Killer B.
The remaining four enemies would be handled by Akimichi Chōza and Aburame Shibi.
"Hagoromo," Minato asked, "the Eight-Tails—can you handle it?"
"Probably," Hagoromo replied.
"But Minato-senpai, ordinary techniques won't break through their Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Be careful."
He was speaking from experience.
Konoha already had this intelligence—but Hagoromo's firsthand knowledge carried more weight.
Lightning Cutter emphasized piercing power and was superior to the Rasengan in terms of penetration.
Yet someone had once tested it with their life—
Against A, Lightning Cutter could barely breach the skin, causing no meaningful damage.
And that had been when A wasn't even at full output.
Facing the Yellow Flash now, A would undoubtedly fight at one hundred and twenty percent.
At this level of combat, holding back was equivalent to suicide.
The moment they met, battle assignments were already settled.
Minato and A remained locked in a silent standoff.
Killer B stepped forward—
Stopping directly in front of Hagoromo.
"Konoha's White Yaksha," B said.
"Let me see your strength. Don't disappoint me."
Though his words sounded dismissive, his attitude was extremely cautious.
More than anything, he genuinely hoped Hagoromo was strong.
Not because strong opponents were more satisfying to kill—
But because he didn't want the Third Raikage's sacrifice to have been for nothing.
"My name is Hagoromo," he replied calmly.
"Please stop calling me the White Yaksha."
Then, regardless of whether B cared to listen, he continued:
"Eight-Tails—during the Third Shinobi World War, Kumogakure was the first to invade the Land of Fire, wasn't it?"
"What's the point of bringing that up now?" B asked.
Even for Killer B, this line of thought was hard to follow.
"It matters," Hagoromo said.
"Because it proves that your war was an immoral act of aggression."
"Invasion, invasion, invasion," he went on.
"According to a certain rule, aggressors never meet a good end. Aside from Squid Girl, no one escapes that fate."
"Squid… girl?"
Killer B was suddenly irritated.
This was a tragic misunderstanding.
The "Squid Girl" Hagoromo was referring to and the "squid" Killer B imagined were very different things.
First—
The Eight-Tails had eight tails. Only eight.
It wasn't a squid. Strictly speaking, it wasn't even an octopus.
It was closer to a gyūki.
Second—
Killer B was a manly man. There was nothing "girlish" about him.
In short, Killer B decided this nonsense had gone far enough.
He reached behind his back and began drawing out his swords—one by one.
Hagoromo had seen three-sword style.
He had seen six-sword style.
Now—
He was about to see seven-sword style.
"That stance… Seven swords? Juggling?"
"No," Killer B corrected.
"Eight-Sword Style."
Seven swords, yet eight-sword style?
Was this like a certain male primate's "third leg"?
"Well, in that case, you win," Hagoromo said dryly.
"I only have one sword."
He lowered his hand.
Blue-white lightning crackled across his body.
Iron sand gathered in his grasp.
"B, be careful!" one of Kumogakure's sensor ninja suddenly shouted.
"This guy has no detectable chakra fluctuations!"
"This level of Lightning Release… without chakra?"
Even Killer B was startled.
He actually took his eyes off Hagoromo and looked back at the sensor.
The sensor nodded firmly.
"This is a special form of Lightning Release," Hagoromo said calmly.
"It's called Chidori Stream: Second Stage."
The hum of the iron-sand sword answered for him.
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