Chapter 625: Battle with AB Team

In a forest near the Land of Fire border, a team of about seventy Ninja was steadily advancing.

“Motomu, sense the surroundings,” Fourth Raikage Ay suddenly stopped and ordered the sensory Ninja beside him.

As a surprise troop meant to flank the enemy, their most important task was to avoid detection.

Now that their battle plan had reached its final stage, Fourth Raikage Ay didn’t want to fail due to a moment of carelessness.

“Yes!” Motomu nodded, closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and condensed his Chakra to activate his sensory Ninjutsu.

“There’s nothing nearby… wait, a powerful Chakra is approaching us.”

Motomu was about to say there were no Ninja nearby when he suddenly sensed a powerful Ninja rapidly approaching, and the Ninja’s Chakra felt familiar to Motomu.

“It’s Minato Namikaze!” Motomu immediately recalled the name corresponding to this Chakra.

He would probably never forget Minato Namikaze, because he almost got killed by Minato Namikaze when he and Fourth Raikage Ay were on a mission and encountered Minato Namikaze.

“Hmm?” Fourth Raikage Ay’s eyes sharpened.

“Did he discover our plan so quickly?” Fourth Raikage Ay frowned.

In their estimation, Minato Namikaze should be busy catching the Kumogakure guerrilla squads in the northwest.

The Cloud Ninja in the team all looked at Fourth Raikage Ay, awaiting his command.

“Stop advancing, prepare for battle,” Fourth Raikage Ay thought for a moment and gave the order.

Minato Namikaze was not as fast as him without using Flying Thunder God Technique, but not every Cloud Ninja had his speed.

No matter how unwilling Fourth Raikage Ay was, he knew one thing: the moment Motomu sensed Minato Namikaze, their sneak attack plan had failed.

As Fourth Raikage Ay gave the command, the Cloud Ninja drew their swords or took out their Kunai.

And after sensing that Kumogakure was no longer advancing, Minato Namikaze also slowed his pace, giving his teammates time to catch up.

Because of his speed and sensory ability, Minato Namikaze was always running at the very front.

Fourth Raikage Ay coldly watched Minato Namikaze and Nara Shikaku and others slowly approach.

The Kumogakure squad in the northwest of the Land of Fire would withdraw from the Land of Fire tonight, and the Cloud Ninja captured or killed by Konoha Ninja these days would definitely not be more than the Konoha Ninja killed by Kumogakure in the northern Land of Fire.

Therefore, if he could keep Minato Namikaze here, then this plan would also be considered a success, just not as successful as anticipated.

“We meet again,” Minato Namikaze took out two Flying Thunder God Kunai from his Ninja tool pouch and greeted him.

He and the New AB Combo were old rivals; they had not only met on the battlefield but also competed during missions.

However, the result of each battle was very similar: neither could do anything to the other.

Flying Thunder God’s divine speed and natural superhuman reactions made Minato Namikaze invincible.

However, Ay in Lightning Release Chakra Mode was only slightly slower than Flying Thunder God at close range, and he could also enhance his reaction nerves through Lightning Release Nature Transformation, plus Killer Bee was not a useless accessory, so Minato Namikaze also had no way to deal with the New AB Combo.

“Perhaps there won’t be a next time,” Fourth Raikage Ay said coldly, giving Killer Bee a look as he spoke.

This was Killer Bee’s first time on the battlefield after becoming the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki; Minato Namikaze couldn’t possibly have information on Killer Bee, so they could use this information gap to catch Minato Namikaze off guard.

Killer Bee suppressed the urge to rap and nodded slightly in response.

“Then let’s wait and see,” Minato Namikaze was not provoked, only showing a serious expression.

The AB Combo had always been Kumogakure’s signature, and even the nascent New AB Combo, which hadn’t fully matured yet, had to be dealt with using 100% of his strength.

“The enemy has a total of seventy-two people, which is nineteen more Ninja than us,” Minato Namikaze thought about tactics internally.

Although he and Fourth Raikage Ay were both speaking harshly, this was not a one-on-one or one-on-two battle; it was a small skirmish between elite Ninja teams.

And Minato Namikaze, due to the urgency of the situation, did not bring as many Ninja as the well-prepared Fourth Raikage Ay.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Both sides moved in perfect sync, and large numbers of Shuriken and Kunai were shot at each other.

However, those standing here were the Kumogakure elites trusted by Fourth Raikage Ay and the Konoha elites trusted by Minato Namikaze; neutralizing ordinary Ninja tool throws was a piece of cake for them.

Both sides displayed their unique abilities to intercept.

Buzz, buzz!

Crackling!

Shining blue lightning erupted around Fourth Raikage Ay, and a powerful oppressive aura appeared in the forest.

After entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Fourth Raikage Ay stared intently at the unmoving Minato Namikaze, while also keeping an eye on the Flying Thunder God Kunai that had been knocked down by Ninjutsu.

This Flying Thunder God Kunai was already very close to them; at Minato Namikaze’s speed, using Flying Thunder God to arrive and then a Body Flicker Technique, he could appear directly beside them.

Whoosh!

Minato Namikaze did not use Flying Thunder God Technique to transfer, but instead used Body Flicker Technique to move by himself to the right side, and then threw out two more Flying Thunder God Kunai.

“Bee!” Fourth Raikage Ay shouted, and the next moment he transformed into lightning and charged towards Minato Namikaze.

Killer Bee calmly took out two Kunai and threw them, accurately hitting Minato Namikaze’s Kunai and intercepting Minato Namikaze’s Flying Thunder God Kunai.

Whoosh!

Minato Namikaze appeared at the location of the first Flying Thunder God Kunai.

And this was within Fourth Raikage Ay’s expectations; he instantly changed direction and attacked.

Due to their extreme speed, others only felt a blue light rush past.

But Akimichi Dōton, who had perfect coordination with Minato Namikaze, immediately made his move.

“Partial Expansion Jutsu!”

With the enhancement of Yang Release Chakra, Akimichi Dōton’s body rapidly expanded, instantly turning into a thirty-meter-tall small giant, blocking the path between Minato Namikaze and Fourth Raikage Ay.

Fourth Raikage Ay’s expression remained unchanged as he continued to charge forward.

“Lightning Style Kill!”

Facing the giant blocking his path, Fourth Raikage Ay mercilessly swung his Lightning Release Ninja Body Technique hand chop.

And Akimichi Dōton also wanted to attack Fourth Raikage Ay immediately, but his speed was too slow compared to Fourth Raikage Ay.

Bang!

A powerful force struck Akimichi Dōton’s body, knocking the thirty-meter-tall Akimichi Dōton back repeatedly until he sat on the ground.

“Rasengan!”

Minato Namikaze was not idle either; he rubbed a Rasengan in each hand, 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 reacting Cloud Ninja attacked Minato Namikaze one after another, but all of them missed.

Because Minato Namikaze had already teleported next to a Konoha Ninja through a Flying Thunder God Kunai on one of his opponents.

Fourth Raikage Ay’s expression remained unchanged, knowing that Minato Namikaze had also made significant progress.

“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”

“Lightning Release: Grateful Wave!”

As both commanders went all out, their respective subordinates also began to fight fiercely.

“Shadow Sewing Technique: Black Spider Lily!”

Nara Shikaku, who had not made a move, suddenly activated his Shadow Secret Jutsu; the shadow beneath him, like a blooming spider lily, rapidly shot towards the Cloud Ninja near him, controlling six Cloud Ninja in one go.

Fourth Raikage Ay’s speed was too fast, and he wasn’t confident in controlling him with the Shadow Secret Jutsu, so he focused on some of the better performing Cloud Ninja.

“Ninja Art: Mind Disturbance Dance Technique!”

Inoichi Yamanaka, who had long teamed up with Nara Shikaku, timely followed up, and five of the six Cloud Ninja swung their blades at their comrades or even themselves with horrified expressions.

“Partial Expansion Jutsu!”

The elite Cloud Ninja who successfully resisted Inoichi Yamanaka’s secret jutsu was still trying to figure out his next move 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, breaking an unknown number of large trees before stopping.

Akimichi Choza retracted his Yang Release power, and his fist quickly shrunk back to normal size.

“It’s a good thing Sandaime arranged for Ino–Shika–Chō to be my deputies this time,” Minato Namikaze nodded inwardly, seeing Nara Shikaku and the other two resolve nearly ten Cloud Ninja with their first move.

Any single family of Ino–Shika–Chō could not be compared to noble clans like Hyuga or Uchiha, but when the three families combined, they formed a force that no Konoha Ninja could underestimate.

Bang, bang!

Blue electric light flashed, and two Konoha Ninja were sent flying by Fourth Raikage Ay’s immense force; Fourth Raikage Ay’s eyes coldly swept over every Konoha Ninja, as if selecting his next target.

He couldn’t catch Minato Namikaze, but killing these Konoha Ninja was as easy as slaughtering chickens.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two Kunai shot towards Fourth Raikage Ay.

Perhaps the faster Minato Namikaze could defeat the Cloud Ninja more quickly, but he couldn’t stand by and watch Fourth Raikage Ay kill his comrades.

Whoosh!

Fourth Raikage Ay dashed and dodged.

Although Kunai couldn’t harm him, Minato Namikaze’s Rasengan still posed a threat to him, and if Minato Namikaze managed to place a Flying Thunder God Mark on him, it would be even more difficult to deal with.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Just then, Nara Shikaku, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Akimichi Choza, in perfect coordination, each took out a Flying Thunder God Kunai and shot them from three directions towards Fourth Raikage Ay’s vicinity.

These were given to them by Minato Namikaze before they set off: first, for emergency situations to directly use Flying Thunder God for transfer, and second, to help Minato Namikaze create opportunities in battle.

Fourth Raikage Ay frowned; fighting Minato Namikaze was troublesome in this regard—he not only had to guard against Minato Namikaze’s Kunai but also against the Kunai thrown by his teammates.

Under the powerful force of a Ninja, Kunai fly very fast, and without an Eye Technique, it’s impossible to distinguish whether a high-speed Kunai is a Flying Thunder God Kunai or an ordinary Kunai.

Worried about being caught off guard, Fourth Raikage Ay dodged with all his might.

Whoosh!

Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared beside a Cloud Ninja and ended his life with a Rasengan.

One of the Kunai shot towards Fourth Raikage Ay landed next to this Cloud Ninja. Since it wasn’t a Kunai thrown by Minato Namikaze, he didn’t pay attention, not realizing that it was still a Flying Thunder God Kunai.

“Lariat!”

Killer Bee, seeing the situation, took the initiative to attack, charging at a Konoha Ninja, sending him flying, and then, in a strange posture, simultaneously controlled multiple long swords, cutting down a group of surrounding Konoha Ninja.

It seemed he was so engrossed in fighting that he didn’t notice his surroundings; Killer Bee was slowly approaching a Flying Thunder God Kunai stuck in the ground.

Fourth Raikage Ay had originally wanted to warn him, but thought of something and merely condensed Chakra silently.

Whoosh!

Minato Namikaze, holding a Rasengan, suddenly appeared behind Killer Bee.

When an enemy reveals a weakness, Minato Namikaze naturally has no reason not to attack. If he could take down Bee, one of the AB Combo, Kumogakure might quiet down a bit.

Just as Minato Namikaze’s Rasengan was about to strike, terrifying Tailed Beast Chakra erupted from Killer Bee’s body, and thick octopus tails appeared behind Killer Bee, enveloping him.

At this moment, Fourth Raikage Ay transformed into a lightning bolt and attacked Minato Namikaze.

“Partial Expansion Jutsu!”

Akimichi Dōton swung a giant fist at Fourth Raikage Ay.

“Get lost!”

Fourth Raikage Ay impatiently swung his lightning fist; the terrifying power not only sent Akimichi Dōton flying again but also left a scorched mark on Akimichi Dōton’s fist.

But it was this split second that allowed Minato Namikaze, having finished his Rasengan, to 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 Namikaze looked at Killer Bee, who was enveloped by thick octopus tentacles, with surprise.

If Killer Bee hadn’t erupted with Tailed Beast Chakra just now, that Rasengan would have likely killed Killer Bee instantly, or at least left him severely wounded but alive.

Just as Minato Namikaze was condensing Chakra to prepare for the next wave of attack, the octopus tentacles on Killer Bee’s body suddenly broke off, thrown far away by Killer Bee, and at the same time, Killer Bee also distanced himself from the Flying Thunder God Kunai.

Even as an enemy, Minato Namikaze couldn’t help but admire Killer Bee’s calmness and decisiveness.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I exposed information but didn’t achieve any results,” Killer Bee said as he approached Fourth Raikage Ay.

“It’s good that you’re okay. The Yellow Flash isn’t that easy to deal with,” Fourth Raikage Ay shook his head.

Through his observations during the battle, he found that Minato Namikaze’s taijutsu had improved significantly, and his movements were faster.

Minato Namikaze seemed to have made even greater progress than them.

“Retreat towards the Land of Rice Fields!” Fourth Raikage Ay shouted without hesitation.

Currently, both his battle with Minato Namikaze and the battle between their subordinates were evenly matched; continuing the fight would lead to an unknown outcome.

But this was the Land of Fire, not the Land of Lightning; if they continued fighting with such a large commotion, it would eventually attract other Konoha Ninja.

Killer Bee once again erupted with Tailed Beast Chakra, extending multiple giant octopus tentacles to help the Cloud Ninja escape.

Fourth Raikage Ay, on the other hand, pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the limit, glaring at the Konoha Ninja, as if saying that anyone who dared to pursue would be killed.

Minato Namikaze and Nara Shikaku exchanged glances and pursued, but they didn’t chase at full speed, merely hanging back unhurriedly, with the other Konoha Ninja following suit.

They pursued all the way to the border of the Land of Rice Fields before Minato Namikaze and Nara Shikaku finally stopped.

The Konoha Ninja all looked at Minato Namikaze and Nara Shikaku.

“The enemy still has the strength to counterattack; we cannot easily go deeper,” Minato Namikaze did not want to continue the pursuit.

Fourth Raikage Ay and Killer Bee were both in good condition, and Minato Namikaze believed that pursuing them further would be meaningless.

Moreover, their mission had been accomplished; they had used fewer Ninja to stop Fourth Raikage Ay’s flanking maneuver.

Nara Shikaku nodded, showing an expression of approval.

Then, Minato Namikaze reported the battle results, while arranging the task of clearing out the Cloud Ninja in the Land of Fire, awaiting the next arrangements from the Konoha higher-ups.

“My strength is still a bit lacking. I need to go back and ask Muzuki about advanced Breathing Technique,” Minato Namikaze thought as he looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

Some time ago, Muzuki taught him a taijutsu called Basic Breathing, saying that once he could maintain a highly focused state at all times, he could learn advanced secret techniques.

Minato Namikaze had already reached the Constant State realm in the Land of Grass, but he didn’t have time to find Muzuki.

This time, he had another battle with the AB Combo, discovered some shortcomings, and felt that he could consult Muzuki about it.

If it were Muzuki, the moment he used Flying Thunder God to appear next to Killer Bee, even if Killer Bee used octopus tentacles to defend, he would still be unable to escape death.