Chapter 570: Battle with the A-B Combo

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

"Motomu, sense the situation around us." The Fourth Raikage suddenly stopped and ordered the sensory ninja beside him.

As a flanking surprise force, the most important thing for them was not to be discovered.

Now their battle plan had reached the final step, and the Fourth Raikage didn't want to fail due to a momentary lapse.

"Yes!" Motomu nodded, closed his eyes, formed hand seals, gathered chakra, and activated the sensory jutsu.

"There's no one nearby... there's a ninja with powerful chakra approaching us."

Motomu was just about to say there were no ninjas nearby when he suddenly sensed a powerful ninja rapidly approaching, and this ninja's chakra felt familiar to Motomu.

"It's Namikaze Minato!" Motomu immediately recalled the name corresponding to that chakra.

He probably could never forget Minato Namikaze, because before, when he and the Fourth Raikage were on a mission, they encountered Minato Namikaze and nearly got killed by him.

"Hmm?" The Fourth Raikage's eyes sharpened.

"So he discovered our plan this quickly?" The Fourth Raikage frowned.

In their expectation, Minato Namikaze should be busy now capturing the guerrilla Kumogakure squad in the northwest.

The Kumogakure ninjas in the team all looked at the Fourth Raikage, waiting for his orders.

"Stop advancing, prepare to fight." The Fourth Raikage thought for a moment and gave the command.

Minato Namikaze is slower than him without using Flying Thunder God, but not every Kumogakure ninja has his speed.

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

Following the Fourth Raikage's order, the Kumogakure ninjas all drew their swords or took out kunai.

After sensing that the Kumogakure ninjas had stopped advancing, Minato Namikaze also slowed his pace, giving his teammates time to catch up.

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

The Fourth Raikage coldly watched Minato Namikaze, Nara Shikaku, and the others walking slowly forward.

The Kumogakure squad in the northwest of the Land of Fire would withdraw from the Land of Fire tonight, and the Kumogakure ninjas captured or killed by Konoha ninjas these days would definitely not outnumber the Konoha ninjas killed by Kumogakure in the northern Land of Fire.

So, if he could keep Minato Namikaze here, then this plan could be considered a success, though not as successful as anticipated.

"We meet again." Minato Namikaze took out two Flying Thunder God kunai from his ninja tool pouch and greeted.

He and the new A-B Combo were old rivals. They had not only encountered each other on the battlefield but also clashed during missions.

However, the outcome of every battle was similar: neither could get the better of the other.

The incredible speed of Flying Thunder God and his innate extraordinary reflexes made Minato Namikaze invincible.

However, in close quarters, the speed of A in Lightning Release Chakra Mode was only slightly less than Flying Thunder God, and he could also use Lightning Release nature transformation to enhance his reflexes. Plus, Killer B wasn't a useless accessory, so Minato Namikaze couldn't do much about the new A-B Combo.

"Maybe there won't be a next time." The Fourth Raikage said coldly, giving Killer B a glance as he spoke.

This was the first time Killer B had gone to the battlefield since becoming the Eight-Tails jinchuriki. Minato Namikaze couldn't have information about Killer B, so they could use this information gap to catch Minato off guard.

Killer B suppressed his urge to rap and nodded slightly in response.

"Then we'll see about that." Minato Namikaze wasn't provoked; he just showed a serious expression.

The A-B Combo had always been the hallmark of Kumogakure. Even the newly formed A-B Combo that hadn't fully matured had to be faced with hundred percent effort.

"The enemy has seventy-two people total, nineteen more than us." Minato Namikaze thought about tactics internally.

Although he and the Fourth Raikage were both exchanging tough words, this was not a one-on-one or one-on-two battle; it was a small-scale battle between elite ninja squads.

And because the situation was urgent, Minato Namikaze had brought fewer ninjas than the Fourth Raikage, who had prepared in advance.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Both sides acted in unison, and a large number of shuriken and kunai were thrown at each other.

However, those standing here were all elite Kumogakure ninjas trusted by the Fourth Raikage and elite Konoha ninjas trusted by Minato Namikaze. Neutralizing ordinary weapon throws was easy for them.

Both sides used their skills to intercept.

Zzt! Zzt!

【】

Crackling!!

The dazzling blue lightning bloomed on the Fourth Raikage's body, and a powerful sense of pressure emerged in the forest.

After entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Fourth Raikage stared intently at Minato Namikaze, who remained motionless, while also keeping an eye on the Flying Thunder God kunai that had been knocked down by a ninjutsu.

This Flying Thunder God kunai was already very close to them. Given Minato Namikaze's speed, if he used Flying Thunder God to come over and then a Body Flicker Technique, he could appear directly beside them.

Minato Namikaze did not use the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport; instead, he used the Body Flicker Technique to move alone to the right side and threw out two more Flying Thunder God kunai.

"Bee!" the Fourth Raikage shouted, and the next moment he turned into lightning and charged toward Minato Namikaze.

Killer B calmly took out two kunai and threw them, precisely hitting Minato Namikaze's kunai and intercepting his Flying Thunder God kunai.

Minato Namikaze appeared at the position of the first Flying Thunder God kunai.

This was also within the Fourth Raikage's expectations; he instantly changed direction and attacked.

Because of the extremely high speed, the others only felt a flash of blue light rush past.

But Akimichi Dōto, who worked in perfect coordination with Minato Namikaze, acted immediately.

"Expansion Jutsu!"

With the support of Yang Release chakra, Akimichi Dōto's body rapidly expanded, instantly becoming a small giant over thirty meters tall, standing between Minato Namikaze and the Fourth Raikage.

The Fourth Raikage continued charging forward without changing expression.

"Lightning Uppercut!"

Facing the giant blocking his way, the Fourth Raikage mercilessly swung his Lightning Release ninja body art hand blade.

Akimichi Dōto also wanted to attack the Fourth Raikage immediately, but his speed was too slow compared to the Fourth Raikage.

The powerful force struck Akimichi Dōto's body, forcefully knocking the over-thirty-meter-tall Akimichi Dōto back repeatedly until he sat down on the ground.

"Rasengan!"

And Minato Namikaze was not idle either; he formed a sphere in each hand, flashed to the front of two Kumogakure ninja, and sent them to meet the Sage of the Six Paths.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar!"

"Lightning Release: Lightning Devour!"

The Kumogakure ninja, having reacted, all attacked Minato Namikaze, but all missed.

Because Minato Namikaze had already teleported via a Flying Thunder God kunai on some opponent to the side of a Konoha ninja.

The Fourth Raikage's expression remained unchanged; he knew that Minato Namikaze had also made considerable progress.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Lightning Release: Gratitude Wave!"

As both commanders unleashed their full power, their respective subordinates also began to engage in fierce combat.

"Shadow Sewing Technique: Black Spider Lily!"

Nara Shikaku, who had not acted until now, suddenly used his shadow secret technique. The shadow beneath him shot out like blooming spider lilies at high speed toward the Kumogakure ninja nearby, controlling six of them all at once.

The Fourth Raikage's speed was too fast; he wasn't confident he could control him with the shadow secret technique, so he targeted some of the more outstanding Kumogakure ninja.

"Ninja Art: Mind Disturbance Dance Technique!"

Yamanaka Inoichi, who had been long-time teammates with Nara Shikaku, followed up in time. Five of the six Kumogakure ninja, with terrified expressions, swung their swords at their companions or even themselves.

"Partial Expansion Technique!"

The elite Kumogakure ninja who had successfully resisted Yamanaka Inoichi's secret technique was still trying to figure out his next move when a giant fist appeared before his eyes.

A burst of blood mist erupted, and the elite Kumogakure ninja was sent flying back at high speed, breaking countless trees before stopping.

Akimichi Chōza released the Yang Release power, and his fist rapidly shrank back to normal size.

"Good thing the Third Hokage arranged the Ino-Shika-Cho to be my deputies this time." Minato Namikaze nodded inwardly as he saw Nara Shikaku and the other two take out nearly ten Kumogakure ninja with one move.

Any single member of the Ino-Shika-Cho cannot compare with prestigious clans like the Hyuga or Uchiha, but when the three are united, they form a power that no Konoha ninja can underestimate.

Bang bang!!

Blue lightning flashed as two Leaf ninja were sent flying by the immense force of the Fourth Raikage. The Fourth Raikage's eyes swept coldly over each Leaf ninja, as if selecting his next target.

Minato Namikaze was too fast for him to catch, but dealing with these Leaf ninja was as easy as killing chickens.

Swish! Swish!

Two kunai were thrown at the Fourth Raikage.

Perhaps Minato Namikaze, with his greater speed, could kill the Cloud ninja faster, but he couldn't just stand by while the Fourth Raikage killed his comrades.

The Fourth Raikage darted and dodged.

Although the kunai couldn't hurt him, Minato Namikaze's Rasengan was still a threat. If Minato marked him with the Flying Thunder God technique, it would be even harder to deal with.

Swish! Swish! Swish!!

Just then, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Chōza Akimichi, acting in perfect sync, each pulled out a Flying Thunder God kunai and threw them from three directions near the Fourth Raikage.

Minato Namikaze had given these to them before departing — first, for emergency teleportation via Flying Thunder God, and second, to help create openings for Minato in battle.

The Fourth Raikage frowned. Fighting Minato Namikaze was troublesome in this regard — he had to watch out not only for Minato's own kunai but also for those thrown by his teammates.

With the immense force of a ninja's throw, the kunai flew at high speed. Without dojutsu, it was impossible to tell whether a fast-moving kunai was a Flying Thunder God kunai or a normal one.

Afraid of being caught off guard, the Fourth Raikage did his best to dodge.

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

One of the kunai thrown at the Fourth Raikage landed near that Cloud ninja. Since it wasn't thrown by Minato Namikaze, he paid it no mind, not realizing it was still a Flying Thunder God kunai.

"Lightning Lariat!"

Seeing this, Killer B took the initiative to attack, ramming into a Leaf ninja and sending him flying. Then, in a strange posture, he simultaneously wielded multiple longswords, cutting down a group of Leaf ninja around him.

Seeming to have gotten carried away without noticing his surroundings, Killer B was slowly approaching a Flying Thunder God kunai stuck in the ground.

The Fourth Raikage wanted to call out a warning but, thinking of something, silently began to gather chakra.

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

When an enemy shows an opening, Minato Namikaze naturally wouldn't miss the chance. If he could take down Bee, one half of the A-B Combo, the Cloud side might calm down a bit.

Just as Minato Namikaze's Rasengan was about to strike, a terrifying tailed beast chakra erupted from Killer B's body. Massive octopus tentacles appeared behind Killer B, enveloping him.

At that moment, the Fourth Raikage transformed into a bolt of lightning and charged at Minato Namikaze.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

Dōdo Akimichi swung a giant fist at the Fourth Raikage.

"Get lost!"

The Fourth Raikage impatiently threw a lightning-infused punch. The terrifying force not only sent Dōdo Akimichi flying again but also left a scorched mark on his fist.

But that instant was enough for Minato Namikaze, after finishing his Rasengan, to use the Flying Thunder God again and escape.

"So he's become the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, and can already use the tailed beast's power." Minato Namikaze looked in surprise at Killer B, who was wrapped in thick octopus tentacles.

If Killer B hadn't erupted with tailed beast chakra just now, that Rasengan would have most likely killed him outright, or at least left him severely injured.

Just as Minato Namikaze was gathering chakra to launch his next attack, the octopus tentacles on Killer B suddenly severed, thrown far away by Killer B himself. At the same time, Killer B distanced himself from the Flying Thunder God kunai.

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

"Big brother, sorry. I revealed information but got no results." Killer B approached the Fourth Raikage.

"As long as you're okay. The Yellow Flash isn't so easy to deal with." The Fourth Raikage shook his head.

Through observation during the battle, he noticed that Minato Namikaze's taijutsu had improved considerably, with faster movements.

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

"Retreat towards the Land of Asuka!" the Fourth Raikage shouted without hesitation.

Currently, both the battle between him and Minato Namikaze and those between their subordinates were evenly matched. The outcome of continuing the fight was uncertain.

But this was the Land of Fire, not the Land of Lightning. If they kept fighting with such intensity, they would eventually attract other Leaf ninja.

Killer B once again erupted with tailed beast chakra, extending multiple huge octopus tentacles to help the Cloud ninja break free.

The Fourth Raikage pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the limit, glaring at the Konoha shinobi as if to say anyone who dared to pursue would be killed.

Minato Namikaze and Shikaku Nara exchanged glances and gave chase, but they did not pursue at full speed, instead hanging back unhurriedly while the other Konoha shinobi followed.

They didn't stop until they reached the border of the Land of Rivers.

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

"The enemy still has the strength to counterattack. We shouldn't advance recklessly." Minato Namikaze did not want to continue the pursuit.

Both the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee were in good condition; Minato Namikaze saw no point in chasing further.

Moreover, their mission was already complete—they had stopped the Fourth Raikage's flanking maneuver with fewer shinobi.

Shikaku Nara nodded with an expression of approval.

Then Minato Namikaze reported the results of the battle while arranging for the elimination of Cloud ninja in the Land of Fire, waiting for the next orders from Konoha's higher-ups.

"My strength is still a bit lacking. When I get back, I need to ask Muyue about the advanced breathing method." At night, Minato Namikaze looked up at the bright moon in the sky and thought.

Some time ago, Muyue taught him a taijutsu called "Basic Breathing," saying that once he could maintain a state of high concentration at all times, he could learn the advanced secret technique.

In the Land of Grass, Minato Namikaze had already reached the state of constant concentration, but he hadn't had time to find Muyue.

After this battle with the AB Combo, he noticed some shortcomings and felt he could consult Muyue about them.

If it were Muyue, the moment he used Flying Thunder God to appear beside Killer Bee, even if Killer Bee blocked with his octopus tentacles, he would still be unable to escape death. (Love Fuzhu ifzzw)(:)