"It's really them this time!"
"These two distinct chakra signatures, belonging to two different individuals, are unmistakable. It's the Hidden Cloud's A and Killer B," Shibi Aburame, responsible for reconnaissance, reported in a solemn tone. Although he usually communicated with the group in this manner, the level of gravity this time was significantly higher.
The Minato squad was conducting a routine battlefield inspection patrol between the frontlines of the two nations. Though they were always prepared to engage in small-scale skirmishes, they hadn't expected such a major development to occur so suddenly.
"Numbers, direction, and distance?" Minato rapidly inquired.
"Including the AB Combo, there are six people in total. Direction eleven o'clock, distance ten kilometers, and their approach speed is extremely fast... The enemy is charging straight toward us. It's highly likely they've already detected us at this distance. The enemy squad has an exceptionally skilled sensory ninja," Shibi Aburame continued his report. Although it contained his own speculations, they likely weren't far from the truth.
"What do we do, Minato? evade or fight? The enemy has the numerical advantage," Choza Akimichi asked.
Four against six—the enemy did indeed have more people. Furthermore, anyone capable of operating alongside the AB Combo was no ordinary ninja, much like how only Hagoromo's trio was qualified to be Minato's bodyguards.
Their overall combat strength warranted vigilance.
At this juncture, whether to fight or retreat required decisiveness from the captain. Any hesitation was unacceptable, and such a quality was impossible to lack in someone like Minato.
"We meet them head-on. We cannot allow such a powerful force to get too close to the Konoha frontline," as expected, he issued the command directly.
"Understood!"
The remaining three naturally had no objections.
Thus, two of the most elite squads belonging to two great ninja villages darted through the dense forests of the Land of Rice Paddies like swift arrows. Ten kilometers vanished in the blink of an eye, and they soon encountered each other.
Rapid dash, abrupt halt. Standstill, silence, standoff.
On the Hidden Cloud's side, a ninja in A's squad was the first to break the silence, "A-sama, there's no mistake. The leader is the Yellow Flash."
This was the deterrent power Minato held over ordinary ninjas.
"Is that so? The Yellow Flash... Many years ago, when he was just a kid, he single-handedly thwarted the mission to capture the Uzumaki. And that Uzumaki... Anyway, since we've confirmed it's this squad, we definitely cannot retreat. Because there is another person in his squad who is our priority target for elimination..."
The Yellow Flash held immense strategic value. If he were killed, it would inevitably deal a devastating blow to Konoha's overall morale and could even instantly break the current deadlock in the war.
This 'A' was very similar to the Third Raikage whom Hagoromo had dispatched—not just in appearance, but in temperament and personality. The Third Raikage had dared to face ten thousand Hidden Stone ninjas alone. Now, the future Fourth Raikage, having encountered the Yellow Flash, naturally possessed the resolve to kill him, regardless of the man's reputation.
"Bro, it's the White Yaksha, no doubt," Killer B chimed in from the side. After enduring the fate of being pursued by Hidden Cloud ninjas for so long, Hagoromo was quite easily recognizable based on his unique traits.
At this moment, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki appeared extremely alert. Although he still used his trademark catchphrases out of habit, for once, he uncharacteristically had absolutely no desire to rap.
The pressure Minato exuded didn't stem from his reputation, but from his sheer strength. Any ninja worth their salt could sense this when facing him.
Strength comes first, reputation follows. If a ninja couldn't even grasp this basic fact, they wouldn't even qualify to be instantly killed by him.
"A jutsu identical to the Third Raikage's. Minato-senpai, it is the AB Combo, no doubt."
Hagoromo also confirmed from their side. The technique 'A' was currently using was the exact same Lightning Style Chakra Mode as the Third Raikage's.
'A' definitely harbored some personal vendetta toward Hagoromo, but he wouldn't be blinded by hatred. Personality-wise, he wasn't a narrow-minded person. More importantly, as a ninja of the Hidden Cloud and the soon-to-be Raikage, his status absolutely did not permit the man who assassinated the previous Raikage to continue living.
"So this battle is inevitable. Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally!" Minato declared.
"I'll handle the Yellow Flash. B, you take care of the White Yaksha. Got it? Screwing up is absolutely not allowed this time!" 'A' instructed. He knew his younger brother had a goofy streak, hence the stern reminder.
"Relax, bro. This so-called White Yaksha is just a kid."
"They've completely locked onto the two of us..." Given the current distance between the two sides, Minato naturally heard their conversation loud and clear.
"Choza, Shibi, I'll trouble you two for cover."
Minato and Hagoromo would handle 'A' and Killer B, while Choza and Shibi would deal with the remaining four.
"Hagoromo, you'll be fine against the Eight-Tails, right?" Minato asked.
"Probably... However, Minato-senpai, regarding the opponent's Lightning Style Chakra Mode, ordinary jutsu cannot break through its defense. You must be careful," Hagoromo warned in return.
Hagoromo had mentioned this point a long time ago, but he chose to reiterate it now. Although Konoha possessed such intelligence, Hagoromo—having experienced it firsthand—held far more weight.
The Chidori emphasized penetration and thrusting, making it better at breaking defenses than the Rasengan, which focused on internal destruction. But a certain edgy friend in the future had used his life to conduct a limit-test: when using the Chidori against 'A', he could only pierce the defense enough to graze the skin, unable to cause any meaningful damage.
And back then, 'A's Chakra Mode hadn't even been at full power. Compared to that situation, when 'A' faced Konoha's Yellow Flash, he would naturally output 120% of his potential. Because in a battle of this caliber, any thought or act of holding back was essentially suicide.
The instant they encountered each other, the combat assignments on both sides were finalized. Minato and 'A' were still in a standoff, while Killer B had already stepped up to face Hagoromo.
"Konoha's White Yaksha, let me witness your strength. Hope you don't disappoint," Killer B said. Although he sounded arrogant just a moment ago, he was incredibly cautious.
Simultaneously, he genuinely hoped Hagoromo possessed formidable strength. This wasn't because there was meaning in only killing the strong, but purely because he didn't want the Third Raikage—who had sacrificed himself for the village—to have died at the hands of a nobody.
"Hagoromo. My name is Hagoromo. Try not to use that title 'White Yaksha' with me," Hagoromo said. He had never gotten used to hearing those two words.
"Eight-Tails, during the initial phase of the Third Great Ninja War, the Hidden Cloud invaded the Land of Fire, didn't they?" Regardless of whether the other party would listen—since they had no obligation to—Hagoromo continued anyway.
"Is there any point in bringing that up now?"
There genuinely was no point in bringing it up, but no matter how goofy Killer B was, there was no way he could follow Hagoromo's train of thought.
"There is a point. It proves the war you initiated was an immoral act of aggression..."
"Aggression, aggression, aggression. According to a certain law, aggressors never end well. Besides Squid Girl, no one who engages in aggression has ever escaped this rule."
"Squid Girl?"
Killer B felt inexplicably furious.
Hagoromo, failing to read the room, had inadvertently hit a nerve. The "Squid Girl" Killer B understood was completely different from the "Squid Girl" Hagoromo was referring to.
First, the Eight-Tails had eight tails; exactly eight. It was not a squid. Strictly speaking, it wasn't even an octopus; it more closely resembled an Ushi-Oni (A japanese Yokai). Second, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, was a pure, manly man with absolutely zero "girly" attributes.
In short, Killer B decided to end this meaningless conversation before it derailed any further. He reached back and pulled out his ninja swords, one by one.
Hagoromo had seen Three-Sword Style, and he had seen Six-Sword Style. Now, he was about to witness what Seven-Sword Style looked like.
"This posture... Seven-Sword Style? An acrobatics act?"
"No, it's Eight-Sword Style."
There are clearly only seven swords, yet it's called Eight-Sword Style?
"However, it's a pity. By that metric, you win. I only have one sword."
Hagoromo let his hand hang by his side. Arcs of blue and white electricity flickered across his body as iron sand gathered in his palm.
"B, be careful! There's no chakra fluctuation coming from this guy!" The enemy sensory ninja suddenly shouted a warning.
"A Lightning Style of this level, and there's no chakra?"
B finally experienced a moment of shock. He even diverted his gaze from his opponent, Hagoromo, to look back at their sensory ninja.
The sensory ninja gave him a very firm nod.
"This jutsu is a rather special Lightning Style. Its name is Chidori Current: Phase Two."
Providing the accompaniment and annotation to Hagoromo's words was the high-pitched hum of the iron sand sword.
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