https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-270-The-Feasibility-of-Going-Home-Minato-s-Assessment/12558307/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-272-The-Second-Time-Raikage-Got-the-Short-End-of-the-Stick/12558313/
Chapter 271: The Yellow Flash and the AB Combo
Chapter 271: The Yellow Flash and the AB Combo
Even after leaving the Land of Fire, Obito and his team had not encountered a single battle. However, Obito remained vigilant, knowing from past experiences that they were more likely to encounter enemies in foreign lands.
Kakashi, while believing that the chances of encountering enemies were slim, remained cautious as well. After all, with four consecutive unexpected incidents, he wasn't feeling very confident himself.
Unlike the ninjas, Quan Zongshu, feeling secure due to the peaceful journey so far, began to relax and become more talkative.
"If you're planning on sightseeing in the Land of Hot Water, I highly recommend trying out our country's natural hot springs. They're very soothing. For attractions, I suggest a visit to Rose Street. Every household on that street cultivates roses, and when they're in full bloom, the gentle breeze carries beautiful petals dancing in the air—it's truly romantic."
"A whole street filled with roses—that does sound romantic," imagined Hinata, her eyes sparkling at the thought of countless red rose petals fluttering in the wind.
Noticing Hinata's expression, Obito, who had been keeping a close eye on her out of concern for her well-being, quietly made a mental note of the attraction's name, intending to bring Hinata there if the opportunity arose.
"Hold up, we've got company," Minato announced as he extended his senses, detecting multiple chakra signatures nearby, one of which was exceptionally powerful. He quickly alerted Kakashi and the others to their presence.
"There are quite a few ninjas in the vicinity, but it seems like a coincidence. Let's lay low for now," Minato suggested after a moment's thought.
During a mission, their priority was to ensure the safety of their client, and there was no need to engage in unnecessary battles.
If Minato were alone, he might have considered investigating further to identify the ninjas' village and assess any potential threat to Konoha. However, with three inexperienced students in his care, he wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications.
Obito, unsure of the reason for their concealment, nonetheless obeyed without question and took refuge in a tree with Hinata.
Minato continued to monitor the ninjas' chakra signatures, but soon noticed something peculiar. The ninjas, who had initially been on a different route, suddenly changed course and accelerated toward their location.
"Things just got complicated. They have a sensory ninja among them," Minato immediately realized the reason for their change in behavior.
While he could sense their presence, Minato lacked the ability to conceal his own chakra signature, leaving him vulnerable to detection by their sensory ninja.
"Kakashi, take this," Minato handed over the Flying Thunder God Kunai to Kakashi. During the bell test, Kakashi had demonstrated the most impressive performance, and thus, Minato placed his trust in him at this moment.
"You three, protect the client and refrain from acting recklessly. I'll handle the enemies," Minato instructed with a serious expression.
He could sense the powerful chakra emanating from one of the ninjas, indicating that they were dealing with a formidable foe.
"So, it's the ninja from the Leaf, huh? That's convenient," the Fourth Raikage, having arrived at the designated location, acknowledged Minato's presence upon spotting the forehead protector he wore.
"Those idiots from the Rock Village are useless. They lost both Jinchurikis to the Leaf. We're stepping up our game, Cloud Village. Let's teach the Leaf a lesson," the Fourth Raikage declared, intending to intensify their efforts against Konoha.
"Be careful, Leader. That one's chakra is no joke, and I believe he's the one the Rock Village calls the Yellow Flash—Minato Namikaze. Rumor has it he's incredibly fast," Motomu, the sensory ninja, provided intel on Minato.
In addition to his sensory abilities, Motomu also excelled at gathering information on ninjas. The name "Minato Namikaze" and his connection to the Yellow Flash were details he had acquired recently during the conflicts between Konoha and the Rock Village.
"Fast, you say? Let's see if he can outspeed me," the Fourth Raikage remarked nonchalantly, confident that his speed, which had surpassed that of his father, the Third Raikage, would be more than enough to handle the so-called Yellow Flash.
In the Fourth Raikage's opinion, he was the second fastest ninja in the world, second only to the one from the Mist Village disguised as a Sand Village ninja.
"Isn't that..." Obito, recognizing the Fourth Raikage and Killer B, recalled the formidable foes they had once faced, including the Cloud Village's candidate for the next Raikage, and his expression shifted.
"Obito," Kakashi called out, using eye contact to convey the unspoken message—the mission with Mu Yue where they had encountered the candidate Raikage was classified, and they were only supposed to report having faced the Cloud Village's jonin who had been killed.
Obito immediately fell silent, recalling Mu Yue's repeated instructions to keep the encounter with the candidate Raikage confidential.
"Looks like we've got our hands full with the Cloud Village's new AB combo," Minato frowned, recognizing the formidable opponents before them.
Compared to Minato, the Fourth Raikage and Killer B had gained notoriety earlier, having already built their reputation by defeating the renowned elder jonin from the Sand Village.
Although Hinata was the only one present who wasn't aware of the Fourth Raikage's capabilities, the tense atmosphere made it clear that they were facing a formidable adversary. She remained vigilant, her eyes fixed on the enemies in the distance.
"I hear you're quite swift, but I doubt you can match my speed. Care to find out?" the Fourth Raikage challenged, his body enveloped in a dazzling blue lightning as he entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, resembling a warrior clad in lightning armor.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Minato hurled three Flying Thunder God Kunai, two of which embedded themselves in the trees to his sides, while the third sped toward the Cloud Village ninjas.
"What kind of aim is that? You've got three shuriken, and they're all askew," scoffed one of the Cloud Village ninjas, doubting the prowess of the Yellow Flash, as weapon throwing was a basic ninja skill.
"I'm not interested in competing over who's faster. But let me give you a friendly advice—scram while you can. I don't want to waste my energy outside of my mission," Minato replied, his expression unwavering and fearless.
Although the AB combo had a formidable reputation, Minato was confident in his abilities. His primary concern, however, was the safety of Obito and his team, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire.
"Even without a mission, how can we just leave when we see our enemies?" With that, the Fourth Raikage unleashed his full power and charged forward.
He activated a massive amount of chakra, enhancing his physical capabilities, including his nerves, resulting in improved reaction speed.
To everyone's eyes, the Fourth Raikage's body vanished, leaving only a blue radiance rushing towards Minato.
"I won't bet with Kakashi next time. This is too dangerous," Obito muttered, feeling regretful for goading Kakashi into saying those words as he sensed the terrifying aura rushing towards them.
If Mu Yue were here, Obito wouldn't have panicked. He might have even joked with Kakashi, for he trusted that Mu Yue could gain the upper hand against the Fourth Raikage and lead them to a successful retreat.
But without Mu Yue, Obito wasn't so sure about Minato's capabilities. He knew Minato was strong, but he had no idea just how strong.
Kakashi, on the other hand, felt speechless. This was the fifth unexpected incident in a row, and now they were facing a formidable opponent like the candidate for the next Raikage. He felt like he had encountered more unforeseen events in these few months than others might in a lifetime.
Facing the Fourth Raikage's rapid charge, Minato remained calm. He possessed exceptional reaction speed and perception.
Before the Fourth Raikage launched his attack, Minato couldn't be sure if he could react in time. But once the Raikage made his move, Minato knew he could handle it.
As the Fourth Raikage rushed forward, Minato threw another Flying Thunder God Kunai. This time, he didn't put much force behind it; he merely tossed it casually upward.
"Staying put, huh? Let's see if you can withstand my Lightning Body Rush," the Fourth Raikage said, already envisioning his attack slicing Minato's body in half.
The next moment, something unexpected happened.
Whoosh!
Minato used the Flying Thunder God technique to appear on a tree beside him.
The Fourth Raikage's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Minato's figure flicker before vanishing from his sight, moving at a speed he couldn't comprehend and dodging his assault.
The Fourth Raikage's expression turned to utter bewilderment. He couldn't fathom how Minato had disappeared so suddenly and evaded his charge. His mind was filled with questions.
But what happened next only added to his confusion. The vanished Minato suddenly reappeared above him, catching the thrown Flying Thunder God Kunai and infusing it with a burst of chakra, turning it into a deadly projectile aimed at the Fourth Raikage.
The Fourth Raikage noticed Minato's attack, but it was too sudden and swift. Even if he reacted, he wouldn't have been able to dodge or block it.
At this critical juncture, Minato sensed a powerful lightning-infused blade slicing towards him, forcing him to abandon his attack and use the Flying Thunder God technique once more to return to the tree.
"Brother, that guy can use the kunai to move through space," Killer B quickly informed the Fourth Raikage of his discovery.
When he saw Minato suddenly appear on the tree, dodging the Fourth Raikage's charge, he had a hunch and immediately shot a lightning blade towards the spot above the Fourth Raikage.
At first, it was just a guess, but when Minato moved for the third time, always appearing near the kunai, Killer B's suspicion was confirmed.
"Bee, you did well this time," the Fourth Raikage praised, swiftly returning to the Cloud Village team's side and scanning the surroundings to memorize the locations of all the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
With his speed, covering that short distance was instantaneous. All he needed to do now was force Minato to use the Flying Thunder God technique again.
As if reading the Fourth Raikage's mind, Minato threw three more Flying Thunder God Kunai, increasing the number of spots he could teleport to.
Recognizing Minato's prowess, the Fourth Raikage's subordinates decided not to interfere and instead engaged the other Leaf Village ninjas.
Motomu, accompanied by three Cloud Village ninjas, rushed towards Obito's team.
Previously, Mu Yue had instructed Obito's team to use transformation techniques to conceal their identities, so Motomu couldn't recognize Kakashi and Obito. Nonetheless, he was determined to take them down to distract Minato.
"It seems like an elite jonin and three mid-level jonin. That's beyond their capability to handle," Minato assessed as he sensed the chakra of the Cloud Village ninjas rushing towards Obito's team, preparing to find an opportunity to intervene.
With Obito's team's strength, they could handle one elite jonin at most. Adding three mid-level jonin to the mix would be too much for them.
(End of Chapter)
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