https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-626-Mu-Yue-the-Second-Mokuton-Ninja-/12558916/
Chapter 625: The Battle with the AB Combo
Chapter 625: The Battle with the AB Combo
In the forests near the Fire Country's border, a group of about seventy ninjas was steadily advancing.
"Mortem, sense the situation nearby," the Fourth Aye suddenly stopped and ordered the perception ninja beside him.
As a surprise attack squad, their top priority was to remain undetected.
Their operation had reached its final stage, and the Fourth Aye couldn't afford to fail now due to negligence.
"Yes!" Mortem nodded, closed his eyes, formed hand seals, and channeled his chakra to perform a perception jutsu.
"There's no one nearby... but there's a powerful chakra signature approaching us."
Mortem was just about to report that there were no ninjas nearby when he suddenly sensed a strong ninja closing in at great speed. Moreover, this ninja's chakra felt familiar to Mortem.
"It's Minato Namikaze!" Mortem instantly recognized the owner of that chakra signature.
He would probably never forget Minato Namikaze, as he had encountered him during a mission with the Fourth Aye, and they had almost been killed by him.
"Hmm?" The Fourth Aye's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Could he have discovered our plan so soon?" The Fourth Aye frowned.
According to their plan, Minato should have been busy dealing with the Cloud Hideout squad in the northwest at this moment.
The Cloud ninjas in the squad looked at the Fourth Aye, awaiting his instructions.
"Halt our advance and prepare for battle," the Fourth Aye ordered after a moment's thought.
Without using the Flying Thunder God technique, Minato couldn't move faster than them, but not every Cloud ninja possessed his speed.
Even though the Fourth Aye was reluctant to admit it, he knew that their ambush plan had failed the moment Mortem sensed Minato's presence.
At the Fourth Aye's command, the Cloud ninjas drew their swords or took out shuriken.
Upon sensing that the Cloud ninjas had stopped advancing, Minato also slowed down to give his teammates time to catch up.
Due to his speed and perception abilities, Minato had always been at the forefront.
The Fourth Aye coldly watched as Minato, Nara Shikamaru, and the others approached at a leisurely pace.
The Cloud Hideout squad in the northwest of the Fire Country would be withdrawing tonight. And the number of Cloud ninjas captured or killed by the Leaf ninjas these days would definitely not exceed the number of Leaf ninjas that the Cloud had killed in the northern Fire Country.
Therefore, if he could keep Minato here, then their mission could still be considered a success, albeit not as successful as they had envisioned.
"We meet again," Minato greeted them, taking out two Flying Thunder God kunai from his ninja tool pouch.
He and the new AB combo were old rivals, having encountered each other on the battlefield and even clashed during missions.
However, the outcome of each battle had been similar—neither side could defeat the other.
Minato's innate transcendent reactions, combined with the speed of the Flying Thunder God technique, ensured his invincibility.
On the other hand, the Fourth Aye in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode was only slightly slower than the Flying Thunder God technique in close-quarters combat. He could also enhance his reaction speed through the nature transformation of his lightning attribute, and Killer B wasn't entirely useless either. Thus, Minato had no way of dealing with the new AB combo.
"Perhaps there won't be a next time," the Fourth Aye said coldly, giving Killer B a subtle signal as he spoke.
This was Killer B's first time on the battlefield as the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki, and Minato couldn't possibly have any information about him. They could use this information gap to catch Minato off-guard.
Suppressing his urge to rap, Killer B nodded slightly in response.
"Then let's see what you've got," Minato said, unperturbed and fully focused.
The AB combo had always been the trademark of the Cloud, and even a newly formed, inexperienced AB combo had to exhibit their full strength.
"There are a total of seventy-two enemies, nineteen more than us," Minato thought, strategizing.
Although he and the Fourth Aye were exchanging harsh words, this wasn't a one-on-one or two-on-one battle; it was a small-scale campaign between elite ninja squads.
Due to the urgency of the situation, Minato had brought fewer ninjas than the well-prepared Fourth Aye.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Both sides acted in perfect harmony, launching a barrage of shuriken and kunai at each other.
However, those who stood here were the elites trusted by the Fourth Aye and the best that Minato had to offer. Disarming such standard ninja tools was child's play for them.
Each side displayed their prowess in intercepting the onslaught.
Zzzz!
Crackle! Crackle!
Brilliant blue lightning enveloped the Fourth Aye, and an oppressive aura filled the forest.
After entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Fourth Aye fixed his gaze on the unmoving Minato while keeping an eye on the Flying Thunder God kunai that had been knocked down by a jutsu.
Instead of using the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport, Minato used the Body Flicker Technique to appear on the right side and threw two more Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Now!" Fourth Aye shouted, and in the next moment, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and charged towards Minato.
Killer B remained calm and threw two kunai with precision, striking Minato's kunai and intercepting the Flying Thunder God kunai.
Whoosh!
Minato appeared at the location of the first Flying Thunder God kunai.
This was within Fourth Aye's expectations, and he instantly changed direction and lunged at Minato.
Due to his incredible speed, the others only saw a flash of blue light streak by.
However, Chouza Akimichi, who had excellent teamwork with Minato, immediately took action.
"Multi-Size Technique!"
With the enhancement of Yang-release chakra, Chouza's body rapidly grew, turning him into a thirty-meter-tall giant who stood between Minato and Fourth Aye.
Unfazed, Fourth Aye continued to sprint forward.
"Lightning Blade!"
Facing the giant standing in his way, Fourth Aye mercilessly unleashed a lightning-style ninjutsu hand blade.
Chouza also tried to attack Fourth Aye, but his speed was far inferior.
Boom!
The powerful force struck Chouza, sending the thirty-meter giant stumbling backward until he crashed to the ground.
"Rasengan!"
Minato didn't waste any time either. He formed two chakra balls in his hands and, in a flash, appeared before two Cloud ninjas and sent them to meet the Sage of Six Paths.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
Reacting to the threat, the Cloud ninjas launched their attacks on Minato, but all their efforts were in vain.
Minato had already used the Flying Thunder God technique to teleport to a Leaf ninja's side through one of the Flying Thunder God kunai.
Unfazed, Fourth Aye knew that Minato had also made significant progress.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap!"
With both sides engaging each other fully, their respective subordinates joined the fray.
"Shadow Sewing Technique: Black Corpse Flower!"
Shikamaru Nara, who had been biding his time, suddenly unleashed his shadow jutsu. The shadows beneath him bloomed like a flower, swiftly ensnaring six Cloud ninjas under his control.
Fourth Aye was too fast, and Shikamaru didn't have the confidence to control him with his shadow jutsu, so he targeted some of the more prominent Cloud ninjas instead.
"Ninja Mind Confusion Technique!"
Ino Yamanaka, who had been partnering with Shikamaru for a long time, followed up with her own technique. Five out of the six Cloud ninjas under Shikamaru's control displayed looks of terror as they turned their weapons on their companions and even themselves.
"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"
Just as the Cloud ninja elite, who had successfully resisted Ino's jutsu, was about to figure out his next move, a giant fist appeared before him.
Boom!
Blood mist exploded, and the Cloud ninja elite was sent flying at incredible speed, crashing into countless trees before coming to a stop.
Chouza retracted his Yang-attribute power, and his fist rapidly shrank back to its normal size.
"It's fortunate that the Third Hokage arranged for Ino-Shika-Cho to be my deputies this time," Minato thought, nodding inwardly as he saw Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouza take out almost ten Cloud ninjas with their combined efforts.
Individually, Ino-Shika-Cho couldn't compare to clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha, but when the three families worked together, they possessed a strength that no Leaf ninja could afford to underestimate.
Boom! Boom!!
Blue lightning flashed, and two Leaf ninjas were pummeled by Fourth Aye's powerful force. Fourth Aye's icy gaze swept across each Leaf ninja, as if deciding whom to target next.
He couldn't catch up to Minato, but dealing with these Leaf ninjas was as easy as slaughtering chickens.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two kunai flew towards Fourth Aye.
Perhaps a faster Minato could finish off the Cloud ninjas quicker, but he couldn't stand by and watch Fourth Aye kill his comrades.
Whoosh!
Fourth Aye swiftly dodged.
While the kunai couldn't harm him, Minato's Rasengan was still a threat. If Minato managed to mark him with the Flying Thunder God seal, it would be difficult to deal with.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!!
At that moment, Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouza each threw a Flying Thunder God kunai towards Fourth Aye's vicinity from three different directions.
Minato had given these to them before they set off. Firstly, they could use them for emergency teleportation, and secondly, they could help create opportunities for Minato to strike during battle.
Fourth Aye frowned. Fighting Minato was troublesome because he had to defend against not only Minato's kunai but also the kunai thrown by his teammates.
When empowered by a strong ninja, the kunai traveled at high speeds, and without a doujutsu, it was impossible to distinguish whether a kunai flying at such speeds was a Flying Thunder God kunai or an ordinary one.
Minato Namikaze suddenly appeared beside a Cloud ninja and ended his life with a Rasengan.
A kunai, aimed at the Fourth Aye, landed beside the Cloud ninja. Since it wasn't thrown by Minato, he paid it no mind, unaware that it was a Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Lethal Lightning Heat Slice!"
Killer B seized the opportunity and charged at a Leaf ninja, sending him flying with a strange maneuver while simultaneously wielding multiple long swords, taking down several Leaf ninjas nearby.
Seemingly caught up in the thrill of the fight, Killer B slowly inched closer to a Flying Thunder God kunai stuck in the ground.
The Fourth Aye was about to call out a warning but stopped short, choosing instead to silently gather his chakra.
Whoosh!
Minato, wielding a Rasengan, suddenly appeared behind Killer B.
With the enemy exposing an opening, Minato had no reason to hold back. If he could take down Killer B, one of the AB combo, it would buy them some peace from the Cloud ninja.
Just as Minato's Rasengan was about to land, Killer B's body erupted with terrifying tailed beast chakra, and a thick octopus tail appeared, wrapping around him.
At that moment, the Fourth Aye transformed into a bolt of lightning and lunged at Minato.
"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"
Choza Akimichi brandished his massive fist at the Fourth Aye.
"Scram!"
The Fourth Aye impatiently unleashed a lightning-infused punch, not only knocking Choza back but also leaving a charred mark on his fist.
But in that brief moment, Minato had already teleported away with the Flying Thunder God technique.
"He's become the jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails and can already utilize its power," Minato exclaimed, astonished, as he watched Killer B being enveloped by the thick octopus tentacles.
If it weren't for Killer B's sudden burst of tailed beast chakra, he would have most likely perished from Minato's previous Rasengan, with a slim chance of surviving with severe injuries.
As Minato gathered chakra to launch another assault, the octopus tentacles around Killer B suddenly snapped, flung far away by Killer B himself, creating distance between him and the Flying Thunder God kunai.
Even as enemies, Minato couldn't help but admire Killer B's calmness and decisiveness.
"Big brother, my apologies. I exposed our intel but failed to achieve anything," Killer B said as he rejoined the Fourth Aye.
"It's fine. The Yellow Flash isn't that easy to deal with," the Fourth Aye replied with a shake of his head.
Through his observations during the fight, he noticed that Minato's taijutsu had improved significantly, making his movements faster.
It seemed like Minato's progress had outpaced theirs.
"Retreat towards the Country of Rice Fields!" the Fourth Aye shouted without hesitation.
Currently, both he and Minato, as well as their subordinates, were evenly matched, and the outcome of continued combat was uncertain.
However, they were in the Fire Country, not the Lightning Country, and if they kept up this intense battle, they would inevitably attract other Leaf ninjas.
Killer B once again unleashed his tailed beast chakra, extending multiple giant octopus tentacles to aid the Cloud ninjas.
The Fourth Aye, on the other hand, pushed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to the limit, glaring at the Leaf ninjas as if warning them against pursuit.
Minato and Shikaku Nara exchanged glances and gave chase, though not with full force. They maintained a casual pace, trailing slightly behind, with the other Leaf ninjas following suit.
The pursuit continued all the way to the border of the Country of Rice Fields, where Minato and Shikaku finally halted.
The Leaf ninjas turned to face Minato and Shikaku.
"The enemy still has the capacity to counter-attack. We must not pursue recklessly," Minato said, unwilling to continue the pursuit.
Both the Fourth Aye and Killer B were in good condition, and Minato saw no point in pressing on.
Moreover, their mission had been accomplished—they had prevented the Fourth Aye from sneaking around with fewer ninjas.
Shikaku nodded in agreement.
Minato then reported their success and arranged for the elimination of the Cloud ninjas in the Fire Country while awaiting further instructions from the Leaf higher-ups.
"My strength is still lacking. I need to ask Mu Yue to teach me the advanced breathing technique," Minato thought as he gazed at the moon that night.
Recently, Mu Yue had taught him a basic breathing technique, saying that once he could maintain a highly concentrated state at all times, he could learn the advanced secret technique.
Minato had reached the 'Chang Zhong' realm in the Grass Country but hadn't had the time to seek out Mu Yue.
After this battle with the AB combo, he had identified some shortcomings and felt it was time to seek Mu Yue's guidance.
If it had been Mu Yue, when she teleported next to Killer B, even if he blocked with his octopus tentacles, he would have still met his end.
(End of Chapter)
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