Encountering the AB Duo Again

The northwestern border of the Land of Fire was a place of layered mountains and dense forest.

Inside a hidden outpost, the atmosphere was somewhat grave.

The special squad led by Namikaze Minato—including the burly Akimichi Dodo, who specialized in taijutsu and the Multi-Size Technique, and Inuzuka Gaku, whose keen sense of smell worked seamlessly with his Ninja Dog—had just arrived when they exchanged intelligence with the border patrol squad stationed there.

The captain of the stationed squad, a chunin whose face bore the marks of wind and frost, pointed at the map spread across the crude wooden table and reported in a serious tone, "Jonin Minato, over the past week, Kumogakure ninja have been unusually active to the north, in the area where the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfall meet. Our people have already clashed with them head-on three times. The enemy is very strong. At least one jonin is leading them, and their fighting style is extremely fierce."

Minato's clear blue eyes moved intently across the map. His finger traced over the positions of the Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfall, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"The Land of Iron and the Land of Waterfall... They're too far from the Land of Lightning's mainland. If anything, they're closer to the Land of Earth's border." He pondered, his mind analyzing at high speed.

"Kumogakure's people are willing to come this deep to operate here... What is their goal? Are they trying to create friction and provoke a conflict between Konoha and Iwagakure so they can reap the benefits?"

That conjecture made everyone present tense inwardly.

If that was truly the case, then Kumogakure's ambitions were far from small, and the situation on the border might be far more complicated and dangerous than they had