Encounter, AB Combination

A sharp shout instantly caused Sarutobi Hina to tighten her grip on her kunai, and the ten reconnaissance squads responsible for border patrol immediately fell into a state of high alert.

"Hey, Uchiha Hanazuki, are there really enemies?"

Hatake Kakashi furrowed his brows, his gaze darting around as he subconsciously asked in a low voice.

"Where are those guys?"

"Explaining it might be complicated. It's more convenient to just force them out. Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Formation!"

Before anyone knew it, three shadow clones appeared, and countless fireballs the size of phoenix flower seeds sprayed in all directions, kicking up rolling clouds of dust.

"Exposed? You Leaf brats really do have a pair of decent eyes. It would have been better if you'd just pretended not to see us and died without pain. Why can't you just accept your fate?"

Everyone's gaze fell upon the dust cloud not far away, their bodies tense and ready for battle.

The tall figure with light yellowish-brown skin and a goatee the same color as his hair made the corner of Uchiha Hanazuki's mouth twitch with increasing frequency.

"Fool! You idiot! Big Brother is a real fool, getting his position discovered by a brat..."

A figure carrying seven ninja swords and speaking in a bizarre rap cadence mocked him loudly, instantly sending the "Big Brother" he addressed into a towering rage.

"Bee! You bastard, once I'm done dealing with these Leaf brats, I'll make sure you pay!"

"Big Brother is angry, this is bad... time to run away, dismissed!"

Killer Bee danced about, completely devoid of any artistic sense, while Sarutobi Hina broke into a cold sweat, her expression grave.

"The AB combo? Did you find out that Minato-sensei was heading to the Sand Ninja battlefield and decided to take advantage of the opening?"

"You aren't choosing to avenge the Third Raikage, but instead using this opportunity to attack the Leaf. What exactly are you thinking?"

Mentioning the Third Raikage who sacrificed himself on the battlefield, the Fourth Raikage, A, wore a gloomy expression, his already dark complexion deepening.

"Whether it's the Rock Ninja or the Leaf, I will make that old geezer Onoki pay the price sooner or later, but first, I have to deal with you lot."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cloud Hidden Village ninjas appeared from all directions, numbering in the hundreds, their unmasked killing intent fixed upon the group.

"Ha... Hanazuki, who are these people?"

"That's genuine killing intent. Based on this feeling, they are at least Jonin-level from their village. Are there really this many of them?"

Anko trembled all over, subconsciously hiding behind Hanazuki, while Yugao could only grip her long sword tightly, unable to even move under the pressure of that killing intent.

"The Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, Killer Bee. You just stepped onto the battlefield, and you haven't even memorized the enemy's intelligence?"

Hatake Kakashi gripped his chakra blade, subconsciously analyzing the surrounding situation.

There are hundreds of enemies, all of them seasoned veterans from the battlefield. Most are Chunin, and on top of that, there are twenty lead Jonin, the Fourth Raikage, and the Eight-Tails jinchuriki...

Damn it, is there nothing I can do? I only have myself, the Jonin Sarutobi Hina, and a group of immature Genin who just graduated from the Ninja Academy...

Kakashi lowered his eyelids, unable to shake the feeling of unwillingness in his heart. Was he destined to follow in his father's footsteps today?

"As a compliment for that keen eye of yours, I'll start with you. Lightning Release: Lariat!"

In a near-frozen moment, the hulking Fourth Raikage suddenly appeared in front of Anko, striking down with force despite her pale complexion.

"Oh no!"

"Damn it, the speed is too fast, there's no way to block it."

Just as Kakashi and the others watched in despair, a hand-blade comparable to a famous sword flashed, blue lightning scattered in all directions, and the air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Her legs went weak, and Anko collapsed to the ground. The wavering in her pupils turned to shock as a shadow loomed over most of her body, leaving her speechless for a long time.

"Seriously, if you're going to praise my eye for detail, the attack should be aimed at me. Who attacks someone else instead? You look reckless, but you're actually quite calculating, big guy."

Compared to the Fourth Raikage's arm, Hanazuki's arm looked like a withered branch, yet that branch firmly clamped onto the hand-blade capable of cleaving through mountain rock, leaving everyone present in an uproar.

"Th-this brat, Uchiha Hanazuki, blocked the Fourth Raikage, who possesses speed equal to the Yellow Flash?"

"Hey, hey, hey, what just happened? How come I didn't see anything?"

"Does that guy really have such strength?"

Ignoring the shocked expressions of the crowd, Hanazuki lowered his head, his tone calm.

"Fool, who sits on the ground in front of an enemy? Can you still stand up?"

"This crest, are you a brat from the Uchiha clan? You dare to look around while fighting me? You bastard, you're unexpectedly infuriating! Liger Bomb!"

With a swift tug, the Fourth Raikage grabbed Hanazuki's arm, the roar of lightning and raw power instantly restraining Hanazuki's movements.

"He looks hulking, but he's actually a speed-type? This chakra flickering with lightning, is this the Lightning Release Armor?"

"Stinking brat, die!"

He slammed him down toward the ground, the roar of lightning and force kicking up a spray of sparks like a silver tree in bloom. Rolling dust billowed out, eventually drifting away with the wind.

"Is he dead? No, the impact was too light."

As the massive crater was revealed, eyes stared fixedly into the pit. What appeared before them was not a mangled body, but a single pitch-black kunai.

"That was close, that was close! The dignified Fourth Raikage has no sense of sportsmanship, attacking without warning. Were you trying to bury me right there?"

"Body Flicker Technique? You brat, are you the Yellow Flash's student?"

Looking around, the Leaf ninjas who had been in the encirclement had already been transported outside, and kunai engraved with simple formulas were scattered all across the battlefield.

"I'm afraid you've guessed wrong. Minato and I have only crossed paths once. Having to face an opponent of your caliber right after graduating from the Ninja Academy is truly enough."

Only at this moment did the Fourth Raikage, A, put on a solemn expression as he scrutinized the Uchiha youth before him, his Lightning Release Armor once again surging across his body.

Dressed in black robes with black fingerless sleeves, dark red bandages wrapped around his limbs, and the Uchiha clan's flame fan crest embroidered on the back of his cloak.

"Another genius ninja. But you are going to die here soon. Have you thought of your last words?"

"My last words are that I really wanted to live for another five hundred years. You have the nerve to call yourself the Fourth Raikage? You were just eyeing those easy targets again, weren't you?"

Facing Hua Yue's mockery, the Fourth Raikage sneered repeatedly.

"This is the battlefield between the Leaf and the Cloud. I don't have the habit of talking about benevolence with enemies, brat! Thunder Combat Ninja Encounter Must Spit Encouragement Blade!"

The shadow approached with the hurricane, cold light flashing upon the blade. Hua Yue, who had parried the Raikage's attack once more, shook his head helplessly.

"Why do you bastards always pick on my teammates? Forget it, there's no need to talk about benevolence with enemies, right?"

"Yugao, lend me your sword for a moment. I'll return it once I've killed this bastard."

With a brilliant smile, the bewildered Yugao Uzuki nodded gently, and the long sword she had been clutching tightly was already in Hua Yue's hands.