A-B Combo

"All right, mission complete!" Minato took out a scroll, wrote on it, then rolled it up and handed it to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, take Obito and Rin back to Konoha first and report the details of the mission to Lord Third Hokage! If he asks about me, tell him I've gone to support the front against the Land of Lightning!" Minato told Kakashi.

"Yes, Minato-sensei!" Kakashi replied, taking the scroll and putting it in his ninja tool pouch.

After giving Kakashi his instructions and saying goodbye to the three of them, Minato immediately set off for the front against the Land of Lightning.

Hatake Ziyan had also fulfilled his promise to Hatake Sakumo and was ready to return to Konoha for a good rest. After spending the past few years training constantly, he was mentally exhausted.

But the moment Hatake Ziyan heard the system's voice, his energy surged. Rest? I don't need rest! Only useless people need rest!

"Ding! Congratulations, host. A choice has been triggered.

Option one: Witness Minato Namikaze's rise to fame. Reward: Advance one minor stage in the simplified Nine Turns Mysterious Technique!

Option two: Traveling is too tiring. Go home and rest instead. Reward: One bottle of Mizone!"

The moment Hatake Ziyan saw the rewards, his exhaustion vanished. Further progress in the Nine Turns Mysterious Technique was far too slow. If he trained step by step, the entire Ōtsutsuki Clan would probably die of old age before he mastered it.

In that case, he would go watch Minato Namikaze face off against the A-B Combo.

Hatake Ziyan flickered and vanished from where he had been standing.

A day later, at Konoha's main camp on the front against the Land of Lightning.

"Orochimaru, sir! Minato Namikaze reporting for duty!" Minato Namikaze said as he entered Orochimaru's tent.

"Oh! Minato! Welcome!" Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled.

"Everyone, I'm sure you're all familiar with Minato's abilities. Now that he's here, we can begin our counterattack against the Hidden Cloud Village!" Orochimaru stood up and continued, "Minato, both A and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki from the Hidden Cloud Village have arrived at the front. I really can't defeat them when they work together, and I also need to command our forces. Could you hold them off and buy me some time to attack?"

"No problem. Leave it to me! I'd also like to see which is faster-the Lightning Release Armor mode or my Flying Thunder God!" Minato replied with his sunny smile.

"Good! I'll now announce your assignments. First company, defend the front..." Orochimaru quickly finished issuing his orders, then sent everyone off to prepare.

Minato had used Flying Thunder God throughout his journey and was exhausted as well. After taking his leave of Orochimaru, he returned to his temporary tent to rest.

Early the next morning, Orochimaru assembled the troops and led the army of ninja out.

The Hidden Cloud Village's ninja seemed to have the same idea, and the two sides formed up in a canyon.

The two sides had clashed many times lately. With fewer top-level fighters on Konoha's side than the Hidden Cloud Village's, Konoha had been kept on the defensive throughout that time.

After a brief standoff, the two sides began fighting, unleashing large-scale coordinated ninjutsu. For a time, ordinary C-rank wind, fire, and lightning techniques, powered by their combined efforts, created a spectacle no less impressive than S-rank ninjutsu.

After testing each other's strength, both sides charged forward and began fighting at close quarters.

Once the ordinary ninja below had engaged, the elite fighters on both sides sought out their previous opponents.

Looking at A and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki opposite him, Orochimaru called out, "How about we take this somewhere else?"

A did not refuse. Their battles caused so much destruction that fighting here could easily injure their own men.

With Orochimaru leading the way, the three of them moved several kilometers to the side.

Once Orochimaru reached the designated spot, he stopped and watched the two men approach.

"Orochimaru, is this the grave you picked out for yourself?" A sneered, a layer of blue armor enveloping his body.

"Heh, heh, heh!" Orochimaru chuckled coldly, extending his tongue to lick his lips. Looking at the muscular A, he said, "I'm not your opponent! He is!"

The two followed Orochimaru's pointing finger and saw a blond man wearing a jonin uniform, a sunny smile on his face.

"The Yellow Flash!" A said when he recognized the newcomer.

"You can fight him! I'll be leaving now!" Orochimaru ran off behind Minato.

"You think you can leave without my permission?" Seeing Orochimaru trying to escape, A made the blue lightning armor around his body shine even brighter and charged at him.

"Lightning Release: Lariat!"

A appeared beside Orochimaru in an instant and swung his fist at him. But the moment A launched his attack, Minato moved as well. He appeared beside Orochimaru, grabbed him, dropped a kunai on the spot, and took him away. Then Minato reappeared above where Orochimaru had just been standing, a Rasengan raised in his hand, and drove it toward A's head.

Though it took so many words to describe, everything happened in the blink of an eye. Just as Minato's Rasengan was about to strike A, a thick tentacle appeared, pushed A aside, and took the hit.

The tentacle had come from Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, who had used one of the Eight-Tails' tentacles to save A.

However, the tentacle that took Minato's Rasengan was shattered. By the time Killer B withdrew it, only a short stump remained.

Nearby, Orochimaru looked at the Flying Thunder God Kunai at his waist, took it off, and casually drove it into a tree beside him.

"Minato, I'll leave things here to you! I'm off!" Orochimaru called to Minato, then immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to leave, afraid that even a moment's delay would bring that brute A charging at him again.

"Thank you, Killer B!" A said after regaining his footing.

"Yo, yo, yo! No need for thanks! Fool, ya fool..." Killer B launched into his strange rap cadence.

"Shut up, Killer B!" A instantly flew into a rage at his words, cutting him off with a roar.

Hearing his older brother's angry roar, Killer B reflexively shut his mouth.

"The Yellow Flash! You certainly live up to your name!" A remarked, then told Killer B, "Killer B, get serious. Support me from the side. I'll handle the main attack!"

Killer B grew serious as well and voiced his agreement.

Minato Namikaze watched the two brawny men opposite him. A's speed just now, in particular, had genuinely surprised him. Over a short distance, his Flying Thunder God might not actually be faster than A's physical movement.

With Killer B watching for an opening from the side, this battle would be tricky indeed. Defeating these two while they worked together would be no easy feat.