A few days later…
"Minato-sensei, how long until we get there?"
On the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, Obito was chewing a ration pill with the enthusiasm of someone eating cardboard.
"We're almost through the Land of Rivers. If all goes smoothly, we'll be in the Land of Wind in two days."
Minato spoke calmly, his eyes scanning the dense forest around them.
Obito groaned and flopped backward. "Ugh, two more days of flavorless snacks and mosquito ambushes."
Suddenly—Oink!
Voices echoed from the woods to the right.
"On guard!"
Minato's voice was steady, and in an instant, the genin flanked him with practiced reflexes.
The rustling grew louder—figures emerged.
The one in front had golden-blond hair, dark skin, a towering muscular frame, and green shuriken tattoos on his shoulders. Standing beside him was a similarly built man, just as imposing.
Behind them trailed a small unit of Cloud Shinobi.
Kakashi narrowed his eye. "Huh. Thought we'd at least get a welcome party after the tea."
So much for peace negotiations. The infamous AB combo of the Hidden Cloud was standing right in front of them.
"You! Blondie in the flak jacket. You the Yellow Flash of the Leaf?" The man in front barked.
Raikage. Fast, proud, and about as subtle as a lightning strike.
Minato remained calm, hand reaching into his pouch. "I am. And you must be the Raikage's son. Heard you're fast. Must be nice."
The man puffed his chest. "I'm A—the fastest ninja alive! And this is my brother, Killer Bee. We're here to crush whoever stands in the way of Cloud's advance!"
Behind him, a Cloud shinobi leaned in, whispering urgently. "Lord A, sir, uh… it's the Yellow Flash. Maybe… don't?"
A scoff.
"Tch, we've got this! Bee, let's go!"
"Yo~! My rhymes sharp like a kunai throw! Let's bust some beats and deal a blow!"
Minato, meanwhile, calmly flicked a Flying Thunder God kunai into the trees.
"This is going to escalate." Kakashi muttered. "And here I was hoping for a scenic walk with minor violence."
Sizzle!
A crackling burst of lightning erupted around A as his Lightning Armor activated. In the blink of an eye, he lunged at Minato with a brutal right hook.
Minato vanished in a yellow flash, reappearing fifty meters away on a tree branch.
A's punch hit nothing but air and ego.
He gritted his teeth. "He dodged it?"
The next instant, another flash.
Minato appeared behind A, blade poised at his neck.
SPLASH!
Tentacles burst forth, deflecting the attack. The blade cut through one—an enormous octopus tentacle.
Minato blinked.
Well, that was unexpected.
A retreated beside Bee. Minato's eyes trailed the origin of the tentacle.
Of course.
"Killer Bee… Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails."
Obito's jaw dropped. "What the—did that guy just grow seafood out of his back?!"
Even with the Sharingan activated, he hadn't seen a thing until it was already over.
Rin stayed silent but her clenched fists spoke volumes.
"So this is the level of a true Jonin…"
Kakashi chuckled, just a little too smug. "That tentacle was laced with unique chakra. Copied it."
Obito gawked. "Wait… you can copy tailed beast chakra?"
"Not the amount, but the properties? Maaaaybe. I'll call it… Tentacle Style." He smirked behind his mask. "Super effective in sushi battles."
"Woo~hoo! You're catching on, boy, but I'm still the beast, the rhyming joy!"
Bee struck a pose mid-rap, while A stayed rigid, scowling.
Minato's expression turned serious. He gestured discreetly, and Kakashi, Obito, and Rin quietly retreated into the forest behind him.
"Your technique… your spirit… I respect it," Minato said, watching Bee. "Not as a Jinchūriki. As a shinobi."
A narrowed his eyes. "You talk like a philosopher, but I see through it. You're trying to soften me up."
Minato simply replied, "You've got something precious. A brother worth protecting. So do I."
That gave A pause.
"You'd better realize that before he's no longer a Jinchūriki… or human."
"Tch! You think I'm falling for that speech?"
Without warning, A burst forward, lightning erupting more violently than before.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
He shot downward like a bolt from the gods, a crackling arm leading the charge.
"Guess we're doing this again," Minato muttered.
But instead of teleporting to one of the visible kunai—
FLASH!
He appeared behind Killer Bee.
"WHAT?!"
A's eyes went wide.
"There's a seal… on Bee's tentacle?!"
Minato's kunai stopped inches from Bee's neck.
Bee, unfazed, had a blade pressed against Minato's ribs.
"I felt you coming, Yellow Flash, I ain't trash—now let's clash!"
Minato stared into Bee's eyes. "Even for enemies… I admire you."
"Stop!!"
A shouted, panicked now. "Enough, Minato! We're letting you go!"
Bee pouted. "Yo, bro! I had him though!"
A snapped, "You're my brother and the village's Jinchūriki. You die, I've got no rap partner and no Raikage future. Think, moron!"
Bee turned his head away with exaggerated guilt. "Eight Yalu, Kuru Yalu…"
Minato gave them a faint smile, then vanished back to his team.
"Let's move," he ordered calmly.
He knew A wouldn't break his word.
A man like that—arrogant and impulsive—had too much pride to go back on a deal.
Besides, Minato had already marked Bee.
If they did try anything…
He'd be on them before they even blinked.
As the Leaf team vanished into the trees, the AB duo stood in silence.
Then A grunted. "We'll take a different route. Let them go."
Both sides had missions. No one wanted a war… yet.