A few days later.
On the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, the team paused to rest in a dense forest. Obito sat on the ground, chewing on a ration pill as he glanced impatiently at Minato.
"Minato-sensei, how much longer until we get there?" Obito asked, his voice tinged with fatigue and impatience.
Minato scanned the surroundings carefully before replying calmly, "The Land of Rivers lies just ahead. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to cross it and enter the Land of Wind within two days."
Obito merely curled his lips in response, clearly displeased by the wait. The forest around them was quiet, save for the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Suddenly, a low but distinct noise echoed from the woods to their right—sounds of a group approaching.
"Oink!" The sharp sound of footsteps and murmurs grew louder.
"Be alert!" Minato commanded immediately.
Without hesitation, the three others who had been resting sprang to their feet, quickly positioning themselves behind Minato and adopting defensive stances. They all knew danger was near.
The noises grew steadily closer until finally, figures emerged from the trees.
Leading the group was a man with striking blond hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin stretched taut over muscles rippling beneath his clothes. His broad shoulders bore vivid green tattoos shaped like shuriken.
Beside him stood a man bearing similar features, as if they were brothers. Their expressions were fierce, radiating confidence and strength.
Behind them, a handful of men followed—average-looking shinobi who appeared to be less skilled or powerful.
Kakashi frowned deeply at the sight. Minato had warned them about the dangers that might lie ahead, but meeting the feared AB Combination so soon was unexpected.
"The Yellow Flash of Konoha, huh?" the leading blond man said, his voice rough and commanding. "Are you really the Yellow Flash?"
Minato stepped forward, calm and composed. "That's right. And you must be the son of the Third Raikage and the next candidate for Raikage, Ai, correct?"
The man sneered with a hint of pride. "Impressive. I've heard tales about your speed. You're said to be unmatched in Konoha."
Minato's right hand casually slipped into the pouch at his waist and produced a Flying Thunder God kunai, which he held firmly before him, eyes sharp and wary.
"Ai," he said, addressing the leader, "you're the one who single-handedly stopped the Nine Tails from completing his mission, aren't you?"
Ai crossed his muscular arms with a smug grin. "That's me. And with my brother at my side, there's no way we'll lose. Eight Yalu, Kuru Yalu!"
The man standing beside Ai, undoubtedly his brother, spoke with equal disdain. Minato took note silently — this was the 'Bi' of the infamous AB Combination, the Jinchūriki of the Eight Tails.
According to intelligence gathered, every Raikage had a partner — a fierce companion who helped unlock their true power and acted as their bodyguard in battle. This partnership was called the AB Combination, a formidable duo feared across the shinobi world.
"Everyone, hold your positions," Minato ordered quietly. "I'll handle this alone."
Before the others could protest, Minato raised his left hand and flung dozens of Flying Thunder God kunai into the surrounding trees. The sharp blades pierced the trunks, embedding themselves silently in the bark, forming a wide perimeter around them.
Suddenly, Ai's body crackled with bright blue lightning chakra. The electric aura hummed as he launched forward with blinding speed, his fist aimed directly at Minato's chest.
Minato calmly tossed a kunai from his right hand while simultaneously activating Flying Thunder God Technique, teleporting fifty meters away to a sturdy tree trunk.
Ai's eyes widened in surprise. He was known as the fastest man alive, yet the Yellow Flash dodged his lightning-fast punch with unnerving composure.
Before Ai could react further, a yellow flash appeared behind him — Minato had teleported again, this time to the location of the kunai he had thrown moments ago.
With lightning speed, Minato swung his kunai in a fierce strike aimed at Ai's neck. But instead of the expected flesh and bone, Minato's weapon sliced through something else entirely: a massive tentacle, thick and sinewy, resembling that of an octopus.
Minato froze for a moment, stunned by what he saw.
"What is that?" Obito whispered breathlessly, his Sharingan eyes spinning as he tried to keep up with the rapid battle.
Even with the power of his Sharingan, Obito couldn't track every movement. The fight had escalated far beyond what he imagined.
On the other side, Lin's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and disbelief. Is this really the level Minato-sensei fights at? So strong…
Kakashi, equally amazed, explained softly, "That tentacle belongs to the Eight Tails. And 'Bi' is none other than the Eight Tails Jinchūriki of the Cloud Village."
His voice trembled slightly — not from fear but excitement. Kakashi had just realized that he had managed to mimic the chakra signature of the Eight Tails during the fight.
If conditions permitted, he could potentially copy the chakra of all nine tailed beasts!
Though the sheer volume of their chakra was beyond him, even this small victory thrilled him to his core.
Meanwhile, Killer Bee — the real Eight Tails Jinchūriki — stepped forward with a playful grin.
"Yo! Hey! You got it all wrong, little brat. Eight Tails is me, Killer Bee!" he said in a carefree rap-like tone.
Minato's expression hardened. Facing the combined might of the AB duo alone was challenging enough, but now with Kakashi and the others to protect, he couldn't afford any mistakes.
He waved to Kakashi and the others, signaling them to retreat cautiously into the jungle.
Keeping his eyes on Ai and Bi, Minato silently vowed to protect his team.
"You show bravery," Minato said quietly to Killer Bee, "not just as a Jinchūriki, but as a true ninja. You must possess something very special."
Ai, standing nearby, scoffed, "In talent, this guy surpasses me."
"No, it's not just talent," Minato replied thoughtfully. "There's something more precious."
Ai raised an eyebrow, curious. Minato continued seriously, "Ai, you have a rare companion. So do I."
"If your brother fails to realize what is truly important soon, he risks losing not just his title as Jinchūriki but his humanity."
Ai laughed dismissively. "Nonsense. You're just talking nonsense."
He then growled, "Even with your teleportation tricks, I've already memorized the locations of your kunai. The next time you appear, I'll be ready."
With a fierce roar, Ai wrapped his body in even more powerful lightning chakra.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Armor!" he shouted, turning into a bolt of lightning and charging over Minato at an incredible speed.
"Lateral Bolt of Pain: Chop!" Ai's palm crackled with thunder as he swung down like the god of thunder himself.
Minato watched calmly, eyes narrowing.
"Let's see which kunai you'll hit this time," Ai sneered, his eyes flickering towards the kunai embedded around the trees.
As Ai's palm came down, Minato calmly whispered, "Because I carry a lot of things…"
Before Ai could react, Minato teleported behind Killer Bee, catching him off guard.
Ai's expression changed to shock.
"What? There's actually a space-time jutsu mark on Eight Tails' tail!"
One of the Cloud Village shinobi gasped nearby.
The intensity of this fight far exceeded his expectations.
Ai's heart sank with regret. Was Bee the one who helped block that attack just now?
Realizing the risk his reckless charge posed to his brother, Ai's anger turned to remorse.
Killer Bee, however, remained calm. Sensing Minato's teleportation through the chakra of Eight Tails, he pulled out a bayonet strapped to his back.
Pressing the blade against Minato's ribs, Bee said with a fearless grin, "We're ready to lose together. So let's settle this head-on!"
Minato nodded, admiring Bee's fighting spirit.
"Even as enemies, I respect you. Your moves are those of a true ninja killer," Minato said calmly.
"Stop it!" Ai shouted.
"Minato, if you must fight, then go ahead. We won't stop you," Bee said in a surprisingly respectful tone.
Ai frowned. "Brother, if we join forces, who knows who will win?"
Bee simply smirked.
Ai snapped back, "You are my brother and the village's greatest weapon. If anything happens to you, how will I answer to the village?"
Ai's pride was wounded — he was angry at losing the one-on-one duel and lashed out at his brother.
Bee ignored the scolding, turning his head away with a look of mock humility.
Minato smiled at the display, then teleported back to Kakashi and the others.
"Let's move," he ordered, leading them away from the battlefield.
He was confident Ai wouldn't break his word.
After two clashes, Minato had come to understand Ai's personality — arrogant, brave, impulsive, and fiercely proud. Such a man would not easily betray a promise.
Besides, Ai's shuriken tattoos were still visible — marks that had not been removed.
If Ai betrayed them, Minato would be prepared to hunt him down without mercy.
As expected, the AB Combination did not attempt to block their retreat.
Instead, Ai and Bee silently watched them leave, then altered their route and continued on their own mission.
Both sides had objectives to complete. Neither wanted unnecessary conflict.