The four-man team led by Minato moved with incredible speed — in less than a week, they had already set foot on the Land of Lightning.
The military discipline of Kumogakure was indeed impressive. Even though the war at the frontlines had reached a fever pitch, the security in their rear lines was still extremely tight.
Barely after crossing into the Land of Lightning, Minato and his team had already spotted three hidden lookout posts — proof of how vigilant the Kumogakure was.
But Minato's team weren't amateurs either. Using Inuzuka Gaku's sharp-nosed ninja dog to detect the scouts ahead, they easily avoided the hidden sentries. The checkpoints and inspections that couldn't be avoided were smoothly handled by Yamanaka Inoichi's Mind Body Switch Technique, allowing them to pass without suspicion.
After a tense journey, the four finally reached the outer perimeter of the Kumogakure. Looking up at the towering, cloud-piercing mountains on which the village was built, Akimichi Dōtō couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"No wonder the Kumo shinobi have such dark skin — their village is built so high up they must be closer to the sun!"
As they were joking, Gaku's ninja dog suddenly gave a low, uneasy whine. Gaku immediately made a hand gesture for silence.
"There's a squad nearby — about eight of them. Should we hide?"
Akimichi Dōtō looked down helplessly at his own round belly, then at the wide-open cliffs around them.
"Do you see anywhere around here where I could possibly hide?"
Minato stepped forward, calm as ever.
"We're already at the doorstep of the Kumogakure — no need to stay hidden any longer. I've already marked Flying Thunder God seals along the way. Let's make this quick."
At their leader's command, the other three nodded firmly. They waited silently for the approaching Kumo shinobi squad — and then struck first.
"Ninja Art: Mind Body Switch Technique!"
Inoichi was the first to act. Hiding in the shadows, he projected his consciousness into one of the enemy's sword-wielding shinobi. Under his control, the possessed Kumo shinobi suddenly swung his blade at his own comrades, catching them completely off guard.
The formation of the Kumo squad broke instantly.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
"Piercing Fang!"
Akimichi Dōtō and Inuzuka Gaku seized the opening.
Dōtō's enlarged arm and staff smashed two confused chūnin into the rocks, while Gaku and his ninja dog spun like drills, sending three more enemies flying.
Only two jōnin-level team leaders remained. Just as they raised their guard—two oddly shaped kunai whistled out from the bushes.
The jōnin sneered and dodged easily.
But in that instant, a golden blur flashed—Minato Namikaze appeared where the kunai had landed.
In one swift motion, his kunai slit the throat of the first jōnin. Then, in another flash of light, he appeared before the second one. The man's sword came slashing down—but Minato didn't dodge.
A sphere of violently spinning chakra formed in his hand.
"Rasengan!"
The jōnin's blade shattered, and the Rasengan slammed hard into his chest, crushing him instantly.
The entire eight-man Kumo squad was annihilated before they could even report the ambush.
"I'll stay behind and erase the traces here," Minato said calmly. "You three go ahead and see if you can find your way to Valley of Clouds and Lightning. I've heard the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki of Kumogakure is training there. If we can deal a heavy blow to him, our mission could be considered complete."
The three nodded and quietly advanced toward the valley.
But as they crept forward, Gaku's ninja dog suddenly froze, its fur standing on end. Gaku's face went pale.
"Wait—my ninja dog says there's something terrifying up ahead. No... damn it, they've already noticed us! They're heading this way!"
No sooner had Gaku finished speaking than three figures burst out from the distant forest. The dark-skinned young man leading them looked at Gaku and others with a cruel expression:
"I knew it," the young man said with a cold snort. "I was wondering why the patrol squad I sent out hadn't returned yet. Turns out they ran into a few sneaky rats."
On the other side, Akimichi Dōtō and the others froze for a moment when they saw the dark-skinned young man leading the Kumo shinobi. Then their expressions changed dramatically.
Before setting out on this mission, they had, of course, collected intelligence on the key figures of Kumogakure. So they recognized him instantly — that dark-skinned youth standing before them was none other than A, the future Fourth Raikage of the Kumogakure!
At the same moment, a golden flash of light appeared before everyone present. It was Minato, who had finished clearing the traces over there and returned using the Flying Thunder God marks on his three teammates.
Compared to this so-called future Raikage, Dōtō and the others had far more confidence in their own captain. Dōtō grinned and joked,
"Captain, looks like we've hooked a big fish this time. Maybe we can finish our mission early!"
On the other side, one of the Kumo shinobi behind A widened his eyes when he saw Minato.
"Golden hair... and that strange teleportation jutsu — he's the Yellow Flash of the Leaf! Captain, we should retreat right now!"
But A's fighting spirit only burned brighter at those words.
"Oh? So you're the Yellow Flash everyone's been talking about — the one who's such a nuisance on the battlefield? Then I'll see for myself what's so special about you!"
Beside him, his brother Killer B joined in, rapping off-beat with a cocky grin:
"With me and bro here, ya got no chance, yo — you're goin' down, fool, ya fool!"
Minato also recognized A. His expression grew slightly serious as he instructed the three behind him:
"Don't engage. Just watch from the side."
As he spoke, Minato flicked his wrist, scattering a flurry of specially marked kunai around the three Kumo shinobi.
A glanced at the kunai and sneered.
"You think those little toys can beat me?"
In an instant, A activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, his entire body erupting in crackling lightning. His figure blurred as he transformed into a bolt of living thunder, fist raised high, aiming straight for Minato's head.
Minato, watching A charging towards him, pretended to be shocked and frozen by the speed. But just a second before A reached him, Minato threw the kunai in his hand.
Simultaneously, Minato activated the Flying Thunder God, swiftly blinking to a spot not far away. The previously overconfident A couldn't help but be startled:
"He actually vanished outright! This really isn't an ordinary Body Flicker Technique!"
As A's momentum carried him past the spot where Minato had been, Minato activated the Flying Thunder God again, returning to the location of the last kunai he had thrown.
His figure instantly appeared behind A, catching the kunai still in mid-air and preparing to finish A with a backstab.
The moment Minato appeared, A sensed his presence. He frantically tried to turn and attack Minato, but it was already too late; Minato's kunai would clearly land on his back first.
Just as A was wondering if his Lightning Release Chakra Mode could withstand this kunai, a giant octopus tentacle swept him away, helping him block the kunai strike.
Minato, having already moved to another kunai's location, looked at the giant octopus tentacle he had struck and nodded subconsciously. His guess was correct; that guy with the sunglasses was indeed the new Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.