The Time to Make a Name (Third Update)

While Xu Yue and A were locked in a fierce clash, the vanished Minato had appeared behind Killer B. Using the formula he had left behind when he had pushed off the tentacle earlier, he activated it just as Killer B retracted his tentacles.

His Kunai had reached Killer B’s neck, while Killer B’s reverse-held blade was pressed against Minato Namikaze’s abdomen.

"I’m fully prepared to be injured."

Killer B said stubbornly.

For a moment, both battlefields fell into a brief stalemate.

"Hey, Minato, should we keep the two of them here? The future Fourth Raikage and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, you know."

Xu Yue flexed his fully recovered arm, still wearing that smiling expression.

"No. There’s no need for both sides to suffer losses. They are two opponents worthy of respect."

As Minato Namikaze spoke, he was the first to put away his Kunai. In his view, even if they truly fought, victory would be hard-won at best. And it would be difficult to keep them here anyway. It would only greatly intensify the fighting on the front lines, making it completely pointless.

Killer B could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He had spoken tough, but reality was right in front of him. The other side might not die from a stab to the stomach, but if he got stabbed in the neck, even as a Jinchuriki, he would definitely die. And with that terrifying speed, he might not even be able to land the blow.

Although both battlefields had been locked in stalemates earlier, it seemed that both he and his big brother had been at a disadvantage.

"Hmph, Yellow Flash, you are indeed worthy of my respect. But this one isn’t!"

Ding~ Triggered mission: Challenge of the AB Combo. The time has come for your fame to resound throughout the entire ninja world…

An absolutely S-rank triggered mission had finally been farmed by Xu Yue!

"Space really doesn’t leave any loopholes to exploit, huh? Challenging two Kage-level opponents at once?"

After receiving the prompt from Space, Xu Yue could not help but feel a little speechless. Although A and Killer B were still far from their peaks, there was no doubt that they had already crossed the threshold into Kage-level.

This really was…

Interesting!

The smile on Xu Yue’s face suddenly turned sinister, and his original sunny, warm aura vanished in an instant.

Scales emerged along both sides of his cheeks, while markings appeared at the corners of his eyes.

With Xu Yue at the center, the entire area seemed to be ravaged by a hurricane.

A had only gotten halfway through his defiant words when the terrifying pressure forced them back down his throat!

His eyes were filled with shock.

Killer B, who had already reached A’s side, also felt a strange force suppressing him.

Only Minato Namikaze wore an expression of surprise and astonishment.

Although Minato Namikaze was not skilled in sage techniques, he had undoubtedly trained in them at Mount Myōboku! He could even barely use them.

What was more, he had seen Jiraiya’s Sage Mode before. Though Xu Yue’s appearance had changed, there was no doubt that this was Sage Mode.

The sage techniques of Ryūchi Cave, one of the three great sacred lands.

He could enter Sage Mode so quickly?!

Yue truly was an incredible genius!

"Senior Brother Minato, since they refuse to accept this, let me deal with them alone. Don’t interfere."

"Understood. I’ll cover you."

After saying that, Minato flew to a Flying Thunder God marker with the best view and silently observed the battlefield. He understood the power of Sage Mode. As long as he was nearby, nothing too serious should happen.

"Arrogant!"

"Big bro, we… smash him."

Even Killer B’s rap-like, comical voice carried anger.

The next moment, A erupted once more with the terrifying taijutsu prowess of his family.

Wrapped in lightning, he charged straight at Xu Yue.

Liger Bomb!

Wrapped in Lightning Armor, A swung at Xu Yue with his hand crackling with ear-piercing lightning-nature Chakra.

Meanwhile, Xu Yue, who had been waiting in place, completed the final simple hand seal.

Sage Art: Chidori!

Monster Strength Technique!

His right arm was simultaneously imbued with Chidori surging with sage Chakra, and paired with Tsunade’s Monster Strength Technique, he met the attack head-on without any attempt to evade.

Boosted by terrifying sage Chakra, the already imposing Chidori visibly expanded.

It nearly formed a tangible blade of lightning-nature Chakra.

Pfft~

A severed tentacle saved A just as he was about to clash head-on with Xu Yue.

The entire thick tentacle was cleanly cut in two.

The ground itself had also been sliced apart! The straight fissure extended deep into the forest.

Every tree in its path had likewise been split into two!

A landed beside the fissure in the ground. As he looked at the power of that strike, sweat dripped from his forehead.

Strong!

Too strong!

It was more than a level above their evenly matched first exchange.

Even his original disadvantage in speed had been completely made up for.

Just who was this person?!

Before he could think further, Killer B’s warning and a sense of danger struck him once more.

"Big bro, watch out!"

Amid an afterimage moving too quickly for the eyes to catch, he could only make out a pair of sinister red Sharingan.

Then the two sides burst into a rapid, interweaving exchange of taijutsu.

Terrifying shockwaves violently scattered in every direction.

Gullies and cracks appeared across the ground.

Only now did A discover with some horror that even without that strange explosive ninjutsu, and without using that lightning-release technique, the opponent’s taijutsu—which had seemed pathetically weak in his eyes—had suddenly risen to a level extremely close to his own!

What secret technique had he used to become so powerful all at once?!

The young A felt the pressure in his heart growing greater and greater.

In an instant, they exchanged hundreds of moves.

Finally, they slammed into each other and began a direct contest of strength.

As they briefly struggled against each other, A glared fiercely into his opponent’s eyes.

"Though I don’t know what secret technique you used, if it can raise your abilities to such a terrifying extent, it definitely cannot last long. As long as I can stall you…"

"Can you stall me…?"

The faintly pleased smile on Xu Yue’s face sent a chill through A’s heart. But the next moment, as Xu Yue’s right eye spun, A’s mind went blank, and he entered a black-and-white world.

Tsukuyomi!

Not good! An Illusion Technique!

Even the Fourth Raikage at his future peak could fall for the Illusion Technique of Madara’s Wood Clone. Now, as a young man who had only just entered Kage-level, he had no ability whatsoever to resist Xu Yue’s Tsukuyomi in Sage Mode…

Seeing the lightning around A suddenly fade as he dropped to his knees and went limp, Killer B charged forward without hesitation.

"Big bro!"

Several enormous tentacles flashed as he directly entered Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!

Xu Yue and A had exchanged blows too quickly. Killer B had only just recovered from the pain of losing a tentacle earlier when the situation suddenly changed like this!

"Just in time."

Facing the charging Killer B and the Eight-Tails’ tentacles whipping toward him, Xu Yue raised a hand in a grabbing motion and swung it at them.

His tiny figure was completely disproportionate to those thick tentacles!

But the next moment, a massive purple arm appeared alongside Xu Yue’s movement and abruptly seized all those tentacles in one grip!

With a flick of his hand, as though swinging a hammer, he slammed Killer B, connected to the tentacles, into the ground.

The impact shattered the earth into a web of cracks.

Susanoo!

No, it was a Susanoo-sage technique fusion…

Third update~ That’s the last update for today.

Note: First of all, the AB Combo had not yet reached their peak at this point. They could be said to have only just entered Kage-level. Furthermore, the protagonist knew their information in advance and used methods that completely countered both of them. Because they were young, they lacked the experience of an old hand like Kakuzu. Though they were somewhat more experienced than Xu Yue, they suffered from the disadvantages of intelligence and personality. This allowed Xu Yue to fully capitalize on the period in which his Sage Mode held the advantage. After all, battles are not about both sides simply showing off their ultimate moves and immediately determining victory or defeat.

For example, if A had chosen to fight indirectly and had not fallen for the Illusion Technique, Xu Yue would have had no way to suppress him in other aspects. Once the time ran out, Xu Yue would have been finished. Xu Yue first baited him through the area A excelled at—taijutsu—stirring up his eagerness to win, then settled the battle with a single strike.

Some attack methods and techniques may not increase one’s absolute upper limit of combat power, but they can provide many more options for countering opponents in battle, allowing for impressive results. The protagonist’s personality and intelligence advantage also let him use his strengths against his opponents’ weaknesses most of the time. That is roughly how it is.

Putting the explanation into the original text would probably disrupt the reading rhythm~