Under the shroud of the pitch-black night, hundreds of white chakra pinpricks were surging forward like a tidal wave. Individually, these sparks were nothing to fear; Saiki could erase any one of them with a single strike.
However, trailing behind the rank-and-file were two pillars of chakra so massive they overshadowed everything else. One signature felt as vast and potent as Tsunade's. The other gave Saiki a feeling similar to Kushina's: it was heavy, frigid, and ancient—a collection of all the world's negative energy.
In the Hidden Cloud, there was only one duo that possessed this specific combination of chakra: the A-B Combo.
Saiki's mood darkened. The Cloud were playing for keeps. The war had barely begun, and they were already deploying their ultimate Jinchuriki weapon on the front lines.
In the original story, the conflicts between the Cloud and Leaf during the Third War weren't described in much detail. It mostly mentioned Minato Namikaze's duel with the AB combo, where he defeated their god-tier speed and began building the legend of the "Yellow Flash."
Saiki wasn't sure if that timeline was fixed. He remembered Minato fighting the Four-Tails and Five-Tails with Jiraiya first, developing the Rasengan, and then facing the Cloud brothers.
But according to the current intel, Minato was currently pinned down on the Stone front.
With the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki now on their doorstep, how the hell was Konoha supposed to stop them?
Genhai and the others were staring at him, waiting for a sitrep. Saiki furrowed his brow and spoke with a low, heavy voice. "Sensei Tsume... we need to retreat. This isn't a situation we can handle."
Tsume knew Saiki had been in a dark place, but she hadn't expected him to sound so defeatist. In a military setting, saying something like that could get you executed for desertion.
"Saiki! What the hell are you talking about?!" Tsume barked.
"Yeah, Boss! Since when do you talk about running?" Genhai and Kurenai looked at him with total confusion. In their minds, Saiki was invincible. To hear him suggest fleeing was a shock to their systems.
But Saiki's gaze was hard, his tone unyielding. "The Cloud has at least five hundred men in this advance unit alone. But more importantly, you can't feel the horror of those two signatures. If we stay here, we're just meat for the grinder. We have to notify HQ and request an immediate elite reinforcement!"
Even with his trump cards, Saiki had no desire to face A and Bee. His current physical age meant he lacked the raw stature and leverage to trade blows with those two brutes comfortably.
Five hundred men. The number left Genhai and Kurenai paralyzed with fear. Genhai went pale, and Kurenai let out a sharp, terrified gasp.
Tsume hated the idea of retreating, but she knew Saiki's instincts were flawless. Just as she was about to radio HQ, Saiki added a final, chilling detail.
"If my perception is accurate... one of those massive signatures is a Jinchuriki."
Genhai and Kurenai had no concept of what a Jinchuriki was, but Tsume was nearly knocked off her feet by the revelation. She was terrified.
"Saiki... are you absolutely sure?!" Tsume demanded.
Saiki nodded grimly. "No doubt. I've spent too much time around Sensei Kushina to ever mistake that feeling."
"FALL BACK!"
Recognizing the apocalyptic scale of the threat, Tsume didn't hesitate. She issued the order to retreat immediately.
The kids didn't understand the "Jinchuriki" part, but the "five hundred ninja" part had already broken their courage. Their bodies moved on pure survival instinct, following Tsume away from the approaching storm.
Facing hundreds of ninja led by a Kage-level specialist and a Perfect Jinchuriki... unless you had an army of your own, the only people who could stand a chance were monsters like Madara Uchiha or Hashirama Senju.
Actually, that wasn't quite right. Either of those two in their prime could solo the entire world.
As they fled, Tsume transmitted the updated, terrifying intel back to the main camp.
Main Camp, Command Tent.
"WHAT?!"
Jiraiya and Shikaku Nara had been discussing potential Cloud flanking maneuvers while Inoichi and the Uchiha were already moving to intercept the raiders. But when Tsume's report hit the desk, both men went deathly pale.
"The report is confirmed. The A-B combo is leading the charge."
Compared to the Sannin, A and Bee were "juniors" like Minato, but that didn't mean they were weak. The combined strength of the brothers was enough to make even a Sannin proceed with extreme caution.
"Which squad was on patrol in that sector?!" Jiraiya demanded. Every detail was now a matter of life and death.
"Chunin Squad Tsume Inuzuka."
Jiraiya might not have remembered a random Chunin squad, but Saiki had made a permanent home in his memory last night. A boy who slaughtered a hundred men alone while maintaining total composure was a variable he couldn't ignore.
He also remembered the "younger brother of Tsunade" part.
With the AB combo leading six hundred ninja in a midnight strike, Jiraiya took a deep breath and began barking orders. "Recall Team Tsume immediately! Shikaku, the command of the main camp is yours. The enemy's target is obviously the Medical Camp. It's filled with supplies, the wounded, and our non-combatant medics—if they lose them, our sustained combat capability vanishes. I'm taking the lead to reinforce the Back Mountain personally. We have to hold that line at all costs! Alert all squads: total readiness! Engagement is imminent!"
"Understood, Lord Jiraiya!"
Shikaku didn't argue. He knew that in a raw power struggle, he was better suited to the map than the front lines.
Just as they finished, the tent flap fluttered. Through the gap, they saw another crimson flare scream into the sky from the opposite direction, illuminating the night with its violent glow.
An emergency signal. The West Sector was also under attack.
"REPORT!" Another messenger burst into the tent, gasping for air. "Sir! The West line is buckling! A massive Cloud force has appeared and is overwhelming the defenders!"
Shikaku's brow furrowed. He analyzed the board in seconds. "A pincer attack. They're trying to split our forces and cause a total collapse. We need reinforcements on the West wall immediately!"
Jiraiya nodded. "Notify Choza Akimichi and the Hyuga unit. Tell them to stabilize the West line at any price!"
"Shikaku, the rest is up to you. Keep the lines open and the intel flowing. I'll be back as soon as I can—until then, don't let this camp fall!"
With those words, Jiraiya blurred out of the tent, his silhouette vanishing into the night like a gust of wind.