The A-B Combination?" Minato glanced at Raj, then fell silent.
The easiest of the three to deal with was the cheerful, rap-loving youth.
But that guy stuck to A like a brother, so capturing him would be no easier than taking A and Bee together.
As for the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki... Hmm, that's worth considering.
He'd noticed that the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki was just a young girl, barely ten years old, and seemed unable to fully control the Tailed Beast's power.
Most importantly, Minato had mastered techniques for dealing with Jinchuriki.
Apart from the Uzumaki Clan's bloodline-dependent Sealing Techniques, he'd mastered everything else himself.
Given the chance, capturing a Two-Tailed Jinchuriki who couldn't fully control the Tailed Beast would be no problem.
The only real challenge was how to stall the Third Raikage.
This was crucial.
"I can handle the Two-Tails," Minato said, his face burning with embarrassment.
"But what about the Third Raikage and the others?"
As a teacher, he felt he should bravely shoulder the most difficult tasks, taking on the hardest part himself.
But he knew his limits.
After days of fighting, Raj, Minato, and the Third Raikage were practically acquaintances.
They all knew each other's speed and defenses well.
Minato knew he couldn't defeat the Third Raikage.
"Meow~ I'll figure something out," Raj replied.
Seeing Raj so readily agree only made Minato feel worse.
'This is a terrible way to be a teacher. No authority, no responsibility, no elder's dignity.'
"What's your plan?"
"Meow~ I'll gather Sage Chakra for two Shadow Clones and upgrade the Rasenshuriken by one level. Then, you can seize the Two-Tails during the chaos... You might get hurt," Raj explained simply.
"Could it be...?"
Minato quickly understood what Raj meant by a higher-level Rasenshuriken.
A Great Ball Rasengan, or even a Rasengan beyond that, combined with Wind Release Nature Transformation - an Ultra-Great Ball Rasengan Shuriken.
This transformation wasn't difficult, so Raj didn't need to exchange for it through the System.
As long as he had enough Sage Chakra, he could perform it.
Next, Raj created two Shadow Clones.
In the next moment, three bags of special cat food appeared, and all three clones began to devour them ravenously.
Minato watched with mixed emotions.
According to Raj's plan, he only needed to seal Yugito, capture her, and bring her out during the chaos.
Then, he would return here to retrieve Raj.
But what sounded simple in theory might prove far more challenging in practice.
The more powerful a Ninjutsu, the longer it took to prepare.
The true effectiveness of this technique remained uncertain.
Of course, the sheer intimidation factor was terrifying.
After waiting for a while, all three clones had recovered some Chakra and gathered sufficient Sage Chakra.
Then, with Minato's help, they were all transported to the mountain peak overlooking the Kumogakure's encampment.
Below the mountain, the Third Raikage pondered how to break the stalemate.
In the ninja wars, intelligence was paramount.
His own intelligence had been thoroughly analyzed by the enemy, yet his side knew nothing about theirs.
For example: What exactly was the deal with that cat?
And how powerful was that Wind Release ninjutsu, really?
Since the first day's "camp bombing," Raj hadn't used the technique again, reserving it only for ambushing large patrol groups.
For isolated ninja, assassination sufficed.
Just two people had thrown the Kumo Ninja into utter chaos.
The Third Raikage was eager to test the technique's power, but the enemy refused to cooperate.
Shouting alone wouldn't accomplish anything.
Just then... ROAR!
Matatabi reappeared.
This time, Yugito couldn't restrain the beast.
Matatabi went berserk, unleashing its Tailed Beast Transformation and rampaging through the camp before charging toward the distant mountains.
"What's going on?!" the Third Raikage roared in fury, transforming into a bolt of lightning and charging forward.
'Those two rats are playing me! And you, a mere Two-Tails, think you can challenge me? Are you out of your mind?!'
Electric sparks crackled around the Third Raikage's hand.
Four-Finger Spear Hand.
This was still holding back.
His ultimate technique was the One-Finger Spear Hand, also known as the Strongest Spear.
But as he burst from the camp and closed in on the Two-Tails, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
The chakra surge rivaled that of a Tailed Beast Ball...
"Retreat!" the Third Raikage roared, stomping his foot and abandoning even the Two-Tails as he charged toward a nearby mountain peak.
He had been waiting for this opportunity.
'Come on, face me head-on!'
But the Two-Tails refused to back down, charging toward Raj with even greater ferocity.
In its mind, Raj's repeated use of powerful attacks was a blatant provocation.
How dare a mere cat try to suppress a Tailed Beast?!
Yugito had fully transformed into her Tailed Beast form, but she had already lost consciousness, completely controlled by Matatabi.
The massive beast sprinted agilely, lunging toward the mountain peak.
The Rasengan in Raj's mouth grew stronger and stronger.
One of its Shadow Clones vanished, and the shuriken in its paw grew larger, gradually...
The Third Raikage sensed something was wrong.
'This is nothing like before!'
As he hesitated, a Black Cat Shadow Clone darted out to attack Matatabi, while the original Raj spat out the even larger Rasenshuriken it had been condensing on its paw.
The target: the fleeing ninja behind them.
If this attack struck, the Kumo Ninja would suffer devastating losses.
And with its incredible speed, there would be no time to defend...
'No choice.'
He took a deep breath, activating his Lightning Release Armor to its maximum power, and then whooshed forward.
"Father!"
"Lord Raikage..."
Faint cries of alarm echoed from the distance.
Though the individual voices were soft, their combined volume carried to where he stood.
Matatabi ignored the incoming attack, instead roaring furiously as it swatted at the Shadow Clone.
Influenced by the Jinchuriki and Raj, Matatabi had become increasingly agitated.
The Shadow Clone vanished instantly, not from being struck down, but by dissolving back into Raj's Chakra.
Then, Raj grew larger and charged at Matatabi.
Melee combat?
Bring it on!
In the air, the Third Raikage transformed into a bolt of lightning and surged upward.
In the next instant, his hand morphed into a spear, slicing directly through the Rasenshuriken.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted.
The Rasenshuriken detonated into a massive storm, yet the Third Raikage's figure burst through the chaos like a lightning strike, his body wreathed in smoke and crackling with residual electricity.
But as he emerged, he witnessed a scene that left him utterly stunned.
The Two-Tails and Raj clashed, their physical prowess evenly matched, though the Two-Tails seemed to be at a slight disadvantage.
What shocked him even more was what happened next.
Matatabi suddenly reverted to Yugito, and then he saw another figure: Minato.
The other "rat" from the pair.
In the next instant, they were gone.
'Those damn thieves!'
Pfft!
The Third Raikage coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The Fourth Raikage quickly arrived and, after a careful examination, was stunned.
The Raikage's injuries were severe, especially his hand, which was riddled with holes.