Chapter 41 — The Killer B Duo Forced to Retreat
Two combinations renowned across the shinobi world met at a moment no one had anticipated—and from their very first encounter, they were plunged into a battle of life and death.
This clash was not only a test of their individual strength, but also a harsh examination of their teamwork.
Faced with Killer B's question, Obuya and Shisui exchanged a tacit glance and gave no reply.
There was no need. Their identities were already painfully obvious to both sides.
"Obuya…"
Watching from afar, Rin felt her heart tighten. Aside from the Chūnin Exams, this was the first time she had truly witnessed Obuya fighting with lethal intent against another person.
These were enemies on the battlefield—by every measure, this was a fight to the death.
"The two most famous duos in the shinobi world… to think they'd meet today. I wonder which side will win," someone in the group muttered nervously.
"Of course it'll be Obuya and Shisui! They're Konoha's pride. Besides, how strong can Killer B and that 'A' guy even be? I've never even heard of them…"
Obito stubbornly retorted, refusing to concede even a sliver of doubt.
In truth, the Killer B duo's battle record was at least on par with—if not superior to—Obuya and Shisui's. And the fact that they had just held their own against Minato Namikaze without defeat was already proof enough of their strength.
"This battle will decide who truly deserves the title of the number one duo in the shinobi world."
At that moment, the killing intent on both sides surged to unprecedented heights.
Just as the battle was about to erupt—
Obuya suddenly spoke.
"You two from Kumogakure are rather strange. The war between Konoha and Kirigakure—no matter who suffers defeat, it should benefit you. Yet here you are, interfering with Konoha's reinforcements. Don't tell me Kumogakure has formed an alliance with Kirigakure?"
His words came without warning, briefly stalling the two who were just about to make their move.
Killer B opened his mouth to respond—
"Watch out for genjutsu!!"
A's urgent shout rang out in his ear.
At the very instant Obuya drew their attention with his sudden question, Shisui had already activated his Sharingan without warning, unleashing a secret genjutsu technique.
An invisible force seized their minds, dragging their consciousness toward an illusory void.
"Break free!!" Killer B roared.
The two of them used an unknown method to instantly shake off the illusion.
Their reaction speed had saved them—had they been even a fraction slower and fallen fully into the genjutsu, their bodies would have been immobilized. Even a single blink of vulnerability would have been enough for Obuya to seize the opportunity and kill them both in an instant.
"Earth-Shaking Strike!!"
Obuya reacted immediately. Seeing them break free, he abandoned any attempt at close combat and drove his fist into the ground beneath him.
The punch seemed to carry no power at all. Aside from leaving a shallow imprint, nothing unusual happened.
But that very sight sent a chill through Killer B and A's spines.
"Retreat!"
The moment the warning left their lips—
Crackling streams of lightning erupted violently from the ground beneath their feet.
The earth split apart, then surged upward.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion detonated beneath them.
It was as if a colossal beast slumbered beneath the earth had turned over—shattering the land itself.
Though their reactions were swift and their speed astonishing, the blast radius was simply too vast. By the time the explosion roared to life, its reach had already extended over two hundred meters.
The shockwave expanded into a hemispherical dome, like a giant bowl slamming down over the battlefield.
Even with their Lightning Release Body Flicker, they failed to escape the explosion's range.
Their Lightning Release Armor shattered instantly under the blast. Blood sprayed from their mouths—but that very armor had also saved their lives.
The violent shockwave hurled both of them high into the air.
Shisui, perfectly in sync with Obuya, drew the short blade from his back and vanished with a Body Flicker Technique, striking toward Killer B midair—when he had no means to defend himself.
Blood burst forth.
The strike had been aimed for Killer B's throat. But as a veteran of countless battles, he twisted his body midair at the last possible moment. The blade carved across his abdomen instead.
Shisui followed up immediately, executing the advanced taijutsu technique Swallow Reversal, flipping midair and launching another fatal strike toward Killer B.
At that instant—
A's figure flashed into existence, interposing himself between them.
The blade tore through flesh, carving a long, crimson gash from his right shoulder down to his left rib.
"Move!!"
The moment they landed, the two activated their Lightning Body Flicker once more. With a single flash, they vanished without a trace.
Killer B's furious voice echoed from the distance:
"You two are despicably underhanded! We don't accept this defeat! This grudge… we'll repay it someday!"
His voice faded into the horizon, disappearing entirely.
Obuya wiped the sweat from his forehead.
That last move—Earth-Shaking Strike—was his widest-range killing technique, and also a full-force attack that consumed nearly all of his chakra. Once used, he was left with almost nothing.
It was only because Shisui stood beside him that he dared to unleash it so recklessly. Otherwise, he would never use such a technique lightly—it was the kind of move where either the enemy died… or he did.
Of course, the technique hadn't originally been called Earth-Shaking Strike. It was once Gari's ultimate trump card. After Obuya seized his Explosion Release bloodline, the technique naturally became his as well.
Those watching from afar were completely stunned into silence.
With Killer B blocking their path, they had originally planned to retreat at the first sign of danger—falling back toward the Sacred Tree Forest to avoid total annihilation.
But before they could act, they witnessed a scene so shocking it defied belief.
"No wonder the rumors say they can kill jōnin… even elite jōnin can barely survive against them. It seems those stories weren't exaggerated…"
The spectators swallowed dryly, their mouths parched.
Rin's cheeks flushed with excitement. The figure standing in the distance had already carved itself deeply into her heart.
"How are you? You alright?"
Shisui patted Obuya on the arm.
At the moment, Obuya didn't look well at all—his body showed clear signs of exhaustion.
"It's not the first time. Give me a few hours, and I'll recover."
"But those two… they're troublesome. Even after taking that attack head-on, they were only injured. Their Lightning Release has reached an unbelievable level."
Despite their decisive victory, Obuya felt no particular excitement. Only those who had truly crossed blades with them could understand just how formidable those two were.
Even before the battle began, he and Shisui had already reached an unspoken agreement—they would not allow their opponents to unleash the technique Lariat.
The sheer speed and destructive force of that move were enough that even they weren't confident they could withstand it unharmed.
That was why, from the very start, they resorted to deception—stealing the initiative and forcing their opponents into a reactive position.
When true experts clash, victory and defeat are decided in an instant.
Seizing even the slightest advantage can determine the entire outcome of the battle.
Conversely—
If their opponents had gained the initiative first, forcing Obuya and Shisui onto the defensive, their fate would likely have been no better than that of Killer B and A.