Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Encounter with the AB Combo

Early the next morning, Haneda stood by the window of the inn, gazing over Frost Village. Before him lay a landscape of white, with faint blue-tinted ice houses and people dressed in thick clothing walking along the icy pathways.

Asuma approached him, concerned:

"Haneda, leaving the window open will let the cold air in. You might catch a chill."

Haneda nodded in response, though he, with his Sage Body, was unlikely to fall ill. But he didn't want to worry Asuma.

Seeing a troubled look on Haneda's face, Asuma asked curiously, "Are you worried about the mission, Haneda?"

"Yes and no," Haneda replied, shaking his head slightly and looking westward over the ice houses and across the frozen plains. "If this mission goes smoothly, the war between the Leaf and the Cloud will end soon."

"That way, fewer lives will be lost." He silently added to himself, 'Then I and Uncle Sakumo can head over to the Land of Waterfalls.'

Asuma admired Haneda's compassion, thinking, 'This is just like him—always caring for others.'

Suddenly, two figures with deeply tanned skin appeared in Frost Village. One seemed to be rapping while the other looked serious and observed the villagers with an intense gaze. It was unmistakable—they were the future Fourth Raikage and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B!

"Brother, what's the worry over just one Haneda? Yo, yo, chill it out, keep it cool!" Killer B rapped, ignoring the stares and whispers of the villagers, absorbed in his world.

Seeing Killer B's carefree attitude, A scolded him with a punch.

"Haneda was involved in capturing the Fourth Kazekage! We need to be on guard. Got it?"

"Every time, you say that, and every time, you charge in like a berserker! Yo, yo, yo!"

A seized Killer B's shoulder, ready to give him a lesson but refrained from fighting in the village to avoid causing trouble.

At this point, a Frost Village representative arrived, bowing respectfully:

"Welcome, esteemed Cloud emissaries. Please, let's continue inside."

A, however, ignored him, demanding, "Where are Haneda and Asuma?"

"If the emissaries wish to meet them, a formal request should be made first," the Frost representative replied cautiously.

His job was to lead A and Killer B into an ambush, not to engage them directly. He was well aware of their reputations: A, the son of the Third Raikage, renowned for his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki—both immensely powerful. Only someone of Haneda's caliber could face them.

But A, irritated, insisted, "Take me to Haneda and Asuma now!"

The Frost representative, a jonin, couldn't help but feel slighted. "As emissaries of the Cloud, do you not know common courtesy?"

"I'm no diplomat," A snapped back. The Frost representative paled—had their plans been exposed? Killer B grinned, continuing his rap:

"Brother says be careful, yet here we go, straight into the action!"

Relieved, the representative realized A and B were just being themselves. Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up—it was Haneda.

"So, you wanted to see me?"

Four figures appeared before A and Killer B: Haneda stood in the center, flanked by Asuma and the Frost Village leader, Higashiyama Michizaki. Michizaki, still under Haneda's control, seized the opportunity to declare:

"How arrogant of the Cloud! You do not respect Frost Village! But the Leaf treats us with kindness, even offering to assist in maintaining peace in the Land of Frost!"

Then he commanded the surrounding Frost shinobi:

"Now, take down these arrogant interlopers!"

Though his words sounded unlike anything Michizaki would say, none of the Frost elites objected. Some of the villagers speculated about an alliance between Frost and the Leaf, so they complied with the leader's order, arming themselves and preparing to engage.

Seeing himself surrounded by a thousand Frost shinobi, A broke into a sweat. Even with his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the odds were overwhelming, especially with Haneda watching closely. Killer B, however, laughed and continued his rap:

"Surrounded by the Frost, oh, brother, what do we do? Yo, yo, yo!"

"And they probably have Leaf backup waiting nearby. Let's run!"

With a deep breath, A activated his chakra, glancing at the surrounding shinobi and Haneda, who was eyeing him. "Run," he said, before pulling Killer B and dashing away at incredible speed.

Haneda was momentarily surprised—they were known for their aggression, yet the Cloud ninjas fled without a second thought. But he couldn't let A and Killer B escape. Their capture would be a significant bargaining chip in negotiating an end to the war.

Haneda's Sharingan spun as he quickly calculated A's trajectory, then moved swiftly, drawing his blade, Akatsuki, while lightning crackled around it with Chidori's cry. Slashing forward, lightning arced toward A and Killer B, forcing A to stop and block the attack.

"Stay put," Haneda said calmly. "The Leaf and Frost have prepared one thousand shinobi for you two. That should be enough respect."

As he spoke, hundreds of Leaf shinobi, hidden around the village, appeared on the rooftops. There were three hundred Leaf shinobi in all, with hundreds more closing in from outside the village.

Frost was entirely locked down.

Michizaki, following Haneda's lead, shouted:

"The Leaf is Frost's eternal ally! Their enemies are our enemies! Join me, Michizaki, in repelling the Cloud's insurgents who threaten peace!"

Some Frost shinobi were initially confused, but at their leader's call, they joined the Leaf shinobi, encircling A and Killer B with no openings for escape.

Satisfied, Haneda nodded. A direct confrontation with A or Killer B alone would have been challenging, but the advantage of numbers made a significant difference. Few could overcome a massive force—only a rare few like Madara Uchiha. Even the Second Hokage and Third Raikage had once fallen to overwhelming numbers.