In the dark forest, the figure of a young man moved swiftly between the trees, constantly glancing over his shoulder for signs of pursuit. He looked tense, but when flickers of movement suddenly surrounded him from all sides, the expected panic never came. Instead, his eyes grew so calm that they seemed almost cold.
One of the figures flickered in front of him, ready to speak, but before a word could be uttered, a lightning wolf burst forth. The beast struck with brutal efficiency, tearing into the man and numbing his body with crackling chakra before vanishing into sparks.
All around him, the same scene played out and each attacker dropped before they even realized what had happened. None were left alive.
The young man glanced around at the carnage, his voice cutting through the quiet forest, "Do you still have the courage to confront me?"
As if in answer, more flickers appeared in front of him but this time, the newcomers were better dressed, their gear and bearing clearly marking them as higher-ranked shinobi. One of them stepped forward with a mocking chuckle.
"Old man Roku, you can drop the disguise. In this entire region, there aren't many who can handle lightning jutsu like that. We don't ask for much, just let us all have a piece of that ore and we'll leave you alone. Otherwise, who knows what might happen to Zukoma Village?"
From the shadows, Ren watched it all unfold, hidden just out of sight.
He had expected Roku's show of killing intent at the auction to draw a few opportunists, but these attackers were a pleasant surprise. They weren't just random thugs; they were some of the strongest combatants from the surrounding four villages, clearly hoping to take advantage of Roku alone in the woods.
This was good infact this was much better than he'd hoped for. These weren't worthless targets, all of them were around level 70 so they might actually be strong enough to push Roku into a corner, which was exactly what Ren wanted to see. He ignored their posturing and threats, focusing instead on the moment the real battle would begin. That was the only part worth watching.
Roku stood still for a moment as the five attackers spread out, each one circling around him, by this time he had already shed his transformation and was once again in his normal appearance.
He looked at the five attackers and thought, 'Hm, this shouldn't be the test prepared by the lightning envoy, these guys are too weak to give me a challenge and he should know this too, so I must save energy while dealing with these guys.'
The attackers moved first as a trio of kunai flew toward him, aimed at his throat and chest. Roku flicked two fingers and a quick [Lightning Style : Lightning Pulse] burst from his palm, snapping the blades midair and forcing the thrower back.
But the attacker didn't miss the chance as he warned his companions, "Everyone, we just need to land a single hit on this old man and he wouldn't be able see the sun rise tomorrow so attack with all your might and we will all share the benefits."
The rest of the attackers all knew that Roku had been injured for many years and his physical body had become very weak so as the earlier one said, just one solid attack was needed and it would be their victory.
One attacker lunged in, blade drawn low to slash Roku's side, but Roku was already gone, his body flickering aside as a thin trail of sparks burned where he'd stood.
His counter came quick as a single palm thrust released a focused [Lightning Style : Thunder Palm] that smashed into the attacker's ribs, sending him crashing into a tree trunk.
The other four didn't waste time. One formed rapid hand seals, launching a wide [Fire Style : Fireball Burst] that lit up the trees. Roku ducked low and slammed his palm to the ground, a wave of [Lightning Style : Grounding Discharge] pushing the flames upward harmlessly before exploding in a ring of sparks that forced the attackers to break formation.
Two came from either side. Roku spun backward just as a blade skimmed past his shoulder. A quick twist of his wrist sent a [Static Cage] snapping around the attacker's legs, arcs of electricity binding him for a moment. Before Roku could finish him off, the other attacker's staff came swinging in low. Roku jumped, the strike missing his ankles by an inch.
In the air, he clapped his hands together, chakra flaring, and dropped a crackling [Lightning Style : Thunder Lance] that stabbed straight into the ground. Lightning exploded outward in a quick shockwave, forcing all five to retreat again. They regrouped without pause, shifting positions to cut off Roku's escape routes.
One of them vanished into the trees, trying to circle around for a blindside. Roku pretended not to see him, instead facing off against the three in front. A flurry of shuriken came at him, mixed with explosive tags. He threw up a [Lightning Style : Thunder Wall] which was actually a spinning disc of lightning chakra that disintegrated the projectiles midair.
As the explosions hit the barrier, the hidden attacker leapt from behind, blade poised to pierce Roku's spine. Roku stepped forward at the last second and the attacker's blade cut only air. Roku turned, slammed a palm into his chest, and released a point-blank [Lightning Style : Arc Burst] that threw the man back ten meters, smoke rising from his singed clothes.
Roku moved again, never staying still. Another attacker dashed in with a broadsword, aiming for Roku's legs. Roku backstepped and pivoted, and a thin line of lightning gathered at his fingers. With a snap, he fired a needle-thin [Lightning Style : Piercing Spark] that stabbed through the attacker's thigh, dropping him to one knee as he cursed Roku.
The fourth attacker spat out a stream of water, trying to dampen Roku's chakra flow, but Roku jumped high and clapped his hands above his head. From the sky, a cascade of [Lightning Style : Chain Bolts] rained down, forcing all five to scatter under the snapping arcs of blue light.
The moment they broke formation, Roku landed behind the weakest one, grabbed his shoulder, and pressed two fingers into his spine. A single [Lightning Style : Lightning Stream] hit point blank, the man's body convulsed before dropping limp to the forest floor, steam rising from the wound.
Seeing one of their own fall so cleanly, the remaining four attackers hesitated just a second too long.
One of them spoke to the others, "Damn it! This old man has gotten stronger instead of dying, it doesn't look like we'll be able to get the chakra metal ore today."
One of them raised his blade again, but the other three pulled him back and spoke, "No need to attack now, the next wave of attackers must be coming by now, let's let them tire this old man a bit more and then we will act."
In the next instant, they flickered away into the dark trees, leaving behind their dead companion.
Ren frowned slightly as he observed the fight, if it could even be called that.
'His control over Lightning chakra is impeccable. He even cast a few small backup jutsu that were only visible to me because I'm watching from a third-person view. If I were fighting him head-on, I could easily counter them thanks to Hyperfocus, but these guys don't have that, so their combat level drops and they couldn't even push him to use his secret technique.'
He tapped his finger on his knee, hidden in the shadows. 'Let's send a few clones to test him out first.'
With his plan decided, he first sent out just two clones to test whether Roku would fold or hold his ground.
Roku, who was just about to move deeper into the forest, paused and frowned when he suddenly sensed two new presences. They felt stronger than the earlier attackers which meant they were clearly not just bandits or greedy hunters. A thought crossed his mind, 'Are these the men the Lightning envoy sent to test me?'
Before he could think further, the attackers moved into view, both covered from head to toe in black garb. They didn't waste time on words and they attacked immediately, closing the distance in sharp bursts. Roku narrowed his eyes; whatever happened here might decide his village's future, so he focused all his attention.
As soon as the first attacker struck, Roku unleashed a series of quick Lightning jutsu, deflecting their weapons and parrying blows with lightning-infused palms. All the while, he discreetly reached into his robes and flung small metal rods onto the ground, planting them in an irregular pattern.
One of the attackers got a bit too close just as Roku finished placing the last rod so Roku's hand seal flashed instantly, arcs of Lightning shot out, connecting the rods in a crackling grid across the ground.
The first attacker stepped right into a live line between two rods. Sensing danger, he sprang backward just as a bolt seared through the air where he'd been standing. Sparks danced across the dark clearing, forcing both attackers to pause and reassess the field.
Roku stood calmly at the center, feet planted firmly, scanning their movements. The two attackers circled, testing different angles. Each time they stepped too close to an active arc, lightning would flash in straight lines, tight arcs, even shallow angles depending on their elevation.
It didn't matter if they leapt high or ducked low, the rods adjusted the arcs accordingly, making every approach risky.
Seeing no easy path through, one attacker switched tactics. He formed hand signs in a blur and slammed his palm onto the ground. The earth cracked and rumbled beneath the rods, threatening to break the connections.
Roku didn't hesitate as he flicked his fingers and the rods pulsed, lightning lifting them free from the fracturing soil. They shot outward, replanting themselves outside the danger zone in a wider spread. Sparks flickered along the new grid as Roku formed more signs.
A dome of surging Lightning rose up from the rods, converging into a single point above Roku's head. From that dome, random bolts struck down at the attackers like a localized storm, forcing them to stay on the move and split apart.
The two tried to regroup, but Roku anticipated it and he flung more rods, cutting off their path and forming another grid. As he weaved new signs, he locked eyes on each target, waiting for the moment they slipped.
When their positions lined up just right, Roku made his move. Five rods for each clone flared bright. In a flash, arcs lashed out from all sides, forming a cage of Lightning that struck inward at once.
The attackers tried to dodge, but there was nowhere to go. The arcs slammed into them but instead of pained screams, Roku heard two soft puffs echo in the clearing.
He narrowed his eyes, slightly startled as he recognized the sound immediately. He'd seen Leaf shinobi use this jutsu before. 'Shadow clones,' He exhaled sharply. 'So they weren't from the Lightning envoy. It's the damned leaf village.'
He straightened, scanning the treeline with new caution. The real attacker was still out there and now they knew exactly what he could do. Seeing that no one came at him right away, he spoke first, his voice carrying through the forest.
"Shinobi from the Leaf Village," he called out, hands never stopping as he continued to place his metal rods in a precise pattern. "I haven't yet decided what I want to do, and there's still time before the agreed date. So why are you in such a haste? Don't tell me, the great Leaf Village can't even wait a few days for a mere S-ranker who isn't even truly one."
He finished setting another rod, its tip crackling faintly with contained Lightning chakra. One by one, the rods settled into the earth, they were seventy-two in total, each spaced perfectly around him, forming a formation that hummed low like distant thunder.
Roku kept scanning the trees as he continued, his tone slightly nervous but mostly calm. "Please wait until the agreed time. Otherwise, while it wouldn't cause us much real harm, the Leaf's reputation might take a hit. After all, many people know I came here and some of them have ways to make things, inconvenient for your village."
The silence that followed was thick enough to hear the crackle of the rods. Then a playful voice floated out from somewhere unseen.
"You've made me wait for so long and now you're asking to leave? And more importantly," The voice turned serious but a faint edge of amusement was still there. "Aren't you way too overconfident in yourself?"
Roku narrowed his eyes. The tone was young, almost like.
'A kid?'
But the chakra behind the voice was anything but casual.
The same voice spoke again, "You really don't know your true worth. Let alone you even if your entire Zukoma Village was wiped out tonight, the effect on the Leaf would be, at most, a slap on the wrist. But that'd be the end of you, wouldn't it?"
Roku felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. The rods hummed louder, and he flexed his fingers, ready to channel more chakra if needed.
Then the voice took on a playful lilt again, "But don't worry, I'll give you a fair chance to live, so."
The voice cut off and Roku's instincts screamed at him, he turned sharply to his right just as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Blue lightning crackled around him.
But before the attack landed, that same voice piped up once more, now almost sheepish.
"Ah, by the way, I'm not from the Leaf. I'm from Cloud. You bought something that was stolen from us, so I have to take it back. And you're a stubborn customer, so, I have to kill you, I promise."
Roku almost choked on his own breath. He bit down on a curse, his hand tightening around the nearest rod as his mind raced.
'Like hell anyone would believe that!'
~~~
{You guys believe it right? The attacker is definitely not from the leaf village, the leaf is getting bad mouthed without any reason.}
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