Smoke curled around the sky like mourning ribbons.
The once proud stadium stood in ruins—shattered stone, cracked tiles, blood soaking the walls.
In the center of it all, Benimaru stood—not speaking nor moving.
His gaze drifted slightly to the chaos around him—even from where he stood, he could make out the faint image of destruction by the village gates.
The sound of Leaf and Sound ninja fighting rang through the air.
A foreign ninja rushed straight towards him.
He whispered,
"Another one. You are running to your death."
He flicked his fingers lazily, a concentrated beam of chakra piercing through the ninja's skull—killing him instantly.
Kakashi landed beside him, his vest stained with blood, eyes softening.
"You're too young to be witnessing scenes like this," he expressed his concern.
Benimaru dismissed his concerns with a wave but was touched.
Kakashi cared about him that much—or maybe he didn't want children witnessing war.
Regardless, it showed heart.
A forced smile graced Benimaru's lips, but even Kakashi could tell it was fake.
"Old enough to fight. Old enough to kill," he said casually, hiding his inner turmoil.
But his gaze hardened sharply.
"What about the other genin?"
"I sent Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sakura to help Sasuke with Gaara," Kakashi answered.
Benimaru nodded.
"And the Hokage?"
"He is currently battling with Orochimaru."
Benimaru's eyes widened. For a moment, he wanted to rush in—to help.
But he knew that the battle going on there was far beyond him.
Steeling himself, he turned his gaze towards the village gates—that was where his attention was needed.
"I trust you to handle the rest," he said, to which Kakashi nodded.
He had come to respect the Ryota strength. From the short display so far, he may even be stronger than him.
Guy dropped down next to them. His green jumpsuit reeked of blood.
"You two talk too much. The enemy is already halfway to the village."
Kakashi sighed.
"Yet you're still smiling."
Guy gave Kakashi a thumbs up.
"That's what heroes do. If we can't find it in ourselves to smile, then how can we ease the people we try to protect?"
Guy smiled at Benimaru, reassuring him.
"Go, Benimaru. We will protect this village, I swear it."
Benimaru smiled. Despite the battles going on, he was glad that people could still find it in them to smile.
Dashing forward, he took one last glance toward the rooftop.
With a single thought in mind—
'You better win, old man.'
Arriving at the village gate, Benimaru saw the destruction unfolding firsthand.
Leaf shinobi were struggling to fend off against Sand and Sound.
They couldn't effectively attack while saving civilians—they were at their wits' end.
Landing beside what looked to be a chuunin,
"I'm here to help. What do you need?" Benimaru said, tone resolute.
The chuunin looked at him, seemingly sizing him up before brushing him aside.
"This isn't a kid's battle. Get to shelter immediately."
Benimaru's gaze hardened—he was being underestimated.
A sharp cry broke them both from their thoughts.
A child, looking no older than six or seven, was trapped in rubble.
Without thinking, Benimaru blitzed forward—reappearing beside the little girl.
With a flick of his wrist, he easily destroyed the piece of debris.
He placed his hand on her hair, trying to comfort her.
"It's okay now, you're safe."
The chuunin's eyes widened. He had barely moved—yet Benimaru had saved the girl like it was nothing.
"Maybe I was wrong about you," he admitted. "There's a three-headed snake attacking us. We need help taking it down."
Benimaru's gaze hardened. He was no longer a savior—he was a ninja.
"I'll handle it."
"WHAT! ARE YOU CRAZY? THAT THING HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ALREADY!"
There was no response—causing the chuunin to back down.
"Fine then. I'll leave it to you."
Benimaru smirked, then looked to his side.
The child clung to his arm, trembling. Her small fingers shook as she pointed behind him.
Benimaru turned—eyes narrowing.
From the distance, a massive shadow loomed over the battlefield.
Dust and debris rained down from above as something crashed into view.
A three-headed snake.
The chuunin's eyes paled.
"It's here…" He attempted to run but saw Benimaru standing still. "It's your turn, kid. Don't die."
Benimaru made a peace sign.
"Of course I won't."
He knelt down to the girl's level and told her to get to safety—now he could fight for real.
"I'll end this in one strike," he muttered.
Benimaru's chakra surged—dark, ominous, evil.
It completely went against what Benimaru stood for. But right now—he had no choice.
His chakra skyrocketed to levels never seen before.
It was like an endless stream of power. The ground beneath him broke and disintegrated into dust.
Benimaru raised both hands into the air, forming a chakra sword.
It pulsed with a dark glint as he gripped it tightly, his knuckles turning white just from the force.
The snake turned to him—its eyes sharpening. This chakra was unlike anything it had ever felt before.
"This will be the only attack I need," Benimaru muttered.
In an instant, his flow of chakra stopped abruptly.
The sound of rubble shaking and glass shattering became less and less prominent—
Till it came to a halt.
Everything stopped.
Then began anew rapidly.
The trees howled in pain.
Walls crackled for seemingly no reason.
The sound of water droplets hitting the ground filled the air.
The sight was breathtaking.
A deep breath was taken into Benimaru.
"Getsuga," he spoke softly, slicing the air cleanly in a crescent arc. "Tenshō."
The second the words left his mouth, the world split.
A slash composed of nothing but pure chakra permeated the air.
It was white, ethereal, pure—godly. A complete contrast to the essence of Benimaru's current abilities.
It met its target with a clean cut—no resistance, no way to resist.
It was beautiful.
Benimaru stared at his hand. This was the move he had created—unlike his chakra blade, which was only close range.
This new move could be used for long-range maneuvers, making it more versatile.
And deadly.
Benimaru's gaze shifted upwards.
The clouds had been split into two.
The three-headed snake collapsed, its body divided cleanly in half—steam rising from the cut.
Benimaru's hands slowly lowered, breathing steady but shallow.
The world around him looked empty.
He felt the gaze of Leaf shinobi on his back—some of awe and reverence, others of envy.
The chuunin from earlier had his mouth gaping in shock.
"One strike… that was just one strike."
But Benimaru didn't care—he was a man on a mission. Nothing more.
He lowered his head slightly.
"Maybe I overdid it," Benimaru said to himself.
A blur appeared in his vision, instinct took over, and he raised his forearm to block a kick.
The force alone creating shockwaves as dust spiraled upwards.
The figure jumped back, allowing Benimaru to get a clear look at him—but before he could…
A hand rested gently on his shoulder, then a new voice echoed behind him—confident, deep, and oddly cheerful despite the carnage.
Benimaru's eyes widened sharply—he could barely react.
"Overdid it? Kid, you saved half the village."
Benimaru turned slightly. A tall man with long white hair and red markings on his face stood atop a broken rooftop, arms folded, a proud grin stretching across his face.
Jiraiya of the Sannin.
Jiraiya hopped beside him.
"You handled that summon pretty well for a youngster," he chuckled. "I was about to take it out myself, but I guess you beat me to it."
Benimaru shrugged.
"I just did my duty."
His eyes twitched
"Do you wanna tell me why you attacked me"
Jiraiya waved him off.
"I was just testing you. And now that I have a good look, I can tell. You're not a bad person"
His grin widened.
"But anyway that's a good mindset to have." He ruffled the boy's hair, much to his displeasure.
"That was an impressive display. It wasn't like any jutsu I've ever seen."
Benimaru scoffed.
"It's my own creation." He puffed his chest in pride.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow but kept silent.
"Is that so?" he muttered under his breath."What's your name?" Jiraiya asked.
Benimaru, who was preparing to dash off, stopped abruptly.
"My name is Ryota Benimaru."
With that, he disappeared—leaving Jiraiya alone to revel in the chaos.
"Ryota, huh?" he mused.
"I thought I recognized you."
Jiraiya stared at the divided clouds—they were brimming with residual chakra.
"I'm sure you would be proud of him," he whispered, a single tear flowing down his cheek.
"Hana."