Three steps.
The moment the young man landed, he took only three steps forward—yet with each step, the Guard Captain felt as though his heart was being clenched by an invisible fist, crushed, and then torn apart. In the same instant, his chakra bled away like water through a broken dam. His eyes lost their light, and darkness closed in.
At the side, Tsunade and her teammates had gone beyond shock, their faces now dulled with numb disbelief. They had never seen ninjutsu like this before—techniques so strange and overwhelming they could not even sense what chakra nature they belonged to.
In truth, it was because when this mysterious man unleashed his jutsu, there had been no trace of chakra at all.
Only the energy that swirled around Raiden Takuma when he had bent the Water Dragon Bullets to his will had revealed itself—yet to them, this force was alien, unrecognizable. They could only feel a suffocating oppression that pressed down upon their very souls.
For Orochimaru, however, that pressure only solidified his resolve. His desire to become this man's disciple burned brighter than ever. Those two techniques alone—the first, which strengthened and hurled back an enemy's jutsu, and the second, an ability akin to a devastating sound-based technique—were not inferior even to the forbidden jutsu inscribed in the oldest scrolls.
He, who had already begun experimenting with creating new jutsu of his own, could already sense the priceless value of these arts. If he could become Raiden Takuma's apprentice, if he could learn even a fragment of this power, then one day he might not only stand atop the ninja world—he might even surpass it.
As Orochimaru's mind spun with ambition, Tsunade stepped forward to offer her thanks.
With Hanzō of the Salamander and his elite guards destroyed, the power of the Hidden Rain had been gutted. Their mission in the Land of Water was more than complete; it was a staggering, unexpected victory. This mysterious man was not only their savior, but, in truth, a benefactor of the entire Land of Fire.
But Raiden Takuma barely spared her a glance. He had not acted to help them—he had only struck because these fools had dared to offend his dignity. If they had not attacked him, he would not have cared in the slightest. These three were hardly worth his notice.
Their gratitude was meaningless to him. They had nothing he sought.
With a cold, detached voice, Raiden Takuma finally spoke:"Where is Konohagakure?"
Only then did the three of them jolt back from their lingering shock. They suddenly remembered their original task: to bring this enigmatic powerhouse back to the village as a guest, to introduce him to the Third Hokage.
Their master, Sarutobi Hiruzen—the Professor, the so-called God of Shinobi—was said to surpass even the First and Second Hokage in mastery of ninjutsu. Perhaps, once these two titans met, this man's icy demeanor might soften.
Tsunade quickly pointed out the direction. Yet in her heart she cursed him quietly: this man was like walking ice, cold to everyone without exception. The only relief was that, so far, he bore no hostility toward them.
Raiden Takuma's gaze swept toward the direction she indicated. Without hesitation, he released his inner energy—an aura of Immortal Essence—wrapping the three in its flow before soaring into the sky with them in tow.
Their pace was far too slow for him. It was easier simply to carry them himself.
Below them, the forest stretched endlessly, trees blurring into a sea of green as they streaked past. The distance to Konoha shrank with each heartbeat.
Then, suddenly, Raiden's spiritual sense caught something. Ahead, three small children trudged along, their steps weak and unsteady. Their clothes bore the marks of the Hidden Rain.
Raiden's eyes narrowed. A memory stirred.
According to the "original timeline" of Blue Star's Naruto, it should be around this time that the Legendary Sannin encountered three orphaned children who had fled Amegakure: Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
It was here, in this very moment, that Jiraiya would take them under his wing as disciples.
And those three… their futures were boundless.
Nagato, who would one day wield the Rinnegan and ascend to godlike power.Yahiko, who would forge Akatsuki with his own ideals.Konan, whose paper wings would one day blot out the sky.
Not one of them was a simple existence.