Late at night.
Lock had waited for more than ten hours before moving in the early hours of the morning.
Through the vision of the scouting seal, he still had a clear sense of direction. His chakra was fully recovered, his body rested, so he began the journey back.
This time, his purpose wasn't infiltration, just return. That made things simpler.
Lock gripped the marked kunai, infused chakra, and vanished — space bending around him as he tore through a dozen kilometers in an instant. Piece by piece, he began retracing the path toward the border of the Land of Hot Water.
It was smooth… until suddenly, it wasn't.
He materialized almost face-first into a thick tree trunk, stumbling back. Cold sweat prickled his spine. Space–time movement wasn't like running — there was no sense of terrain in-between. You simply appeared where the kunai allowed. If there was an obstacle in that space, you hit it.
Once, he had reappeared above a river and almost plunged headfirst. Only chakra control saved him.
"Damn it," he hissed, exhaling. "If this had been inside a village, I'd probably have landed inside someone's house."
As he steadied himself, a sudden ring between the night.
"Lariat!"
Two shadows burst from either side, lightning crackling across their bodies as they closed in like thunderbolts.
Lock's eyes widened. He didn't hesitate. Chakra surged, and his figure blurred into the void — invisibility swallowing him whole.
"He used the same trick as before," a calm voice called out.
It wasn't Raikage Ai or Killer B, but the sensory-nin supporting them.
Lock gritted his teeth. They brought a sensor… no wonder they found me so quickly.
He couldn't target someone he couldn't see — his Blink Strike required a visible form. The sensor's voice gave him direction, but not a body to lock on.
They adapted this fast?
The Raikage's speed and Killer B's unpredictability — those were enough headaches already. Now, with a sensor feeding them warnings, his usual advantage was suppressed.
Lock emerged from the void, kunai flashing toward the Raikage. He knew it was futile, but he needed to test. His blade struck Ai's cloak of lightning, sparking harmleDid the? .adaptoment, he shifted again — this time toward Killer B. His kunai darted forward, aimed for the back.
But B twisted at an unnatural angle, one of his seven blades intercepting the thrust with a ringing clang.
"Yo! Back attack? I'm already guardin', fool, ya fool!" Killer B rapped as he spun, grinning in the dark.
Lock's jaw clenched. Once is luck… twice means skill.
The Raikage didn't even bother dodging when Lock lunged again. Ai knew Lock's blade couldn't pierce his lightning armor. He stood firm, unshaken.
Every strike, every feint — crushed. Against anyone else, this technique was a certain kill. Against these two monsters, it was like stabbing at mountains.
The moment his chakra thinned, Lock knew he was in danger. He blurred behind Killer B one last time, kunai sinking into flesh — but barely an inch before steel slammed toward his face. Sparks flared as blade met blade.
He couldn't disengage. The space–time kunai's power needed preparation. His reserves weren't ready.
"Bee!" the Raikage barked.
"Got it, bro!"
Killer B pressed harder, twin swords cutting arcs that left Lock no space to breathe. Then Ai's massive frame blurred — faster than Lock's eyes could follow.
Too fast!
The Raikage appeared at his back, palm crashing down like an axe.
Crack!
Lock's left arm snapped under the blow, bone shattering despite chakra reinforcement. Agony exploded up his nerves, nearly ripping a scream from his throat.
The Raikage's force didn't stop there. His palm strike carried through, slamming into Lock's chest with thunderous impact.
Blood burst from his lips as his body was hurled through the night sky, spinning like a ragdoll before crashing into the earth.
The forest trembled.
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