"How's it going over there?"
Raizen and Madara glanced back after finishing their skirmish, only to see Uchiha Rei and a Hyuga Jōnin still locked in a brutal clash.
Two Hyuga underlings who had been shadowing the Jōnin were already cut down by the kids, cursing like idiots as they fled deeper into the jungle.
"You two are incredible!"
Uchiha Rei and the Jōnin called out, watching the fleeing Hyuga. But they didn't pursue. Instead, their gaze shifted to Madara and Raizen, admiration lacing their words.
"This mission is complete. We need to hurry back to camp and report to the elders!"
Raizen and Madara nodded in agreement. Three high-level hostile ninjas had appeared alarmingly close to the Uchiha camp—how had they slipped past the Uchiha coalition's patrols? Suspicious instincts flared, but they let the Jōnin escape, trusting the elders to handle it.
Then—a familiar sound pinged in Raizen's head.
"Ding!"
Eyes widening, he saw the system's notification: First Mission Complete. A gleaming silver treasure chest appeared in front of him.
"Open it!" he commanded.
The chest trembled before releasing a single, peculiar kunai. As he stared, a message flashed in his mind:
First Stage – Flying Thunder God Technique!
"Wait… what?!" Raizen muttered, jaw dropping. A legendary jutsu, right out of the blue? And this wasn't just a scroll—the kunai itself was keyed to a special coordinate system for teleportation.
"Do you accept it?"
The cold mechanical voice repeated. Raizen didn't hesitate. "Accept!"
Immediately, the knowledge of the first stage of Flying Thunder God filled his mind. The gift-coordinate kunai materialized in his ninja bag.
This is basic-level space jump, he thought. You mark a specific item with coordinates, then teleport to its location. Practical? Off the charts. Escape tool? Definitely.
A grin spread across his face. With this… plus the giant clay bird, nobody on this battlefield can touch me unless they're a serious shadow-level threat.
Madara raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
Raizen waved a hand, feigning casualness. "Hah, nothing. Just… happy. You know, defeated a couple of high-level ninjas. Feeling accomplished."
"Humph." Madara snorted but a faint smile tugged at his lips, pride flickering in his eyes.
"Don't think you're off the hook," Raizen teased, smirking. "You look way too pleased with yourself."
Madara's face flushed crimson. "You—" He glared, fists clenched, clearly embarrassed.
Raizen laughed, shaking his head at his reaction. Classic Madara.
While they were bantering, the group finally returned to camp. Raizen and Madara handed in their mission report, while Uchiha Rei and the Jōnin relayed their encounter to the Uchiha elders. Whatever decisions followed were beyond Raizen's control.
With paperwork submitted, Raizen and Madara headed back to their quarters, ready to recover and cultivate their energy for the next mission.
Raizen barely had a moment to breathe before he noticed the eldest of the left-wing siblings rushing back in from outside, face pale and urgent. Something told him this was just the calm before the next storm.