"I want to become stronger! So strong that no one in this world can hold me back!"
Raizen clenched his fists, feeling an unprecedented surge of determination. For the first time, his path was clear.
"Left-wing eldest brother, I'm going to train!"
He didn't have the strength yet to meddle in coalition affairs, and wasting time worrying would only slow him down. Every second counted—he needed to grow stronger, faster.
"Understood!" the left wing said, nodding with relief. The Amamiya clan thrived because of ninjas like Raizen.
Raizen's focus was the Flying Thunder God Technique he had just acquired. He could control it, yes—but he didn't yet know how to integrate it with his detonating clay. Before the battlefield erupted between the Uchiha and Hyuga coalitions, mastering this combination was a matter of survival.
Deep in the forest, Raizen didn't waste time overthinking. He began crafting special Flying Thunder God kunai. The first stage of the technique was basic, but it required precision: coordinates were essential, and without them, the technique was useless. He converted over twenty of his ninja tools into specialized kunai, ensuring he wouldn't run out mid-battle.
With his tools ready, training began. The goal: harness the speed and instantaneous reaction Flying Thunder God demanded.
"Huh!"
He tossed a kunai toward a massive tree—and vanished. Reappearing, he landed on the other side, scanning the tree now looming before him. With a leap, he pushed off, avoiding the sudden obstacle.
"Flying Thunder God's space jumps demand razor-sharp reflexes. Reach your target in an instant, strike fast, then kill. That's the rhythm," Raizen muttered.
He still struggled to anticipate sudden changes after each jump, so he practiced relentlessly.
"Swish!"
Kunai flashed through the jungle like streaks of black lightning. Raizen jumped, twisted, and dodged, syncing with the unpredictable coordinates. Each landing, each rebound honed his control over the sudden bursts of movement the technique unleashed.
"Ding Ding!"
Three kunai shot through the forest, leaving trails of light, and Raizen found himself hanging upside down from a branch, one kunai nailed underfoot.
"Five hours… finally getting a feel for the speed Flying Thunder God brings. Not like the Fourth Hokage yet—but enough. Now it's time to combine this with my detonating clay."
He dropped to the ground, chest heaving. Five straight hours of high-intensity training had drained his chakra to the limit. Were it not for the Amamiya clan's abundant reserves, he might have collapsed—or worse.
"Tomorrow, I train again. The forest at night is far too dangerous to experiment further today."
Reluctantly, he stashed his special kunai and headed back to camp.
Returning, Raizen noticed a shift. Where there had once been calm, a tense, deadly silence had fallen. The Uchiha coalition had finalized negotiations. Judging by the grim expressions and the oppressive atmosphere, tomorrow's battle would see the full might of the coalition pressed into Lingshan Gorge against the Hyuga forces.
"The battle… it's finally here."
A spark lit in Raizen's eyes. With Flying Thunder God at his disposal, he felt an unshakable certainty: he would carve out a decisive advantage in this war, and perhaps even change its course.