"Huh!"
Raizen dropped from the sky in a blink, teleporting down from his giant clay bird with Flying Thunder God. A Hyuga ninja happened to be standing right where he landed. Before the man could react, Raizen's kunai sliced through his throat. Hot blood sprayed across Raizen's face, giving him the sort of feral grin only a reincarnated survivor could wear.
"Earth Style—Earth Dragon Bullet!"Another ninja on the flank roared, chakra erupting violently as the ground beneath him twisted into a massive earth dragon. Mud and stone surged toward Raizen like a tidal wave.
"Family? War doesn't care about families," Raizen muttered coldly, reading the fear and grief in the ninja's eyes. Even so, he didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, a specially crafted kunai shot forward, his form vanishing into nothing.
The earth-dragon user coughed, a red line across his throat marking his end. Life drained with the blood as he fell, his bitter gaze locking on Raizen until the last moment.
"Eight Trigrams—Sixty-Four Palms!"A Hyuga ninja lunged toward Raizen next, forming the signature Eight Trigrams beneath his feet. His palms moved in a blur, striking with storm-like speed.
"Not good…" Raizen's mind raced. The ninja's attack was relentless, but through Byakugan, he could see Raizen—but what he didn't know was that Raizen in front of him was just a clay clone.
"This is Flying Thunder God… perfect for detonating clay," Raizen thought. He teleported again, leaving a clay avatar behind. The Hyuga ninja struck at it immediately, releasing a barrage of chakra fists. By the time the storm passed, it became clear—the target had been a clone.
A bitter laugh escaped the Hyuga ninja's lips. With Byakugan, he should have seen through the trick—but the clone vanished in an instant.
"Detonate!"The clay exploded violently, consuming the ninja completely. Flying Thunder God was too fast, bypassing Byakugan's perception and leaving nothing but devastation.
"That boy…"The Hyuga commander in the rear muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Body Flicker Technique… or some kind of Space-Time Ninjutsu…"
He had reason to worry. Whoever was deploying detonating clay this quickly was not just fast—they were deadly. The next chakra-strike he directed could obliterate Raizen if he hesitated.
"Eight Trigrams—Mountain Break!"A massive shockwave blasted outward, crushing the rocks in front of the Hyuga lines. Raizen's senses screamed danger. In an instant, his body vanished and reappeared on the far edge of the battlefield. He summoned another giant clay bird beneath him, soaring into the sky.
"Can't keep doing this… too many eyes," he muttered, watching the Mountain Break carve a chasm through the terrain. Three Uchiha coalition ninja caught in the blast were shredded before they could react.
Raizen realized something critical: the attention he'd drawn was no longer from Genin or Chūnin. Elite Hyuga Jōnin were now aware of him. Their chakra levels, coordination, and raw strength far outclassed the average ninja. Even someone confident in staying undefeated had to acknowledge the danger of facing true Jōnin-level threats.
One mistake now, and Flying Thunder God alone wouldn't save him.