High above, the clay bird hovered silently. Its watchful eyes—the avatar—spotted movement in the shadows below. Raizen, on the ground, hadn't noticed the three ninja tailing him yet, but his aerial double fed the information back instantly.
"Huh… they're fast," Raizen murmured with a faint grin. He didn't move. Instead, he finished his meal, stretched his muscles, and began training in the creek.
"Accuracy's stable… think I can try Chidori now?" he muttered to himself. His chakra control had reached the point where he could sense the tiniest shifts in elemental properties—thunder chakra and standard chakra alike. Rasengan training had already taught him shape manipulation; merging it with elemental thunder was the next step.
Chakra surged to his left hand. A faint, flickering spark formed, growing quickly into hundreds of sharp, chirping arcs—like a thousand birds singing in unison. Raizen's grin widened. With precise control, he compressed the lightning into a dense, lethal form, the energy humming with barely contained violence.
The three ninja in hiding froze. "What… is that?" Yamashita-san muttered under his breath, eyes flashing with deadly intent. Thunder chakra condensed in the hands of this young shinobi—a boy barely their age. In the Warring States era, such raw strength in another family's ninja was an unforgivable threat. Yamashita-san decided, silently, that this moment would decide life or death.
"That's incredible! And he's as young as you, right?" the black-haired boy whispered, awe and disbelief in his voice.
The white-haired boy beside him clenched his jaw. "No matter how strong he is… he'll die soon."
The black-haired boy went silent, unease flashing in his eyes as he glanced at Raizen. Yamashita-san ignored the chatter and melted into the shadows, diving underground to flank the young shinobi. The white-haired boy cautiously advanced, with the black-haired boy following reluctantly behind. Duty overrode hesitation—this was a family task, after all.
From above, the clay bird's avatar monitored every move, unseen. Raizen's body remained calm, entirely focused on the crackling thunder chakra in his hand.
A sudden crescendo of chirping erupted—thousands of tiny, sharp arcs forming the final shape.
"Chidori!"
He launched. The speed was blinding, the force devastating. The creek's surface erupted as the electrical currents injected into the water, purple lightning cracking and dancing wildly. The energy exploded in a violent burst, throwing water and stone into the air.
"Earth Style… Rock Pillar Prison!"
Five massive stone pillars shot up from the creek, trapping Raizen mid-strike.
"Shoot!" a low voice bellowed. Two ninja figures materialized from the jungle, blades aimed at the trapped shinobi.
A strange smile spread across Raizen's face. "Heh… predictable."
The moment the blades neared, Raizen vanished, leaving the attack slicing through thin air.
"Disappeared!"
The two attackers jumped back, eyes scanning every shadow, but Raizen was nowhere. The breeze stirred, mist rising from the creek, thickening rapidly. Every angle, every hiding spot, could conceal a predator.
The fog grew denser. A chilling voice echoed through it:
"The throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid arteries, collarbone, kidneys, and heart… which one should I strike next?"
Steel gripped tight in the hands of the three ninja. The predator wasn't visible, but it was there. Waiting. Watching. Hunting.