"Boom!"
The ground shook violently as Raizen slammed into it from Amamiya Gen's kick. Before Gen could recover, he scanned the battlefield, noticing the scattered Flying Thunder God kunai—but Raizen had already reappeared in front of one, ready for the next move.
"Of course… he moves by teleportation!" Gen muttered, his eyes narrowing. Without hesitation, he formed a series of hand seals and pressed them to the earth.
"Earth Style: Earth Cover Everstore!"
The ground convulsed violently. Cracks spider-webbed outward, and chunks of earth sank, burying the original Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Earth Style: Land Cover Eternal Burial!"
Raizen's kunai wasn't buried deeply enough, so Gen slammed his hands again. A solid clay coffin erupted from the earth beneath Raizen's feet. The boy's legs were pinned as the clay encased him like a trap.
"Not good!"
Raizen cursed under his breath. He yanked a kunai from his bag and hurled it forward.
"Your ninjutsu depends on teleportation through kunai," Gen said calmly. "Limit your kunai, and you'll have nowhere to run."
With a subtle twist of his hands, Gen's chakra flared.
"Wind Style: Uzumaki!"
A massive whirlwind erupted, engulfing the Flying Thunder God kunai mid-flight. Raizen's teleportation attempts were instantly disrupted, the kunai swept back into the turbulent vortex. Even the most agile movements could not escape the Jōnin's control.
Raizen's eyes widened. Damn… this guy isn't just strong; he's a nightmare strategist.
In mere minutes, Gen had analyzed the weaknesses in Raizen's teleportation techniques and countered them—a Jōnin's mind was as sharp as their chakra was potent. But surrender? Not in Raizen's vocabulary. He vanished from sight, planting another Flying Thunder God kunai in the process, ready for a counter-attack.
"It's gone again!" Gen muttered, frowning. Raizen's unpredictable teleportation made him nearly impossible to pin down. Even a seasoned Jōnin struggled against such a foe.
"Patriarch, I'm getting serious now!" Raizen's voice echoed. He had already prepared a Flying Thunder God kunai for escape, weaving it into his next strategy.
"Bring it on," Gen replied, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
Raizen produced a large chunk of clay from his ninja bag. With a flick of his wrist—and, well, a little theatrics—he spat it into the air, shaping it into a giant clay bird. Leaping onto it, he soared high into the sky.
"This… is Douren's detonating clay!"
Gen's eyes sharpened. Finally, he saw why Raizen had killed ordinary Jōnin with just a flying clay bird and teleportation tricks. This boy wasn't just talented—he was terrifying.
"Lightning Style: Thunder!" Gen shouted.
A torrent of lightning streaked from his hands, arcing toward Raizen high above.
Raizen maneuvered the clay bird deftly, simultaneously spawning smaller clay birds and grasshoppers to harass Gen. The elite Jōnin gritted his teeth, firing lightning strikes to destroy the explosive clay while still keeping an eye on Raizen's aerial maneuvers.
Lightning Style neutralized the detonating clay. Each struck bird or grasshopper fell to the ground as harmless lumps, stripped of their explosive potential.
Raizen's frown deepened. If this keeps up, my clay supply won't last long… I need a new plan—and fast.
The sky became a battlefield of lightning, clay, and teleportation—a duel of wit, skill, and instinct. Neither fighter gave an inch.
...
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