"You have to rescue Raizen! He's the clan's hope—we can't let him die like this!"
Amamiya Jane's voice cut through the commotion, sharp and commanding. She had sprinted back from the battlefield, summoning the family's ninja and rallying them to save Raizen. But not everyone agreed.
Nagasuke opposed the rescue. "Ueshi Dezheng is an elite Jōnin," he argued coldly. "Even with our numbers, sending ninjas there is almost useless. By now, Raizen—a low-ranking Genin—might already be dead. And if we empty Songshan Mine to chase him, we risk losing it entirely. The guards left behind would be held accountable."
His reasoning struck a chord with many. Even Miyamu, usually the peacemaker, nodded slightly in agreement.
But others were enraged. How could they sit idle while Raizen, one of their own, faced mortal danger? Debate erupted into shouting matches, splitting the clan. One faction argued that the clan's cohesion depended on rescuing Raizen, regardless of risk. The other claimed that practical survival came first.
"You're absolutely wrong!" Nagasuke's voice rang with icy suspicion. "Amamiya Jane, you claim Raizen is our responsibility—but isn't it strange how easily the Ueshi clan would let this happen? I suspect you have some secret deal with them!"
Cold light glinted in Nagasuke's eyes as he continued, tightening the tension. "And Raizen himself is suspicious. If we send all our ninja after him and they never return… what happens to the Amamiya clan then? Think carefully!"
Some listened, torn between fear and doubt. Others thought he was overreacting—how could Jane betray the family? The room buzzed with whispered questions and mistrust.
Raizen, lurking outside, had overheard enough. Stepping in, he glared at Nagasuke, eyes sharp, deadly intent barely contained. He wasn't a saint—and Nagasuke had just lit the fuse.
"Raizen!" Amamiya Jane exclaimed, startled. She hadn't expected him to return safely.
Nagasuke, however, barely flinched, a smug glint in his eyes. He had already imagined Raizen dead. "So tell me, Amamiya Jane, how did he escape? Surrounded by Ueshi and Hyuga ninjas… yet here he is. Come on, explain!"
The gathered ninja froze. Ueshi Tokusho was an elite Jōnin—how could Raizen possibly have survived? Some began to fear that Raizen and Amamiya Jane had secretly colluded with the Ueshi clan.
Raizen's lips curled into a cold, confident smile. "You want to know how I got back?" he said, voice low, dangerous. The room leaned in, curiosity piqued.
He let out a low growl, the stubborn fire in his eyes burning bright. "This is how I escaped."
Before anyone could react, Raizen activated Flying Thunder God. He vanished from sight, moving so fast that even the air seemed to resist him.
Nagasuke lunged, trying to stop him, but a sudden black figure materialized behind him. A tight grip clamped on his throat—swift, precise, and completely unexpected.
The clan froze. Raizen was back, and he had returned on his own terms.