"Your opponent… is me!"
Raizen—Flying Thunder God Kunai in hand—landed gracefully in front of the three Ueshi Jōnin. Calm. Collected. Deadly.
The three Ueshi Jōnin froze for the briefest moment, exchanging glances heavy with disbelief and grudging respect. The little ninja before them—this "Raizen"—had already cut down Ueshi Tokusei, an elite of their clan. One might think that feat alone would intimidate them, but they were Jōnin. Pride outweighed fear.
Three against one. That's what they thought. Even with Raizen's reputation, their combined strength could overwhelm him—if they acted together.
One of the Jōnin slammed his hands to the ground. The earth trembled violently, softening beneath Raizen's feet. He staggered, barely maintaining balance.
"Hah, Ueshi Tokusei's trick… but rookie-level execution," Raizen muttered under his breath. The ground technique—Huang Quan—was impressive in its origin, but the way it was being wielded here? Amateur hour.
No time to gawk. Another Jōnin lunged, a glinting blade slicing the air toward Raizen's head. Reflexes kicked in. He vanished in an instant, teleporting with Flying Thunder God.
The last Ueshi Jōnin reacted the moment Raizen reappeared, slamming a palm into the ground. A clay dragon erupted at his side, snapping viciously toward Raizen.
"Coordinated, I'll give you that… but not enough!" Raizen smirked, vanishing again.
This time, he appeared directly in front of the Jōnin who had used Huang Quan. A high-speed, spinning Rasengan materialized in his right hand, pressing forward.
Boom!
The Jōnin was obliterated in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing but a charred imprint on the wooden floor. Another metallic slice sound cut through the chaos, and Raizen disappeared again without hesitation.
"Too fast… can't track him at all!" the remaining Ueshi Jōnin shouted, panic creeping into their practiced composure. The reality of Flying Thunder God struck them—the figure vanished and reappeared unpredictably, impossible to lock down.
Raizen reappeared with a grin, tossing another Flying Thunder God Kunai into his ninja bag. After that, he moved at the absolute limit of his technique, a blur of afterimages darting between the three Jōnin. Even the Huang Quan trembled beneath him, unable to pin him.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" the Ueshi Jōnin cried, raising their defenses to the max.
Raizen stopped mid-blink, toes sinking into the swampy earth. Water exploded outward, droplets scattering. He pressed a hand forward.
"Bing Dun·Qianxiang: Water Kill!"
The droplets transformed into tiny, jagged ice shards, spraying outward like a lethal hailstorm. The three Jōnin scrambled, deflecting and dodging as best they could.
Raizen formed his hands again, and from the swamp, a towering cone of ice shot upward, aiming directly at one Jōnin.
"Impossible…" the ninja hissed, forced backward by the sudden, relentless attack.
But it wasn't over. From the corner of his vision, the Jōnin saw a strange kunai slicing past. His eyes narrowed to needles, muscles tensing as he tried to retreat.
Stab.
Scarlet blood splashed across the ground. Another Raizen—teleporting with a Flying Thunder God Kunai—appeared behind him, sending the blade through. His armor was pierced, leaving a deep, vivid scar across his chest.
"So strong…" the Jōnin muttered, tasting fear for the first time. A moment slower, and the wound would have been fatal. Raizen's name had already become a death sentence.
The battle had just begun, but one truth was already clear: against Raizen, even elite Jōnin were prey.