Her gaze swept across the surrounding figures before finally settling on the man standing at the front.
She recognized him immediately.
He was the leader of the Iwagakure shinobi squad she had robbed yesterday.
Seeing him now—accompanied by such a large group—it was obvious he had allied with shinobi from other villages, intending to besiege her.
Standing beside the Iwa captain was a dark-skinned man wearing a Kumogakure forehead protector.
The cloud shinobi frowned as he looked toward Ryoma, then turned to the Iwa captain.
"Black Light," he said in a deep voice, "didn't you say Terumi was alone? Why is there another companion?"
Black Light shook his head.
"I don't know. Maybe they only teamed up in the past couple of days."
He sneered.
"But this time, we've brought enough people. Even if there's one more, what can he do?"
Black Light was fully prepared.
From his previous clash with Terumi, he had learned a crucial weakness: although her Kekkei Genkai was extremely powerful, its activation speed was not fast, and its effective range was limited.
That was precisely why he had sought out shinobi from Kumogakure, a village famous for speed-based combat. Their plan was simple—eliminate the strongest contender in this exam arena first.
There were still four days before the exam ended. Even if things went wrong afterward, they would still have time to recover.
Damn it…
Terumi's expression darkened.
My chakra and stamina haven't fully recovered yet. If I fight now, I'll be at a serious disadvantage.
If she were in peak condition, she could still deal with this group.
But now…
Thundercloud and Black Light clearly noticed her state as well. There were faint abrasions on her body, and her breathing was uneven.
The two exchanged a glance, a faint smile tugging at the corners of their mouths.
"Looks like we're lucky," Thundercloud said.
"She's not in top condition."
Confidence surged within Black Light. His gaze shifted toward Ryoma, and he smiled.
"Hey," he called out loudly.
"Our target is just that beauty over there. If you leave now, neither I nor my men will make things difficult for you."
In this exam, Terumi was universally acknowledged as the strongest candidate.
Although Black Light didn't know who the masked man was, he assumed Ryoma was just someone clinging to Terumi for protection.
Given Terumi's weakened state, Black Light believed a simple divide-and-conquer tactic would be enough to scare Ryoma off.
However, Ryoma's response made his expression stiffen.
"I suggest you hurry up."
Ryoma remained seated cross-legged, completely unmoving.
"If it's not necessary," he added calmly, "I don't want to act."
Although Ryoma had only guided Terumi on a whim, once he had chosen to intervene, her affairs naturally became his own.
Besides, Terumi was strong enough to handle these people herself under normal circumstances. It was only because her training had drained her stamina that she was in this state.
Letting her be taken advantage of like this left a bad taste in his mouth.
Black Light, however, had no intention of listening.
He was already angered by Ryoma's words.
Even if Terumi looks down on me… but you? A nobody who can only cling to her coattails—how dare you speak like that?
His hands flew into seals.
Just as he was about to activate Earth Release, his gaze met Ryoma's eyes.
—
Boom!
A violent shock exploded within his mind.
It felt as though an invisible battering ram had slammed into him head-on.
Black Light's body was hurled backward like a broken kite, smashing through the trees behind him before crashing to the ground.
He lost consciousness instantly.
"What just happened?!"
Most of the surrounding shinobi were completely dumbfounded.
All they saw was Black Light preparing to attack—and in the next moment, he was flying backward and collapsing unconscious.
But unlike the others, Thundercloud and Terumi knew exactly what had happened.
Ryoma had done this.
Even though he remained seated on the rock, motionless, they could clearly sense that Black Light's sudden defeat originated from him.
"He didn't move at all… was that a genjutsu?"
"But if an illusion cast through the eyes alone can achieve this kind of effect…"
Cold sweat trickled down Thundercloud's forehead.
At that moment, he realized something terrifying.
The man before him was the true threat.
His strength was likely even greater than Terumi's at her peak.
"Good perception."
Ryoma glanced at Thundercloud, clearly noticing the difference in his reaction compared to the others.
Then—
A massive surge of chakra erupted from Ryoma's body.
For Ryoma, it was nothing more than a normal release of chakra.
But for the shinobi facing him—
It was like the gates of hell had opened.
The dense, oppressive chakra rolled through the air, pressing down on everyone present. Not only Thundercloud and his men, but even Terumi felt as if she were being submerged in a raging river.
Several weaker shinobi began to tremble uncontrollably.
Ryoma slowly raised two fingers toward Thundercloud.
"You have two choices," he said calmly.
"First—attack me. Then let your subordinates carry you away."
"Second—leave now, and don't interfere with us again."
Thundercloud clenched his fists, staring at Ryoma with an expression full of conflict.
Is he really this confident?
Who is he? If he's this strong… why is he even here?
Just as Thundercloud hesitated, Ryoma spoke again, his tone unchanged.
"Don't waste time."
Finally, Thundercloud took a deep breath.
His gaze steadied, and he nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
As a shinobi, his dignity would not allow him to challenge an opponent like this recklessly.
Ryoma had already made his stance clear.
Continuing the fight would only lead to humiliation—and worse.
With that, Thundercloud signaled his subordinates.
They turned and withdrew, carrying Black Light with them, leaving the forest in silence.
At the very least, he had to land a hit.
That was the pride of a shinobi.
"Shhhhh—"
Lightning erupted around Thundercloud's body. Electric arcs crawled over his skin as Lightning Release chakra surged outward, forcibly enhancing his physique. For a short time, his physical abilities were pushed to the limit, approaching the endurance of a true taijutsu specialist.
His eyes locked onto Ryoma.
The figure sitting calmly before him appeared full of openings—yet in Thundercloud's perception, it was like facing an impregnable steel fortress.
For a moment, he didn't even know where to begin.
Ryoma did not urge him on.
He remained seated on the stone, posture relaxed, no different from before—as though Thundercloud wasn't even worth his attention.
Nearby, Terumi couldn't help but glance at Ryoma.
That calm, effortless composure—like a gentle breeze drifting through a battlefield—carried a strange, irresistible charm. Her heart skipped uncontrollably.
What am I thinking…?
It's an illusion. Just an illusion…
She scolded herself internally.
Time passed.
The lightning surrounding Thundercloud grew increasingly violent, crackling louder and brighter. Even the other shinobi nearby felt their nerves tighten under the mounting pressure.
Yet Thundercloud made no move.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
Finally, he realized that if this continued, he would collapse under the psychological pressure alone.
With a sudden stomp, the ground beneath him shattered.
Thundercloud thrust both hands forward as lightning gathered violently in his palms. A massive chakra construct burst forth—
A gigantic tiger formed entirely of lightning roared into existence.
Lightning Release: Thunder Tiger!
This was the strongest ninjutsu Thundercloud could currently unleash.
Driven by all his remaining strength, the furious Thunder Tiger charged forward, wrapped in roaring lightning. Its enormous jaws gaped wide, as if ready to devour Ryoma whole.
BOOM!
The Thunder Tiger slammed into Ryoma, exploding in a blinding flash of lightning.
"Yes!"
Several shinobi couldn't help but shout in excitement, releasing the suffocating pressure Ryoma had imposed earlier.
But almost immediately, their expressions froze.
The lightning gradually faded.
And what they saw made their blood run cold.
Ryoma hadn't moved.
He was still sitting there.
His left hand was extended forward—pressed directly against the body of the Thunder Tiger.
The ferocious lightning construct, moments ago roaring with destructive power, was now completely restrained, like a tamed beast caught in its master's grip.
The violent lightning couldn't even leave a mark on Ryoma's palm.
Then—
Crack.
With a casual squeeze, Ryoma crushed the Thunder Tiger.
The chakra dispersed violently into the air before vanishing without a trace.
"…The gap… is this large?"
Thundercloud stared at Ryoma in disbelief.
A deep, bone-chilling sense of helplessness rose from the bottom of his heart.
The world spun.
Darkness swallowed his consciousness.
He collapsed.
(End of Chapter)
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