After the chaos in Loulan, Raizen finally left the city behind.
The Dragon Veins had erupted beyond control, and the locals, even with all their skill, could never hope to harness such raw power.
So Loulan sealed it away, leaving only memories of what had happened.
Raizen didn't linger. The Land of Fire was calling, and he returned there with a purpose.
After more than ten days of travel, he reached the borderlands near the Land of Earth.
"Every place has its own scenery," he muttered, eyes scanning the rocky forest. "And this border feels like a mix of Earth and Fire."
Large green trees grew stubbornly out of stone cliffs, wind whipping through the jagged rocks. Raizen inhaled, feeling the raw energy in the air, and sighed quietly.
Over the past year, he'd pushed himself harder than ever—training, meditating, and mastering Sage Mode.
His goal was clear: to end the Warring States once and for all. Not through diplomacy, not through alliances, but through raw, unshakable strength.
He'd watched the Fire Nation during his journey, noting where corruption, cowardice, or incompetence festered.
Every observation, every skirmish, every injustice he corrected was another piece of the puzzle.
Raizen understood this truth now:
Strength isn't just physical—it's the only currency that matters in war.
Without it, no plan, no alliance, no cunning would change the endless cycle of bloodshed.
After months of relentless training, Raizen's current power—without Sage Mode—would already place him among elite Jōnin.
Enough to crush lesser clans, enough to survive nearly anywhere… but far from enough to end the Warring States alone.
He needed allies, followers, a network strong enough to dominate the Ninja World once he was ready.
Yet, Raizen refused to beg for loyalty. Wandering ninjas approached, hoping to join him. He refused each one.
Not because he didn't want allies—but because strength and reputation must come first.
"Keep getting stronger, keep reshaping minds, and the followers will come to you," he thought, smirking as he strode forward.
Lost in thought, Raizen entered a deep valley. A sudden twinge in his senses made him freeze.
"This… feels wrong."
Sage Mode heightened his awareness—every vibration, every ripple in the air.
A sense of malice and disgust coiled in the valley like a living thing.
Before he could fully analyze, a sudden shockwave slammed against him, nearly throwing him off his feet.
"What the—?!"
Reaching into his ninja pouch, he unleashed a giant clay bird. It shot into the sky, lifting him above the valley floor.
From the center, a white behemoth emerged, roaring into the heavens. The sound wave alone shattered nearby rock, echoing like thunder through the mountains.
Raizen's eyes narrowed. Behind the monster, a group of shinobi fought desperately to contain it.
"My lord, this beast… we can't—" a bloodied ninja shouted, panic written across his face.
"Idiot! Stick to the plan!" a middle-aged leader barked, kicking the man aside. His voice was steel.
"Enchantment team, expand the barriers! Attack team, strike!"
The command was instant. Five shinobi spread out, hands clasped, summoning blue chakra barriers that trapped the beast.
The white behemoth roared, slamming against the invisible walls.
Shockwaves rattled the attackers, and cracks formed in the barriers.
"Move!" the leader yelled.
The attack squad surged forward.
"Earth Style 0.5: Sink in the Floor Shell!"
The ground beneath the beast shifted violently, mud sucking it down.
"Earth Style: Earth Binding Body!"
"Earth Style: Solid Rock Technique!"
Three more shinobi formed massive hands of solidified mud around the monster, pressing it tight like cement.
The final ninjutsu hit—the last bindings solidifying every crevice of the creature.
No matter how it thrashed, struggled, or howled, the white behemoth could not break free.
Raizen hovered above, watching silently. "Interesting… a live training ground disguised as chaos. Not bad."
Even amidst the wreckage, his mind ticked over the possibilities—how to use this valley, these warriors, and this creature to strengthen himself further.
Because in the Warring States, only those who see everything as a stepping stone survive.
And Raizen intended to survive… and then rewrite the rules.