"Sarutobi Sasuke? Third Hokage's father!"
Raizen blinked. The name lit a spark in his mind, memories of Kakashi's stories flashing briefly. His eyes settled on the boy before him. Only fourteen or fifteen, but his presence screamed Jōnin-level skill. The iron rod in Sasuke's hands whistled through the air, threatening a direct hit to Raizen's skull.
"Huh!"
Reacting instantly, Raizen vanished with Flying Thunder God, reappearing several meters away. Hands forming a swift seal, he called out:
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bomb!"
A silent roar erupted as a colossal dragon of water surged from the ground, striking toward Sasuke. The boy barely had time to react, swinging his iron rod in a defensive arc. The water collided with the metal, exploding outward in steam and spray.
"Fire Style: Liaoyuan!"
Sasuke didn't hesitate. Hands clasped, he inhaled deeply, his stomach swelling unnaturally as a torrent of flames burst from his mouth. The fire spread quickly, licking the edges of the forest in a faint, rolling blaze.
Raizen didn't flinch. Pressing his hands to the earth, he summoned his newest ninjutsu from years of travel:
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A towering wall of water erupted, swallowing the fire and neutralizing the inferno. With barely a pause, Raizen's next technique erupted from the ground: Earth Style: Dragon Ball Technique. Mud and stone shot through the air, smashing through the remaining flames and hitting Sasuke squarely, hurling him backward into the earth. A crater formed where he landed, the mud settling slowly.
"So… a stand-in?" Raizen muttered, noting the figure in the pit. Always alert, he readied himself—and sure enough, the iron rod struck again from beneath him, a sneak attack.
"As expected of a genius," Raizen thought, smirking. "Uses a trick once, I dodge. Uses it twice, I turn it back on him."
In a blink, Raizen grabbed the rod mid-air, yanking Sasuke toward him while seizing the boy's throat with his other hand. Shock widened Sasuke's eyes. He dropped the rod, which vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Ah… right. Sarutobi rods, all crafted by the Summoning Beast and demon ape," Raizen mused.
"Who are you? Why kill my ninja?" Sasuke asked, voice calm but wary.
"Amamiya Raizen. As for why your ninjas fell… perhaps you should ask them," Raizen replied, his voice faint but cutting.
Misunderstanding or not, it was too late—several Sarutobi clan ninjas already lay dead. Sasuke clasped his hands, a patch of earth forming under Raizen's feet. But Raizen didn't linger. With a burst of speed, he rushed toward Hatake Gintama, leaving Sasuke behind.
Sasuke's anger flared. He pursued, but Raizen's Flying Thunder God technique made him impossible to pin down. Every weaker ninja who crossed Raizen's path fell before they could react. Within moments, several Sarutobi ninjas were beheaded, their commander cursing under his breath.
"The kid—stay away!"
The commander shouted. The remaining ninjas stepped back, leaving Gintama free to breathe.
"Raizen… didn't expect to meet you here," Gintama said, relief and happiness flickering in his silver eyes.
"Yup." Raizen exhaled, a wry smile hidden beneath exhaustion. Five years, and their paths crossed in the same chaotic way.
"Stop these ninjas first!" Raizen instructed before darting back into the fray. Sasuke glared, watching as Raizen slaughtered Sarutobi's weaker ninjas instead of engaging him directly. One by one, five or six fell in moments.
"Disgraceful!" Both Sasuke and the commander ground their teeth. Their forces dwindled, morale faltering.
"Gintama got lucky this time. Next time, it won't be that simple. Withdraw!" the commander ordered.
The Sarutobi ninjas reluctantly obeyed, retreating as the wandering mercenaries cheered at the survival of the clan.
"Finally… it's over," Gintama muttered, relief washing over him. The battle had been tight, deadly. Without Raizen's intervention, the carnage might never have ended.
Yet even as enemies fled, losses weighed heavily. Gintama's eyes softened with grief at the fallen comrades, a silent acknowledgment of the cruel fate that followed ninja clans in wartime.
"Perhaps… this is the fate of a ninja," he whispered.