"You… you actually killed Master Shinji?!"
The scream cut through the canyon like a knife. Marong, the female Kaguya ninja, lunged forward, eyes blazing with fury. Raizen's gaze sharpened, his entire body coiling like a spring ready to snap.
Marong didn't waste time with words. She pulled a bone spike from her back, spinning it with a sharp crack toward Raizen. He leapt aside, barely avoiding it. She moved like a predator, her reflexes flawless, attacking again and again.
"Marong, you idiot!"
Yosuke gritted his teeth in frustration. The death of Shinji had shown him exactly how dangerous Raizen was—but the mission came first. Supplies had to be taken, no matter what. He waved his men toward the convoy, leaving Marong to clash with Raizen. One distraction was all they needed.
Raizen smirked under his mask. "Good. Let her think she's got me."
He activated Flying Thunder God, vanishing and reappearing in a blur. The air shifted, his steps almost invisible, but the canyon amplified the sound of his movements in the minds of the approaching Kaguya ninjas. A subtle trick—an auditory illusion.
"What…?!" Yosuke cursed. His men slowed instinctively, defensively, unsure where the phantom footsteps were coming from. Perfect. Raizen had bought precious seconds for the convoy.
"Don't run, kid!"
Marong hissed, fury twisting her features. She thrust another bone spike forward, but Raizen, now in Sage Mode, danced around it. Each of her strikes was precise—but so was he. He landed behind her, forming a fist of invisible chakra, smashing it into her chest.
Her eyes widened. She hadn't seen him hit, yet pain exploded across her body. The Amamiya ninja didn't pause. Raizen was a one-man army, buying time, disrupting their rhythm, and preparing for the decisive strike.
A golden light erupted behind him. A colossal chakra Buddha appeared, thousands of arms stretching as if it were a god overlooking the canyon. Fists clenched, ready to crush everything before it. Every ninja froze, hearts hammering, instinct screaming fear.
"Sage Art: Welcome, Senju's Wrath!" Raizen's voice echoed like thunder across the gorge.
The Buddha's massive fists slammed down. Marong screamed as the golden marks pressed her into the ground. Even the strongest Kaguya ninja tried to resist, only to be thrown like ragdolls. Mountains trembled. Rocks shattered. Blood and chakra mixed in the chaotic storm.
When the dust finally cleared, the canyon was scarred, its walls and floor pockmarked by colossal fist impressions. The Kaguya ninjas lay incapacitated, some unconscious, some… worse.
The Amamiya team stared, stunned. None of them had fired a single attack, yet the battle was over.
"Alright… that's insane," muttered one ninja, eyes wide.
Raizen glanced over his men, expression sharp. Their awe didn't bother him. Strength was respect—always had been, always would be. Once he officially became clan patriarch, this fear and admiration would turn into loyalty.
"Move out!" he barked.
The Amamiya team snapped to attention. Supplies had to reach the Hana-shaped Clan. Raizen led the way, leaving the fractured canyon and fallen enemies behind.
No further ambushes came. Perhaps the Kaguya clan had finally realized they couldn't touch him—or perhaps the first wave had been enough to make them quit. Either way, the convoy arrived safely at the Hana-shaped Clan's territory, where their patriarch waited to welcome them.
Raizen allowed himself a brief smirk. The Warring States era was brutal—but in this chaos, he was carving a legend.
...
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