The screams, the blood, the chaos—this was the only truth of the battlefield. Thousands of ninjas had crowded into the narrow expanse of Hefeng Gorge, and the valley had become a hell carved from steel, stone, and human grit. Fire and smoke rose like dark pillars, mingling with the scent of blood. Limbs flew, stumps tumbled, and every surviving ninja's thought boiled down to one primal instinct: kill or be killed.
Even the strongest—Jōnin, elite Jōnin—could fall here, swallowed by the frenzy of weaker warriors. Survival wasn't earned by skill alone; it was a gamble, a dance with death where even a scratch could decide your fate. Everyone swung their weapons not out of honor, but because hesitation was a death sentence.
Across the gorge, the disparity in numbers was brutal. The Kaguya Clan had deployed 300 ninjas on the left and right flanks, totaling over 600 at the front. The coalition forces of the two allied clans had barely over 300 to hold the line. Every clash, every swing of a kunai, widened that gap, and the coalition's frontlines began to buckle.
"Hahaha! Let me tear through the weak all I want!"
Patriarch Kaguya Kyōhei decapitated a coalition ninja with casual brutality, his laughter echoing like a bell of death. But before the moment could settle, a black shadow streaked across the battlefield, halting him.
"What's happened?" Kyōhei demanded, eyes narrowing.
The messenger ninja gasped out the news: "Patriarch, the supply convoy on the Clear Plains—it was attacked. All supplies and escorts have been destroyed!"
Kyōhei's expression darkened. His instincts screamed danger. These weren't ordinary raiders—they were bold enough to strike directly at the Kaguya Clan's lifeline.
"What should we do now?" the ninja asked, voice tight.
Kyōhei's gaze swept across the battlefield, now a churning sea of carnage. Supplies were gone. Reinforcements weren't coming fast enough. Without the materials, even his own ninjas' endurance would crumble. There were only two choices: withdraw and wait, or smash the coalition forces completely and seize their supplies.
"If we fail," Kyōhei murmured, voice low but fierce, "my rule will weaken. Those who oppose me will rise. No matter the cost… the coalition must be wiped out today."
The Kaguya ninjas rallied, sensing the patriarch's fury. Morale surged as Kyōhei led the charge, cutting into the coalition ranks with precision and ruthlessness.
Meanwhile, Raizen—Douren—returned on his giant bird, eyes scanning the valley below. The Kaguya Clan had attacked the coalition while he had been away. He didn't hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, he leapt from the bird, descending into the fray.
"Huh!"
A Kaguya ninja, laughing while finishing off a coalition fighter, felt a sudden pain in his throat. His scream died in a blur of crimson as his body collapsed. Raizen's presence was already turning the battlefield's tide.
"The coalition is losing ground," Raizen thought coldly. "Time to hit the big fish and give everyone hope."
Kaguya Kyōhei, noticing Raizen rushing toward him, smirked at the boyish figure and shot bone-spur projectiles from his hand.
"Huh!"
But Raizen was gone in a blink. Reappearing in front of Kyōhei, he let a kunai graze the patriarch's cheek, leaving a thin streak of blood. Kyōhei staggered back, startled.
"Impressive," the patriarch muttered, a glint of cold light in his eyes. Raizen's form blurred, moving like a living shadow. Kyōhei lunged, his bone spurs erupting in a deadly array—but Raizen vanished again, this time appearing on Kyōhei's left.
"What ninjutsu is this?!" Kyōhei's greed and curiosity flared, momentarily distracted by the boy who moved faster than the eye could follow.
Raizen's lips curled into a sneer. "Time to show these Kaguya ninjas exactly what a little hope looks like."
In the midst of despair, the coalition's morale needed a spark—and Raizen, relentless and cunning, was about to become that spark.
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar