Tenzo, Hyena, and Fox hurried over after seeing Tōma wave them down.
The moment they arrived, all three froze.
Shock wasn't even subtle on their faces.
"Captain," Tōma said first, bowing his head slightly. "I disobeyed your command. I'll accept whatever punishment comes later. But there's something I need to make clear."
His tone sharpened.
"Please don't keep taking these kinds of missions for my sake. I didn't join ANBU to waste time on low-risk assignments."
That last line was blunt. Deliberately so.
If Tenzo refused, Tōma was prepared to go straight to the Third Hokage and request a transfer.
He liked this team.But his purpose came first.
Hyena and Fox both looked uncomfortable. Instinctively, they wanted to argue, but the image of the decapitated rogue shinobi shut them up.
That kill had been terrifyingly clean.
If they had been the target, neither of them believed the outcome would've been different.
In the end, any irritation they'd felt dissolved into something closer to awe.
Tenzo studied Tōma for a long moment before nodding.
"I understand. From now on, I'll take missions at the same difficulty level we handled before you joined."
"Good." Tōma exhaled quietly.
Then Tenzo added, "Inkshadow… it seems we all underestimated you."
Tōma didn't deny it.
"Then please state the punishment for disobeying orders," he said calmly. "I'll accept it."
Fox and Hyena both looked at Tenzo, ready to speak up if needed.
But Tenzo shook his head.
"No punishment. Failing to recognize a subordinate's true ability is my responsibility as captain. This time, it's on me. But don't do it again."
"Yes, sir."
The tension finally eased.
Hyena and Fox were visibly excited now. They'd gained a terrifyingly strong teammate.
Tenzo, however, felt something more complicated.
He won't stay in this squad forever, he thought.Keeping someone like him in ANBU long-term would be a waste.
But that was a problem for the future.
For now, Tōma was part of the team.
They collected the rogue ninja's body and began the return journey.
As they traveled, Tōma's thoughts drifted back to the fight.
The target's reaction time had been… disappointing.
But then again, comparing anyone to the Fourth Hokage was unfair. Even half of that level was rare.
The lightning-enhanced kunai he'd thrown had nearly killed the man outright.
Still, that wouldn't have showcased what Tōma needed it to.
The Flying Thunder God had.
But something else bothered him.
I didn't even throw that kunai at full power.
If he'd fully reinforced it with Lightning Release, both speed and penetration would've increased significantly. Against slower opponents, that alone might've been lethal.
Then a thought sparked.
What if he pushed it further?
A concept surfaced in his mind.
Lightning Cutter Kunai.
The Lightning Cutter already caused extreme acceleration, to the point where users struggled to react. If that force were applied to a thrown weapon instead of a hand…
The raw power might drop slightly, but the blade would compensate.
More importantly, it could eliminate Lightning Cutter's biggest flaw: the user's tunnel vision.
He vaguely remembered something similar. Kakashi, maybe?
The idea had merit.
Of course, there were problems.
Miss once, and he'd waste a massive amount of chakra. At his current level, he couldn't afford many attempts.
So how to improve accuracy?
Simple.
More speed.
At absolute velocity, technique and finesse mattered far less.
Even an Uchiha wouldn't easily adjust to something moving that fast.
Could he push it even further?
Tōma searched his memories. Naruto knowledge didn't offer much.
But his previous life did.
A blinding image flashed through his mind.
A railgun.A super electromagnetic cannon.
He looked at the crackling lightning around his fingers.
Electromagnetism… electricity and magnetism are inseparable.
He didn't have Magnet Release.
But physics didn't care about bloodlines.
The problem was his knowledge.
He grimaced.
I really should've paid more attention in school.
Still, trial and error was an option.
The potential payoff was massive.
Electromagnetic acceleration combined with Lightning Cutter…
Initial velocity, followed by further acceleration after release.
Tōma's eyes gleamed.
If this works… who could possibly react fast enough?
As for the name?
He shrugged internally.
I'll worry about that later.
One thought lingered, bitter and amused all at once.
They weren't kidding. Learn science well, and you can terrorize other worlds.
Too bad his science grades had been terrible.