Chapter 14 — Advancement
Tanaka Ueno's face twisted into a hideous grin, his expression feral and unhinged. He laughed loudly, the sound rough and manic, like a rabid dog that had finally found prey worth tearing apart.
"Ha—ha—ha!"
The laughter hadn't even faded when—
Whoosh!
The sharp whistle of air splitting rang out.
Five kunai shot toward Raizen at once, each flying from a different angle with frightening precision. The blades cut through the air like streaks of black lightning, their trajectories carefully calculated to block any possible escape route.
For most shinobi who lacked clan support or powerful bloodline techniques, advanced ninjutsu was a luxury they rarely had the chance to learn. Outside of the academy basics, obtaining higher-level techniques usually required a teacher, connections, or exceptional talent.
Because of this, the kunai had become the most reliable long-range weapon for ordinary ninjas.
Every ninja drilled endlessly in throwing techniques, learning to control angles, speed, and timing with deadly accuracy.
A truly competent shinobi could turn a handful of simple kunai into a lethal storm of steel.
Raizen reacted instantly.
His long spear spun in his hands like a whirling wheel, the shaft humming through the air as he deflected the incoming blades.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Each kunai struck the spear and bounced away, sparks briefly flashing in the night. The movement was smooth, controlled, and precise.
But before Raizen could even finish the motion—
Three figures suddenly rushed forward at once.
Tanaka Ueno—Three of them.
Each one gripped a long katana, the blades unusually large—nearly two meters in length.
Weapons like that were rare.
Most shinobi preferred shorter blades that were easier to wield during rapid movement and close combat. A sword of this length required incredible strength, control, and technique.
In many ways, wielding such a blade effectively was even more difficult than handling a spear.
The fact that Tanaka Ueno could fight with it so confidently spoke volumes about his experience.
Raizen's mind sharpened immediately.
Which one is real?
Two of them might be clones.
Or perhaps all three.
Most likely, they were just basic Clone Technique illusions—simple projections without physical substance.
Such clones were harmless.
The fact that Tanaka Ueno relied on them suggested something important: he probably didn't possess many advanced ninjutsu techniques. That was fairly common among independent shinobi.
Outside of elite jonin or clan prodigies, opportunities to learn powerful ninjutsu were extremely limited.
Even within the Hidden Leaf itself, there were examples.
Take Ebisu, Konoha's Special Jonin.
Aside from techniques like the Shadow Clone and Body Flicker, he had little access to higher-level ninjutsu. Yet his fundamentals were still strong enough to make him a formidable ninja.
Still—Raizen didn't dare gamble.
In a real battle, choosing the wrong target could mean death in an instant.
Even the most basic clone technique could become a deadly trap if used correctly.
Raizen's hands moved quickly.
Two kunai flashed out from his fingers, flying toward the Ueno figures on his left and right.
At the same time, he tightened his grip on the spear and lunged directly toward the middle Ueno.
The strike exploded forward like thunder.
His spear shot ahead with terrifying speed, the point cutting through the air in a straight, decisive thrust.
The impact came instantly.
Raizen's body surged forward, the spear slicing through both targets in his path as if they were made of mist.
The force of his charge carried him several meters ahead before he landed and regained his balance.
Behind him—
The two kunai pierced straight through the other two figures.
And all three vanished.
Illusions, every single one of them. The real Tanaka Ueno had never been there.
He was still on the roof.
Raizen's instincts screamed a warning. Before he could fully react—A cold flash of white light descended.
A blade.
By the time Raizen realized it, his body had already moved on instinct. His spear shot upward, intercepting the descending strike.
Clang!
Steel collided with wood and metal.
The impact was terrifying.
Raizen immediately countered with a powerful downward strike, using the spear's length to push Ueno's blade away.
Here, the spear's natural flexibility saved him.
The shaft bent slightly under the force of the impact, absorbing part of the shock.
Even so—
A wave of numbness surged through Raizen's hands, nearly making him lose his grip.
This guy…
Tanaka Ueno was on an entirely different level compared to the crude bearded thug Raizen had fought earlier. His strength, speed, and precision were far superior.
Even though Ueno's blade had been blocked, his wrist twisted smoothly, redirecting the katana.
The long blade slid along the spear's shaft like a venomous snake, aiming directly for Raizen's right hand.
Raizen reacted instantly.
He released the spear.
The weapon dropped momentarily as he twisted his body low, letting the katana slice harmlessly through empty air.
Then, in the same motion, he grabbed the spear again before it could hit the ground.
The blade missed him by mere centimeters.
Using the spear as support, Raizen planted its butt against the ground and launched a powerful kick.
Thud!
His foot slammed into Ueno's chest, forcing the man backward.
At that exact moment, Raizen's right hand flicked forward.
A kunai wrapped with a detonation tag shot toward Ueno's falling body before the man could even land.
Raizen didn't hesitate.
Boom!
He triggered the tag immediately, unwilling to gamble on perfect timing.
Detonation tags were limited resources, and wasting one was painful—but letting the opportunity slip away would be worse.
The explosion erupted in midair.
Flames roared outward.
Although Ueno wasn't fully caught inside the blast, the shockwave and fire still struck him hard.
Smoke and sparks filled the area.
Raizen didn't stop moving.
While the flames still burned, he quickly retrieved the final detonation tag from another kunai.
He crouched and pressed it into the ground, quickly covering it with dirt.
To mark the location without making it obvious, he deliberately scraped the soil with the butt of his spear, leaving a subtle indentation.
This would be his final trap.
Raizen understood his situation clearly.
With his current strength, defeating Tanaka Ueno head-on was nearly impossible. If he wanted to win, the detonation tag had to be the finishing blow.
Behind him, a cough broke the silence.
"Cough… cough…"
Tanaka Ueno slowly stood up from the smoke.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes were dark and filled with murderous fury, like a beast ready to tear its prey apart.
"You bastard!"
He wiped the blood from his lips and stared at the crimson stains on his hand.
"How dare a weakling like you injure me?"
His expression twisted with rage.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Ueno roared, his hands rapidly forming seals.
His breathing was uneven, his movements slightly unsteady. Between the alcohol and the damage from the explosion, his rationality was slipping.
Raizen's pupils shrank.
"Wind Release—"
Ueno's voice roared through the battlefield.
"Wind Cutter!"
A violent gust erupted instantly. Invisible blades of compressed wind tore through the air with terrifying speed.
Three large trees nearby were sliced apart as if by giant invisible swords, their trunks collapsing with heavy crashes.
Raizen's right eyelid twitched violently. Without thinking, he threw himself flat against the ground.
It was the only correct move. The wind blades swept over his back a split second later, shredding the air above him. Had he hesitated even slightly, his body would have been sliced open.
Cold sweat ran down Raizen's spine. He hadn't expected Tanaka Ueno to possess such an advanced technique.
For a moment, a chill spread through his chest. But when he looked up again—
He saw something encouraging.
Ueno was panting heavily.
This ninjutsu had clearly consumed a huge amount of chakra. At least for now, the man likely couldn't use it again.
Raizen exhaled quietly.
Then he noticed something else.
Ueno's body was swaying slightly.
The alcohol is catching up.
Who in their right mind drank heavily while being hunted?
If someone had to die tonight… It would be him.
Raizen's gaze briefly measured the distance between them. More importantly—The distance between Ueno and the buried detonation tag.
Just over ten meters.
He needed to lure Ueno there. Taunting him verbally wouldn't work. Ueno wasn't an idiot. If he sensed a trap, everything would collapse.
The only way…was to use himself as bait.
"Die!"
Raizen suddenly lunged forward. His spear moved like a living extension of his body, slicing through the air with frightening precision.
Clang!
Katana and spear collided again. Steel and wood flashed like lightning under the dim light. Their weapons struck again and again, each clash producing sharp ringing sounds.
The force of their battle stirred the air itself, kicking up dust and leaves around them like a small whirlwind.
In moments like this. True growth happened. Life-and-death combat pushed a person beyond their limits.
Raizen felt it clearly, his strength was rising, speed was sharpening. Even his perception was becoming clearer.
His spear techniques flowed more smoothly with every strike.
Excitement surged through him, he could feel it. He was getting stronger—right here, right now.
Both fighters were injured, but their conditions were completely different. Raizen's adrenaline burned like fire. Tanaka Ueno's face, however, was growing darker and more unstable.
One wrong step meant death. But under that crushing pressure, Raizen's abilities were being forced to evolve.
Strength.
Speed.
Reflexes.
All of them were improving little by little.
Perhaps this mission… would push him to an entirely new level.
To be honest, In pure close-quarters combat, he was no longer weaker than a Chunin-level opponent.
To survive, one had to grow stronger. To return home, one had to risk everything.
In this brutal world, survival and reckless fighting were not contradictions—they were two sides of the same coin. And Raizen held one final confidence deep in his heart.
He was confident—he carried the system. As long as he didn't die on the spot, he couldn't truly die due to its healing.