Tanigakure was no longer the only faction being implicated by Suguru's actions. Takumi Village had also sensed an anomaly, leading the Four Celestial Symbols Men to head out. Their prideful natures led them to walk straight into the heart of Suguru's area of activity.
In comparison, Raiga and Ranmaru had just entered the Land of Rivers. Given Konoha's strict security, they used their familiarity with water to snake around the Land of Tea.
It was a long journey, but the duo finally made enough distance from the bloody Kirigakure.
Since Suguru had been waiting for them all this time, they walked straight into his wide-area trap without any knowledge of someone awaiting their movements.
It was thus a curious encounter between two groups who had never met in the original. Suguru looked on with intrigue.
***
Holding a hand out to stop his colleague from going all out, the man at the forefront spoke.
"I am Houki from the village of artisans... Are you also after the Ghost?"
Raiga frowned, "The Ghost?"
Seeing Raiga's reaction, Houki's chakra flared. "Don't act dumb. For a missing-nin to be here in the Land of Rivers at this time, you must be after his bounty too!"
Arrogance seethed.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm going to have to ask you to turn back. That bounty will be claimed by us — the Four Celestial Symbols Men!"
Seeing Houki's haughty demeanor, Raiga and Ranmaru were stunned. They didn't know why such weak shinobi were acting the way they were in front of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Did they not properly recognize who Raiga was? Despite his reputation as the [Thunder of the Hidden Mist]?
Furthermore...
"Their name is as pretentious as their weapons," Ranmaru commented, somehow annoyed.
Watching this all unfold, Suguru's mind went blank. If the two parties knew that they would be defeated by a few genin in the original timeline, what would they think? Nonetheless, Suguru placed his bets on Raiga's victory.
The encounter continued with Raiga speaking up.
"Unfortunately, I cannot turn back."
He raised his blades and crossed them above his head.
'Fangs of Lightning,'
A stream of lightning erupted into the sky, dyeing the area with a blue glow for a single breath. Seeing this, the only woman in this encounter laughed.
"Nice attack. Is that all you can do? Shoot fireworks?"
Houki glanced at her, "Kujaku... Stop wasting time and fight. The same goes for the two of you. Ryugan. Suiko."
"Yes!"
The three nodded, brandishing their respective weapons.
A Nameless [Fire Sword] wielded by Houki.
Ryuugan's [Garian Sword], clad in bluish scales.
The [Infinite Armor] worn by Suiko with a tiger's face as a breastplate.
Finally, Kujaku and her dual [Weaknessless Soaring Shortswords]
"We'll take him out in a few moves." Houki smiled.
It was a smile that disappeared the moment after. After all, he could feel the sudden change in the air. The scent of ozone and the tingling on his skin was clear. It was the build-up of a powerful blast of lightning.
The other three also felt the change. However, they didn't seem to care.
"Dodge—!"
Houki desperately shouted a command when suddenly—
"I got this!" Suiko roared.
—Flash!
A lightning bolt fell from the sky, connecting the ground to the heavens with a highway of blue light.
—Rumble!
The crackling thunder was instantaneous, blasting the ears of the Four Celestial Symbols Men. Luckily, they were not damaged in the slightest. Suiko had moved to protect his teammates.
He used the Infinite Armor and absorbed the brimming, chakra-filled lightning bolt. Thanks to his presence, Kujaku rushed forward with Ryuugan's dragons following closely after her.
"Haap!" Kujaku swung her swords, unleashing a powerful blast of wind.
'Rotating Ferocious Wind!'
From Kujaku's swing, the two air streams combined and turned into a powerful gale. Then, she swung again.
And again...
And again!
With just a few swings of her blades, a torrent of wind rushed forth. The dragons that Ryuugan had sent out were curling around it, riding the waves of wind — spiraling with a menacing force.
From where Raiga stood, he could hear the raging winds create a menacing whistle.
"Raiga, their weapons multiply their chakra like Kiba." Ranmaru's analysis came as a timely warning. "This is an annoying matchup."
"Tsk,"
With the click of his tongue, Raiga brandished his twin blades. However, no lightning flashed on his body.
Instead, Raiga's figure was charged with lightning. A flash of electricity flickered once.
And then—
In the blink of an eye...
Raiga stood before Kujaku. His swords had been swung at full speed. A mere blur before the woman's eyes.
"Gasp!"
Houki, Ryuugan, and Suiko couldn't follow Raiga's movements. His speed went far beyond their imagination. This was already considering the fact that Ranmaru was on his back.
If he was at his peak, then the Four Celestial Symbols Men would be incapable of noticing the moment when they lost their heads. Lightning would then erase all traces of their existence.
—Clang, clang!
Luckily, Kujaku had the bare minimum reflexes to react. She blocked sword for sword. Meeting Raiga's twin blades head-on.
Yet that was all she could achieve.
In the next moment, a blood-red line appeared across her neck while Raiga disappeared.
This marked Kujaku's untimely death.
***
Suguru found the entire fight amusing. Ever since Kujaku first sent Raiga backward with a gale, they should have realized something off.
Like a strong enough Fire Release being able to turn opposing Water Release into steam, Raiga's Lightning Release was enough to shield him from Kujaku's Wind Release.
Albeit, the efficiency had been quite horrid.
Nonetheless, an assumption could easily be made:
"Raiga's Lightning Release is too far above Kujaku's own Wind Release.'
Thus, the following results happened swiftly:
Three more heads went flying. They carved a brutal arc in the air with blood spewing out of the stumps on their necks.
The bloody image held still when the heads reached their highest flight.
—Thud, thud, thud.
Three more deaths had been confirmed.
"Goodbye, Houki, Ryuugan, and Suiko. No one will remember you." Suguru chuckled.
What use was Suiko's Infinite Armor against Raiga's pure and deadly Kenjutsu? What about Houki's Fire Sword and Ryuugan's Garian Sword?
Blood soaked the ground, and all Raiga lost was a little bit of chakra.
'How sad~'
Luckily, no one was around to hear the mockery in Suguru's tone.
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