When Raiden awoke from his deep sleep, the rain was still falling lightly from the sky. However, the dense forest canopy shielded much of the ground from the rain, leaving only occasional droplets trickling through. The forest floor, though, had turned into a muddy mess, making it even harder to traverse than when he had stopped to rest.
"It seems traveling in these conditions is still going to be difficult," Raiden muttered.
He sat in his shelter, staring at the remnants of the bonfire that had burned out overnight, leaving only faint embers. The rhythmic sound of raindrops striking the leaves outside made him hesitant to move.
"I don't know how long I slept. No one should have been able to catch up with my speed from yesterday. I need to maintain this advantage," he thought, deciding to press on despite the unfavorable weather.
After donning his now-dry coat, Raiden stepped out of the shelter. A cold gust of wind greeted him, prompting him to pull his coat tighter before leaping onto a branch and resuming his journey.
Raiden had been traveling for an unknown amount of time when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his senses on high alert.
"What's that smell?" he murmured. A sharp, metallic stench filled the air, unmistakably the smell of blood.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shattered the forest's stillness. A powerful shockwave tore through the trees ahead, causing them to sway violently.
Raiden didn't hesitate. He immediately turned and began sprinting back toward Konoha Village.
"Such a massive explosion… no way it's from a group of children."
"The smell of blood… this must be something serious."
"Better to leave this dangerous area immediately!"
Raiden's instincts told him to retreat without investigating. He knew better than to get involved in something far beyond his abilities. But even as he turned to flee, it was already too late—he had been spotted.
"Oh? A little fish that slipped through the net?"
Swish, swish, swish!
A deep male voice echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of kunai slicing through the air. Raiden's scalp prickled as his body tensed instinctively. He twisted mid-air, narrowly evading the incoming kunai, and darted away without looking back.
"Not sticking around to fight that guy," Raiden thought. "If he's bold enough to attack so close to Konoha Village, he must be strong."
But his escape was cut short. A figure suddenly appeared in front of him, launching a kick aimed at Raiden's chest. Raiden barely managed to raise his arms in time to block the attack.
Thud!
"Oh? Not bad for a kid," the assailant sneered, preparing for another strike. This time, he swung his fist toward Raiden's face.
Raiden ducked just in time, pushing off the ground with his legs to leap back and create distance between himself and the attacker. Only then did he manage to get a good look at his opponent.
The attacker was a large man, standing about 1.75 meters tall and weighing at least 200 pounds, by Raiden's estimation. His build was imposing, reminiscent of the Akimichi clan, though his face was unfamiliar.
"Who are you?" Raiden demanded, pulling a kunai from his weapon pouch and gripping it tightly. The weapon gave him a sense of security.
"Hey, kid, you've got skills," the man said, smirking as he sized Raiden up. "Better than the other brats I ran into earlier. Konoha sure knows how to raise talent."
Raiden's eyes narrowed. The man's words confirmed his suspicions—this was no random encounter. The bloody smell and the earlier explosion must have been the result of this man and his accomplices targeting the children taking part in the assessment.
"Are they here to kill academy students? To weaken Konoha's future forces?" Raiden wondered. "Or is there another motive?"
He quickly recalled that many of this year's students came from prominent clans with unique bloodline limits, making them valuable targets for research or capture. His own Uzumaki lineage likely made him a prime target as well.
Before Raiden could think further, the man's hands formed seals. "Earth Style: Ground Spike Technique!" he shouted.
The ground under the man's feet erupted with earthen spikes that shot toward Raiden. However, the spikes were slow-moving and seemed unlikely to reach him.
"This is supposed to hit me?" Raiden thought, puzzled. But when he activated Kagura's Mind Eye, his perception revealed the truth—a chakra presence beneath his own feet.
"So that's it!" Realizing the danger, Raiden leapt away just as sharp spikes erupted from the ground where he had been standing. The speed of these spikes was much faster than the initial attack.
"That first attack was a feint. The real danger was underground," Raiden muttered as he landed on a branch, gripping his kunai tightly.
"That brat…" the man grumbled, his smirk fading. "He's different from the others."
The man's earlier trap had already claimed several Konoha children and even caught a few Chunins off guard. But Raiden had evaded it effortlessly, a fact that clearly annoyed the attacker.
"Earth Style…" The man formed another set of seals, but before he could finish, he suddenly appeared beside Raiden using the Body Flicker Technique. A kunai in his hand thrust toward Raiden.
Raiden reacted instantly. Sensing the attacker's chakra with Kagura's Mind Eye, he pushed off the branch, narrowly avoiding the strike. As he fell toward the ground, Raiden slapped a paper bomb onto the branch above him.
Boom!
The paper bomb detonated, forcing the man to retreat. The explosion's shockwave knocked Raiden off balance, sending him tumbling to the ground and scraping his arms in the process.
"Not dead yet," Raiden muttered, grimacing from the pain. He quickly formed seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A clone appeared beside him and immediately charged toward the attacker. Moments later, several more explosions rang out as the clone triggered additional paper bombs hidden in the area.
When the smoke cleared, Raiden activated Kagura's Mind Eye to confirm the attacker's chakra signature was gone.
"Is he dead?" Raiden thought, cautiously approaching the blast site. The charred remains of trees and scattered, unrecognizable debris made his stomach churn.
"Ugh…" Raiden gagged, retching bile as he turned away from the gruesome sight. After a moment, he composed himself, his face pale but resolute.
"That guy wanted to kill me? Guess I turned the tables," he muttered, a relieved yet grim smile forming on his face.
Just as Raiden began to relax, another voice spoke from the shadows. "Oh? Not bad, kid. You managed to kill Fatty."
Raiden's heart sank. Before he could react, a sharp pain seared across his back. He stumbled forward, blood dripping from a fresh wound that stretched from his shoulder to his waist.
"Another one?!" Raiden cursed himself for letting his guard down. He quickly activated Kagura's Mind Eye and jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding a follow-up attack.
The new assailant wasted no time, forming seals for another jutsu. "Earth Style: Mountain Tomb Technique!" he shouted.
The ground beneath Raiden split open, and two massive boulders rose on either side, threatening to crush him.
"Do they all want me dead?!" Raiden gritted his teeth, reaching into his weapon pouch for a counter.
(End of Chapter)
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