"There he is! Our people are under attack!"
"The symbol on those masks—it belongs to the Mist Village Anbu!"
"Watch out! Surround the perimeter first!"
"Over a dozen comrades have already fallen! Be careful, this isn't an ordinary opponent!"
...
The sharp whistling of kunai slicing through air rang out, followed by indistinct shouts from behind gas masks echoing all around.
Though Akatsuki's current hideout sat in a remote corner near Amegakure's outskirts, it still lay within the village's boundaries.
As soon as the flare shot into the sky signaling for help, Ame's defense squad sounded the alarm.
Within moments of that signal rising, ninjas from nearby blocks rushed to the scene.
"You could put up more of a fight! You're too soft—watch it or I'll knock some sense into you!"
Kei Yamanaka gave Samehada, the massive blade in his right hand, a shake.
But after gobbling up so much chakra just now, the sword seemed almost drunk—it didn't stiffen up at all. In fact, it got even softer.
It looked even sicker than the green popsicles he'd had back in his past life.
Looking at the Rain ninja gradually closing in and increasing in numbers, Kei frowned and slung Samehada onto his back. He picked up another shinobi blade dropped earlier by an Akatsuki member lying on the ground.
[Invisible Severing Blade] enhanced his mastery over bladed weapons, allowing his sword techniques to be unrestricted by any specific weapon.
He weighed the meter-long blade in his palm, shifting it back and forth.
Countless techniques and strikes surged through his mind like lightning.
Compared to Samehada, which relied heavily on brute force and felt somewhat clumsy,
this lighter blade allowed for rapid, successive strikes—which made triggering the conceptual assault of [Invisible Severing Blade] easier.
[Water Release: Cutting Rain]
A wild smirk curled Kei's lips.
With just one hand forming the seal,
chakra surged wildly inside him.
He poured enough chakra into this advanced Water Technique to power two S-rank jutsu.
[Water Release: Cutting Rain] was a secret technique that could weaken all external ninjutsu and chakra—except other Water Release techniques!
In the original storyline, Mist's Anbu used this exact technique to counter Naruto's Rasengan and the Super Beast Imitating Drawing summoned by Sai of Root.
In these specialized conditions,
ninja specializing in Water Release would gain immense power boosts.
Those unfamiliar with Water Release would find their techniques drastically weakened—even if they managed to use them.
Weaker ninja might end up relying solely on taijutsu.
From Kei Yamanaka outward as the center, the drizzle spreading across nearly a kilometer-radius in Amegakure started to intensify under [Water Release: Cutting Rain].
Rain ninja clinging to walls via chakra suddenly lost their footing and plummeted to the ground.
Experienced ninja immediately increased the amount of chakra flowing into their feet.
[Summoning Jutsu: King Ruobeiwang]
A bizarre summoned beast appeared on the street corner—massive in size and resembling a fusion of a giant clam and a sea snail.
Standing cross-armed atop the summoned creature was a Rain Jonin wearing a gas mask.
As he noticed Kei Yamanaka and the surrounding comrades turning their eyes toward him,
The legendary Sanshouo no Kamatake, hailed as Hanzo of the Salamander's right-hand man, coldly spoke.
"This large-scale Water Release: Cutting Rain! It's not something genin can handle! Genin, evacuate! Chunin, lock down the perimeter! Jonin, use Water Release and attack with me!"
"Yes!"
Amegakure ninja in the vicinity responded loudly.
Genin scrambled to flee the battlefield while jonin began forming seals rapidly.
"Sanshouo no Kamatake? Your summoned beast is pretty good."
Kei Yamanaka's voice, altered in tone, came from behind Sanshouo no Kamatake.
"When did he—!"
Kamatake's eyes widened in fear as a kunai sliced through the air.
Splash~
The sound of a water clone shattering rang out.
Before Kamatake could even relax slightly,
Four water clones—real or illusions, no one could tell—surrounded him completely. Their ninja blades swung directly at vital points across his body.
Normally, ordinary water clones possessed less than a tenth of the original's attacking power.
But this wasn't an ordinary situation!
Under the conditions of Water Release: Cutting Rain, these clones attacked viciously. Even before they made contact, the flashing blades sent needles of pain across Kamatake's skin!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the midst of dense metallic clangs, the summoned beast Ruobeiwang beneath Sanshouo no Kamatake extended several thick tentacles bursting from the crevices in its shell, absorbing massive attacks for him.
Puchi!
The sound of blade entering flesh echoed.
Kei Yamanaka struck the back of Kamatake's head, knocking him unconscious before casually tossing him to a nearby clone.
The clone caught him, his feet blurring into motion as it darted into a nearby building.
Hmm, what a fine summon. So... [Now It's Mine]!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A flurry of powerful tentacles lashed out.
Kei Yamanaka activated Suishō no Jutsu (Powerful Water Arm Technique) with both feet, stamping down hard. With explosive force, Ruobeiwang was driven a foot into the ground.
Such overwhelming power stunned and reeling the beast.
[Water Release: Wild Water Wave], [Water Release: Suiganshō], [Water Release: Water Prison Technique], [Water Release: Running Water Spear], [Water Release: Running Water Whip], [Water Release: Hiding in Drizzle Technique]!
Wave after wave of water techniques surged from all directions.
Kei Yamanaka, who had just used Water Release: Surfing Strike and slipped into the water using Hydrification Technique, reappeared atop Ruobeiwang and turned his gaze toward the fool trying to use Hiding in Mist Technique.
Using Hiding in Mist Technique against someone who's already controlling the mist?
Serious?
Smack~
An elderly ninja beside the young "genius" slapped him hard across the face, interrupting the execution of Hiding in Mist Technique.
A smirk curled Kei Yamanaka's lips as his entire body instantly transformed into water.
Using the mobility within water granted by Water Release: Surfing Strike, he melded into the torrential waves of incoming water techniques.
"Ahhh!"
A mist village jōnin standing atop a protruding point of the steel-framed building cried out in agony.
A bloodied ninja blade protruded from his left chest, fully pierced through!
As the blade withdrew, sending the body flying,
Kei Yamanaka also revealed his form, already forming a one-handed seal.
[Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique]
Thick mist surged across the sky like a tidal wave, and within a few heartbeats, it had obscured everyone's vision.
From deep within this fog emerged a jaunty tune with oddly sorrowful lyrics, seemingly echoing from every direction at once. The sound sent shivers down the spines of every ninja from Amegakure.
*"Raindrops patter outside the window, falling nonstop for three days and three nights—just like you, my dearest love, who still haven't returned home after three endless days and nights. Has this feeling truly come to an end? Is this really your answer..."*
"Ahh!"
"Cursed... I..."
"No! It wasn't me who stole your woman..."
"Damn it!"
"Big bro! Let me introduce you to someone, uh…"
"Ahh~!"
Puchi-puchi~
Sharp cries of pain mingled with the wet sound of blades slicing through flesh and bodies collapsing onto the ground reached everyone's ears.
Yet through the chaos, the bone-chilling song never faltered!
"What kind of freaks are these from Kirigakure?! Killing people while singing?!"
"Whoever can use Wind Release should blow this damned fog away!"
"Fire Release would work too!"
"Don't be an idiot—the rain's still messing with us!"
"Tch! Everyone, fall back and widen the perimeter! Don't stay inside the fog!"
"Hanzo's arriving soon! Hold your ground! Don't let the enemy slip away!"
Panic-stricken shouts and frantic orders continued erupting.
[BEEP~ Eliminated target: Minor character. Minimal interference in world line progression detected. Reward: Keyword Draw opportunity x1.]
Deep within the concealment of the Hiding in Mist Technique, Kei Yamanaka accepted the Summoning Contract scroll passed to him by his shadow clone.
Glancing at the system reward notification, he then slightly pursed his lips as he sensed how faint the flow of personal fortune was.
This reward was only possible because he ambushed and looted a summoned beast.
Without that, was this reward even worth the trip?
He turned his gaze toward the central area of the hidden rain village.
Kei Yamanaka slightly narrowed his eyes.
Through his fully expanded sensory perception, an overwhelmingly powerful presence was rapidly closing in.
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