Lightning, since ancient times, has been given many meanings.
Brilliant, fierce, swift, and transcendent.
People regarded the lightning that fell from the heavens, destroying all things equally, as divine punishment, and worshiped it accordingly.
In a word, it was the "authority of the gods."
And in ninjutsu, Lightning Release—like Fire Release—had always been an excellent, even optimal, choice for offense.
Although most Lightning Release techniques had conspicuous light and easily distinguishable sound, their speed was enough to mask these flaws.
Based on the nature of Lightning Release, aside from cases where output was reduced for the primary purpose of paralysis, this class of techniques was almost entirely offensive. The people of Lightning, who lived on this thundering plateau and used Lightning Release as their primary combat method, had likewise inherited this extremely sharp aggression.
"Disappear—"
Curses, with the Land of Lightning's particularly pronounced accent, were torn to shreds by the piercing thunder. Bright lightning suddenly flashed from all around the mountain path, heading straight for Bordore.
The light refracted brightly off the black helmet, almost drowning out the purple glowing structure at its center.
According to intelligence, this man named Bordore was purely a researcher. Even if the armor he wore seemed to be the product of cutting-edge technology, his reaction speed could not possibly match that of a ninja.
Under these circumstances, he could not possibly avoid this attack—clearly, the ninjas surrounding him and launching the assault thought exactly that.
"...Just as expected."
Yet faced with this heavenly tribulation of blazing lightning, Bordore—regarded as an ordinary researcher—only let out a knowing sigh.
The moment the lightning appeared, the devices on his forearms opened on both sides. Mercury-like liquid metal sprayed out, building a Faraday cage around him like a living creature.
The Lightning Release techniques from the ambush ninjas splashed countless dazzling arcs against the cage's walls, but could not penetrate inside.
Of course, the effectiveness of a conventional Faraday cage against Lightning Release techniques—power powered by chakra—would inevitably be greatly diminished, if not completely ineffective.
But this Faraday cage made of liquid metal was not a conventional technical means either. It was something Bordore manipulated using Magnet Release.
Ninjutsu was actually quite spiritual. Leaving aside the additional effects caused by techniques driven by chakra, many physical laws simply did not apply to the techniques' effects themselves.
That was the influence of the spiritual portion of chakra.
Take the simplest example: due to gold's structural characteristics, it is normally not attracted by magnetism. The same applies to metals like copper and aluminum.
But Rasa's Magnet Release is apparently not subject to this limitation. Rather than "magnetism" manipulating other metal impurities in the gold sand, it seemed more like a case of "ignorance"—he thought that if Magnet Release could control iron sand, it could also control gold sand, so he just used it.
Hii Kōri himself couldn't do that. One might call it a "curse of knowledge."
But if the material composing the Faraday cage was replaced with a "special material" specially adjusted by his technique, it didn't matter.
After the dazzling flash, Bordore waved his hands like an elegant conductor standing before an orchestra. The liquid metal composing the Faraday cage instantly expanded outward, like an extremely sharp net, slicing everything it touched into fine strips and blocks.
The ninjas hidden nearby hurriedly dodged from their concealed positions, retreating while unleashing several more Lightning Release techniques.
The metal wires, countless times finer than the Faraday cage itself, were instantly melted by the high heat accompanying the lightning. The bright lightning crossed the obstacle, rushing toward the pitch-black figure.
Even if the target had demonstrated a reaction speed beyond expectations, it didn't matter. This "researcher" from the Red Hot Sand had to die here.
During this time, Bordore had successively visited numerous towns in the Land of Lightning, coming into contact with people from various industries. His "recruitment" and "bribing" were almost undisguised.
Compared to Konoha—whose intelligence work had basically turned to jelly due to war losses and two kicks from Hii Kōri—Kumogakure, almost bound to the Land of Lightning's daimyō, was not nearly so incompetent.
In terms of domestic intelligence control, the Land of Lightning was among the best in the entire world—even including those especially tiny so-called "nations."
The Red Hot Sand's influence in the Land of Lightning did not have the overwhelming advantage it had in other regions. This was partly due to the Land of Lightning's own local character, but more so due to official attitudes.
Bordore's blatant poaching from various domestic industries had naturally long been detected by the Land of Lightning's authorities.
No—rather, his purpose in acting so ostenatiously was precisely to attract the attention of the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure, to spread some difficult-to-verify intelligence.
The conditions offered to those craftsmen and researchers, some rough plans of the guild, the directions of research they wanted to pursue... this series of trivial intelligence was soon summarized on the desks of the Land of Lightning's authorities, leading them to decide to secretly eliminate him.
Naturally, those intelligence reports also contained information such as: because Bordore had conducted some very dangerous experiments that left him somewhat unable to breathe properly, he always wore this "life-support armor"; the armor was also equipped with various new-type weapons for self-defense and testing; therefore, he had no need to travel with bodyguards.
"So, he has equipment that can detect chakra reactions?"
Thus thought the specially dispatched Kumogakure jōnin, even as the blazing lightning in his hand had already shot toward the pitch-black figure.
Traveling with him were two other jōnin.
The ancients said: ninjutsu is divided into "Yang Nin" and "Yin Nin."
Yang Nin involves analyzing interpersonal connections and public intelligence in intelligence warfare, discerning the enemy's intentions.
Human intelligence and electronic intelligence—which had not yet been born but would spread among the five great nations within a few years—both fell into this category.
On the other hand, Yin Nin involves infiltrating enemy lines or conducting sabotage within enemy territory, thereby obtaining enemy intelligence and causing situations to develop in one's desired direction.
The ninja skills the world imagined belonged to this category.
A seasoned Yang Nin expert, looking at an unremarkable steel price fluctuation chart, could tell whether the enemy was deploying troops or whether rumors of new transport ships were true.
Moreover, many A- to B-rank missions involved resolving diplomacy related to daimyōs or large corporations, or negotiating for the release of hostages. Conversely, among the diplomats dispatched by daimyōs, there were generally some jōnin conducting espionage.
Therefore, except for ninjas who specialized in a particular area, jōnin were generally also seasoned diplomats.
Ordinarily, based on the analysis of collected intelligence, Bordore did not have particularly rich combat experience. When encountering bandits, he relied purely on his equipment to respond.
To deal with him, dispatching one jōnin to backstop the operation should have been sufficient.
Yet here, three jōnin appeared. The reason, naturally, was that Kumogakure wanted to capture Bordore.
Before the rise of the Red Hot Sand, the Land of Lightning and Kumogakure had been the pinnacle of technological advancement in this world. Even Orochimaru had to purchase various equipment from the Land of Lightning.
For precisely this reason, they could better understand what a researcher who was a crystallization of technology could do—and how quickly he could self-destruct.
Capturing Bordore directly would of course be ideal. But if they couldn't take him down quickly, they would have to try recruiting him through other means. Compared to a nation's support, no matter how wealthy the guild was, it couldn't compare, right?
"Tch! Still recruiting this guy?" Recalling the mission assigned to him, the jōnin who had unleashed the lightning ignored the chūnin beside him whose chest had been sliced open, embedding himself in the lightning's glow and using it as cover to rapidly charge forward.
"But before that, there's no problem with making this guy suffer a bit, is there?!"
"Oh my~ that's quite dangerous, friends from Kumogakure."
"Reach for the Moon!"
An oily, viscous sprayed from his palm, reflecting an ominous, dim light. Like a slime, it rapidly expanded and proliferated around him, forming a viscos barrier.
The dazzling lightning charged into the swamp created by "Reach for the Moon," struggling to burst into flashes of light, but ultimately retreated in vain.
If you're going to put on a show, you have to do it properly. Presenting himself as Bordore, appearing as a researcher, the abilities he displayed should naturally have more of a researcher's flair.
To be precise, the flair of a "master of materials science, biotechnology, and human modification."
Facing the viscos barrier, the jōnin who had arrived alongside the lightning had already changed tactics.
This dark-skinned, burly man—his pale golden hair standing on end, his entire body bursting with blue electrical light, resembling a Super Saiyan—
The jōnin, who reached the viscos barrier even before the lightning itself, quickly assessed the barrier's strength. He spun around, dragging a dazzling lightning trail toward a nearby stone pillar, pushed off it, and from another direction launched a pincer attack alongside his own lightning.
That was the Lightning Release Chakra Mode inherited from the current Third Raikage.
A technique that, instead of output transformed Lightning Release chakra outward, retained and infused it into one's own body to activate the body, comprehensively enhancing physical capabilities.
Before the Second Shinobi World War, Kumogakure had not yet developed this far. At that time, they commonly used an unstable technique that temporarily enhanced local physical strength through instantaneous stimulation.
Clearly, during that period, Kumogakure had not merely been "observing" and "making trouble."
"Oh my, a technique that uses lightning to stimulate the body for enhancement? Though it looks somewhat crude, you seem to have mastered a very refined technique, sir~"
Looking up at the Super Kumogakure-nin diving toward him from the gap in the "Reach for the Moon" barrier, Bordore commented on the opponent's technique in a voice so fast it was nearly inaudible, yet still retaining an elegant rhythm.
"Truly subarashii. Thanks to you, I have collected some splendid data~"
The purple glowing structure on his faceplate faithfully reflected his high mood, flashing ever brighter.
"Hell Stab: Four-Finger Spear!"
"Ascend to the Star."
The pinnacle of penetrating nintaijutsu within the Lightning Release Chakra Mode system—unleashed from the Kumogakure jōnin's hand. The lightning hand blade, comparable to a famous sword, stabbed down, a not-insubstantial killing intent, colliding with the chaotic purple beam.
"Just a researcher, yet you're this troublesome? It's a bit of a blow to us professionals' confidence!"
The ground beneath Bordore's feet suddenly collapsed. A figure with fair skin covered in intersecting scars burst out from the flying gravel. The man with a lollipop in his mouth mumbled his complaint, yet the twin swords in his hands mercilessly crossed, sending two clear blade lights slashing out.
But the pitch-black researcher did not lose balance due to the sudden collapse of the familiar earth beneath him. The steel combat boots instantly unfolded nozzles, sending Bordore into the air along with the backpack that unfolded its wings behind him.
Then, the soles of his boots flipped out two hard blades at both ends. A kick of his feet neutralized the man's slashes, while the palm of his left hand again sprayed out the black sticky liquid of "Reach for the Moon," grabbing a stone pillar that had been kicked off by the taijutsu jōnin's reaction force, and hurled it violently toward the chūnin—who were a step slower than the jōnin—on the other side.
"Oh dear, oh dear. My sincerest apologies."
Bordore's speaking speed was noticeably slowed. His steady tone showed not a trace of battle fever, only the pleasure of seeing excellent material.
The purple beam of "Ascend to the Star" made an especially stiff turn in the air, back toward his original direction, continuing to suppress the jōnin using the Four-Finger Spear. His free right hand clenched in the air, and the scattered liquid metal, now countless fine droplets, rejoined into his palm.
"But, may I ask what you mean by suddenly attacking me? Have I done something very, very bad?"
"Well, well, well... how to put it? If we specially attacked you just for poaching, that would make us look pretty petty, wouldn't it?"
The third jōnin appeared with a "shwoop" beside the sword-wielding man, draping an arm over the latter's shoulder. He scratched his balding temple in a slovenly manner and addressed Bordore in a lazy tone very different from the other two. "Poaching is pretty common between companies, right... but you've approached a few too many people this time, haven't you? Quite a few people are unhappy about it~"
Though his face was rather rough and his stubble not well shaven, his tone was quite "amicable"—not at all like someone whose ear and shoulder had nearly been pierced by Bordore's gathering liquid metal.
"So, how about thinking it over? Come work for us?"
"This is truly an unexpected proposal."
Bordore raised his head in surprise, clapping his hands together before his chest in a particularly astonished gesture. "However, I currently have no intention of changing jobs."
"Though it's hardly appropriate for me to say this, I find my employer's money almost disgustingly plentiful. Establishing cooperative relationships with various companies and workshops, occasionally coming up with technologies or products that have never appeared on the market, implementing various projects as if without regard to cost at all..."
"I doubt even Kumogakure would be this generous, would it~"
"So there's no deal, then?"
The stubbled man scratched his chin, clicking his tongue as he tentatively asked again.
"Are you fucking blind?! I'm still holding off his attack here!"
The lightning hand-blade user, pinned to the ground by the beam of "Ascend to the Star," glared at his two carefree colleagues.
"...What a shame."