At dawn, the first rays of sunlight fell upon Konoha. The village, once peaceful and serene, now carried a chilling sense of tension.
"Zhiping, be careful out there."
"Mom, I will."
"Kento! Kill more enemies on the battlefield!"
"Dad… I'm in the logistics unit. How am I supposed to kill anyone?"
…
Early in the morning, Konoha's supply convoy prepared to depart for the frontlines. Families gathered to see their loved ones off.
"Idiot Yoru… make sure you earn merit for the village this time," Uzumaki Kushina said, forcing a smile.
"Yoru, I'll be waiting for you," Uchiha Mikoto said gently, adjusting his clothes before speaking with quiet determination.
"Hahaha!"
Yoru laughed, quickly planting a kiss on each of them before turning and joining the convoy without hesitation.
"Mikoto-nee… he'll come back safely, right?" Kushina suddenly asked, her voice dropping.
"Of course," Mikoto replied softly, patting her head. "He's our future husband, after all."
"W-Who said I'm his wife?!" Kushina exploded, her face flushing red like an angry cat.
"Oh? Then I'll just keep Yoru all to myself," Mikoto teased.
"No way!" Kushina shouted immediately.
"You're so dishonest," Mikoto laughed.
…
As Yoru departed, he suddenly paused and glanced to the side.
There—
Tsunade stood in the distance, watching him.
Yoru smiled and waved. His lips moved silently—
Wait for me.
Tsunade's face flushed faintly. With her eyesight, she had seen it clearly.
…
"Yoru-kun, would you like some water?"
"No, thank you."
Such exchanges were common along the journey.
The logistics captain, Nagasawa Takuma, came from a small clan subordinate to the Senju. Upon learning Yoru was Tsunade's disciple, he had been going out of his way to curry favor the entire trip.
Before long, they approached the border of the Land of Rain.
A thick mist lingered ahead, carrying the damp scent of wet earth.
"Yoru-kun, that's the Land of Rain," Nagasawa explained eagerly. "It's always like this because of the constant rainfall."
"Thank you for the explanation, Captain Nagasawa," Yoru replied politely.
"Haha, not at all, not at all!" Nagasawa beamed, his grin stretching ear to ear.
…Hm?
Yoru's expression suddenly turned sharp.
He scanned the forest ahead.
Birds circled above—
But none dared to land.
"Captain Nagasawa! Stop the convoy! There's an ambush!" Yoru shouted.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A storm of kunai and shuriken burst from the forest—
Piercing toward the convoy.
"AAAH—!"
Screams tore through the air as logistics personnel were pinned to the carts.
BOOM! BOOM!
Explosive tags detonated—
Bodies shattered before they could react.
The air filled instantly with the stench of blood.
"Kill them!"
"Slaughter the Konoha scum!"
"Revenge for our comrades!"
Rain ninja surged out of the forest, roaring.
Shave!
In a flash—
Yoru appeared at the very front of the convoy.
"A kid?" one Rain ninja muttered.
"Kill him! He's Konoha trash!" another roared, eyes filled with hatred.
Sizzle—
Yoru raised his right hand.
It transformed into dark crimson magma.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
The magma erupted violently—
Countless blazing projectiles bursting forth like a volcanic eruption.
Magma: Death Bullets!
"AAAAH—!"
The Rain ninja fell like harvested wheat—
Only a few leaders escaping by sheer speed.
The rest—
Were riddled with charred holes—
Before being consumed entirely by flames.
"D-Damn it…" one survivor trembled. "What kind of jutsu is that?!"
"…A Kekkei Genkai?" the leader muttered through clenched teeth.
Victory had been within reach—
Until Yoru appeared.
"Don't panic!" the leader shouted. "He uses fire! Counter with Water Release!"
"Y-Yeah! We Rain ninja naturally counter him!"
"Kill him! Avenge our comrades!"
The remaining Rain ninja rallied.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
A roaring water dragon surged toward Yoru.
"Water Release: Water Wave!"
"Water Release: Water Surge!"
…
Streams of water techniques merged together—
Forming a massive attack.
"Oh? A Water Dragon?"
Yoru watched with interest.
"A technique like that… you must hold some rank among them."
Good.
Your blood… will mark the beginning of my rise.
Sizzle—
Magma gathered in his palm—
Compressing—
Condensing—
Until it formed a dark crimson spear.
"Magma: God-Slaying Spear!"
He hurled it.
WHOOSH—
The spear tore through the water dragon—
Instantly evaporating it.
BOOM—
It continued forward—
Too fast to dodge.
The Rain ninja could only watch in terror—
As it struck.
BOOOOM!!!
The spear exploded—
A towering pillar of magma erupted skyward—
Reducing everything to ash.
Not a single Rain ninja survived.
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