Power.
Overwhelming.
Unreasonable.
Crushing.
Those were the only thoughts running through the minds of every Konoha shinobi present.
For a brief moment, even elite ninja—battle-hardened veterans who had faced countless life-and-death situations—stood frozen in place.
Because what they were witnessing…
Was not a normal battle.
It was annihilation.
A single technique.
A single strike.
And the outer defensive line of the Rain Village—
Collapsed instantly.
"This… this is the Uchiha Clan Head?!"
Shock rippled through the ranks like wildfire.
"Too strong…!"
"As expected of the Uchiha Clan Head… this is terrifying!"
"This level of power… he's already Kage-level, isn't he?!"
"This is insane!"
Even among elite ninja, there were limits.
But Ryujin—
Had shattered them effortlessly.
"…Impossible."
Jiraiya's eyes widened as he stared at the inferno raging ahead.
He wasn't weak.
Far from it.
Among Jōnin, he stood near the top.
But even if he used the same Fire Style technique—
It wouldn't reach this level.
That scale.
That density.
That overwhelming compression of chakra—
It wasn't something technique alone could achieve.
"Ryujin…" Jiraiya muttered, his voice dropping as realization struck. "You've been hiding this all along…"
His true strength—
Was far beyond anything they had imagined.
"Don't freeze on the battlefield."
Orochimaru's cold voice sliced through the shock like a blade.
"Attack."
His golden eyes gleamed sharply, calculating every movement, every opportunity.
Even he had underestimated Ryujin.
But now was not the time to dwell on it.
This moment—
Was perfect.
The enemy was in chaos.
Their formation shattered.
If they didn't press forward now—
They would lose the advantage.
Orochimaru moved instantly.
"Wind Style… Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust erupted forward, colliding with the already raging flames.
And in that instant—
Fire met wind.
And evolved.
The massive fire dragon roared, its form expanding as it surged forward like a blazing meteor tearing through the battlefield.
"BOOM—!!!"
It traveled over five hundred meters before detonating violently, the explosion tearing through everything in its path.
The aftermath—
Was devastation.
Dozens of Rain ninja were caught in the blast, burned alive, torn apart before they could even react. Even those far outside the core radius were thrown to the ground, injured and disoriented, unable to continue fighting.
The Rain Village's defensive camp—
Descended into chaos.
"ENEMY ATTACK!!"
"Protect the supplies!"
"All units, positions NOW!"
"Seven o'clock direction—request reinforcements!"
"Medical team—move immediately!"
"That attack… it's insane!"
"Call Lord Hanzo—NOW!!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Because no one—
Had expected this.
No one believed that anyone would dare attack the core supply base of the Rain Village.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged a glance.
Then—
They moved.
Fast.
Decisive.
This was a raid.
Killing enemies was secondary.
Destroying supplies—
That was the objective.
"Earth Style… Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground ahead liquefied instantly, transforming into a massive swamp that swallowed dozens of Rain ninja mid-movement, trapping them where they stood.
Orochimaru's expression remained cold, completely detached from the chaos around him.
Every move—
Calculated.
Every strike—
Efficient.
"Earth Style… Earth Wall!"
Jiraiya slammed his hands down, and a towering wall erupted from the ground, stretching across dozens of meters and cutting off entire sections of the battlefield.
"Damn it! It's Konoha—!"
A Rain ninja lunged toward Orochimaru, blade flashing.
But—
Twist.
Orochimaru's body bent at an unnatural angle, evading the strike with eerie precision.
A flash of steel.
"SHHK—!"
Blood sprayed.
The enemy's throat was severed instantly.
"I'm Jiraiya of the Toad Sages!"
Jiraiya roared as he charged forward.
"BOOM!"
His fist slammed into a Chūnin, crushing the man's chest and sending him flying more than ten meters before crashing into the ground.
Another enemy rushed forward—
Only to be blasted away by Orochimaru's attack.
"SHHK SHHK SHHK—!"
Jiraiya's hair exploded outward like a storm of needles, piercing through multiple enemies in a single instant.
Another clash.
Another kill.
Orochimaru moved like a shadow, eliminating a Jōnin in seconds, his movements fluid, precise, merciless.
The two of them—
Were unstoppable.
At peak condition.
Executing perfectly.
There was no hesitation.
No wasted motion.
Because in a raid—
Hesitation meant failure.
And on the other side—
Ryujin—
Was something else entirely.
A one-man massacre.
A walking catastrophe.
Wherever he stepped—
Death followed.
Even the Uchiha elites behind him couldn't keep up.
Couldn't assist.
Couldn't even intervene.
Because there was nothing left for them to do.
Every enemy—
Fell in a single strike.
No exceptions.
"This… this is insane…"
"This is NOT Jōnin-level…"
"This is… something else entirely…"
Shock spread once more.
But this time—
Even Jiraiya and Orochimaru felt it.
They turned—
And saw it.
Explosions.
Flames.
Bodies collapsing.
And at the center of it all—
Ryujin stood.
Like a god of war.
"…This guy…"
Jiraiya whispered.
"…he's treating ninjutsu like toys."
Orochimaru's pupils narrowed.
"…How much chakra does he even have…?"
Because what they were witnessing—
Defied logic.
Even combined—
Their chakra reserves wouldn't match what Ryujin had already used.
And yet—
He showed no signs of slowing.
No signs of exhaustion.
In that moment—
They finally understood.
Why Hiruzen feared him.
Why the Uchiha—
Were considered a threat.
Because Ryujin—
Wasn't just strong.
He was—
Abnormal.
"…How strong… is he really?"
Jiraiya muttered under his breath.
Because one truth had become painfully clear—
Ryujin hadn't even used his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Which meant—
This wasn't even his full power.
"Don't space out!"
A hand pierced through an attacking ninja, saving Jiraiya mid-thought.
Orochimaru's voice was cold.
"This is a battlefield."
Jiraiya blinked—
Then grinned.
"…Guess I owe you one, Orochimaru."
But even as he spoke, his hands were already moving, forming seals in rapid succession.
Because this—
Was a raid.
And speed—
Was everything.