Chapter 15: Battle Joined
The forest was cloaked in shadow, its stillness suffocating, as if the night itself held its breath. Nothing stirred—not the wind, not the leaves, not even the faint rustle of nocturnal life.
Then, without warning, the darkness fractured.
Golden light erupted like a beacon through the trees, chasing away the shadows in jagged, flickering streaks. Naruto tore through the forest, his Golden Lightning Steps blazing with a brilliance that defied the oppressive gloom. Each step reverberated like a thunderclap, the sound tearing through the silence and leaving a charged hum in its wake.
The air vibrated under the weight of his power, rippling outward in waves that bent the trees ever so slightly, their branches swaying as if bowing to the force of his presence. For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the forest wasn't just a backdrop—it was alive, reacting to him, reshaping itself in awe of the raw, untamed energy that surged through the clearing.
Each step was a storm, every movement a pulse of brilliance that shattered the night's grip. The golden aura around him blazed like an untamed inferno, throwing jagged shadows across the ground as if the world itself struggled to contain his fury.
But as he ran, Naruto couldn't shake the nagging sensation that something was… off. The usual rush of wind against his face felt muted, like a distant echo of what it should have been. The rhythmic crunch of his footsteps on the forest floor had vanished, replaced by an eerie, oppressive silence.
It felt like the forest itself was holding its breath, waiting.
His gaze darted to the surrounding trees, their shadows stretched unnaturally long in the glow of his golden aura. That was when he noticed it—leaves that should have fluttered in his wake hung motionless in the air, as though frozen mid-fall. The stillness spread outward, the world around him suspended in an uncanny, dreamlike stasis.
A squirrel hung motionless in the air, its small paws reaching out for an acorn that hovered just inches away. The gap between them was frozen in time—no arc to its jump, no anticipation of landing—just an eerie stillness, as if reality itself had been paused.
"Uh… did I break the world?" Naruto muttered, glancing around nervously. This wasn't normal, even for him.
The forest remained eerily still, the frozen tableau of nature making his unease grow. Leaves hung suspended mid-fall, their edges catching faint glimmers of moonlight. A squirrel perched on a branch was frozen in the act of scratching its ear, its eyes closed in preparation for the bliss to come.
Naruto's heart thudded against his ribs as his gaze darted from one unnerving sight to another. The stillness wasn't just unnatural—it was suffocating, as though time itself had been ripped away, leaving him the sole moving piece in a world gone static. His fingers twitched, golden sparks flickering between them as his chakra buzzed with restless energy.
"Okay, seriously," he whispered to himself, his voice the only sound in the silence. "What the hell did I do this time?"
Congratulations, Kit, Kazua chimed in dryly. You're officially so fast, you've outpaced reality. I'd clap, but I'm afraid I'd shatter the fragile fabric of existence.
"Very funny… wait, I did what?! Are you serious!?" Naruto's voice rose an octave as his golden aura flickered, sputtering like a candle caught in a sudden gust. He threw his hands up in exasperation, the motion sending faint arcs of lightning crackling through the still air.
His gaze snapped upward, scanning the frozen canopy above, then darted side to side as if expecting the forest to spring to life at any moment. The tension in his shoulders was palpable, his fists clenched tight enough that his knuckles turned white beneath the glow of his chakra.
Just kidding… Kazua paused, her tone laced with amusement. …maybe.
Naruto groaned, dragging a hand down his face in frustration, the golden glow of his chakra briefly dimming with his exasperation. "You're not helping," he muttered, his voice muffled but sharp with irritation.
Kazua's chuckle echoed in his mind, smug and unapologetic. Oh, I don't know, Kit. I think I'm helping plenty—keeping you grounded and all that. You're welcome.
Naruto's hand dropped to his side, his violet-gold gaze scanning the eerie stillness around him. "Yeah, well, next time, how about helping with fewer jokes and more answers?"
Instead of answering all he heard was the fox's laughter echoing in his mind, light and teasing, but the eerie stillness of the world around him made it hard to appreciate the humor. The tension pressed down on him, suffocating, as if the forest itself was holding its breath, waiting to see what he would do next.
Naruto's eyes darted around the unnaturally still world, the frozen leaves and motionless shadows only heightening his unease. His voice was sharp, cracking through the oppressive silence like a kunai through paper. "Kazua, you crazy fox, this is not the time for jokes!"
There was an edge of panic in his voice. The lack of movement, the absence of sound—it gnawed at him. It wasn't just unsettling; it was wrong. He had faced danger before, but this? This was something else entirely.
Oh, I don't know, she quipped, her voice practically oozing with amusement. From my perspective, it seems like the perfect time for jokes to me.
Instead of acknowledging his tenant's snark, he put his time to better use by glancing down at his hands and, unsurprisingly, forgot his fear and immediately lost the plot. Instead of worrying, he was captivated by whatever godawful delusion the sight of his fingers wrapped in Golden Chakra kicked off in what passed for his mind.
"Wow, this is so cool," Naruto muttered, his awe breaking the silence as he leaned in to inspect his lightning covered hands.
The crackling energy danced around his skin, its glow illuminating his surroundings in shimmering streaks of light. It was hypnotic, and for a moment, he forgot everything else.
Naruto wasn't stupid. He was just… easily distracted by shiny things. And right now, the golden glow of his chakra reflecting off his hands was practically begging for his attention.
He flexed his fingers, watching the light dance along his skin with childlike wonder. "Okay… this is either really, really cool, or I broke something really, really important. In which case, I'm really, really sorry because this is really, really awesome!" the distracted seven-year-old muttered excitedly, his grin widening. The sheer excitement in his voice hung in the air for a beat, unchallenged—until, predictably, Kazua's snarky tone sliced through it like a kunai.
'Broke something important,' he says? the voice materialized in his head, dripping with mockery. Oh no, Kit. You just casually tore a hole in the space-time continuum. Happens all the time, right?
Naruto froze, his golden aura flickering as his heart skipped a beat. "Wait… what? Space-time? Hold on, I did what?" he stammered, his words tumbling over each other in a chaotic, incoherent mess. His wide, panicked eyes darted around as if the answer might appear in the stillness around him.
Calm down, Kit, Kazua replied, amused. I was just kidding. All you've managed to do is unlock your Enhanced Perception. Congratulations, you're marginally less clueless now.
Naruto blinked, her words barely registering before a soft, melodic chime echoed in his mind. He froze, more startled by the sound than her sarcasm. Slowly, he turned his gaze upward, only to find a floating golden text box materializing above him.
The words shimmered with an otherworldly glow, crisp and clean against the backdrop of the frozen forest:
[ HIDDEN QUEST: EYES WIDE OPEN ]
Status: [ Completed ]
Description:
Expand your sensory awareness to enhance your situational understanding.
Translation?
Congrats! You're slightly less oblivious now.
No more walking into walls or missing the painfully obvious traps laid out in front of you.
Thanks to this accomplishment, you'll notice the little things—like the kunai hurtling toward your face or that suspiciously placed banana peel waiting to ruin your day.
Basically, you're one step closer to ninja greatness…
or at least not embarrassing yourself every five minutes.
_
Reward:
New Skill Unlocked: Enhanced Perception
100 Perception
100 Agility
_
Before he could ask the question, another window popped into view, glowing faintly in the frozen forest:
[ NEW SKILL UNLOCKED ]
Skill Name: Enhanced Perception
Type: Passive/Active
Description:
Sharpen your senses to perceive the world in greater detail.
Enhanced Perception allows the user to process their surroundings with heightened clarity and awareness, granting an edge in combat, strategy, and observation.
Effects:
• Slows down the user's perception of time, allowing for quicker reactions.
• Increases accuracy in detecting hidden objects, enemies, and traps.
• Heightens sensory input, including vision, hearing, and touch.
Permanent Stats Boosted:
• 100 Perception
• 100 Agility
_
Naruto's eyes widened, his excitement immediately reigniting. "Wait, what?! A hundred points in both stats?!"
Kazua chuckled softly in his mind. Congrats, Kit. You're officially broken.
"Broken in the best way possible!" Naruto declared, his grin almost splitting his face as he bounced on his toes. The possibilities raced through his mind at lightning speed, mirroring the crackling energy around him.
"This is awesome!" he shouted. Quests meant purpose, a direction—a tangible way to verify without any doubt that he was improving.
Pumped, Naruto launched himself forward, leaping through the trees with newfound vigor. His golden aura crackled like a miniature storm, mirroring the electric thrill coursing through him.
For a brief moment, he wasn't the vessel of overwhelming power or the center of chaotic new revelations—he was just a seven-year-old kid, his heart racing with pure, unfiltered exhilaration. The strange windows, the crackling energy, and the weight of it all faded into the background, leaving only the sheer joy of feeling alive and untouchable.
He felt like the hero from Kakashi-sensei's bedtime stories—except this time, it wasn't just a tale. He was the protagonist, standing at the precipice of something far greater than he could have imagined.
Kazua let out a long-suffering groan, clearly exasperated as she sensed the trajectory of her host's thoughts. You know what, scratch that—you might be broken, but you're still an unrepentant idiot.
Naruto's scowl deepened, his brows knitting together in an almost cartoonish display of irritation. "You know," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "for a so-called supportive voice, you're doing a spectacularly terrible job at the whole supportive part."
The silence hung heavy, broken only by the faint crackle of Naruto's golden aura. It flickered around him, lighting the forest in brief flashes as he moved, swift and unyielding, through the towering trees. Each step carried a rhythm, like a symphony only he could hear—until it was abruptly interrupted.
Supportive? Kazua drawled, finally deciding to answer. Oh, Kit, you wound me. I'm very supportive. I'm just also brutally honest. Someone has to keep you humble while you bumble your way through these "hero" moments.
Naruto rolled his eyes mid-leap, his momentum unbroken as he darted between branches. "Yeah, well, maybe tone down the 'brutal' part. There's only so much ego deflation a guy can take."
Kazua's retort was quick, her tone as cutting as ever. Ego deflation is good for the soul and besides, encouragement doesn't build legends, Kit. Smart decisions and determination do. Then her voice softened, just slightly. So maybe use that shiny new Perception stat and start thinking for yourself.
Naruto's eye twitched. "Hey, come on, cut me some slack here, I'm doing the best I can. Just give me a second to process this, okay?" Naruto snapped back defensively, his voice rising slightly. Then he pointed at a leaf frozen mid-air. "Why is that leaf just chilling up there like… like I don't know what, but I'm sure that's not natural."
Kazua's chuckle echoed in his mind, rich with amusement and laced with just enough condescension to be infuriating. Because you, genius, are moving so fast that your brain—thanks to a whole lot of heavy lifting from your chakra—has adjusted your perception of time. Otherwise, you'd be decorating the nearest tree like a squashed tomato hurled in the middle of a food fight.
Naruto paused mid-jump before skidding to a halt on the nearest branch, the momentum of his landing sending a faint ripple through the leaves around him. He blinked, the vivid mental image of his hypothetical splattered self crashing into his thoughts like an unwelcome guest. Groaning loudly, he threw his hands into the air in pure exasperation.
"That's not exactly reassuring, you know!" he snapped, glaring into the empty space ahead as if Kazua's voice had a physical form he could scold. "When do I get a manual for this whole Golden Chakra thing? Maybe with a nice, user-friendly chapter called How to Not Accidentally Die While Moving? Because I could really use some tips here!"
Kazua's chuckle deepened, clearly delighted by his frustration. Sorry, Kit, no manual. Just me, your ever-so-patient guide through the chaos that is your life.
Naruto huffed, crossing his arms with a scowl. "Oh, I'm sorry, let me just whip out my How the Brain Works for Idiots handbook and cram the basics in two seconds. Maybe next time, give me a heads-up before my brain decides to outrun reality!"
Well, in your dubious defense, Kazua teased, it's not your fault your brain requires training wheels. But hey, you're learning! Baby steps, Kit, baby steps.
Naruto glared at the empty air around him, muttering, "Great. I'm taking life advice from a snarky fox spirit. What could possibly go wrong?"
Oh, trust me, Kit, there's a lot that can go wrong, Kazua quipped back.
The irritated blonde rolled his eyes, his scowl deepening. "I bet," he muttered under his breath. "What's next? Trees that fight back? Gravity giving up on me mid-leap?"
Now you're getting it, Kazua replied smoothly. But don't worry, I'll be here to laugh when it happens.
Naruto shot a glare at the empty air. "Yeah, thanks for that. Real comforting." He paused, glancing down at his hands, where the golden glow of his chakra still flickered like a crackling fire. "But seriously… outrunning my own brain? Who even does that?"
Apparently, you do, Kazua answered dryly. So maybe do us both a favor and try not to fly head-first into a mountain while we get things figured out, okay?
Naruto groaned, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off her words. "Noted," he muttered.
And then, without another word, he vanished, leaving the clearing awash in a flash of golden lightning. The brilliant energy crackled and surged, illuminating the stillness of the frozen forest as if the world itself was reacting to his power.
The leaves in his wake rustled and swirled, disturbed by the shockwave of his departure, while distant trees creaked under the force of his momentum. Each leap was faster, each movement sharper, as Naruto tore through the forest with newfound determination, his golden aura slicing through the shadows like a living storm.
Still not far from a potential murder scene. T-Minus One Minute Until Sakura becomes a head shorter.
When Naruto reached his first destination, he skidded to a stop, his feet digging into the ground as the golden lightning around him vanished.
Before him lay the unconscious form of Hinata Hyūga, dressed in her flimsy night clothes, her pale skin faintly glowing under a thin layer of lightning chakra. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene.
"What the hell's going on here?" Naruto muttered.
Though he'd never admit it, he kind of liked the little stalker girl—shy, awkward, and always hiding behind her own nerves. He felt oddly protective of her, even if she was more like a background character in his life than a real player.
Still, there was something endearing about her. Maybe it was the way she tried to sneak glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking, or how she would get so nervous that she'd practically trip over her own feet. It was funny and sad, though right now he didn't care about any of that.
The blonde coated his hands in green chakra, the familiar warmth spreading through his palms as he crouched down by her body. His fingers hovered over her injuries, a quiet focus settling over him as the healing chakra surged into her form. He let the chakra flow, guiding it through her system with precision, watching as the wounds slowly began to close.
She was still unconscious, but the color was beginning to return to her cheeks, the paling of her skin gradually fading.
He couldn't help but feel a bit of relief—he'd done this for his guardians during particularly arduous training bouts, but this was different.
"Who's got the balls to kidnap the Hyūga heir?" he growled, his jaw tightening. The humor was gone, replaced with a quiet rage that simmered just beneath the surface. He scanned his surroundings, and if you were close enough, you would have seen his eyes shift from their usual violet to a cold, blazing gold that seemed to burn with fury.
The thought of her being taken—vulnerable and alone—twisted something deep inside him, igniting a fire he couldn't quench. This wasn't just anger. This was something darker, more dangerous. He wasn't just ready to make someone pay; he was ready to make them suffer.
Reining in his temper, he forced himself to think. *Why kidnap an important hostage, then leave her in the middle of the forest, mostly unharmed?*
The more he turned the situation over in his mind, the more questions piled up, each one more confusing than the last. Whoever did this clearly wasn't following the typical playbook for ransom or revenge. No, there was something else at work here—something subtle, hidden beneath the underneath.
Kazua's voice rang out in his mind, sharp and furious. I don't know who did this, but they're going to regret it. Mark my words. There was an undercurrent of protectiveness in her tone, a rare emotion Naruto didn't expect from her.
"Yeah," He muttered under his breath, ignoring that for the time being. His fists clenched at his sides as he stared at Hinata's still form.
"They're gonna regret it all right."
What are you going to do? Kazua asked, wary of her hosts tone.
The blonde Jinchūriki rubbed the back of his neck, his mind racing for a solution. Then, an idea hit him. Without hesitation, he reached into the ninja pouch strapped to his thigh and pulled out a high-tier storage scroll, its pristine surface marked with intricate sealing patterns.
You can't be serious, the Kyūbi blurted out, its voice tinged with disbelief.
"It's fine," Naruto said quickly, brushing off the Bijū's concern. "This is a high-tier storage scroll. As long as the person I put in here is unconscious, they'll be fine."
And what happens if she wakes up while she's still in there? Kazua interjected, skepticism practically dripping from every word.
He scratched his chin, his expression shifting into something almost comically thoughtful. "She won't. Once someone gets put in one of these scrolls, they go into what Kakashi-sensei calls 'suspended animation.'" He paused, tapping his chin. "I think that means they just… stop changing while they're inside. No aging, no moving—nothing. So yeah, everything should be fine."
"I heard a lot of 'thinks' and 'shoulds in there.' Are you sure about this," Kazua asked, her voice flat.
"It'll be fine," Naruto insisted, his focus returning to the unconscious Hinata. "Besides, I need to get her out of here before she catches a cold or something worse."
With a steady breath, he unrolled the scroll, the parchment crackling slightly as it hit the forest floor. Carefully, he adjusted Hinata's body, rolling her onto the smooth surface. The intricate sealing array etched into the scroll flickered with energy, as he quickly performed the necessary hand signs.
In an instant, the air shimmered, and with a soft poof, her body vanished. The scroll quickly rolled back up, its edges snapping into place, leaving behind only the faint, lingering trace of chakra.
That done, Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out a sleek, silver whistle. Pressing it to his lips, he blew a note so high-pitched that only the trained ears of the hawks could catch it. Moments later, a blur descended from the sky as a majestic hawk dove gracefully through the trees, landing neatly beside him. Its sharp eyes regarded him with calm intelligence.
"Hey, buddy," Naruto murmured, scratching its head affectionately before pulling out a scrap of paper—from gods knows where. Quickly, he scribbled a note in his untidy scrawl.
When he finished, he rolled the scroll up and performed a swift series of hand signs. The scroll glowed faintly before shrinking down to fit snugly in the palm of his hand.
"Perfect," he murmured, tying it securely to the hawk's leg with practiced precision. His fingers moved deftly, each motion precise, as though he'd done it a thousand times before.
The hawk ruffled its feathers, eager to take flight.
Naruto straightened, giving the bird a confident two-finger salute. "Alright, buddy, time to shine. Take this back home. Kakashi-sensei or Anko-sensei should be there—trust me, they'll know what to do."
He paused, leaning in slightly as if to emphasize the importance of his next words. "And if they're not? You keep looking until you find them. No slacking off, alright? This is important."
The hawk nodded—seriously, how did they always seem to understand?—before launching itself into the sky with a powerful beat of its wings. Its silhouette quickly disappeared against the backdrop of the vast horizon, leaving Naruto to watch it go with a faint smile.
Where's it going? Kazua asked, her curiosity cutting through the quiet. She'd been so deep in her own thoughts, she hadn't caught what her partner had said to the bird before he'd released it.
"Home," Naruto replied, his eyes following the hawk until it disappeared into the horizon. "Kakashi-sensei or Anko-sensei should be around, and they'll handle things from there."
He exhaled, brushing a hand through his hair. "Now that that's taken care of, we've got bigger problems to deal with."
Yeah. No kidding, Kazue confirmed.
He straightened, his gaze sharpening as he locked onto the faint trace of the cloaked chakra. His eyes zeroed in on the source, and without a moment's hesitation, he launched himself in the direction of his prey.
Golden Lightning Steps crackled beneath his feet, propelling him with electrifying speed. The forest became a blur of motion, the trees bowing under the force of the wind he generated.
"Let's see who's behind this," he growled, golden lightning crackling around his body. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving nothing but the aftershock of his movement in the air.
Moments later, a slim figure cloaked in golden chakra burst through the dense foliage, the radiant energy scattering the shadows like shattered glass.
He landed lightly in a low crouch on a sturdy branch, the wood groaning faintly under the force of his arrival.
Below him, the familiar playground of the Ninja Academy sprawled in unsettling stillness, cloaked in shadow and silence. The air was heavy, the kind of quiet that made his instincts prickle, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves stirred in his wake.
His feet had barely touched the branch when his eyes caught it—a flash of steel slicing through the moonlit gloom. The sharp glint was unmistakable. His gaze snapped downward, locking onto the figure below: a masked-nin, cloaked in darkness, exuding danger.
Said unknown, sword-wielding nin was cloaked in dark, tight-fitting robes, his movements calculated and predatory. The blade in his hand gleamed ominously under the moonlight, poised mere inches from the neck of a young girl with unmistakable pink hair.
And who was this unlucky girl?
Sakura. Frigging. Haruno.
Her wide, terrified eyes were fixed on the blade hovering a breath from her throat, her trembling hands frozen.
Even now, with her life quite literally hanging by a thread, she managed to radiate the same brand of exasperation that had plagued him for years.
Of all the people in the entire village, he thought darkly, his golden aura flaring with irritation. It just had to be her.
He was so irritated, he didn't realize his enhanced perception had kicked in until the world around him seemed to slow to a crawl, every detail snapping into startling clarity.
Which meant he had even more time to stew in how much he despised the bitch.
Of all the people, he thought again bitterly, his golden aura sparking erratically as his irritation flared. Of all the people I could run into about to be murdered, it had to be her.
Unbidden memories clawed their way to the forefront of his mind like unwelcome ghosts. Before his two-year exile into the merciless depths of the Forest of Death, Sakura had been the bane of his existence.
She'd nagged, whined, and, somehow, always managed to twist every disaster into an issue that somehow revolved around him, no matter how far removed he'd been from its cause.
And now here she was, true to form, entangled in some life-threatening mess with Kami knows who, in the middle of the night, where she didn't belong. Because, of course, she was. Making his life exponentially harder for no reason seemed to be her defining talent.
Great, Naruto grumbled inwardly, his fingers itching to do something. Why is no one ever where they belong?
She reminded him too much of her mother, Mebuki Haruno. Thanks to her membership with the Civilian Council, that woman had made his life a nightmare, always belittling him, always looking at him like he was less than human—like he was some mistake that didn't belong.
And Sakura? She wasn't much better. She had the same grating attitude, the same sharp voice, only with an extra dose of insufferable arrogance only a adolescent girl could achieve.
Damn it, his fists clenching as his chest tightened with anger. Why does it always have to be the Harunos?
Golden chakra, streaked with flashes of vivid blue, flickered and danced around him like a barely contained storm. It pulsed with his growing frustration, crackling in the air as his sharp gaze bore down on the pink-haired girl.
For a moment, he hesitated, his mind wrestling with itself. Did he really want to save her? Could he look past all the crap her family had put him through and do the right thing? Should he even bother?
But before he could answer his own question, he was at the girl's side, his kunai already drawn and poised to strike.
Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang through the clearing, startling the masked-nin, who looked up just in time to see a kid standing there, his stance casual yet solid.
The boy's kunai shimmered under the moonlight, the sharp edge still pressed against the side of his own blade, as if he'd been there all along, effortlessly intercepting the attack.
The masked-nin's heart raced as he leapt back, landing lightly in a defensive stance, his eyes darting around, calculating.
The kid didn't move an inch, most of his face hidden beneath a mess of blonde hair that caught the light in odd, unpredictable ways. His molten gold eyes, however, glowed with an almost unnatural intensity. They were cold and focused.
The kid stared at him, his face stern, eyes devoid of emotion, as if he were already looking at a dead man.
Suspicion laced his voice as he narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you, kid?"
The boy didn't flinch, his gaze unwavering, as though his words were nothing more than background noise.
The boy showed no obvious fear, though his grip did flex around the hilt of his kunai.
Outside of that trivial motion, the kid was perfectly still. Which was weird. No kid should be able to stand nonchalantly in his presence like he was out for a evening stroll.
Raiden's hand twitched, ready to strike, but the kid's eyes didn't waver. They flickered briefly to the side, scanning the area before they snapped back to him.
The shinobi's gaze remained fixed on the boy, every nerve in his body tingling with wariness. There was something unsettling in the way the kid stood—calm, yet there was a dangerous energy radiating from him, something that didn't match the innocence his age should have conveyed.
The air felt heavy, charged with a tension that set Raiden's instincts on high alert.
When the kid finally spoke, his voice was quiet but sharp, carrying an undertone of something far darker.
"Someone you really shouldn't have pissed off."
Raiden's breath caught in his throat, the words hitting harder than he'd expected. He froze for a moment, unease creeping up his spine. The kid wasn't just playing games. There was a quiet certainty in his stance that made Raiden hesitate—he'd seen it before in seasoned warriors, in fighters who'd been tempered by battle, by blood, by death.
He forced a smirk, trying to dismiss the growing discomfort in his chest. "What, you think I'm scared of you?" His voice was steady, but his eyes flickered with uncertainty for the briefest of moments.
The boy's gaze never faltered; his eyes locked onto Raiden's with an unnerving calm. He didn't flinch. He didn't even seem to acknowledge the threat.
"Yes."
The word was soft, almost casual—but it hit like a blow.
And then, without warning, blue and gold chakra erupted from the boy's body, a searing storm of energy that tore through the air with a deafening roar.
The earth beneath him shattered, spiderweb cracks radiating outward as the sheer force of his power carved a crater into the ground.
The air itself seemed to tremble, heavy with a pressure that pressed down on everything around him like an unrelenting tidal wave.
Raiden's breath caught in his throat, his instincts screaming at him, but before he could react, the boy's voice cut through the chaos.
"And believe me, you should be."
As soon as the kid finished speaking his chakra erupted like a tidal wave, a relentless force that slammed into Raiden with the weight of a storm unbound.
The air thickened, heavy and oppressive, wrapping around him like an iron vise. For a fleeting, terrifying moment, he could swear his lungs refused to obey, each breath a struggle against the suffocating pressure.
It wasn't just power—it was chaos made manifest, and the sheer intensity of it had his instincts screaming in primal terror.
But before he could so much as twitch, the thing masquerading as a child was gone.
One moment, the kid was there—standing defiantly before him, a crackling volcano of energy barely contained within his small frame.
And the next, he was gone.
It wasn't a movement; it was an absence. One second, the kid was there, a living, breathing force of nature, and the next, nothing but the sound of wind and heavy breathing remained.
The atmosphere pressed down on him, thick with tension, as if the very air had turned to lead. Every nerve in Raiden's body screamed in warning, a primal sense of danger coiling tightly in his gut. It was as though the boy had become one with the shadows themselves—his presence dissolving into the darkness, leaving only the haunting silence in his wake.
His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a drum of dread, while his instincts screamed louder, clawing at his senses that this wasn't just some child he was up against. No, this was something far more dangerous, something way beyond the scope of his mission.
Raiden's eyes darted across the clearing, desperate to catch even the faintest hint of movement. His breath quickened, his muscles tensed, ready to react at the slightest sign. But all he found was the pathetic figure of the girl crumpled on the ground, whimpering in the dirt, and the cold, suffocating emptiness of the space where the kid had once stood. His mind raced, and for the first time, Raiden's gaze betrayed a flicker of doubt—his worst fear mirrored back at him in the silence.
The weight of the boy's power still hung in the air, and Raiden felt it press in on him, a constant, suffocating reminder that he had just encountered something that he wished he hadn't.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He wasn't sure what was worse: the absence of the boy or the chilling sense that he could strike from anywhere, at any moment.
"Where the hell—?" Raiden's eyes snapped around, his hand instinctively clutching the hilt of his blade, muscles coiled like a predator waiting to strike. Every nerve screamed at him, but the kid was gone. Completely, eerily, gone.