Chapter 24

After concluding our trade in the city of Koro, we hit the road again and resumed our journey toward our final destination. With no significant dangers anticipated, we could engage more actively in training. Each evening, when we stopped to rest, the captain conducted intense sparring sessions. The entire caravan gathered to watch us get beaten by our sensei, relishing in anything they found interesting or amusing.

What entertained them was mild humiliation and pain for us, but no one dared to complain or ask the captain to stop. We all knew that doing so would only provoke him to increase the difficulty several times over. I'm sure he was just waiting for any sign of weakness from us.

At one point, we were caught in a heavy rainstorm. The wind gusts bent the trees along our path, and thunder and lightning split the clouds, making it seem as though they might crash down on us at any moment. We had special waterproof cloaks of dark gray, which allowed us to easily hide from any observers along the way. We didn't expect any attacks from bandits; this peninsula was too small to escape the watchful eyes of the local guards or shinobi.

That's why it was particularly strange to see a signal from the captain ordering us all to increase our vigilance. The other caravan guards noticed it too and tensed up.

Placing my hand on my pouch of shurikens, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the growing sense of foreboding inside me. The heavy rain drummed against the cloak, each drop seemingly emphasizing the rising tension in the air. The drops flowed down, leaving wet streaks behind, which served as a path for the next drops. In this monotonous sound, I tried to catch something unusual.

Listening to the world around me, I felt every muscle in my body tense in anticipation. My eyes scanned the dark shadows of the stone road, searching for signs of an ambush. But even my instincts, honed by many hours of sparring and vigilance, gave no alarm. This either meant that the captain was experiencing a bout of paranoia or that he sensed something we couldn't.

Suddenly, I felt a flash of chakra ahead—a sharp, almost tangible warning. My heart began to race, and a foreboding sound echoed in my ears, like an omen of impending danger. In the next second, out of the rain, as if from the sky itself, a massive water dragon appeared, its bluish chakra glow making me forget everything for a moment. But the captain's training hadn't been in vain—I was ready for battle.

The water dragon, woven from swirling, bubbling water, raced through the downpour with astonishing speed. Its massive body, shimmering under the flashing lightning, evoked the fearsome power of ancient legends. From its piercing and mighty sight, even the bravest hearts could freeze, and legs could paralyze with fear.

Captain Kiochi remained calm, forming hand seals with incredible precision and composure. In response to his gesture, the earth trembled and transformed. A stone wall rose on the dragon's path, summoned from the depths of the earth. It shot upwards, appearing massive and unyielding, with a rough and uneven surface reflecting the sensei's steadfastness and strength.

With a crash that resembled the clash of heavenly titans, the dragon collided with the wall. The water beast, an embodiment of power and fury, shattered into thousands of tiny droplets that, mixing with the rain, created the illusion of silver smoke. The wall, momentarily trembling under the impact, remained unshaken, as if proudly declaring its might. But then we noticed small cracks radiating from the center in all directions.

In the next moment, the captain dashed forward, moving faster than a shadow. A second later, golden sparks from clashing weapons scattered in all directions, snapping me back to reality. The battle was on! Under no circumstances could I allow myself to stand still. The presence of ninjutsu meant only one thing: we'd been attacked by shinobi.

A shinobi, dressed in a gray cloak and a black balaclava that hid his face, charged at me ferociously. His kunai, gleaming ominously in the distant lightning, was thrust forward, seemingly thirsting for blood—my blood. With every passing moment, he drew closer, but my adrenaline-filled heart seemed to slow time, giving me precious seconds to assess the situation. I needed to survive this attack and figure out a way to avoid death.

With a sharp movement, I hurled my kunai straight at him. He barely managed to react, raising his kunai to deflect mine. Sparks flew into the air, illuminating our clash. But my kunai still grazed him, leaving a thin line of blood on his shoulder. Very good!

I assumed a stance, ready to meet his attack. He landed and attempted a slashing strike, but I ducked and rolled on the wet, muddy ground. But that wasn't the end of it. I suddenly leaped to the side, avoiding his powerful kick, which splattered mud and water everywhere. My opponent didn't slow down, and his next strike whizzed over my head, barely missing it. Dodge, then dodge again and again. When the opportunity arose, I activated the Earth Style: Earth Armor.

I had to block his powerful punch, as there wasn't enough time to dodge, and at that moment, the Earth Armor showed its true strength, distributing the impact across my body, preventing any damage. At this rate, I could exhaust myself to death. It seemed that I shouldn't hold back. A quick plan for a few moves immediately formed in my head. Let's get to work.

We clashed again. He tried to stab me with a long needle that shot out from his sleeve, but I wasn't so careless as to not expect something like that. I deftly dodged, jumping back to create a small distance between us, and then the plan was in motion. It needed to be executed step by step.

Illusory clones flared up around me, mimicking my every move. My opponent hesitated for a brief second, giving me the chance to act. My clones replicated my actions, creating chaos and confusion. In an instant, I widened the gap between us, causing the clones to dissipate in a puff of smoke. This created the necessary moment, which I seized. I quickly removed my weights, swung them, and threw them at the opponent. He managed to dodge, but it was already at the limit of his agility. But that gave me the precious second I needed to accelerate.

My acceleration was lightning-fast, every move filled with determination and precision. I became a shadow, nearly invisible in the night's darkness, moving so quickly that my opponent couldn't track my movements. In the next moment, I was already standing before him, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks. Each strike was like a bolt of lightning—precise and powerful, each aimed to end this fight.

Blood began to flow from his nose and mouth, mixing with the cold raindrops, staining them dark red. His attempts to block my attacks were weak and uncertain. One of my feet struck his ribcage with force, and I heard the dull crunch of bones. His arm hung limply, as if devoid of bone structure, lifeless and helpless.

He tried to counterattack, but his movements, exhausted by his injuries, were slow and hesitant. Every move he made was predictable, and I easily anticipated them.

Focusing all my strength, I delivered the decisive blow. My fist struck his abdomen with force, knocking the air and the last hope for victory out of him. He collapsed to the ground, into the mud and pools of blood that slowly spread, mixing with the rainwater. In his eyes, I saw a moment of realization—a realization of the end—before they dimmed, leaving behind only empty shells. The confrontation was brutal, but in this world of shinobi, you're either the victor or you're dead.

And, of course, I didn't run away immediately. No, that would not have been the smartest decision. In the shinobi world, you cannot afford to be reckless, especially at such moments. I remembered the lessons from the Academy, where we were warned about techniques that mimic death, capable of deceiving even experienced jonin, costing them their lives.

Intending to ensure his death, I approached his body. With a sharp kick, I flipped his body over. The body tumbled awkwardly in the air, his hair flying in all directions like a grim cloud. As the body began to fall back to the ground, I quickly drew two kunai. With two lightning-fast motions, I slashed them across his neck, leaving deep, bleeding wounds. His head now barely hung onto his body, connected only by small pieces of skin and muscle.

Now I was sure he would never rise again. Blood slowly but steadily began to flow from the severed arteries, forming dark streams on the ground. They drifted along the wet earth, mixing with the rainwater, painting eerie pictures. It resembled a dance of death, slowly spreading in all directions, fading into the darkness.

The battle was far from over. I turned to Shiko and Ayame, who were facing three opponents at once. If the captain is fighting one, I killed the second, and Shiko and Ayame are dealing with three, then five shinobi attacked us. I needed to hurry and help the girls. Three against two is not the best scenario. For anyone, honestly.

I rushed toward them. With a sharp movement, I threw a kunai, causing the attackers to retreat for a moment. This gave the girls a chance to catch their breath. And what can I say… they didn't look particularly good. They had taken some hits, suffered several cuts, and were generally exhausted. They were closer to defeat than ever before.

I abruptly charged into the trio of shinobi, immediately trying to take down as many of them as possible. My kunai flashed as it sliced through the rain, but it never reached the opponents. They quickly retreated again, widening the distance. I paused, taking a deep breath and exhaling, trying to clear my mind. This was going to be much harder than I thought. A blind leap of faith right into them didn't work.

"Ohhh," drawled the deep voice of one of the attackers, the one standing on the right. He was looking in the direction from which I had come. "Looks like Toshiro lost… Hmph. It'll be fun to slice you into pieces."

"Don't rush," I replied. "As they say, don't count your chickens before they hatch."

The caravan members were still sheltering behind us, doing nothing. That made sense because they couldn't stand up to shinobi anyway. That's right, they should stay out of this. They would only bring trouble upon themselves and put us in danger.

"You think you're smart, huh?" the same guy asked. He sharply drew two tantō from their sheaths and spun them in front of him. "Well, let's see how smart you really are."

"What, you want a one-on-one?" I asked him. "Or are you too scared? Or can you only attack girls in a group, huh?"

"Ohhhh," he drawled again. I could feel his angry gaze. "Are you too scared to face me? I'm not. One-on-one. Or…"

"I'm not scared," I shrugged. A kunai appeared in my hand, which I grabbed by the tail and spun on my finger.

A quick glance toward Ayame. As soon as she caught my gaze, I gave a barely noticeable nod. The girl didn't immediately understand what I meant. For a moment, her eyes showed confusion and panic. But then… the Nara intellect kicked in, and she understood what was required of her. Now, the main thing was for no one to mess up.

Taking a step forward, I assumed a stance. Somewhere in the distance, the echoes of the captain's battle continued. But… I couldn't worry about that because if he hadn't managed to defeat his opponent yet, there was nothing I could do there. They would squash me like a bug.

My opponent, whose name I still didn't know, allowed himself a smirk.

"You're brave," he said. "My name is Ioichi Sato. I think a future corpse should know the name of the one who's going to kill him."

"Suzuki Grandvitara," I introduced myself in response. For a second, Ioichi froze, and then he burst into loud, sharp laughter.

"Ah-ha-ha, what a ridiculous name!" he said. "Oh, Kami… it's a shame that I have to kill someone with such a stupid name."

I took a deep breath through my nose and slowly exhaled. His words didn't bother me. They didn't affect me. Let him say what he wants, but I'm going to shove those words back down his throat. I'll feed him the wet earth. But for now, smile and wave.

"Does your mother have the same last name?" the soon-to-be corpse asked. "I wouldn't even take someone with that name to a barn. The cows would die from laughter. Oh… Kami!"

His words, cruel and mocking, made my blood boil with rage. A sense of anger, like an unstoppable avalanche, exploded within me, painting the world in shades of red. No, you bastard, I won't kill you so easily. Different thoughts swirled in my mind. You'll die slowly and painfully.

I lunged forward, the kunai in my hand turning into a lightning-fast thrust. Ioichi, my opponent, blocked it with his tantō blades, a smirk crossing his face. He quickly spun his arms, trying to disarm me and pierce me with his blades. But I was faster. Jumping back, I dodged his strike.

"I'll turn you into mush!" I shouted, my voice filled with fury and a promise of pain. "The gods will bear witness to it!"

At that moment, thunder rumbled, as if the heavens were responding to my cry. My anger burst forth, and without using any seals, I stomped my foot. A large amount of chakra surged into the air, which could have been used differently. The technique I intended to execute was successful. Two stone spears shot out of the ground and pierced Ioichi's legs. He screamed in pain, his cries blending with the thunder overhead. He hadn't expected that.

I closed the distance and started striking. Hard and furious. Every blow I delivered was filled with unstoppable rage, overflowing with chakra. With each strike, there were new cries of pain and the crunch of breaking bones. His face contorted in agony, sparks of pain flickering in his eyes. I continued, feeling neither fatigue nor pity, until his body no longer reacted to my punches.

He lay on the ground, nearly lifeless, his body resembling a broken doll. The wet earth beneath him was soaked with blood, forming a puddle that slowly expanded, absorbing the aftermath of my wrath. Blood bubbled on his chest, and his lungs barely rose. I glanced at the two remaining opponents and grabbed one of the tantō. It was of very high quality. My anger was slowly subsiding, allowing me to think somewhat clearly again.

They hadn't yet realized what had happened when I attacked. Somehow, by sheer instinct, my target dodged. My fist slammed into the ground, sending mud and dirt flying in all directions. Lunging forward, I slid across the mud and hurled two shurikens. One of the shurikens even hit, slicing through the balaclava and revealing green hair.

"Ayame, the one with green hair!" I shouted loudly.

A shadow immediately concentrated beneath his feet. The guy with green hair froze in mid-movement. I didn't know how long she could hold her technique, but it didn't matter anymore. I quickly closed the distance and drove the tantō into his chest with all my might. Pulling the blade out, I noticed the shadow thinning and then disappearing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ayame collapse, nearly out of strength.

"Shiko, the last one!" I yelled to Yamanaka.

I moved forward, avoiding the line of fire for her technique. But… nothing happened. The opponent swiftly dodged and began increasing the distance between us. I threw a kunai to block one of his possible escape routes for a few moments. At the same time, I noticed Shiko lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Damn, it looks like she overexerted herself.

I can't let the enemy get away. I'll take care of Shiko and Ayame afterward. Onward.

"Earth Style! Stone Spear Jutsu!" This time, I intended to do everything right. A powerful spear burst from the ground and, fueled by my anger, struck the shinobi in the back, piercing his body completely.

The fleeing shinobi kept moving, but it was not the same. He pulled himself off the stone spear and then collapsed. At that moment, thunder echoed again, and I felt the powerful movement of some strange energy. Looking up, I noticed my hair standing on end. A second later, a powerful lightning bolt struck me, completely knocking me out.

My body fell, but I found myself in a semi-transparent, invisible form, just like before… when I first found myself in this body. Upon closer inspection, I noticed strange currents running through my body, performing some actions. A long chain extended from me to the body, suggesting a quick return to it. And so it happened. Something tugged at my chain, and I flew back into the body.

Pain assaulted me like a thousand tiny gnats. They stung my brain, eyes, tongue, muscles, and every part of my body. The pain finally reached my brain, and I lost consciousness.