Chapter 30: Magnet Release Ninja, Rasa!

Land of Fire.

In the dense forest near the border, Mirai led Asuma and Kurenai, swiftly moving through the towering trees. Recently, casualties on the Konoha side had been steadily increasing, with many patrol teams mysteriously disappearing.

According to intelligence, a team of Chunin had been ambushed northwest of the camp, and they were racing toward the location to offer backup.

Without a word, they continued until they neared the location indicated in the report. Mirai raised his arm silently, prompting Kurenai and Asuma to halt immediately without a sound.

"Mirai, what is it?" Kurenai asked quietly.

"Something feels off here. If anything unexpected happens, you two are to retreat immediately."

Kurenai and Asuma both nodded at Mirai's command. Since the last encounter with a Sunagakure Jōnin, Asuma had become a lot more cautious, no longer so eager to prove himself.

They advanced cautiously, and soon, faint groans drifted to their ears. The three exchanged glances, moving forward a few more steps until they saw three Konoha shinobi lying in pools of blood, one of them letting out faint moans.

"They're from our village!" Asuma whispered urgently, his first instinct to rush forward and aid his comrades. But just as he began to move, Mirai firmly gripped his shoulder, stopping him.

"Asuma, after defeating an enemy, what's the first thing you should do?" Mirai asked, his tone serious.

Asuma was taken aback. On the battlefield, confirming a kill was essential. Ninja could be deceptively cunning, and playing dead to launch a sneak attack was a common tactic. So, unless absolutely necessary, a shinobi's first priority after a battle was to ensure the enemy was dead.

Yet here, there was no sign of an enemy presence, no indication of an injured or deceased enemy. Strangely, one shinobi had "luckily" survived.

Only a novice would leave a wounded enemy like this. But the odds of three novices being on the same team were almost non-existent. And besides... if they really were novices, they wouldn't have left a team of Chunin in this state.

Considering all these clues, there was only one conclusion.

It was a trap, set by the enemy.

Asuma looked at Mirai in astonishment. Had he already deduced the truth behind the scene right away? Not only was he powerful, but he was also calm and perceptive—a real prodigy.

"Retreat," Mirai commanded in a low voice.

The tactic of setting a trap to draw reinforcements into an ambush was common yet highly effective. Now that he was aware it was a setup, there was no way he would rush in.

"Mirai, are we just going to leave? But what about… him?" Asuma looked at their injured comrade up ahead, his expression torn. Even knowing it was a trap, abandoning a fellow shinobi to certain death didn't sit right with him.

"Hesitating over past attachments will only cost you everything," Mirai replied calmly. "If it bothers you that much, then kill more of the enemy to avenge our comrades."

At that moment, three figures emerged behind them.

"A cold-hearted one, aren't you? Your comrades' lives mean that little to you?" The leader, Rasa, smirked at the three Konoha shinobi. "In that case…"

Suddenly, golden sand surged from beneath the wounded Konoha Chunin, instantly engulfing him.

Splat!

The gold dust receded, leaving behind only thick, congealed blood and fragments of flesh. Seeing this, both Asuma and Kurenai clenched their fists tightly.

"You bastard!" they growled.

"Don't let such a cheap taunt get to you," Mirai warned, drawing his blade, his gaze sharp and focused. The technique gave away the enemy's identity—Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage, a powerful shinobi with the rare Magnet Release ability.

A formidable opponent, and definitely not one to take lightly.

"Looks like my luck's not bad today, running into such an interesting young shinobi," Rasa mused, watching Mirai's composure with a trace of surprise. To face him with such a steady gaze was no small feat.

"This one's no pushover. Look for a chance to escape," Mirai said to his teammates.

"No way. We're a team, we should face this together," Kurenai replied.

"Kurenai! If you stay, I'll have to worry about keeping you safe, which would only distract me. Go back and get reinforcements."

"But—"

"That's an order!"

"Understood," Kurenai and Asuma reluctantly agreed, unsettled by Mirai's serious expression. It was the first time they had seen him this intense; clearly, this was a fearsome enemy.

"Go!" Mirai commanded, throwing several shuriken.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

In midair, the shuriken multiplied, filling the sky with a barrage of spinning blades heading straight toward Rasa.

Rasa scoffed, raising a wave of gold dust from the ground that blocked all the shuriken. Taking advantage of the opening, Asuma and Kurenai withdrew in the opposite direction.

"Maki, Daizan—go after those two," Rasa ordered.

"Understood!" The two Jōnin accompanying Rasa promptly split off to pursue Kurenai and Asuma. Rasa, meanwhile, turned his attention back to Mirai, sending waves of golden sand toward him.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Mirai and his clone combined their efforts, with the fire fueled by wind to form a massive blaze that engulfed Rasa.

"It's pointless," Rasa muttered from behind his golden shield, barely phased as he continued advancing.

"Eight Gates, Sixth Gate—Gate of View: Open!"

Not intending to engage Rasa directly, Mirai activated the first six gates of the Eight Gates technique. He knew he had to intercept Maki and Daizan, otherwise, Kurenai and Asuma would be in grave danger.

Now shrouded in green steam, Mirai's speed increased exponentially, vanishing in a blur and tearing up the ground with sheer momentum.

"Die!"

In a flash, Mirai appeared beside Daizan, slashing with his blade. Daizan barely ducked, but not without a strand of his hair getting sliced off. Before Daizan could catch his breath, Mirai's hand was pressed firmly against his chest.

"Rasengan!"

Boom!

The force of the Rasengan sent Daizan spiraling backward, smashing through several large trees before hitting the ground with a thud.

Seeing this, both Rasa and Maki were left speechless. Daizan—a seasoned Jōnin—had just been taken down by a mere "kid" in a matter of seconds.

This was unbelievable.

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