Dozens of silver snakes, formed entirely from lightning, surged from Raiga's body.
They shot toward Uchiha Haru, fangs bared, slithering through the air with terrifying speed.
One, two, three, four...
Dozens of lightning serpents gathered, exploding in a blinding white light, intense enough to make it impossible to look directly.
The distance between them was now less than a step.
Haru was airborne, having leaped into the air, with no possibility of dodging.
Raiga squinted, a smug smile tugging at his lips, confident he would witness Haru consumed by the black lightning serpents.
This mission, which should have been an easy kill, had proven surprisingly complicated.
Especially the brat in front of him—he'd brought far too many surprises.
But it was all coming to an end.
Raiga's smirk vanished.
He watched in disbelief as the lightning serpents struck Haru one by one—and vanished.
There was no explosion. No injury. Not even a scorch mark on Haru's skin.
"This... this can't be!"
Raiga's expression twisted in horror.
He had never seen anything .
Lightning Release: Sky-Splitting Thunder Serpents!
This was his strongest jutsu. A technique he had mastered with his own blood and pain.
He'd fought shinobi who dodged it. He'd seen others counter it with stronger ninjutsu.
Someone simply standing there, taking it, without a scratch?
Could this brat... be immune to lightning?
Then why had he dodged earlier?
What kind of monster was this?
The intel was all wrong.
"An ordinary Konoha jonin, my ass!" he cursed internally.
Even an elite jonin would have been incinerated by that technique.
Lost in thought for a second too long, Raiga didn't see Haru's fist coming until it smashed into his face.
The punch hit like a thunderclap, sending Raiga crashing to the ground, unconscious.
Haru stared down at him with cold indifference. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen... amount to nothing."
This battle was a reflection of the countless simulated life-or-death experiences Haru had endured through the system.
He hadn't used a single jutsu.
With only his Sharingan, speed, agility, the physical prowess of his Ōtsutsuki-like body, and an overwhelming recovery rate, he had defeated one of the most feared names in the Hidden Mist.
And it had been effortless.
Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai, who had watched the battle unfold, stood stunned.
Black Raiga—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
His strength surpassed most elite jonin.
He had survived the brutal Third Great Ninja War.
And yet, he was just... defeated. Without suspense.
Yugao still hadn't processed it.
It was simply too shocking.
"We all underestimated him," Kurenai said softly, her voice thick with disbelief. "He's far ahead of us now. Like Kakashi—an existence comparable to those long-known legends."
Originally, she had thought even if Haru was hiding his strength, he might be slightly stronger than Asuma.
But now... his power was terrifying. There was only one word to describe it:
Raiga coughed blood, forcing himself upright despite the searing pain.
His body trembled with shame and rage.
To be defeated by a child—unforgivable.
All his earlier mockery of Haru turned into deep, solemn fear.
This brat had tanked his ultimate ninjutsu like it was nothing.
His speed was unreal.
Then suddenly, he felt the cold edge of a kunai press against his back.
He knew exactly what moving now would mean.
"Who sent you?" Haru asked, voice flat but filled with undeniable authority.
The mission they were on was ranked C-level. The cargo, while valuable to civilians, was nothing worth the attention of a legendary ninja like Raiga.
His presence made no sense.
Unless... he was sent.
Haru had his suspicions. Now, he was confirming them.
But Raiga sneered, refusing to speak.
He wasn't some coward.
This was just a Konoha jonin. What could he do?
At most, they'd take him back to Konoha.
And the person behind him? They'd have him free in minutes.
He had nothing to fear.
He simply plunged the kunai forward.
Pain exploded from his back. It felt like his heart had been pierced.
He tried to speak, but no words came. His face turned red, and his body collapsed.
Haru stood silently above him.
Did he really think he had the right to negotiate?
Haru didn't care for patience.
Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao, arriving moments later, gasped at the blood-soaked corpse.
They'd seen death during the Third Great Ninja War.
But to see someone this powerful fall so brutally in front of them?
They stood in silence for a while, letting it sink in.
Not one of them questioned Haru's decision to kill rather than capture.
This wasn't a spar. It was a deadly battle.
Casualties were expected.
If anything, they were grateful.
Without Haru, they wouldn't have survived. He had neutralized Raiga and ensured mission success.
"Haru-kun, let's go," Yugao said softly, her face tinged with faint blush.
Though she had been frightened earlier, she was fully recovered now.
It was time to leave.
Better to avoid any other surprises.
More importantly, they needed to complete the mission.
Haru nodded and glanced one last time over his shoulder.
Then he turned and rushed forward with Kurenai and Yugao, heading toward their mission destination.