---Third POV---
As Fugaku and Hizashi's discussion seed far from over, Ryouma quickly found an opportunity to interject.
"You understand the situation here far better than I do. Though I'm an advisor, I fully trust you to take charge of things here."
Fugaku and Hizashi turned to look at him.
"Ryouma, are you saying..." Hizashi began, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I'll leave the camp to you two. I'll head out to act on my own." With that, Ryouma stood up, ready to set off. Since arriving at the Kiri battlefield, he had been eager to act. The planning and coordination were necessary, but not where his skills would be best utilized.
Seeing him about to leave, Fugaku quickly tried to dissuade him. "It's too dangerous to go alone. At the very least, let select a few capable Uchiha mbers to escort you."
"An escort would only slow down," Ryouma responded, adjusting his gear.
Fugaku's concern deepened. "The Kiri ninjas are notoriously brutal. Even for soone of your caliber—"
"You're concerned about my safety or concerned about losing a potential political asset?" Ryouma asked with a knowing smile.
The Uchiha leader paused, caught off guard by the directness. "Both, perhaps. Is that so wrong?"
After all, Fugaku had high hopes for Ryouma to beco the Fifth Hokage soday. How could he allow him to venture out alone to fight Kiri ninja?
Standing off to the side, Hizashi couldn't quite understand the situation. He had already found it strange, Fugaku seed a bit too invested in Ryouma. Even if the boy was a high-ranking advisor personally assigned by the Third Hokage, this level of attention seed excessive.
Ryouma turned to Fugaku and gave a confident smile. "Don't worry. I've already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. If I want to leave, no one can stop . Acting alone will also allow to work more efficiently."
Before either clan leader could process his claim further, Ryouma ford a single hand sign. The air around him seed to bend for a fraction of a second, and then, nothing. He was simply gone.
The mark he had placed earlier was on a tall pine tree overlooking the camp, providing a perfect vantage point.
No need to go through the mission hall, Ryouma thought. He closed his eyes, channeling chakra to activate the Rikugan. The world expanded in his perception, stretching out in all directions.
Soon, he made a discovery: miles away, there was a team of four ninjas wearing Kiri forehead protectors. Their formation suggested a sabotage team, one sensor type, two combat specialists, and a leader with particularly potent chakra.
Ryouma didn't hesitate. He drew a specialized kunai from his pouch, weighing it for a mont before launching it. The weapon arced through the air, traveling far beyond normal throwing distance thanks to wind chakra enhancent, and used Thunder God Technique to instantly teleport to its location.
A series of rapid flashes allowed him to close the distance to the Kiri team at high speed.
Such a maneuver was only possible thanks to the massive amount of chakra Shukaku provided. Otherwise, even with the assistance of the Rikugan, this high-speed expenditure of chakra would have forced him to stop and rest to recover his chakra.
"Do you need to step in?" Shukaku rubbed his hands eagerly, clearly ready to show his strength.
"No need. The enemy's chakra doesn't seem very strong. This battle should end quickly. Maybe next ti. For now, just keep providing with chakra."
"Fine, fine. But if you get in trouble, I'm jumping in whether you like it or not," Shukaku grumbled.
Since his partner said so, he decided to obediently stay perched on Ryouma's shoulder, and be a chakra battery for the ti-being.
This will be an opportunity to test my swordsmanship in actual combat, Ryouma thought. Lostvayne needs blood to reveal its full potential, and what better opponents than Kiri ninjas?
---
In a dense forest, a team of Kiri ninja was moving at high speed. Their mission was to enter the territory of the Land of Fire and carry out sabotage.
Sabotage, in simple terms, ant killing, arson, and committing all sorts of heinous acts.
As ninjas nurtured under Kiri's bloody policies, they felt no guilt performing such deeds; so even derived joy from destruction.
While they were hurrying toward their objective, a kunai flew at high speed, landing directly in their path.
Monts later, a figure instantly appeared where the kunai had landed.
"Sorry, folks, but this road is closed," Ryouma stated calmly.
"What the—" the first Kiri ninja startled, reaching for his weapon.
The leader raised his hand, halting his team. "Hold position."
Ryouma had no intention of wasting words on these Kiri ninjas. He drew Lostvayne from his back.
As the blade cleared its sheath, lightning began to arc around his body, stimulating his cells. The crackling energy illuminated the forest clearing as it coursed through him and into his blade. In a flash, he slashed at the lead Kiri ninja.
A brilliant arc of the blade sliced through the air, but the lead ninja astonishingly dodged the strike.
"Oh? Pretty quick, huh? What's your na?"
Ryouma didn't rush to attack again. Instead, he looked at the Kiri ninja with interest.
"Heh. I ca out for a simple mission, and I run into the famous Leaf's Gale. Seems like my luck isn't too bad. My na is Kaguya Shin. Rember it, because it's the na of the one who will kill you." As the Kiri ninja spoke, his gaze locked onto Ryouma with a crazed smile spreading across his face.
He had reason for his confidence. Among the current generation of the Kaguya clan, he considered himself the most formidable. Whether it was the clan's bloodline limit or their secret techniques, he had mastered them to perfection.
When Ryouma heard that his opponent was a ninja from the Kaguya clan, it suddenly made sense.
The Kaguya clan had been known for their exceptional taijutsu prowess since the Warring States period. Dodging that initial strike wasn't surprising. If it had been a Suna ninja, they would likely have already been killed.
"I've heard that ninjas from the Kaguya clan are always arrogant and battle-hungry. What's the matter? Aren't you going to attack?"
"You seem eager to die," Shin replied, eyes narrowing.
"Just curious to see if the Kaguya's bone techniques are as impressive as the stories claim."
"Allow to give you a demonstration you won't live to share," Shin answered, pride clearly piqued.
One of the other Kiri ninjas, a scruffy-looking man with nervous eyes, seed unable to withstand the invisible pressure in the air. He cautiously turned to Shin and asked tentatively:
"Captain, should we..."
Before he could finish saying "retreat," the sharp chirping of birds pierced the air.
Ryouma struck instantly, vanishing from his position and reappearing behind the speaking ninja. A single slash of the lightning-enhanced blade, and he decapitated the Kiri ninja who had just spoken before he could finish his sentence.
Shin reacted quickly. The mont Ryouma made his move, he raised his hands and fired bone bullets from the tips of his ten fingers.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
The bone bullets tore through the air, aiming for Ryouma's vital spots. The attack pattern wasn't random, it covered all possible evasion angles.
Shukaku ford seals with his hands, and sand quickly transford into a shield, forming in mid-air to block all ten bone bullets.
"Magnet Release? But this doesn't seem quite right."
Good reaction ti, Shukaku. His bone bullets are faster than I anticipated, Ryouma thought, impressed by both his partner's defense and his opponent's speed.
Told you I'd jump in if needed! Shukaku replied ntally.
Though battle-hungry, Shin's mind was unexpectedly sharp.
Ryouma had no intention of explaining. After eliminating one Kiri ninja, he flung several Flying Thunder God kunai in a precise pattern. The kunai embedded themselves in trees, the ground, and one even landed behind the remaining Kiri ninjas.
Shin quickly pulled a bone blade from his shoulder and deflected all the kunai aid at him. The remaining two Kiri ninjas also managed to evade the attack.
Holding his bone blade, he approached Ryouma with an eerie, almost dance-like footwork. Ryouma blocked the incoming strike with Lostvayne.
Arcs of electricity danced along the blade, traveling up the bone blade in an attempt to reach Shin. However, bones conducted electricity far less effectively than tal.
Before the current could reach his body, Shin swiftly withdrew his bone blade and launched a second attack, avoiding direct damage from the Lightning Release.
"Dance of the Callia!"
Bones erupted from all over Shin's body, spikes protruding from elbows, shoulders, knees, and spine. His appearance transford from human to sothing monstrous, a living weapon of jagged protrusions.
After using the bones in his arms to block another strike from Lostvayne, the crossed bones managed to lock Ryouma's blade in place.
Shin then used the montum to spin and deliver a powerful kick aid at Ryouma's head, with a sharp bone spike growing from his toe.
A crazed smile spread across his face, as though he could already see himself victorious.
The bone spike was milliters from Ryouma's temple before he vanished completely, causing the fierce strike to hit nothing but air.
At the sa ti, he reappeared at the location of one of his previously thrown Flying Thunder God kunai, now behind the Kiri group.
"Alright, warm-up's over. Let ask you sothing, where are the Seven Ninja Swordsn of the Mist? If you tell , I'll give you a chance to escape."
Shin and the remaining two Kiri ninjas quickly turned, locking their gazes onto the figure who had suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind them.
"What is this...?"
A few seconds passed in tense silence. Ryouma observed how the remaining Kiri ninjas positioned themselves, not fleeing despite their obvious fear, staying loyal to their captain despite facing a clearly superior opponent.
"Trying to protect your comrades?"
Ryouma raised his left hand, forming it into the shape of a finger gun, aiming at the three enemies. Chakra began to concentrate at his fingertip, glowing with increasing intensity.
"So, the so-called cold-blooded ninjas of Kiri aren't as heartless as the rumors claim. No matter. Since we're all on this battlefield, it's only a matter of ti before we et again. I'll send you off now."
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