Rōga Nadare didn't expect such arrogance from a kid.
"What's your name, brat?"
"Moonlight Shigure," came the calm reply.
Moonlight...? Nadare frowned. Never heard of him. Doesn't sound like he's from any notable clan.
He's not even from a noble bloodline, yet he dares to act so boldly in front of me?
"Kakashi, are you seriously not going to step in?" he sneered.
Kakashi, who stood guarding the retreating film crew, simply shook his head. "I don't think that'll be necessary."
"Hmph. Then you'll watch your little brats die in front of you. After all these years, you're still a coward, Hatake! You don't even have the guts to face me directly!"
As Nadare ranted—
CLANG!
A metallic ringing cut through the air.
Nadare froze.
The chakra barrier built into his specialized armor had activated on its own.
What?
He glanced down, shocked. Why did the barrier trigger? I wasn't even under attack... or so I thought.
Behind Kakashi, the film crew sensed something was off.
"Wait… where did that kid go?"
Gone?
Nadare suddenly realized—Shigure was no longer in sight.
"Where did that Konoha brat disappear to?!"
CLANG!
Another sharp clang rang out—this time from behind him.
He spun around instantly—Nothing.
No attacker in sight.
If the first strike was a fluke, the second was undeniably deliberate—and unsettling.
What's going on?! I'm being hit… but by what?!
The film crew stared, wide-eyed and pale.
"W-What was that?! Is this... some kind of Genjutsu? Or is he really invisible?!"
"How is that kid even doing this? One second he was there, the next—vanished!"
Just then, Nadare caught something—footprints.
A fresh pair of imprints appeared on the snow.
Then—
CRACK!!
This time, it wasn't the sound of steel. It was raw, brutal force.
A crushing blow slammed into Nadare's chakra barrier. It didn't just strike—it drained him.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stumbled backward.
Nearly one-fifth of his chakra was gone—vanished in a single blow.
Rōga Nadare retreated in a panic, scanning the snow-covered battlefield with rising dread.
Then—more footprints.
Fresh ones.
Realization struck him like thunder.
"You… you're invisible?!" he shouted. "Is this… some kind of advanced ninjutsu? A kekkei genkai?!"
Now fully alert, Nadare didn't dare remain in place. He leapt up onto a nearby icicle to get the high ground.
His feet had barely landed when—
WHOOSH!!
The whine of a blade tearing through the air screamed from behind him.
The icicle beneath Rōga Nadare's feet was cleanly sliced in half.
At the same time, Shigure finally confirmed it—Yukie had betrayed them.
There was no longer any need for pretenses.
Even if they fought head-on now, he had nothing to fear.
From the swirling mist of snow, Shigure calmly emerged. In his right hand, the blade Zangetsu gleamed faintly as it scraped lightly across the snow-covered ground.
"What a sturdy turtle shell," Shigure remarked with a cool smile. "Even my attacks couldn't break through it right away."
That chakra armor… it's not just for show.
Seeing Shigure willingly step into view, Rōga Nadare narrowed his eyes.
"No wonder you act so cocky. So you're a shinobi with a kekkei genkai… some kind of strange stealth technique."
"But now that you've shown yourself, are you done hiding like a coward?"
Shigure scoffed. "You still don't get it, do you? You're the turtle here."
"Tch! Arrogant little brat! If it weren't for this armor, your ambush would've killed me already!"
"And to think this is what the so-called 'renowned' Konoha is producing these days—shinobi who rely on sneak attacks and tricks!"
"I'll show you what a real shinobi looks like!"
With that, Nadare began weaving hand seals rapidly.
"Ice Release: Tiger Cracking Fang!"
The snowy terrain suddenly churned as the surrounding flakes surged together into a massive snow tiger that lunged toward Shigure with ferocious speed and force.
From the sidelines, Yukie's eyes widened in panic.
Is he going to be okay? That thing looks deadly!
But in the next second, Shigure casually raised Zangetsu.
"This is what you call Ice Release?" he muttered, unimpressed. "At best, it's glorified Snow Release."
To him, it resembled more of a clan secret technique—like Konan's Paper Jutsu. Not a true kekkei genkai. It lacked any elemental chakra transformation.
With a breath as smooth as flowing water, Shigure moved.
One step forward—
His sword arced through the air, graceful yet deadly.
Breath of the Moon – Fourth Form: Wave Strike!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A flurry of precise slashes erupted.
Even though Ice Release had defensive strength, it couldn't suppress the sharpness of Shigure's technique.
One strike!
The giant snow tiger split cleanly in two, scattering into flurries of snow.
Shigure's figure passed through it like a ghost, his blade trailing behind him, glowing faintly with a cold blue light.
The snow tiger dissolved completely behind him.
Yukie stared at Shigure's back, stunned.
This is… a Genin from Konoha?! How does he have such strength?
Rōga Nadare had no time to be shocked—Shigure was already closing in.
Fast! Too fast!
He didn't hesitate—his hands flew into another set of seals.
"Ice Release: Ice Prison Technique!"
Pillars of jagged ice erupted from the ground in an attempt to trap Shigure.
But Shigure smiled as he moved.
If breathing techniques are restricted, then there's no need to use them.
He charged head-on.
With several flowing slashes, he shattered the rising ice pillars before they could fully form.
CRASH! CRACK!
The ice exploded into shards, unable to withstand the blade.
Shigure closed the gap with blinding speed, Zangetsu flashing again and again.
CLANG! SPARK!
Steel met the chakra barrier of Nadare's armor. Sparks flew wildly.
In an instant, Nadare was struck a dozen times—each blow drained more chakra as the armor absorbed the impact.
Then, with a heavy kick, Shigure sent him flying.
The barrier had protected him—but the cost was steep.
In one exchange, nearly half of his chakra was gone.
This kid's slashes are insane…
He's not just a Taijutsu specialist—this is real swordsmanship!
If he gets in close again, my chakra armor won't hold out!
Nadare's mouth went dry. For the first time, he was afraid.
He's just a Genin… so why is he this terrifying?!
"There's no choice…" Nadare muttered.
"I'll finish this with my strongest jutsu. You little bastard—this next move will kill you!"
He weaved seals frantically.
"Ice Release: One-Horned White Whale!"
The sea trembled.
A massive white whale, formed from glistening ice, erupted from the water with a roar. Its horn gleamed like a spear, poised to strike.
It charged forward with terrifying force, its sheer size enough to crush anything in its path—even if it missed.
Shigure looked calmly at Nadare, who had now retreated to a safe distance behind the whale.
"What's this?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you implying I don't know ninjutsu?"
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin