The moment the Mist rebel's kunai pierced forward, Lucien twisted with deadly precision. His left hand snapped like steel around the blade, stopping it cold, while his right palm shot straight into the assassin's chest.
The rebel sneered, driving his strength into the stab. "You think a brat's palm can—"
Thump!
A sudden strike, chakra flowing with pinpoint accuracy.
Pfff!!! Blood spurted from the Mist ninja's mouth. His pupils dilated, his body quivered as his legs buckled. He staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief. His every nerve screamed collapse—his heart crushed from within.
"W-what… is this…?" he gasped, realization freezing his face as life slipped away.
Lucien's cold eyes never wavered. "You dared to use Mist Hidden in front of me. I won't hesitate to use Gentle Fist to end you."
The Kirigakure rogue's body fell silent, unmoving.
Team Reactions
"Shigure!" Hongdie rushed forward, staring at the blood dripping from his hand. "Your palm's bleeding—are you hurt? Where's the enemy!?"
Lucien exhaled softly. "It's over. That Kirigakure traitor is dead. No need to worry."
Kusuo gripped Grey Fang tighter, still scanning the mist. "Then what about Teacher?!"
"The Mist Hidden Technique—Release!" Lucien's hands blurred, seamlessly copying the dispel. At once, the thick fog melted away, dissolving under his chakra control.
As vision returned, the second battlefield came into view.
Clash of Masters
Not far away, Hizashi and the rogue Kumogakure jonin clashed fiercely. Chakra sparks flew with every exchange. Hizashi's Gentle Fist glided seamlessly into his Byakugan vision, while the Cloud traitor's body pulsed with lightning, his movements sharp, lethal.
The fight was evenly matched, neither giving ground.
"Hmph," the Cloud ninja sneered when his gaze flicked aside at the fallen ally. "Pathetic… Losing to one boy? Worthless trash…"
He drew a breath and unleashed a storm of kunai laced with explosive tags.
"Hinata-sensei, watch out!" Lucien called, hands flashing into seals preemptively.
"Wind Style: Wind Dragon Bullet!"
Even before the detonation, Lucien's wind dragon tore through the air, forcing the Cloud jonin to block. He crossed his arms, grounding himself to soak the impact. Sparks of wind pressure split the trees open.
He roared back instantly, but Lucien's eyes glowed, seals still forming.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
The blazing inferno surged into the tail of the wind dragon, fusing instantly into a spiraling inferno of red and gold.
"Compound Jutsu—Wind & Fire Dragon Bullet!"
The merged dragons crashed into the Cloud ninja like a fiery hurricane, the synergy amplifying into an A-rank onslaught. The jonin braced, his lightning aura flaring desperately. Still, the blast scorched his body, tearing burns and rips across his arms and chest.
"Tch…" He coughed blood but laughed darkly. "So the rumors were true. Konoha raises monsters." His eyes flashed, and with a single blur, he retreated, vanishing in a flash of body flicker.
Hizashi exhaled, lowering his arms. "Don't pursue, Shigure." His tired eyes locked onto his student, who stood unharmed amid the wreckage. "You've done far more than enough."
The Weight of the Mission
The Hyuga Jonin's gaze swept across the corpses, then back to his team. "These weren't bandits. They were jonin-level rogues. Someone is behind this mission. Someone… very dangerous."
Noguchi's head hung low, his guilt written all over his trembling face.
"The mission was meant to be a simple C-rank escort," Hizashi said with grim gravity. "But already we've faced rebel jonin. At this point, the mission is B-rank at minimum. From here forward, I cannot guarantee your safety."
He turned to his Genin. "If you wish to quit, I'll accept it. Leaving here, you'll be considered to have completed a C-rank as Genin. That will be enough."
Noguchi fell to his knees immediately. "No! You mustn't abandon me. The Village of Craftsmen… this meteorite iron could change everything! If we don't bring it safely back, war will spread across the world. I beg you!"
Lucien's gaze was icy but resolute. "I'll continue. To grow stronger, I must keep fighting."
Kusuo snorted lightly. "We're a team. If he goes, we go."
Hongdie, though shaking faintly, raised her head with rare firmness. "Me too. I won't falter."
Hizashi studied them for a long moment, then closed his eyes. "Very well. Team 7 continues. Our destination—the Village of Craftsmen."
Days of Growth
The group's journey northward carried them across borders, nights spent restless in watch, days tense with travel. Hizashi intensified training, guiding his students in chakra control.
Tree climbing, water walking—the basics every ninja must conquer. Kusuo and Hongdie struggled, persevered, improved step by step.
Lucien, of course, stunned them all. His control was flawless from the start. Trees obeyed his feet instantly, water rippled beneath his calm steps.
Hizashi could only watch in silence, awe in his eyes. Later, when no one could hear, he murmured to himself:
"…Uchiha Shigure. A Genin surpassing Jonin. If compared to Uchiha Madara in youth, whose brilliance shines brighter? Perhaps… this boy's."
Lucien, unaware of his teacher's words, walked ahead with calm eyes—already practicing the practical ninjutsu he had copied from his slain enemies.
The Mist ninja's tools of ambush—Shunshin, Hidden Mist, Water Clone. All of them were now his.
Every fight only made him stronger. Every kill only added to his arsenal.
The Otsutsuki blood within him stirred restlessly.
His path as predator had just begun.
P.S. This chapter settles the first true jonin-level battles of Team 7—Lucien kills the Mist rebel outright with Gentle Fist while unleashing elemental compound ninjutsu to wound the Cloud rebel. It redefines the mission from C-rank to a true B-rank, with the Village of Craftsmen ahead. Danger deepens, and so does Lucien's arsenal.
--
If you want to read 50 additional chapters early, visit my Patreon — the link is in the novel's description.