Twelve years ago, the peaceful Stormveil Village was attacked by a terrifying creature — the Nine-Tailed Flame Beast. Its fire burned the skies red. Buildings collapsed. Many ninja fell trying to stop it.
The village leader, the Fourth Storm Guardian, made a desperate choice. To save everyone, he sealed the Flame Beast inside a newborn baby.
That baby was named Raiden Kuroshi.
The Guardian died that night.
And Raiden grew up alone.
Now, twelve years later…
Raiden ran through the streets, laughing loudly as villagers shouted behind him.
"RAIDEN! Stop painting the monument!"
High above the village, the stone faces of past Storm Guardians had been painted with bright red ink. Raiden stood proudly on the highest statue.
"If they won't notice me," he shouted, "I'll make them notice!"
Below, his academy teacher, Master Hayato, rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Raiden wasn't strong. He wasn't skilled. In fact, he was the worst student in class.
He failed basic clone techniques three times.
Other students whispered about him.
Some adults looked at him with cold eyes.
Raiden didn't understand why.
But they did.
Inside him… slept the Flame Beast.
Later that day, inside the Ninja Academy classroom, students practiced the Clone Technique for graduation.
"Create three illusion clones," Master Hayato instructed.
One by one, students succeeded.
Then it was Raiden's turn.
He focused hard.
"Shadow Art: Clone Technique!"
Smoke filled the room.
When it cleared… a single weak, pale clone lay flat on the ground.
The class burst into laughter.
Master Hayato sighed.
"Raiden… you fail."
The word hit harder than any punch.
That evening, Raiden sat alone on the village swing outside the academy. Children celebrated passing the exam. Parents hugged them proudly.
No one came for Raiden.
He looked down at his hands.
"Why am I so useless?" he whispered.
Just then, a tall ninja approached him — Instructor Mizuro, a senior academy teacher.
"I know a secret technique," Mizuro said quietly. "If you learn it, you can graduate."
Raiden's eyes lit up.
"A real powerful one?"
Mizuro smiled strangely. "Very powerful."
That night, Raiden snuck into the forbidden archive and stole an ancient scroll.
But what he didn't know…
Mizuro had tricked him.
Because Mizuro wasn't helping Raiden.
He wanted the power of the Flame Beast for himself.
And for the first time in his life…
Raiden would discover the truth about what lives inside him.