The Hidden Rain camp of Konoha was heavily guarded.
The sky remained gloomy, thin rain drifting down without pause. Although no large-scale war had erupted yet, small-scale clashes and probing attacks occurred from time to time.
The leader of the Rain Village, Hanzo, had ambitiously declared his intention to challenge the ninja world and elevate his village into another great power. What made it troubling was that he actually possessed the strength to attempt it. At the same time, the other great ninja villages were quietly testing Konoha's resolve, trying to see whether it still carried its invincible momentum or had become just another rival among equals.
And the Land of Fire was the richest of them all — everyone wanted a piece of that pie.
Inside the medical tent, injured ninjas came and went.
In a corner sat Raiden.
It had been three days since he was injured. He could now move normally, and nearly seventy percent of his strength had returned. The medical ninjutsu of this world was truly remarkable. In his previous life, injuries like that would have forced him to rest for half a year. And this was before Tsunade fully reformed the medical system. After all, she and the other two legendary figures were still only around twenty or twenty-one years old, just beginning to make names for themselves.
Raiden stood up, tidied his clothes, and walked out of the tent.
He moved slowly along the camp's edge. The surrounding ninjas looked tense, some numb with exhaustion. When he passed someone he knew, he nodded; they returned the gesture.
After he walked past, two ninjas whispered behind him.
"I heard this kid and his captain took down two jonin?"
"Yeah, I heard that too… but Hitoshi was heavily injured."
The other sighed. "It's a blessing they survived. Only one loss…"
"…Sigh."
Raiden walked around the camp a few times before stopping and exhaling softly.
What should he do now?
His team leader and another teammate were seriously injured. The third had died. The team was effectively disbanded.
The fallen teammate, Shido, had been nearly twenty. He wasn't a genius, but he was steady — the kind who could have reached jonin level in his late twenties. Their relationship hadn't been particularly deep, and Raiden had changed teams several times before, yet he still felt bitterness. After all, the human heart wasn't made of steel.
After calming himself, he began thinking about the future.
His previous team had been elite. As a rare sensory ninja, he would never be assigned to an ordinary squad. Now that his team was crippled, he would have to join a new one.
Just as he was thinking, a figure appeared behind him—
Swish..
Even without relying on his time-stop ability, Raiden reacted instantly. His body moved before thought. A kunai flashed into his hand, and in one smooth motion he turned, the blade stopping two inches from the newcomer's throat. The air seemed to tighten for a brief moment, the killing intent sharp but restrained, like lightning hidden behind clouds.
Cold sweat broke out on the ninja's forehead.
Seeing the Konoha headband, Raiden slowly lowered the kunai.
"Sorry," he said calmly. "I just recovered. My body's still tense."
The chunin stood stunned for a second, then quickly replied, "No, Raiden-kun, it's my fault. I used Body Flicker in a hurry."
Raiden smiled faintly. "It's fine."
"The commander, isshi Nara, is calling you."
Raiden's expression turned thoughtful. "Alright, I'm going."
He headed toward the commander's tent.
The chunin remained standing there, muttering to himself, "No wonder he helped take down two jonin… That strike just now… not weaker than a jonin's reaction."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Even jonin rarely defeated others of the same rank. To bring down two, even with support, was still astonishing.
Shaking his head, he turned and hurried off to his next task.