Konoha.
In a deserted area, a crowd had gathered.
On both sides of the empty zone, trees had collapsed, walls had crumbled, and debris lay scattered everywhere. The destruction stretched for over ten meters.
It looked as though the place had been struck by some terrifying force.
"What exactly happened here? Could it be a small-scale natural disaster… like a whirlwind?"
"No idea… there was no chakra fluctuation at all. It shouldn't be something caused by human power."
Several ANBU exchanged glances. Nearby stood a few Konoha shinobi—none of them could figure out what had caused this.
"Luckily, this is an uninhabited area. Probably a natural disaster… no casualties."
"These recent disasters have been strange. We should report this to the Hokage."
After a while, the crowd dispersed.
None of them could have imagined—
This was merely the result of Raiden blowing away an annoying "fly."
Among the crowd, Raiden shrugged and turned to leave.
He hadn't paid much attention when he blew it away—
But he hadn't expected it to cause such a commotion.
"Looks like… even blowing away a fly, I used too much force."
In truth, he had already restrained most of his strength.
If he hadn't—
This entire area would no longer exist.
"Next time, I should hold back more… maybe just pinch the annoying flies to death instead. If I blow too lightly, they might come back. If I blow a bit harder, people start making a fuss again."
Raiden muttered to himself.
He understood—
It wasn't really their fault.
It was simply the gap in their levels.
—
Outside Konoha, in the forest.
A group of masked shinobi gathered.
At that moment, a figure approached.
One of his eyes was wrapped in white bandages, and his gaze was filled with ambition and ruthlessness.
"Lord Danzo, the ANBU who made contact with Raiden yesterday… died here."
The Root members stepped aside.
Danzo frowned as he looked at the bloodstains and shattered remains.
If not for the clothing—
He wouldn't even recognize the pile of fragments as his subordinate.
"To die in such a state… just who is this Raiden?"
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's eyes.
"Lord Danzo, Raiden is extremely dangerous. I suggest eliminating him immediately. Bringing him in for investigation is clearly impossible now."
"That's right. His refusal to cooperate means he has something to hide. And he even killed one of our comrades."
Danzo closed his eyes and nodded.
"If he refuses to cooperate… then he must be eliminated. I originally thought he might be a valuable asset… it seems I was mistaken."
Anything he couldn't control—
Anything he deemed a threat—
He would destroy.
"You… you… you… and you."
Danzo pointed at four individuals.
"You four will move tonight. I'll be waiting in Root for Raiden's head."
"Yes, sir!"
The four replied in unison.
"Yamanaka Fū, you lead."
"Yes!"
As an elite Jonin of the Yamanaka clan, leading three Chunin on an assassination mission—
Was nothing difficult for him.
—
Night fell.
Darkness blanketed the land.
Under the cover of night, several figures moved silently.
—
Elsewhere—
Raiden lay lazily on a tree branch, gazing at the stars.
"The enhanced ramen was pretty good… the char siu flavor was nice too… barbecue would taste even better with more cumin… sashimi needs more sauce…"
While staring at the sky, he was busy thinking about food.
More specifically—
How to better combine ingredients and sauces for maximum flavor.
"…Alright. Time to sleep."
Raiden yawned.
But at that moment—
From the darkness—
A shuriken sliced through the air like a blade of dawn, carrying deadly intent, aimed straight at his throat.
"Got him! He's completely unguarded—he's weak!"
The Root ninja hidden in the shadows felt a surge of excitement.
He hadn't expected the assassination to be this easy.
"Did we misjudge him? He has no awareness at all?"
Yamanaka Fū frowned.
Based on the previous agent's death—
The one who killed him should have been a formidable opponent.
That was why he personally led this mission.
But now—
It seemed they had overestimated the situation.
Whoosh!
The shuriken flew straight—
And struck Raiden's throat.
"It's over…"
"Seems like we made too big a deal out of this."
Fū and the others thought to themselves.
But in the next instant—
Something unbelievable happened.
Clang!
A crisp sound echoed through the night.
The shuriken—
Was deflected.
The Root operatives' eyes widened in disbelief.
"How is that possible?! It bounced off?!"
"The assassination failed!"
A sharp glint appeared in Fū's eyes.
"This man is a master. He's been hiding his strength! That must've been some kind of hardening technique!"
Just as he was thinking—
His vision blurred.
Raiden, who had been lying on the branch—
Had vanished.
"So fast… I can't even track his movement!"
Fū's heart shook.
"Be careful! He's a高手—!"
Before he could finish—
Elsewhere, the Root ninja who had thrown the shuriken suddenly froze in terror.
Because—
A face appeared right in front of him.
Raiden's face.
With a faint smile—
Yet to him, it looked like the grin of a demon.
"So fast… how did he move? He appeared in front of me instantly?!"
The assassin's mind was in chaos.
And then—
Raiden spoke.
His voice was lazy, almost indifferent.
"I found you… you annoying fly."