"Master, my Sharingan can't penetrate this thick fog!"
"What should we do?"
As the waters from the Great Waterfall Technique receded, Uzumaki Raiden slowly withdrew his arm, the golden chakra fading back into his body. Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, and the others stood back-to-back behind him, their eyes scanning the thick mist with vigilance.
Itachi's tone remained calm, displaying excellent composure despite the dangerous situation. His instincts and discipline as a ninja were already remarkable.
"It's fine. This is just a trick," Raiden said in a low voice.
"What we need to worry about isn't the fog itself."
Narrowing the range of his Kagura Mind's Eye, Raiden controlled his perception within a kilometer radius. Even with the interference of the Hidden Mist Technique, he could clearly sense all the chakra signatures in the area.
Within his perception, Raiden "saw" the Mist ninjas spreading out, expertly concealing themselves behind obstacles and making no sound.
However, one Mist ninja stood out. Just four or five meters ahead, an individual approached while carefully channeling chakra.
"This feeling..."
Raiden raised his hand, sending a streak of purple lightning piercing through the fog toward the approaching Mist ninja.
"Who's there?"
Something about this chakra was strange—it hadn't been within his perception range before. Moreover, the amount of chakra in this individual was overwhelming, reaching a level that could only be described as terrifying.
This was no ordinary Jonin.
"Water Style: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"
A sudden fluctuation in the air briefly dispelled some of the mist in front of them. A split second later, multiple shark-shaped water bullets shot out from the dense fog, aiming for the group.
"At this level, what can this technique do besides wasting chakra?"
Raiden lowered his head slightly, his body instantly enveloped in lightning armor. With a swift motion, he swung the Sakegari no Tachi toward the incoming water bullets. A brilliant arc of lightning tore through the mist, shattering the projectiles and surging forward into the distance.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion rang out as the piercing lightning broke through the mist. Even from afar, Kakashi and the others could see the light of the impact.
"Damn it! Can he still track us through the Hidden Mist Technique?!"
Terumi Mei's heart sank.
Raiden's attack hadn't merely neutralized the water bullets; it had also locked onto the positions of several Mist Anbu. The lightning strike had claimed several lives in an instant.
"Jiuuu~~"
Realizing the overwhelming difference in power, Terumi Mei swiftly pulled a signal flare from her pouch and launched it into the sky. The sharp whistle echoed through the battlefield, signaling the Mist ninjas to retreat.
However, two remained—one was Terumi Mei herself, and the other was the mysterious Anbu who had attacked earlier.
"A retreat signal?" Kakashi muttered, his expression slightly easing as he looked toward the source of the sound.
But Raiden shook his head and turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi, take them and get out of here. The next battle will be too dangerous—move far away."
"If things go south, open this scroll."
Raiden pulled a scroll from his robe and handed it to Kakashi while stretching his limbs. The Mist forces had mostly withdrawn, but Terumi Mei and the unknown ninja remained. It was clear as day—she had dismissed her subordinates because she planned to go all out.
And the ninja who stayed behind with her was definitely no ordinary warrior.
"Master?"
Itachi gently tugged at the hem of Raiden's cloak, concern evident in his expression.
"Don't worry. Ninjas of this level can't do anything to me."
Raiden patted Itachi's head reassuringly.
Kakashi, not one to hesitate, took the scroll, stuffed it into his pouch, and swiftly bit his finger to perform a summoning jutsu.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A small ninken appeared, sniffing the ground before raising a paw to point in a direction.
"Kakashi, be careful," Raiden said softly.
With a final exchange of glances, Kakashi, Obito, and the others disappeared into the mist, following the ninken's guidance.
The two remaining Mist ninjas made no move to stop them.
"So I really was their target."
Seeing their lack of action, Raiden confirmed his suspicion.
The Mist ninjas had come specifically to assassinate him. Their target wasn't Uchiha Itachi or Obito with their Sharingan, nor was it the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Nohara Rin.
They had come for him—the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.
"No more hiding! Come out!"
"This technique is useless against me."
Raiden's chakra flared, releasing a powerful shockwave that instantly blew away the dense mist.
As the fog dissipated, Terumi Mei emerged from the woods and stepped beside the other Mist ninja. Lifting her mask, she revealed a delicate yet sharp face.
"Just as I thought."
The masked ninja beside her had striking features, with a reddish-brown ponytail reaching down to her waist. Her hairstyle was different from Raiden's memories—her bangs were neatly tied back, revealing her forehead.
But this was unmistakable.
Terumi Mei—the female ninja of the Mist who could wield two Bloodline Limits!
"You don't need to wear a mask anymore," Terumi Mei said to her companion.
"Against an opponent like him, any unnecessary distractions should be removed."
"Heheheh, you're right. Against Konoha's Hokage, this mask is unnecessary."
The ninja beside her chuckled, then casually removed their mask.
"It's you?!"
Raiden's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
The ninja standing beside Terumi Mei was none other than Kisame Hoshigaki!
"Hahahahaha!"
"This is interesting—really interesting!"
Now that he had seen their faces clearly, Raiden couldn't help but laugh.
The ones sent to assassinate him were Kisame Hoshigaki and Terumi Mei—two of the future cornerstones of the Mist Village.
"I've decided."
"I'm bringing both of you back to Konoha!"
Excitement flickered in Raiden's eyes.
In this world, what was the rarest resource?
Ninjutsu?
Ninjas?
No—none of those. The rarest resource was talent.
Recruiting Terumi Mei was unlikely, but Kisame?
There was definitely a chance.
Before that, though, Raiden needed to confirm something.
"There are no curse seals on him. He hasn't come into contact with Black Zetsu."
"Good. That means he's still free from any manipulation."
"If Obito could manipulate this guy, there's no reason I can't."
Raiden smirked to himself.
He wasn't sure if his charisma was stronger than Uchiha Obito's...
But he knew one thing for certain—his fists were harder than Obito's.
"Time to take a page out of the Raikage's book!"
Kisame shivered slightly under Raiden's intense gaze. Just as he was about to say something, Terumi Mei finally made her move.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Opening her red lips, Terumi Mei exhaled a thick, pale-yellow mist, sending it surging toward Raiden.
(End of this chapter)