Boom! A deafening thunderclap shook the sky, and Kenichi's hair began to rise on his head—a clear sign of imminent danger.
The thunderclouds above crackled with a powerful electric field, and the tiny charges on his skin were reacting to it, causing his hair to stand on end. This phenomenon typically indicated a strong electric field overhead, suggesting a thunderstorm was about to erupt.
"What's that?!" A Kirigakure ninja stared in horror at the sky. They had sensed something was amiss moments before.
Looking up, they saw a massive creature's head emerging from the mist.
"Is this... a natural disaster?" Villagers in the distance watched the sea in terror. Above the dark waves, a colossal head loomed within the storm clouds.
The creature had horns, tentacles, and scales that resembled fish scales. Its entire body was a dark crimson, radiating an aura of despair.
If someone from another Ninja Village had seen it, they might have recognized the creature. But for the ordinary people of the Land of Waves, it was an utterly unknown terror.
Kenichi's expression darkened.
"Amen... no, wait, I believe in science. It should be 'Scienmen.' I've gone too far," Kenichi muttered through gritted teeth. He hadn't expected his experiment to actually succeed.
After entering Sage Mode, he had immediately channeled Sage Chakra, combined it with his Sharingan, and unleashed a Sage Art: Lightning Release ninjutsu.
This technique was Kenichi's attempt to adapt Sasuke's Lightning Release: Kirin using Sage Art.
The good news was that the technique had worked flawlessly. The bad news was that Kenichi realized its power was absurdly overwhelming.
Lightning, by its very nature, was an untamable force of nature. Combined with the massive amount of Sage Chakra he had poured into the test, he had created a monster—a terrifying monstrosity.
The Thunder Dragon in the sky, though only a head and a partial body, was already proving difficult for Kenichi to control, and it continued to drain his Sage Chakra.
If he didn't sever the connection soon, things would get messy.
"No, if it strikes down now, I'll be within its range," Kenichi frowned, shaking his head. The dense fog would ensure he'd be affected even if he wasn't the primary target.
"I need to throw it far away." Kenichi struggled to maintain control of the Thunder Dragon in the sky, then aimed it at a distant point and hurled it away.
The Thunder Dragon vanished instantly from Kenichi's sight. Even his Sharingan could only catch a fleeting afterimage before it disappeared completely.
Kenichi exhaled deeply. Next time, I'd better test these dangerous Ninjutsu beforehand. If that thing had struck down here, even Summoning: Rashomon wouldn't have stopped it.
Though he could create pure water using Sage Chakra, he doubted even that would resist the Thunder Dragon's terrifying power.
"Wait, where did I just lose them?" Kenichi wondered. Before he could even recall, he noticed the Land of Water ninja who had been attacking him earlier had vanished.
Though the Hidden Mist Technique obscured their retreat, they weren't fools. They knew they stood no chance against such a terrifying Ninjutsu. Besides, they were merely hired mercenaries; failure meant punishment, but death was far worse.
So they fled swiftly.
Kenichi ignored them. After dispersing the mist with a Wind Release Ninjutsu, he found Gato hiding beneath a nearby small boat.
"You're quite the character," Kenichi said, his expression odd. Gato had deliberately avoided his own ship, choosing instead to hide beneath someone else's.
To further conceal himself, he had even submerged completely, surfacing only occasionally to breathe.
This guy's ruthless, Kenichi thought. No wonder he'll become the CEO of such a massive company.
"Hehehehe, Lord Ninja, may I ask what brings you here?" Gato asked, his smile obsequious.
"Enough talk. Your money or your life," Kenichi said bluntly. He wouldn't have bothered coming to Gato's place if he hadn't planned to shake him down.
Gato, understanding the situation perfectly, didn't whine or try to play the victim. Instead, he immediately led Kenichi to his cargo ship and brought out all his money.
"You're quite the wealthy fellow," Kenichi remarked, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't counted it yet, but the sheer volume of cash was staggering, almost dizzying.
"Lord Ninja, this is all the money I made on this trip. You can have it all," Gato said, rubbing his hands together with a greasy smile.
Kenichi glanced at him.
In the Ninja World, most wealthy merchants were backed by a nation or Ninja Village. Without such protection, their wealth would simply make them walking ATMs. Gato was likely supported by Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village of the Land of Water.
"Fine, I'll spare your life," Kenichi said, using his Sharingan to estimate the amount. It was easily over a hundred million ryo—an astronomical sum.
No wonder Mirai said Gato could become a wealthy tycoon. The man was indeed loaded, even with his current savings.
Kenichi had genuinely intended to let Gato go. After all, sustainable development was crucial. You couldn't just harvest all the crops at once; you had to do it in cycles.
As for revealing his identity?
What connection could Kenichi possibly have to a Konoha ninja with the Sharingan?
Still, to avoid complications, Kenichi grabbed Gato by the collar, stared into his eyes, and activated his Sharingan. The Three-Tomoe spun in Kenichi's eyes, and Gato's gaze once again became unfocused.
Kenichi fabricated an alternate reality for Gato: after arriving in the Land of Waves, he had been robbed by a passing ninja wearing Konoha attire.
Of course, this was merely a surface layer. If Gato returned and had a ninja dispel the Genjutsu, he would uncover the truth: he had been controlled by a passing ninja using Genjutsu, which then created the fabricated memory.
And even if Gato somehow managed to perceive the truth hidden beneath the Genjutsu, it wouldn't matter. When Kenichi had confronted him, he had been wearing a mask.