Chidori Sharp Spear.
Originally developed by Sasuke Uchiha, Ryan had fully mastered the technique—and even improved its range. Where Sasuke's version capped out at five meters, Ryan's could go farther. And it hit just as hard—if not harder.
He followed his guide at a calm pace, the adrenaline from earlier settling into a cold, collected edge.
Excitement was giving way to clarity.
Battle means death.
One mistake—no matter how strong you are—and you're done.
Soon, they passed through the outskirts of Royal Leaf City and entered a quiet forest.
The wind whispered through the leaves, branches swaying gently overhead. Occasionally, the chirp of birds echoed from deep within.
The guide came to a stop.
"Sir, the target should still be somewhere in this forest," he said with a respectful bow. "I've taken you as far as I can."
He was just an ordinary civilian, and the information exchange only went so far. If a battle broke out once they entered and he got caught in the crossfire, it would be fatal.
"Alright, you can head back now."
Ryan waved him off, leaping lightly onto a thick tree branch several meters high. He gazed into the woods ahead, no longer paying attention to the now much more respectful guide. The bounty booklet had a detailed sketch of the rogue ninja. The forest wasn't large—if his target was in there, Ryan was confident he'd find him.
Having lived two lifetimes, Ryan's spiritual perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. Becoming a sensory-type ninja came naturally to him. Perched on the tall branch, he closed his eyes and extended his senses, scanning the forest.
Flowers, grass, trees, insects, birds, rabbits...
"...Southeast, roughly a li away."
All living things emit chakra to some extent. As a former jōnin from one of the Five Great Villages, the rogue ninja Sandō Kaze had no shortage of chakra. Ryan quickly pinpointed him and shot off like a shadow in the wind.
The natural environment in the world of shinobi was impressively lush. Unspoiled forests like this one were everywhere. Though the forest wasn't huge—only spanning a few li—it was enough to sustain a lone individual for some time. Living off the land here wasn't hard for a ninja.
Sandō Kaze, formerly a jōnin of Iwagakure, had betrayed his village during a mission to steal a mid-tier village's scrolls. Driven by greed, he killed his teammates and fled with the scrolls. Iwagakure placed an A-rank bounty of 2 million ryō on his head.
Despite the bounty, Sandō didn't regret his choice. Reaching jōnin rank had opened his eyes—he'd finally seen the insurmountable gap between commoners and noble clans.
Though he'd earned the rank, as a civilian-born ninja, he lacked the refined training, special bath treatments, and secret arts available to noble clans. His chakra control, physical prowess, and even hand seal speed were all inferior. After years of risking his life on high-level missions, all he'd received from the village was one mediocre A-rank jutsu and a few decent B-rank techniques. Meanwhile, noble clan members were born into elite jutsu and powerful bloodline techniques.
He once sparred with a noble jōnin of equal rank. Even after going all out, he couldn't even force his opponent to get serious. It was then that he realized—civilian jōnin couldn't even escape from noble ones.
So, when he saw the scrolls containing multiple A-rank jutsu, he acted.
After all, isn't there a saying? "Loyalty only lasts until a better offer comes along."
Sandō had already killed two or three bounty hunters who came after him—jōnin-level, no less. With the techniques he learned from the stolen scrolls, especially the A-rank Earth Style ones, his combat power was now on par with jōnin from noble clans. He even believed he could escape from most elite jōnin if needed.
Besides, with how big the shinobi world was, and how many missing-nin were out there, how likely was it that a true elite jōnin would be sent after him?
"Too bad... That scroll only had two Earth Style A-rank jutsu. The rest were all Water Style..."
Tall and thin, Sandō Kaze sat cross-legged before a small fire, roasting a freshly caught rabbit while muttering to himself.
He yearned for the strength of an elite jōnin—but he hadn't found a way to break through.
Behind him, the ground was uneven, cracked, and scorched from recent jutsu practice. With no caves or structures nearby, he was clearly roughing it in the wild—standard for a ninja on the run.
Ryan concealed his chakra and crouched quietly on a tree branch around 20 meters away. The clearing offered no cover, so this was the closest he could get without being seen.
But he wasn't in a rush.
He waited.
Then, when Sandō finally took a big bite of the roasted rabbit and visibly lowered his guard—
Ryan moved!
He turned into a flash of purple wind. At the same time, crackling arcs of lightning burst from his right hand. Fingers together in a piercing stance, the high-pitched chirping of a thousand birds filled the air. His target: Sandō's heart.
Zzzzt!
A brilliant bolt of lightning burst forth from Ryan's hand—this was Chidori Sharp Spear, a devastating jutsu. He blurred forward, closing the distance in a blink, unleashing the deadly jutsu mid-stride.
"BOOM!!"
The piercing thunderbolt blasted through Sandō's chest—and kept going, gouging a crater in the earth beyond. Stone fragments exploded in all directions.
Ryan landed and frowned. Something felt off.
Before the thought even finished forming, his instincts screamed.
Without hesitation, he pushed off the ground and leapt into the air, rapidly forming a hand sign. With a flap of his chakra wings, he soared upward, hovering several meters above the earth.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Suddenly, dozens of sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground—each over a meter tall—filling a 20-meter radius.
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T/N:
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