From the moment Ryan launched his attack until now, barely ten seconds had passed.
Yet, within that brief time, the entire area—over a li in radius—was suffused with an overwhelming killing intent. The tension in the air drove countless birds and animals to flee in terror.
"Damn it!"
Ryan's pupils narrowed as he stared at the dense forest of stone spikes below. His face darkened slightly—his first assassination mission had failed. While it wasn't a blow to his confidence, it certainly annoyed him.
The body he'd pierced wasn't Sandō Kaze at all—it crumbled into a pile of earth. Just off to the side, near the edge of the trap zone, a tall, lean figure slowly emerged from the ground. It was the real Sandō Kaze.
"…He can fly?"
Sandō's expression turned grim as he looked up at Ryan, who hovered several meters above the ground, sustained by glowing wings of chakra.
Those wings…
His eyes twitched.
Chakra visualization was no small feat. But this boy—who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen—had not only formed tangible chakra wings, but ones so precise and intricate in structure? His control must be extraordinary.
Not to mention, most Earth Style users couldn't pull off flight like the legendary Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Facing a flying, high-speed opponent was a nightmare for many earth-type shinobi. There were even cases where stronger earth-natured ninja lost battles simply because they couldn't keep up in the air.
"…This kid's not ordinary."
Sandō's face darkened. "A genius," he muttered. "A terrifying genius…"
Still, he wasn't about to let fear take hold. Not now.
"I'll be taking your head."
Ryan stood in midair, perfectly calm. He looked down at Sandō, his tone emotionless but absolute.
"Tch... So you're here for the bounty after all?"
Sandō's eyes sharpened, his narrow, triangle-shaped pupils locking onto Ryan like a predator sizing up its rival. "But if you think killing me is that easy, you're dead wrong…"
"If you really believe you can escape me… feel free to try."
As Ryan spoke, he shifted his hands into another seal. A massive torrent of purple chakra burst from his body, surrounding him like a rising storm.
"Peacock Form."
With that quiet declaration, Sandō's expression finally cracked.
The chakra around Ryan exploded outward. In mere seconds, it extended and transformed—stretching, shaping, condensing…
A translucent beast formed around him. Feathered, regal, monstrous.
Purple, majestic, and glowing with killing intent.
The wings stretched eight to nine meters wide, fanned open like war banners. Then came the crown—a dazzling display of fan-shaped plumage above the "head." Next, the glowing red predator's eyes. A sharply hooked beak. Deadly talons that shimmered like blades. The tail—dozens of elegantly layered feathers tipped with energy.
The chakra construct had taken the form of a kingly peacock—massive, fierce, and awe-inspiring. Ryan stood tall at the center of its chest, like a sovereign riding a mythological beast into war.
Though it wasn't a real peacock, this chakra beast was far more terrifying than the real thing.
"…Are you a Jinchūriki?"
Sandō's face turned utterly grim. Just the sheer presence of the peacock beast caused the surrounding air to vibrate with pressure. And that boy—Ryan—his chakra levels were absurd.
Sandō had heard tales of the Tailed Beasts' chakra cloaks—how they manifested monstrous forms to protect their hosts. What Ryan displayed now felt eerily similar.
"Whether I am or not is irrelevant," Ryan replied coldly. "The only thing that matters… is whether you believe you can escape me."
Truthfully, Ryan didn't need to use the Peacock Technique to defeat someone like Sandō Kaze.
But ever since completing its development, he had yet to test its combat applications in a real battle. The offensive patterns and movements were based on the predatory behavior of vicious birds—refined through imagination, training, and trial.
And now? A rogue jōnin with actual battlefield experience stood right in front of him—a perfect test subject.
It would be a waste not to try it out.
"Hmph… I don't know who you are, but don't get cocky!"
Ryan's cold, confident stare triggered something deep in Sandō. The arrogance, the superiority—it reminded him of the noble-born jōnin back in Iwagakure, always looking down on him.
He swallowed his fear and straightened his back, trying to mask the anxiety gnawing at his gut.
But internally?
He was already plotting his escape.
He still didn't know how powerful the Peacock Technique truly was, but just looking at it made his instincts scream danger. He had no doubt—if he didn't flee now, he might not get another chance.
"SKRAAAHH!"
The peacock chakra beast let out a high-pitched shriek that echoed through the entire forest.
Birds scattered. Even distant animals turned tail and fled.
Ryan didn't waste another word.
The giant wings of the chakra peacock surged forward in a single flap, sending a howling gust akin to a Wind Release storm roaring across the forest. A blast of dust and leaves rose into the air.
The giant purple form lunged, streaking down like a meteor—its shadow engulfing Sandō Kaze.
"BOOM!"
The long, flexible neck of the peacock lashed downward, the razor-sharp beak stabbing with explosive force.
It smashed into the ground where Sandō had just been sitting, leaving a hole nearly a meter wide, like the earth had been pierced by a divine spear.
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T/N:
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