Chapter 38: Rhine Daly
"Hey, no matter where you're from, I'm sorry, but you've just made the system's hit list." Although Tenchi had other methods, he didn't want to bother with them. He decided the simplest way to disband them was through direct force.
Tenchi used the Body Flicker Technique to appear directly in front of the three ninja. He drew the Tanto blade he hadn't used in a long time and, before the shocked ninja could react, ended their lives.
"Don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for being on the wrong side." Tenchi looked down at the three dead bodies. He then dragged them onto the path and used their blood to write a message for the others to find. Once that was done, he headed straight for the Land of Rice, leaving the cleanup to his team.
The three genin and Tōka arrived shortly after and immediately spotted the corpses.
"Be careful. Don't let your guard down. They could be faking, trying to lure us in," Orochimaru warned, not approaching the bodies immediately.
"I'll check with a kunai." Jiraiya threw a kunai knife, which struck one of the bodies with a *thud*.
A small trickle of blood seeped out. Seeing this, Orochimaru relaxed. "If they were alive and pretending, they would have bled immediately. The delayed reaction means they're truly dead. It's safe."
The three of them moved forward to inspect the bodies, while Tōka kept his distance, fearful.
"Hey, there's writing here," Tsunade said, finding the words Tenchi had scrawled in blood. The other two looked over.
**[Bury the bodies]**
Looking at the message, they all knew it was from Tenchi.
"He's just using us as manual labor," Jiraiya grumbled.
"Let's just get to work. At least we're not on the front lines," Tsunade said, already starting to dig.
"I know, I'm just saying," Jiraiya replied, joining in.
Soon, they had buried the bodies and continued their journey into the Land of Rice.
***
Meanwhile, Tenchi had already entered the country. He didn't continue his killing spree. Instead, he began searching for the leader of this occupying force.
"Ugh, I should have asked Tōka where their leader is holed up. My sensory range is limited. Searching like this is so slow." Tenchi moved from tree to tree, carefully avoiding the patrols of low-level ninja.
"My mind is breaking. How long is this going to take?" After a long and fruitless search, Tenchi's patience was wearing thin.
"If I can't find him, I'll just force him to show himself!" As soon as he said it, a Rasenshuriken formed in his hand.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He hurled the Rasenshuriken into a dense patch of forest.
***BOOM!***
The devastating cutting power of the Wind Style technique obliterated the entire section of woodland. Tenchi hid at a distance, quietly waiting for his prey to take the bait.
***
On the other side, after Tsunade and the others entered the Land of Rice, they spotted many enemy ninja. They didn't act rashly, choosing to hide and observe. Since Tenchi was clearing the path ahead and there were still enemies here, they figured he must have a plan.
They stayed hidden until they heard the massive explosion.
***BOOM!***
"Whoa! What was that? Where did that explosion come from?" Jiraiya exclaimed.
"It was most likely a ninjutsu from Brother Tenchi," Orochimaru analyzed calmly. "Don't worry. With his strength, he'll be fine. It's our own safety we should be concerned about."
"But we can't just wait here forever," Tsunade said, growing anxious. Even if she was weaker, she wanted to help.
"Be patient. Our chance will come," Orochimaru advised coolly.
Tōka didn't interrupt. He knew how strong Tenchi was and trusted he would be alright.
The shadow clone Tenchi, watching from hiding, nodded in approval. *'Not bad. They're not rushing in recklessly. Orochimaru's mind is sharp. But my main self is really going all out up there... using the Rasenshuriken is making my own hands itch.'*
***
While they were waiting, the occupying ninja were thrown into a panic.
"Damn it! Where did that explosion come from? Is another ninja village attacking us?"
"Why panic? If the sky falls, Leader Rhine will hold it up! What are you afraid of?"
"But we're just Genin and Chunin! Leader Rhine is only one man!"
"What's all this racket?!" a voice boomed. The leader, Rhine Daly, emerged.
Everyone fell silent. A Chunin officer stepped forward and whispered in Rhine's ear, "Sir, reports indicate a powerful intruder. Our outposts never detected anyone. If not for that explosion, we wouldn't even know we had a breach."
"Hmph! How dare someone run wild in my territory? They must have a death wish! Remember, we have powerful backers. There's nothing to fear!"
"Brothers! Grab your gear and follow me! I want to see which fool with a death wish dares to cause trouble here!" Rhine brandished his large sword and led the crowd out.
Soon, the group of ninja arrived at the site of the explosion.
"Is this the place?" Rhine Daly said, staring at the flattened, barren land.
"Yes, Lord Rhine. This is it," a ninja confirmed.
"Which fool with a death wish dares to act up on my turf?!" Rhine yelled arrogantly, showing no fear. "Show yourself! Let me teach you a lesson!"
Tenchi, watching the boss finally appear, smiled. *'Perfect. Just as planned.'* He channeled chakra, and with a crackle of lightning, he appeared before them, Chidori screeching in his hand.
"Hey. Which ninja village sent you? Tell me the truth, and maybe I'll go easy on you." Tenchi had a strong suspicion a major village was behind this, using this place to recruit cannon fodder for an upcoming war.
"So, you're the one? Just a brat? You talk about being 'rude' to *me*? I'd like to see you try!" Rhine scoffed, utterly contemptuous now that he saw it was just a young man. He'd brought everyone, worried a powerful foe had arrived. If he'd known it was a kid, he wouldn't have bothered.
"It seems you're not interested in talking. Fine. Then have a taste of this!" As he finished speaking, Tenchi used the Chidori as a conduit. A massive kirin, a legendary beast woven from pure lightning, materialized in the sky above them.
This version of Kirin was from the system; unlike Sasuke's, Tenchi didn't need specific weather conditions. He could summon it anytime.
The ninja below stared up in terror at the colossal lightning creature.
"Look! A monster in the sky!"
"Why did that appear? Did that guy create it?"
"If he did... we can't possibly defend against a jutsu like that!"
Rhine Daly's face turned grim. As a Jōnin, he could sense the power more acutely than anyone. *'I didn't expect this brat to be capable of such a terrifying ninjutsu. If that thing descends, my men will be wiped out, and even I might perish.'*
But then he remembered the deal he had with that powerful ninja village, and his expression hardened with renewed confidence.
"A flashy ninjutsu? You think that scares me?" Rhine yelled to his men. "Brothers! This technique just *looks* impressive! It's all show! Don't be afraid of him!"