Though briefly forced on the defensive, an Elite Jōnin was still an Elite Jōnin.
Even under the torrential storm of Arata Itsuki's unrelenting attacks, he somehow managed to hold his ground—barely.
The only problem was his weapon. The once-gleaming blade in his hand was now chipped and cracked, on the verge of shattering.
Arata's lightning-imbued blade was far sharper than any ordinary weapon enhanced by a Lightning Style.
A few more clashes, and that sword—and its wielder—would both be finished.
But Arata's rapid flurry of strikes was taking its toll. His breath grew heavier, his movements just a fraction slower.
Though his Thunder Fruit freed him from dependence on chakra, the fruit didn't grant him limitless stamina. Every movement, every burst of lightning-speed, drained his physical strength directly.
And despite years of taijutsu training, he lacked the monstrous regeneration of someone with a Sage Body. His endurance was far from enough to sustain an extended battle above his level.
Now, locked in combat with an Elite Jōnin, he was beginning to feel that truth painfully.
The enemy's breathing remained steady, his stance firm—while Arata's muscles trembled with fatigue.
Sensing his moment, the Elite Jōnin seized the opening.
He caught Arata's next strike on his right-hand blade, then flicked his left hand, tossing a shuriken high into the air—
and, incredibly, formed seals one-handed.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The single shuriken split midair, multiplying in a blur until nearly a thousand gleaming blades surrounded Arata.
In the next instant, countless thin wires snapped taut between the Jōnin's fingers, and all those spinning shuriken suddenly converged toward Arata like a storm of metal death.
The Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu! Arata recognized it instantly—he had only ever seen the Third Hokage use such a skill in the original timeline.
Of course, when the Third used it, he conjured tens of thousands of shuriken. This Elite Jōnin's version was far weaker by comparison, but still lethal.
With such dense, indiscriminate coverage, even Arata's lightning-fast reflexes couldn't dodge them all—especially now, as exhaustion clawed at his limbs.
And these weren't ordinary projectiles; each carried killing intent and enough force to cripple a normal Jōnin outright.
Seeing the deadly rain of steel descend, Arata abruptly stopped dodging.
He tightened his grip on his blade with his right hand—while raising his left, pointing directly at the Elite Jōnin.
The man's eyes widened in disbelief.
He's not dodging? Is he trying to perform a one-handed seal?
The swarm of shuriken was seconds away from impact, yet Arata stood his ground, unmoving.
Is he planning to die with me?
The Elite Jōnin hesitated, instinctively pulling back—
When Arata's voice cut through the roar of steel and thunder:
"10 Million Volts — Lightning Beast!"
No hand seals. No delay.
The moment he spoke, a massive blue beast of crackling lightning burst forth from his raised hand, roaring toward the enemy.
"Without forming seals!?" the Elite Jōnin gasped.
The Lightning Beast jutsu was at least A-rank in power—and he had only ever seen the First and Second Hokage unleash such a thing without hand seals.
Lightning traveled faster than thought. And at 10 million volts, there was no time for substitution, no time for escape.
A blinding flash exploded across the forest, so bright it drowned the world in a holy white glow. The trees shimmered under its radiance; birds scattered in terror.
At the same instant, the thousand shuriken rained down around Arata.
When the light finally faded, the Elite Jōnin lay sprawled on the ground, faint crackles still dancing across his body, his flesh hissing and popping like meat on a grill.
Arata exhaled slowly.
He had always known that the strongest ninja of the Shinobi World were no weaker than those of the One Piece world—but in terms of sheer physical durability, they couldn't compare.
Even the so-called "monsters" of the shinobi world usually relied on defensive jutsu, chakra armor, or specialized techniques—not their bare bodies—to endure attacks.
So a 10 Million Volt Lightning Beast was more than enough to paralyze even an Elite Jōnin completely.
And just as he'd expected, the man could no longer move.
But the Jōnin, through sheer will, managed to raise his head one last time—and what he saw left him utterly stunned.
"A body like the Hōzuki Clan's…? I… let my guard down…" he murmured weakly before collapsing into unconsciousness.
None of the thousand shuriken had even scratched Arata.
His body had turned to lightning—pure elemental form—allowing every attack to pass harmlessly through him.
The Elite Jōnin's final sight had been of Arata's flickering form, riddled with glowing arcs of electricity.
Indeed, the ability was similar to the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Jutsu—but with one crucial difference:
Arata's elementalization consumed no chakra at all, while the Hōzuki required massive amounts to maintain theirs.
This victory was won by luck and timing as much as strength. That final 10 Million Volt Lightning Beast had been forced out of his nearly empty reserves of stamina.
If that strike hadn't finished the job, Arata would have had no choice but to retreat.
He could no longer draw on the fruit's power, but he still had enough strength to lift his sword.
"Farewell," Arata said quietly, eyes cold. "You may have been one of the village's elite—but you shouldn't have come to hunt me."
With that, his sword descended.
Once a warrior who strode proudly across the shinobi world, the Elite Jōnin now became nothing more than dust on the wind—forever severed from the world of the living.
Arata checked the body carefully. Only when he confirmed that the man was truly dead did he finally allow himself to collapse onto the ground, panting.
"An Elite Jōnin really is no joke," he muttered, shaking his head. "If not for my elemental form, I'd never have survived that."
But before he could rest, a weak, rasping voice rose behind him.
"Arata… Itsuki…"
Arata froze, instincts flaring, and spun around.
There—half a body lying in a pool of blood—was Dan Katō.
Even after being cleaved in two, the man's life force was terrifyingly strong; he still hadn't died.
His upper torso turned slightly, eyes meeting Arata's. The ground beneath him was already soaked crimson.
Seeing the state he was in, Arata finally exhaled.
With that much blood loss, not even Tsunade herself could save him now.
He was finished.
Katō Dan struggled to speak, every word scraping out of his throat like glass.
"Please… you must… at Danzō's base… save… my niece… Shizune…"
Those few words cost him everything. By the time he whispered the name Shizune, his voice faded, his eyes dimmed, and life left his body entirely.
Arata sighed softly.
Katō Dan—hero of the past—was gone.
Just then, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! System detected a new decision point. Three options available to the host!]
[Option 1: Ignore the request and do not rescue Shizune.
Reward: Earth Style: Light-Weight Rock Jutsu]
[Option 2: Return to Konoha immediately and rescue Shizune.
Reward: Dust Style: Atonic Dismantling Jutsu]
[Option 3: Continue toward the border and wait for an opportunity to rescue Shizune.
Reward: One-day access to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber]
[The system will determine the reward based on the host's actions.]