Chapter 4 — Replacing
The shockwave from their earlier strike had spread like wildfire, alerting every ninja in the village. Smoke and dust hung thickly in the air, shrouding one corner of the village in a gray haze.
With no one left to block their path, the opportunity to escape presented itself. Raizen clung tightly to Saber as she surged forward, leaping and sprinting across the trench nearly ten meters wide—a scar carved into the earth by the raw power of Excalibur's Noble Phantasm.
Releasing her Noble Phantasm had drained much of her mana, leaving her slightly weakened—but with no one hindering their movement now, she could push her speed to its absolute limit.
Lying across her back, Raizen watched the chaotic ruins of the village vanish rapidly behind them. Despite the danger surrounding them, a strange warmth of comfort began to rise within him. The faint, subtle fragrance emanating from Saber added to the odd, fleeting serenity.
If only… he could remain like this forever, riding on her back.
The Konoha prison had once stood proudly at the village's edge. Its tall, fortified walls should have been an imposing barrier—but the earlier Noble Phantasm had reduced them to rubble, leaving only jagged remnants. Within moments, they were already beyond the village limits.
Suddenly, Raizen's heartbeat quickened, a sharp tremor running through him. His right eyelid twitched uncontrollably. He turned his head—and his stomach dropped.
Dozens of figures were giving chase. Leading the charge was unmistakable: the Third Hokage. Clad in tightly-fitted armor, wielding an iron staff, with two long, whisker-like strands trailing behind his head, he radiated authority and deadly precision.
Raizen's heart sank. With the Third Hokage himself pursuing them, backed by a contingent of ANBU, the situation had escalated into sheer terror.
Saber, attuned to instinct and danger, stiffened immediately. She recognized the threat, her body tensing to its absolute limit.
"You won't escape!" The Third Hokage's voice rang cold and sharp, carrying over the chaos.
Without hesitation, he drew a handful of shuriken and hurled them forward. His hands moved in a blur, forming precise seals. The shuriken multiplied exponentially, a swirling storm of steel—the Shadow Shuriken Technique in full display.
The ANBU followed suit, their own projectiles raining down in unison. Within seconds, nearly a thousand shuriken descended like a merciless downpour. Dodging was impossible. Endurance was the only option.
Saber reacted instantly. She spun in mid-stride, raising her left hand to shield her head, while her right hand wielded her sword in a relentless arc, deflecting kunai and shuriken with precise, controlled swings. Yet even her unmatched skill could not close the growing gap between them and the Third Hokage.
"Enma!" the Third Hokage shouted, thrusting his Adamantine Staff forward with brutal force.
"Understood!" came the deep, resonant voice of the staff itself. In a blink, it extended hundreds of meters, a towering, unstoppable force of iron and determination.
Saber's instincts screamed. Reflexively, she lifted her holy sword, bracing for impact. The collision was cataclysmic. The Adamantine Staff struck her blade with a force so immense that her hands went numb instantly. The momentum threw her backward, her body slamming into a massive tree with bone-shaking impact.
Raizen, still clinging to her back, was flung with equal violence. Blood spurted from his mouth as he coughed violently, his body struggling to absorb the shock.
"Master!" Saber cried out, panic threading her voice. Her hands hovered over him, gentle yet firm, careful not to cause further harm. Even the slightest pressure now could be catastrophic.
"Don't… worry. I can hold on… Run!" Raizen's voice was strained, rasping, yet filled with unwavering resolve.
"You won't escape!" The Third Hokage's words cut through the dust-laden air like ice.
They were surrounded, encircled by relentless, precise enemies.
Raizen forced himself upright, gripping Saber's shoulder for support despite the pain lancing through his chest. Blood trickled from his mouth, but his gaze remained fierce as he faced the Third Hokage.
"Your Konoha ninja village arrested me without cause and probed my memories. Tell me, what's wrong with me trying to leave?" His voice carried both defiance and a youthful naivety—he still believed in fairness in a world that had none.
The Third Hokage's expression remained cold and unreadable. "These are unusual times. Any unregistered person appearing within the Fire Country is automatically suspicious. Especially one whose memories cannot be examined."
He raised a hand subtly. Instantly, the ANBU responded, releasing kunai attached to steel wires that coiled and intertwined, forming an impenetrable net that blocked every escape route.
"Besides, you've caused catastrophic damage to the village. Even if you were innocent before, your actions now are unforgivable." His eyes gleamed sharply, every word imbued with lethal authority.
"Execute them!"
The ANBU advanced. Hundreds of kunai launched simultaneously. At this range, even Saber could not intercept them all—Raizen, unarmed and human, had no hope of survival.
"Saber… if we both survive… see you next time." He coughed again, tasting blood, but his tone was strangely calm, almost accepting.
Before Saber could respond, her form began to dissolve into shimmering ether, scattering like mist into the wind.
"Master… take care." Though their time together had been brief, she had recognized his worth—he was no villain, merely a man caught in circumstances too vast for him to control.
At that instant, a silver light exploded outward, illuminating the battlefield with blinding brilliance.
"Heroic Spirit Summoning!" Raizen gasped, every word a struggle as he forced out the command.
The last two Command Seals on his right hand vanished.
"Rider answer your call."
Long purple hair flowed like a silken waterfall around her, and a swirling vortex of Nameless Short Swords spun around her body, intercepting every incoming kunai with inhuman precision. Each blade clanged and shimmered in midair, forming a protective barrier that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
A small, almost imperceptible smile curved Raizen's lips.
Using Saber and two Command Seals as the price, he had summoned the temporary Heroic Spirit—Medusa.
Though this incarnation lacked permanence, her capabilities were extraordinary—and perfectly suited for the crisis at hand.
As a Rider-class Heroic Spirit infused with the blood of a Phantasmal Species, Medusa possessed the gift of flight. In a world like Naruto's, where the ability to soar above the battlefield was nearly nonexistent, this alone made their escape nearly guaranteed.
Raizen allowed himself a brief moment of gratitude.
"Thanks, UU," he whispered silently, acknowledging the system's temporary assistance.
This summoning, though costly, was a unique feature: by sacrificing a pre-existing Heroic Spirit and all remaining Command Seals, he could perform a downgraded, targeted summoning. On the surface, it seemed like a loss—but in life-or-death situations like this, it was a calculated advantage. Each Heroic Spirit's abilities differed, and some were far more situationally valuable than others.
"Use your Noble Phantasm, Rider!" Raizen commanded, his tone sharp with urgency.
Medusa gave no verbal response. Not because she ignored him, but because words were an unnecessary effort. Instead, she acted immediately. Her icy, indifferent gaze shifted to Raizen, as though silently evaluating his resolve.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and launched herself into the sky. Beneath her, a magnificent winged Pegasus materialized, hooves striking the air with a thunderous force. Its wings spread wide, feathers glinting in the sunlight, a living embodiment of speed and power.
"Bellerophon!" Medusa called, her voice calm yet commanding, reverberating through the battlefield.
"What… what is that?" The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared skyward, the lines of concentration etched deeply across his face.
"A summoning beast?" one of the ANBU whispered, awe and fear mingling in his tone.
Raizen settled into Medusa's embrace, feeling the subtle pulse of her mana coursing through the air around him. He looked down at the chaos below, his mind racing through calculations.
He had no mana of his own. Medusa's attributes were likely diminished, similar to Saber's condition after her Noble Phantasm had been released. Even the power of her Noble Phantasm itself was probably reduced.
And yet… the Third Hokage's strength was immense. Coupled with his Adamantine Staff, which could extend freely at terrifying speeds, a direct confrontation would be suicidal.
Attacking now would be a gamble—a reckless choice. Escaping, by contrast, was almost effortless.
Medusa remained still, her expression the same as ever—cold, detached, almost bored. This was her nature. She appeared indifferent to everything, not out of cruelty but out of sheer laziness, preferring to act only when necessary… or when curiosity was piqued. Right now, she was watching Raizen, gauging the decision of her Master.
Would he strike? Or would he flee?
"Medusa," Raizen called.
"Mm…" she responded, barely moving her lips.
"Let's attack." His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the enemy below.
"Alright." Her words were a simple acknowledgment, but her actions promised devastation.
Raizen's heart quickened. From this vantage point, they were unstoppable. The village, the ANBU, the Third Hokage—all of it sprawled beneath him like pieces on a board.
It was time. Time to show them a lesson they wouldn't forget.