Chapter 7 — Physical Training
Having long since left Konoha far behind them, Pegasus gradually slowed its gallop across the sky.
The divine beast's hooves no longer struck the clouds with thunderous force. Instead, its pace eased, each stride gentler than the last as it began descending from the high heavens.
The wind that had been roaring in Raizen's ears softened, replaced by the distant rustling of forest leaves below. Soon, the massive canopy of a forest spread beneath them like a dark green ocean.
But something was wrong.
Raizen narrowed his eyes. Flashes of light flickered within the forest.
Moments later—
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted from below, shaking the treetops as birds scattered into the sky in panic.
Another flash followed. Then another.
Occasionally, brilliant bursts of chakra illuminated the forest floor, casting fleeting shadows across the tangled branches.
Raizen leaned slightly forward, peering down through the drifting clouds.
"A battle is happening down there…"
His gaze sharpened as he observed the figures clashing beneath the trees. Even from this distance, he could identify the uniforms.
"…Judging by the clothing, it's Iwagakure versus Konoha."
The shinobi moved like shadows, darting between the trees while unleashing devastating techniques. Earth-style jutsu caused chunks of rock to erupt from the ground, while fireballs scorched entire patches of forest. The battlefield was chaotic.
Watching the brutal clash unfold below, Raizen suddenly remembered something.
The image of a certain old man surfaced in his mind—the Third Hokage in his prime.
A realization dawned on him.
"…This must be the Third Great Ninja War."
The war that had engulfed the entire shinobi world. Seeing it with his own eyes felt completely different from reading about it in manga or watching it in anime.
In fiction, battles were exciting. Heroic. But the reality unfolding beneath him was filled with something far darker.
Pain. Bloodshed. Desperation.
Raizen silently observed the battlefield.
This single scene made him understand something more clearly than ever before.
Weakness was a sin. In this world, if you were weak, you would die. To survive, one had only two choices. Cling desperately to life like a coward—Or grow stronger… and keep moving forward.
For Raizen, however, merely clinging to life was unacceptable.
He had a goal.
He intended to return to the real world.
And to do that, he would need power. The warriors of this world were terrifyingly strong.
Even worse, this world was filled with endless conspiracies, betrayals, and deception.
Most shinobi did not live by moral boundaries.
After all, being a ninja was inherently a dirty profession. This was the truth of the Naruto world. What the manga and anime showed was merely the surface.
But beneath that surface lay something cold and ruthless. Raizen had realized this the moment the ninja of Konoha tried to capture him without hesitation.
This was not a story, but reality.
If he lacked even the most basic awareness of how dangerous this world was, he would already be dead. And that had been Konoha, the village that supposedly valued peace.
If it had been Kirigakure's Bloody Mist Village instead… Raizen probably would not have survived even five minutes. Especially during wartime. Appearing as a mysterious outsider inside a ninja village was practically a death sentence.
Raizen exhaled slowly, then spoke in a quiet voice.
"Let's go, Rider. We shouldn't stay here."
Pegasus immediately responded to the command. With a powerful beat of its wings, the divine horse surged upward once more.
The battlefield shrank beneath them as they rode the currents of wind, leaving the chaos of war behind.
After flying for some time, Medusa suddenly spoke.
"It's safe here."
Her voice was calm and composed.
"Within several kilometers, there are no human presences."
Raizen nodded.
"Then let's land."
Pegasus descended gracefully through the trees. A few moments later, its hooves touched solid ground. The divine beast dissolved into shimmering particles of ether and vanished into the air.
The forest around them was quiet. Sunlight filtered through the branches above, casting scattered patches of golden light onto the ground.
Medusa tilted her head slightly upward.
Though her eyes were hidden beneath her blindfold, she appeared to be gazing toward the sky.
Raizen stood silently behind her. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Watching her quiet posture, Raizen wondered— Was she remembering something?
Something long gone… Yet still lingering within her heart. After a while, Medusa finally broke the silence.
"My magical energy can only sustain me for one more day."
Raizen froze. Her words caught him completely off guard.
Only one day? Was she planning to—
He quickly recalled something important.
Medusa was a bloodsucker. The most effective way for her to replenish magical energy was by consuming blood.
And in her arsenal, there was a technique—
Other Sealing: Blood Sanctuary.
A horrifying ability capable of draining entire groups of humans. Was she planning to use it? But then another question surfaced.
Why was she asking his opinion? He hadn't even used a Command Seal to force her obedience.
Raizen's thoughts became complicated. How should he respond?
Could he really allow her to slaughter innocent civilians just to maintain her existence? If the targets were enemy ninja… perhaps he could justify it. But Konoha was currently in the middle of a war. If Medusa entered the battlefield again, there was no guarantee she would return.
Seeing Raizen hesitate, Medusa continued calmly.
"You currently possess no means of self-preservation. If I disappear, your survival chances will decrease significantly."
"My suggestion is to replenish my magical energy by constructing a Blood Sanctuary."
Raizen slowly shook his head. There was clear reluctance in his eyes.
"I… can't do that. I truly cannot harm innocent people."
He paused before continuing.
"And besides…"
He lifted his head and spoke firmly.
"You are a goddess, not a monster."
"For the next day… please teach me how to fight."
Raizen bowed deeply toward her back. His posture was sincere and respectful.
He was not begging for power. He was asking to be taught how to survive.
After a moment of silence—
Medusa spoke.
"Understood, Master."
Raizen lifted his head, for the first time since meeting her, he saw something unexpected.
Medusa was smiling.
It was a gentle, quiet smile. There was even a hint of joy within it. Without another word, she flicked her Nameless Dagger.
Two swift flashes cut through the air.
Slice.
Two nearby branches fell cleanly from a tree.
Each was roughly two meters long and about as thick as two fingers.
Medusa tossed one toward Raizen.
"Today," she said calmly,"I will teach you the most basic spear techniques."
Raizen caught the branch with both hands.
He nodded seriously as his grip tightened.
Medusa held her own branch lightly, yet the way she stood radiated deadly precision.
"Before learning any weapon technique, you must first become familiar with the weapon itself."
Without warning—She thrust forward.
Her branch shot toward Raizen like lightning.
Crack!
Raizen's "spear" was knocked from his hands instantly. Before he could even react, the wooden tip stopped directly in front of his chest. Only a few centimeters away.
Medusa's voice turned cold.
"Your grip must be firm. Stable. In battle, your weapon must never be taken so easily."
She lowered the branch slightly.
"And another thing. You closed your eyes before I even struck you."
Her tone hardened.
"In real combat… that hesitation would kill you."
From that moment onward, Medusa became a strict instructor. The forest echoed with the sound of clashing branches.
Raizen lost count of how many times he was struck. More than once, he was knocked flat onto the ground.
Yet each time he stood up again.
And slowly—Very slowly—He improved.
---
Night passed.
The eastern horizon gradually brightened as the first rays of dawn pierced through the darkness. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the quiet forest.
The small campfire they had built the night before had burned down to faint embers.
Raizen stood there, bruised and exhausted. His body was covered in dirt and scratches.
Across from him stood Medusa. Her body was slowly dissolving into particles of golden ether.
The light drifted upward like glowing dust.
"Faster than expected," she murmured.
"But it is enough."
A faint smile rested on her lips.
And then— She vanished into the morning light. Before disappearing completely, a quiet thought lingered in her heart.
Someone had called her a goddess.
Not a monster.
Even now… someone still remembered that she was a goddess. The boy before her was still weak. But his determination to survive was sincere. Perhaps if they met again someday—He would no longer be weak.
As the last fragments of her existence faded, Medusa's voice echoed softly.
"Since you call me a goddess…"
"Then I, Medusa, in the name of the goddess, bless you."
"Grow stronger."
"Grow stronger."
"Grow stronger."
"And survive well."
The golden particles scattered like a shower of light.
Raizen watched silently. His lips parted slightly, but for a moment he did not know what to say. Only after the light had completely disappeared did he whisper quietly.
"…Thank you. Goddess Medusa."
The moment the words left his mouth, Raizen collapsed onto the ground.
From noon the previous day until now, he had trained without stopping. He was afraid of missing even a single instruction. But he was still human. After such intense training, every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
He lay there, unable to move. Fortunately, during the training, Medusa had hunted and cooked food for him. To Raizen's surprise, she was actually quite skilled at cooking. Even a simple roasted wild rabbit had tasted unexpectedly delicious.
After resting for a while, Raizen slowly pushed himself back to his feet.
He resumed training.
Simple exercises.
Push-ups.
Frog jumps.
Squats.
His body protested violently with every movement. But he forced himself to continue.
Laziness meant death. The trouble he had caused in Konoha would almost certainly place him on a kill list.
He was undoubtedly a wanted man now. The war might delay pursuit temporarily. But once it ended—He would become a fugitive.
If he breaks a muscle, UU could heal it. He still had 38 Magic Crystals remaining. Even ten would be enough to repair strained muscles.
So Raizen continued pushing his limits.
Train.
Rest.
Heal.
Then train again.
Over and over.
Because he knew one thing with absolute certainty. If he stopped moving forward—
Death would eventually catch up to him.