The next day at 5:30 a.m., Raiden woke up. He freshened up, tidied his clothes, and carefully rechecked his weapons, including the explosive tags he had received from the logistics staff the day before. Satisfied, he headed toward the meeting location.
The Konoha camp was already on guard. Shinobi on patrol moved silently between tents, their presence a constant reminder that even in temporary calm, danger was never far away.
When Raiden arrived, a few people were already there: Murata jōnin; Sora; and the barrier-type special jōnin, Aki. After greeting them, they began discussing the mission.
One by one, the rest of the team arrived. When everyone had gathered, the Yamanaka jōnin organized the formation.
Raiden would stay in the middle as the sensory ninja. On both sides of him would be Sora and Aki, the two special jōnin specializing in sealing barriers. At the front were Yamanaka and Murata, while Kaser and the other chūnin guarded the rear.
After confirming the plan, they departed.
As they moved out, Raiden remained cautious, continuously sensing the surroundings. Even with his 0.1-second time stop, he knew better than to let his guard down. Shinobi were fragile. Even someone ten or twenty times stronger than a normal person in physical strength could still die to a chakra-enhanced kunai or a hidden explosive tag. Arrogance killed many ninjas,
Ten kilometers from camp, everyone remained alert. The Yamanaka jōnin gathered intelligence while Raiden focused on sensing. Around thirteen kilometers out, Raiden suddenly halted.
"Stop."
The team froze instantly.
"What is it?" Yamanaka asked.
Raiden crouched near a muddy patch of ground. "Earth Style and explosive tags. Although chakra was very hidden he still sense it.
The others' expressions turned solemn.
Most Rain shinobi used Water Style, sometimes Fire. Earth Style combined with explosive traps strongly suggested Iwa shinobi. If Iwa was scouting here and planting traps, they might be preparing to establish a camp. That would be disastrous for Konoha. Facing two villages simultaneously would stretch their defenses too thin.
They carefully removed the trap using Water Style and continued. Along the way, Raiden detected several more traps, while the two special jōnin placed barriers.
Raiden was surprised. In just six days, the Iwa shinobi had filled the area with many hidden dangers.
After all he had been in this area with his preveious teammate 6 days ago in patrol mission.
He also noticed his sensing ability had improved. His range felt larger, expanding from roughly 100 meters to around 150, and the clarity of information was sharper. Still, he stayed cautious.
After traveling twenty kilometers from camp, they stopped again upon finding more signs of enemy activity. The barrier specialists began setting defensive seals while the others guarded. Once finished, they shifted direction, clearly intending to encircle the area with barriers.
They worked from 6 a.m. until nearly 3 p.m. Finally, the Yamanaka jōnin ordered a return. They couldn't remain far from camp, especially with suspected Iwa forces nearby.
They had just begun heading back when Raiden's expression changed.
His senses screamed.
A kunai wrapped with explosive tags was flying toward them from roughly 140 meters away.
Everything slowed.
Bullet-time perception activated. He had no time to warn anyone.
Time stop — 0.1 seconds.
The world froze.
Raiden's hands blurred through seals.
"Water Style: Water Wall."
Water surged upward, forming a thick barrier just as time resumed.
The kunai struck.
Boom!
The explosion detonated inside the water, the blast muffled but still violent. Spray scattered in all directions.
"Enemies ahead!" Raiden shouted.
More kunai followed.
Murata and Kaser reacted instantly.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" "Water Style: Water Wall!"
Their defenses merged with Raiden's, forming a thicker barrier. Explosions rippled across the water surface.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Raiden spoke quickly. "Seven enemies. Three jōnin-level chakra, four chūnin. Possible sensory type."
Moments later, the enemy appeared.
Yamanaka acted first.
"Mind Transfer Technique!"
The leading enemy jōnin suddenly froze. His eyes went blank. He turned and attacked his ally, catching him off guard and seriously injuring him.
Another jōnin reacted. "Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
A stone barrier rose — but Raiden moved.
Time stop.
Swish!
His body flickered forward, space distorting slightly from the sudden acceleration. He appeared behind the injured jōnin.
The kunai flashed.
Time resumed.
The blade slit cleanly across the wounded jōnin's throat. He collapsed before he could even gasp.
Chaos erupted.
Two water dragons surged forward from Murata and Kaser, crashing into the enemy formation. Two chūnin died instantly, while one was heavily injured. The remaining jōnin barely dodged, retreating backward.
Swish!
Raiden's figure blurred again. He appeared behind the retreating jōnin like a shadow. A precise slash cut across the neck, and the man dropped lifelessly.
The controlled jōnin was quickly sealed by the barrier specialists. The last injured chūnin was finished by the rear guard.
Silence fell.
They cleaned the battlefield quickly and withdrew. The fight had been short, but lingering risk remained. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
The enemies had underestimated them — three mid-level jōnin, two sealing specialists, and one veteran chūnin. They hadn't known about Yamanaka's control or Raiden's overwhelming reaction speed.
Even Raiden's teammates looked surprised by his strength not to mention enemies couldn't even react.
Five kilometers from camp, they spotted Konoha patrols. After confirming identities, they finally relaxed.
Returning inside the camp, everyone exhaled in relief.
Its was really dangerous!