Raiden didn't reply. He simply moved.
He didn't use time stop this time.
His figure blurred — and vanished. Orochimaru disappeared at the same moment, both of them launching forward together.
Harck and Ulis felt their hearts tighten. They braced themselves, eyes tracking for any movement.
Too late.
A streak of lightning flashed past Harck's side.
Crack.
A thin line split across his rocky armour.
Harck's eyes widened.
Raiden had already shifted position, feet barely touching the ground. He wasn't using time stop ability — just pure speed and swordsmanship pushed to the limit. For him, this was practice… a whetstone for his skills.
Swish.
Another slash.
Crack.
A second fracture spread across Harck's shoulder.
Raiden's movements became harder to follow. To outsiders, it looked like he was blinking in and out of existence, each appearance accompanied by a flicker of lightning.
Swish—
Crack—
Swish—
Crack—
Harck tried to counterattack, swinging a heavy, stone-coated fist, but he only hit empty air. Raiden slid past his guard, blade skimming along joints and weak points. Each strike widened the fractures.
Within seconds, Harck's armour looked like shattered pottery held together by thin lines.
On the other side, Orochimaru wasn't falling behind. His sword moved with cold precision, testing Ulis's defence. Occasionally, his sleeve shifted — and a snake shot out, aiming for Ulis's throat or ribs. Ulis was forced on the defensive, constantly retreating.
Nawaki watched with shining eyes, completely absorbed. His fists clenched. This… this was the level he wanted to reach. But he knew he couldn't interfere.
The other Konoha ninja were equally stunned. They could barely follow the two battles.
Its only one thing for orochimaru for this level but raiden?
One jonin whispered to Murata, "He's… sixteen, right?"
Murata didn't answer immediately. Even his team looked shaken. They had never seen Raiden fight seriously before.
While they couldn't join Raiden and Orochimaru, they moved to intercept the remaining Iwa ninja.
Swish. Swish.
Steel clashed across the battlefield.
Back at Raiden's side, Harck's armour finally gave way.
With a sharp strike, Raiden shattered the chest plating completely. Stone fragments fell away, revealing blood beneath.
Harck's breathing became ragged. His body was covered in shallow cuts.
Raiden stepped in.
One clean motion.
A flash of lightning.
Harck's vision tilted.
For a brief second, he saw the sky.
Then darkness.
His head separated from his body, dropping heavily onto the ground.
"Harck!"
Ulis shouted, his focus breaking.
Orochimaru's eyes flashed.
His arm stretched unnaturally, transforming into a snake that shot forward. The fangs sank into Ulis's neck.
Ulis stiffened. Venom spread instantly.
Orochimaru twisted his wrist.
Snap.
Ulis collapsed, eyes still wide open.
The remaining Iwa ninja, already struggling, quickly fell to the Konoha forces. Within minutes, the battlefield quieted.
The Konoha team regrouped, breathing heavily. Some cleaned blood from their weapons, others checked the surroundings.
Raiden wiped his blade and looked at Orochimaru.
"Should we continue, or retreat? The fight was loud. Reinforcements might be coming."
Orochimaru glanced around. Their side was clearly tired. " retreat."
No one argued.
They moved quickly, disappearing back toward their camp. On the way, they crossed paths with other Konoha teams who had also skirmished with Iwa. After brief exchanges, everyone headed back together.
—
A few minutes later, another Iwa squad arrived at the battlefield.
Ten ninja.
Leading them was a young man with an oppressive aura. The air around him felt heavy. The others looked at him with a mixture of awe and fear.
This was , the Four-Tails jinchuriki.
Roshi ignored their gazes. He walked forward and examined the corpses.
First Harck.
Then Ulis.
His brow furrowed.
Other Iwa teams arrived shortly after. Some were injured. A few carried their dead teammate,
Roshi spoke coldly, "Does anyone know what happened here?"
No one answered.
From the wounds, one could tell Orochimaru had fought here. But Harck's body told a different story — lightning cuts, clean and overwhelming. It looked like he hadn't even managed to counter properly.
Where did this ninja come from?
Why was there no intelligence?
Roshi's expression darkened. Harck and Ulis weren't ordinary jonin — they were elite. He had sent them specifically to stall Orochimaru until he arrived.
Instead, both were dead.
One ninja stepped forward cautiously. "Sir… should we chase them?"
Roshi glanced at him, eyes cold.
"Chase them to their camp? So they can trap me with sealing techniques?"
He paused, then added, "And don't forget — this is still rain territory. Even if Hanjo is busy with the Cloud front, he won't allow a jinchuriki to wander freely."
Roshi clenched his teeth. "Find me information about that lightning user."
His chakra surged unconsciously.
The ground trembled.
Far away — nearly fifteen kilometers — Raiden and the others felt it.
Raiden slowed slightly. Orochimaru's expression turned serious.
"That chakra…" someone whispered.
Raiden spoke quietly, "Jinchuriki."
No one needed further explanation.
They increased their pace, heading back toward camp without stopping.