Hi everyone!
I hope you're enjoying my writing so far!
I just wanted to let you know that I've renamed "Observation Haki Mode" to "Time Bullet" —
because honestly, Time Bullet better captures the idea of thought acceleration, which is what the ability is really about.
Thanks for your support, and stay tuned for more chapters!
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Although the drunken man looked intimidating with his bulky body, he was fragile on the inside.
The only reason he'd dared to join the Missing-nin from the Hidden Mist in attacking the Genki Clan was because he believed the clan—though noble in name—was weak and impoverished.
In other words, they were easy prey.
But despite his size, his will was paper-thin. Renjiro didn't need to torture him.
A few harsh words, some well-placed threats, and pressure on an old wound were more than enough to make him spill everything he knew.
"Thanks for your cooperation." Renjiro said with a cold smile, watching the man tremble and sob: "Now it's time to send you off."
Crkk!
"Wh—!"
Before the man could finish a word, Renjiro snapped his neck without hesitation.
He didn't feel a shred of guilt. Anyone who took part in massacring civilians and children didn't deserve mercy.
"Let's go, Meri." Renjiro said coldly, wiping the blood off his glove: "He said the Special Jonin is staying in the central hall."
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By the time they reached the central hall, Maemon's unit was already in position.
"You're late." Maemon said with a smug grin, looking down his nose at Renjiro.
Renjiro rolled his eyes: "Yeah, yeah... you're the strongest on the team. We get it." He shook his head with a faint, helpless smile.
"Anyway, our target's in the main hall." Renjiro said, his expression turning serious: "Any signs of traps or sealing formations?"
Tsugami grimaced and said: "Domaru didn't sense anything specific… but there's definitely a scent-blocking technique in place. It's unnatural. The enemy's trying to neutralize any tracking methods."
Renjiro narrowed his eyes, tapping his chin, as he said thoughtfully: "Then we have to assume there are more traps. If he's hiding his scent, there's no way a Special Jonin hasn't prepared for an ambush."
Maemon adjusted his glasses and added: "That means stealth is off the table. It won't work against someone this careful. Our only option is a direct assault."
Renjiro nodded and laid out the plan: "Then it's settled. Meri and I will lead the assault. The two of you provide support—watch our movements and be ready to intercept any interference. If those drunk bandits get involved when the fighting starts, don't hesitate to put them down."
"Yes, captain." The team gave firm nods.
"Mission start." Renjiro's voice was quiet—but absolute.
The central hall stood in stark contrast to the rest of the makeshift village.
While the surrounding buildings were crooked, slapped together with mud and rotting wood, the hall had solid walls, a proper roof, and a foundation that looked like it might actually hold.
This was no blind charge. Even though it was a frontal assault, they didn't crash in with noise or shouting.
Renjiro and his team moved quietly, like shadows—careful and ready to strike. With their weapons in hand, they entered the building and searched it one room at a time, staying alert and silent with every step.
On the second floor, they found a large bedroom—and inside, someone lay sleeping under thick covers.
Renjiro raised his hand, signaling for silence. He didn't use any sensory techniques—not even Time Bullet—worried that even the slightest chakra pulse might alert the enemy.
Quietly, he drew his blade and stepped forward, each footstep was silent and measured.
Whoosh!
In one swift motion, he drove his sword straight through the blanket and into the bed.
Blood began to soak through the fabric.
"That was way too easy." Renjiro thought, his eyes filled with suspicion.
This was no ordinary enemy. He was supposed to be a Special Jonin from Kirigakure, trained in the art of assassination. He shouldn't go down this easily.
Suddenly—
[Beep! Beep! WARNING! Host mental status abnormal! Host mental status abnormal!]
Arkain's voice blared in Renjiro's mind like a siren, slicing through his thoughts.
"Genjutsu?! Damn it!"
His heart jumped as he instantly began disrupting his chakra flow, using the standard method to break illusions.
But nothing changed. The room looked exactly the same.
"What the hell? I used the proper Genjutsu release technique… So why isn't it working?" Panic began to creep in Renjiro's heart.
[Beep! Beep! WARNING! Host mental status abnormal!]
The alerts grew louder, hammering into his mind and making it harder to think.
Renjiro's eyes widened in sudden realization: "I'm still trapped… which means—there's only one way left!"
Without hesitation, he bit down hard and tore open his lower lip. A sharp bolt of pain surged through his body like lightning—and the illusion shattered like glass.
"Finally… broke the illusion…" Renjiro gasped, breath shaky. But as he looked down—his heart nearly stopped.
Beneath his blade…was Tsugami.
"NO!!"
Renjiro cried out in horror, ripping the blade free as blood gushed from his friend's abdomen.
Without wasting a second, he grabbed Tsugami's limp body and used Soru to flash-step away, but the moment they vanished from that spot—
Bang! Clang!
A kunai and a sword slammed into the ground where they had just been, thrown with deadly force by Meri and Maemon.
"Shit! They're under Genjutsu too!" Renjiro hissed.
"Woff!"
A sharp bark rang out as Domaru, the ninja hound, launched from the shadows.
Boom!
But Renjiro spun, growling, and landed a brutal counter-kick—sending the dog flying backward.
Only now did Renjiro get a moment to breathe. He cradled Tsugami's wounded body, his voice filled with worry as he asked quickly: "Tsugami! Are you okay?!"
Tsugami forced a faint grin, his face looked pale with pain: "Eh… just a small wound. Nothing fatal."
"He calls that nothing?!" Renjiro nearly cursed aloud.
Tsugami's grin faded slightly as he explained, in low and painful voice: "It was a Genjutsu. The moment I stepped into the room, something hit me. I didn't even have time to react. Next thing I knew… I was bleeding, and your blade was in my gut."
Renjiro's expression darkened: "A Genjutsu that strong… and it caught all of us at the same time? No signs, no hand seals... This isn't a normal Special Jonin. This is bad! Very bad!"
"This confirms it." Renjiro muttered silently: "The enemy is a Genjutsu specialist—and a damn powerful one at that."
"Mind Net!"
Renjiro activated his sensory technique without hesitation. There was no point holding back now—they'd already been exposed and ambushed. Subtlety was no longer an option.
Immediately, he felt it—distortions in the chakra signatures of Meri and Maemon. Moreover, they were closing in fast.
"Woof!"
Domaru, still groggy from the earlier kick, had recovered. But instead of attacking, the dog shook his head, cleared his senses, and stumbled over to Tsugami, placing himself protectively in front of the injured teammate.
Renjiro's fists tightened: "I need a way to break them out of the Genjutsu… or we're all going to die."
Strangely, the enemy hadn't followed up with another illusion—or a killing blow.
That hesitation told him something.
"Maintaining the illusion must be draining their chakra. Or maybe they're buying time… stalling for something." His eyes scanned the shadows, trying to piece it together. But time was running out—and the enemy wasn't going to wait.
He set Tsugami down in a safe corner, nodded to Domaru, and turned to face Meri and Maemon.
He raised his blade and pointed it at them—but he couldn't bring himself to strike.
"Come on, Renjiro… think! You can't kill your own teammates. There had to be a way to snap them out of the illusion."
His mind raced, searching desperately for a solution—any technique, any strategy that could break the Genjutsu… before it was too late.
Although Renjiro hesitated, his teammates didn't.
Still trapped in the enemy's Genjutsu, Meri and Maemon charged at him without a moment's pause—like mindless puppets under a cruel master's strings.
Clang! Clang!
Blades clashed as Renjiro blocked their strikes.
"Meri! Maemon! It's me—Renjiro! Wake up!" He shouted as he parried blow after blow, hoping his voice might break through the illusion and reach them.
But the Genjutsu was cast too well.
His words meant nothing. They didn't even blink.
"Damn it!" Renjiro cursed inwardly: "If only I knew more about Genjutsu... With my chakra control and mental strength, maybe—just maybe—I could've pulled them out."
But now wasn't the time for regret.
"I guess I don't have a choice… Sorry, Maemon. Sorry, Meri." If words wouldn't reach them, he'd have to knock them out of it—literally.
Letting this drag on would only make things worse. He took a deep breath… and moved.
Soru!
Whoosh!
In an instant, Renjiro vanished, striking from a blind angle.
Ever since returning to Konoha, Renjiro had trained relentlessly—and with Arkain's precise guidance, his body had evolved.
He focused heavily on developing his lower body strength, especially the knees, ankles, and core leg muscles, refining every movement for speed and power.
Now, all that effort paid off. He could endure three rapid bursts of Soru in a row—without tearing his muscles apart.
In the blink of an eye, Renjiro appeared right in front of Maemon—
and without holding back, drove his fist straight into Maemon's abdomen.
Boom!
Maemon's body flew like a cannonball, crashing through the wall and blasting open a gaping hole in the building's side.
Renjiro didn't even glance back: "That should be enough to snap him out of it."
But before he could exhale—
CLANG!
A blade slammed into his from behind furiously—Meri.
"She's faster than before!" Renjiro was stunned, gritting his teeth as he braced against the force of the strike.
Without wasting the moment, he reached into his ninja pouch, drew a kunai in a flash, and stabbed backward—straight toward Meri.
Even trapped in Genjutsu, Meri's combat instincts remained razor-sharp. With one hand gripping the hilt and the other pressing against the spine of her blade, she shoved forward with precision and force—and Renjiro staggered, barely keeping his balance.
"Tch... You're such a handful." His expression darkened.
He'd always known Meri was strong.
Among their squad, she was consistently ranked second in raw offensive power, just behind him. That's why she was often assigned the role of primary attacker—and now, even under illusion, she fought like her conscious self without holding back.
"Snapping her out of this... gently... might not even be possible." Renjiro muttered to himself helplessly.
Clang! Clang!
She gave him no room to breathe, her blade slicing through the air in a relentless flurry as she charged again.
"Fine then." Renjiro's eyes became firm: "I'll just have to beat her down first!"
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Author's Note:
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👉 Patreon.com/NarutoAI
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I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.
Have a great day! 😊