Chapter 19 — Reputation Soars
Bang!
In a flash of white smoke, the gigantic serpent Manda disappeared.
The moment Orochimaru activated the reverse summoning technique, the colossal creature vanished from the battlefield, dragged back to its summoning realm before the deadly rain of artifacts could finish it.
The chains that had bound it—the Chains of Heaven—snapped through empty air as their target vanished.
But the weapons that had already been launched could not be recalled.
Golden artifacts streaked across the battlefield in every direction like falling meteors.
They slammed into the shattered earth, detonating violently. The ground, already devastated by countless explosions, was torn apart even further as the impacts blasted open fresh craters.
Dust and flames surged upward, turning the battlefield into a chaotic sea of smoke and destruction.
---
High above the battlefield, standing atop the radiant Vimāna, Raizen's expression darkened.
His eyes burned with anger.
"I won't let you live…"
His voice was low, but the murderous intent behind it was unmistakable.
The moment that serpent had appeared, it had arrogantly demanded one hundred living sacrifices.
A creature that fed upon human lives as if they were nothing more than cattle—
Such a monster had no right to exist.
Raizen had fully intended to kill it.
But in the end…
It had escaped.
He clenched his fists tightly.
"What a pity."
The opportunity had been perfect.
Orochimaru had been within reach. The serpent had been trapped.
If the barrage had continued just a moment longer, the outcome might have been completely different.
But reverse summoning had allowed them to flee.
Now the battlefield below was emptying as the remaining forces retreated.
Who knew when he would have another chance to confront Orochimaru like this again?
Raizen slowly exhaled and forced his anger down.
There was no point dwelling on what could not be changed.
Since the serpent had escaped, there was nothing more he could do about it now.
His attention shifted downward.
The Chains of Heaven moved again.
They shot across the battlefield like living serpents, striking swiftly and precisely at their targets.
One enemy after another was pierced through the chest.
Moments later, the divine chains returned to the Vimāna—this time dragging several lifeless bodies behind them.
The corpses were hauled upward like trophies of war.
---
"Bastard!"
The remaining ninjas below erupted in furious shouts.
Their eyes burned with rage as they watched the scene unfold.
Their comrades had already been killed. And now their bodies were being taken away without even the chance for burial.
To a ninja village, the remains of their fallen comrades were sacred.
Every corpse held valuable information—bloodline secrets, jutsu knowledge, and the dignity of the village itself.
Seeing those bodies stolen so openly was an unbearable humiliation.
Yet no one dared charge forward.
Their commanders had already given the order to retreat.
To ignore that command now would be reckless.
Worse still, if they delayed their withdrawal, the opposing village might seize the opportunity to launch a deeper assault into their territory.
That would threaten their homeland directly.
Even with rage boiling in their hearts, they could only grit their teeth and continue retreating.
---
From the sky above, Raizen quietly watched them withdraw.
But he did not pursue.
The objective had already been achieved.
Continuing the fight would only increase the risk.
Today's battle had already pushed him to his limits.
He guided the shining Vimāna away from the battlefield.
Golden light slowly faded as the flying craft drifted toward the distant horizon.
Raizen sat silently upon its throne-like seat.
Inside his mind, numbers continued to accumulate.
Magic crystals.
Thousands of them.
From this single battle alone, the rewards were staggering. Among the ten jōnin he had personally killed, each had yielded at least thirty magic crystals.
One of them had even produced more than forty.
Beyond that, countless chūnin and genin had fallen beneath the endless rain of artifacts.
Altogether…
Raizen had killed over one hundred people.
This was completely different from the small skirmishes he had fought before. Previously, his enemies had been bounty hunters.
Two or three opponents at most.
Quick encounters where survival had been the only goal.
But today…
This had been a massacre.
The battlefield had been soaked in blood.
Even now, Raizen felt as though the scent of iron clung stubbornly to his body.
Yet strangely—
His mind was calm.
Something inside him had changed.
The timid boy who had once wandered city streets seemed far away now. After experiencing a battlefield of this scale, after standing alone against two great ninja villages—
His mentality had hardened. In a sense, he had crossed a threshold.
Just as a first love could transform a young boy into a man, so too could killing.
Before, he had killed only because survival demanded it.
Each life taken had weighed heavily on his mind.
Now… He could end a life without hesitation.
Without blinking.
His movements were sharper.
His resolve firmer.
All doubt had disappeared.
Yet despite that transformation, Raizen knew something important.
He had not lost himself.
He was not someone who slaughtered without thought.
He understood clearly what he wanted.
If someone did not obstruct him, he had no reason to kill them.
But if they stood in his way—
Then he would strike without hesitation.
Good.
Evil.
Those concepts were meaningless in a world like this.
Right and wrong depended entirely on perspective.
To Raizen, survival was the only absolute truth.
If someone threatened his survival, eliminating them was justified.
Because mercy rarely produced gratitude.
If he spared someone who opposed him, would they thank him?
Would they suddenly stop trying to kill him?
Of course not.
They would only hate him more, promising revenge.
That was human nature.
---
Meanwhile, news of the battle spread across the ninja world like wildfire.
Reports traveled quickly between villages.
Messengers carried urgent intelligence to their leaders. And everywhere the same shocking information was repeated.
Both Konoha and Sunagakure had suffered enormous losses.
Their battlefield commanders had been severely injured.
Every jōnin present had been killed, their bodies had been taken.
Casualties among lower-ranked ninjas were also heavy.
And the most terrifying part—
All of this had been done by one person.
The entire ninja world was stunned.
---
Soon, more details reached Konoha.
The identity of the attacker remained unknown.
But the description was unmistakable.
It was the same mysterious man who had appeared before. This realization caused deep concern among the leadership.
The sudden emergence of such a powerful individual was bad news for every major ninja village.
No one knew his motives.
No one knew his origin.
The only pattern that could be observed was this:
Every jōnin he had killed appeared on the black market bounty lists.
Was he simply hunting them for money?
Many village leaders reached the same tentative conclusion.
---
Inside the Hokage's Office in Konoha, the atmosphere was tense.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk with a grim expression.
Standing before him was his old teammate and long-time rival—
Danzō Shimura.
The two men were engaged in a heated discussion.
Danzō had come immediately after receiving the battlefield report.
His stance was clear.
"That man must be eliminated," he said coldly.
"At any cost."
He placed the report on the Hokage's desk.
"This is already the second time he has inflicted serious damage upon Konoha."
"Because of him, our forces and Sunagakure were both forced to withdraw hundreds of meters from the front lines."
The numbers alone were alarming.
Over one thousand injured. More than sixty dead.
Even Orochimaru, the commander of the entire force, had been severely wounded.
Recovering from such injuries would take time.
But Hiruzen shook his head slowly.
"We cannot spare the manpower right now."
"It is wartime."
Every available ninja was already deployed.
Launching a large-scale manhunt at this moment would weaken their war effort even further.
---
Danzō stared at his old friend.
His voice grew colder.
"Can you guarantee he will not strike again?"
Silence filled the room.
"What if the next time…"
"He targets Konoha itself?"
"How will we respond then?"
Hiruzen said nothing.
He lifted his pipe and took a long drag.
Thick smoke slowly filled the room, obscuring his face.
For several moments, neither man spoke.
Finally, the smoke cleared.
Hiruzen lowered his pipe.
"Very well."
"Deploy Root."
"Whether dead or alive…"
"Use whatever methods you deem necessary."
"For this mission, everything is under your command."
A sharp glint appeared in Danzō's eyes.
He nodded once and turned toward the door.
But just as he reached it—
Hiruzen spoke again.
"One condition... Do not interfere with the battlefield."
Danzō paused.
His voice was calm.
"At most, we will gather intelligence from the front lines."
Then he walked out of the office. But his expression had turned dark.
Hiruzen had seen through him.
If Root became involved directly in the battlefield, their status would change.
Root existed in the shadows. They could not openly claim battlefield achievements.
And without achievements—Danzō could not strengthen his claim to become the next Hokage.
Hiruzen had quietly closed that path.
---
Inside the office, Hiruzen stood and walked toward the window.
He gazed out at the village below.
He understood Danzō's ambitions very well.
But he also knew one thing clearly.
Danzō was not suited to become Hokage.
He was too extreme.
Too ruthless.
Hiruzen sighed softly.
"That mysterious man…"
The thought of Raizen gave him a headache.
Why had such a dangerous figure appeared at a time like this?
The suspicious individual they had previously detained now seemed far more troublesome than expected.
In Hiruzen's memory, that man had seemed ordinary.
Perhaps slightly suspicious. But nothing extraordinary.
The only reason he had drawn attention was because of the two women with him.
So how had that same person suddenly become so powerful?
Powerful enough to rampage across a battlefield alone?
And then there was the matter of the bodies.
Why was he collecting them?
Was it truly for money, as the rumors suggested?
Hiruzen did not believe it.
Things were rarely that simple.
So what was the real reason?
Why hunt jōnin specifically?
Why take their remains?
Could there be a hidden organization behind him?
One pulling the strings from the shadows?
Too many questions.
And not enough answers.
For now…
The mysterious warrior who had massacred the battlefield remained an unsolved mystery.