"What's wrong, Ranmaru?"
Raiga Kurosuki glanced at the boy perched on his shoulder, who was staring intently toward the Kurosuki clan's territory.
"Raiga, someone's coming… and one of them has a sensory ability—it's the Byakugan!"
"Byakugan? A Konoha shinobi?" Raiga grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "Perfect. They're walking right into their graves. Don't forget, your dojutsu can neutralize the Byakugan's abilities."
"Already done," Ranmaru replied, his red eyes glowing faintly. "I've disrupted their vision… but there's more than one chakra signature—maybe two."
"Doesn't matter. Whether it's two or ten, none of them will survive the Thunder Swords: Kiba. Let's give them a funeral they'll never forget."
On the other side, Kimimaro was observing Hanabi and Karin as they tried to sense the intruder's presence.
"Interesting… disrupting both of your senses isn't easy. It seems the enemy has someone skilled."
Karin nodded, frowning. "It's strange. I sense two chakra signatures… but they're coming from the same body. I can't tell if it's a genjutsu or some kind of kekkei genkai ability."
Hanabi added, her Byakugan active, "I saw the chakra flow too. Unlike Karin-senpai, I think the enemy is creating an illusion or projection. But it's different from ordinary genjutsu."
"Don't worry," Kimimaro said calmly. "With your Byakugan and Karin's sensory ability, we'll find the truth eventually."
He looked up. "Hmm? Is it getting foggy?"
Suigetsu narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Nope. This isn't regular fog—it's the Hidden Mist Technique. Kirigakure no Jutsu. Only shinobi from the Hidden Mist use this… and if I'm right, Raiga Kurosuki is close."
"Let's go meet him," Kimimaro ordered. "But this fog is annoying. Jugo, Suigetsu—you both have Wind nature chakra. Blow it away."
Every shinobi is born with a natural chakra affinity. These affinities include the five basic elements—Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, and Earth—as well as Yin and Yang Release.
Jugo's chakra natures were Wind, Earth, and Water. Suigetsu had Wind and Water, while Karin possessed Water and Earth. These were their basic elemental affinities; hidden Yin or Yang properties were much harder to detect without advanced training.
Affinities make certain jutsu easier to learn, but they don't restrict usage. With enough effort and training, even those without natural affinity for Fire could learn Fire Release techniques.
Kimimaro understood this well. Kekkei Genkai abilities, especially physical ones like his Shikotsumyaku and Hanabi's Byakugan, often involved Yin or Yang Release in ways not fully understood.
As for Guren's Crystal Release—it was a unique kekkei genkai, seemingly based on a rare combination of Earth and Fire. While Earth + Fire usually formed Lava Release, Crystal Release was a more specialized and refined variant.
Though Jugo and Suigetsu weren't proficient in Wind-style ninjutsu, they could both use basic techniques like:
"Wind Release: Violent Whirlwind!"
The two unleashed powerful gusts, dispersing the mist that cloaked the battlefield.
"So, you've already found me," a voice echoed as Raiga Kurosuki stepped out of the clearing mist, lightning crackling around his twin swords.
He eyed Suigetsu. "That face… you're a Hozuki. No wonder you recognized the Hidden Mist Technique."
Kimimaro's gaze fell on Raiga's twin swords—the Lightning Blades: Fang.
To him, they looked unimpressive—more like jagged metal prongs than legendary weapons. In contrast, the Executioner's Blade, even when damaged, at least had presence.
"Hozuki brat," Raiga sneered, "you wield the Executioner's Blade. Are you here to challenge me, your senior? You Hozuki always overestimate yourselves."
Suigetsu smirked. "Name's Hozuki Suigetsu. And no, I'm not fighting today. I'd rather not cross blades with the Kiba unless I have to. Actually, I'd be happier if you joined us. I'm not collecting swords for myself—I want to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
"Rebuild the Seven Swordsmen?" Raiga laughed maniacally. "Such arrogance! Come, let me test your resolve. You can all fight me at once!"
"No need," Kimimaro said as he stepped forward, bones shifting beneath his skin. "One of us is enough."
But before he could move, Guren stepped past him, her crystal-studded arm raised.
"Let me."
"Guren?"
"I lost to you before because I held back. Let me prove that even your new jutsu can't surpass my Crystal Release, which I've honed for years."
Kimimaro hesitated, then nodded with a faint smile. "Very well. Show me how strong you really are."
Her determination to fight wasn't just about power—it was a sign that Guren was finally starting to embrace the team.
Raiga scoffed. "Sending a woman out? Hmph. I'll teach you brats a lesson you won't forget."
Raiga Kurosuki swung the dual Kiba blades in his hands, lightning crackling wildly from their edges.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!" he roared.
A dense orb of electricity surged from the twin swords, shooting straight toward Guren.
Guren's reflexes kicked in. With a swift leap, she dodged the attack and clapped her hands together.
"Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Prison Technique!"
Crystalline structures erupted from the ground, quickly encasing Raiga's lower body in a transparent cage of solid crystal.
"Hmph! A swordsman who only knows how to swing lightning around? You're no match for me," Guren smirked. Her Crystal Release, being a rare Kekkei Genkai, often caught enemies off guard.
"Guren, don't get cocky!" Kimimaro called out from the side, eyes narrowing.
Just as he spoke, cracks appeared across the crystal prison — then with a violent explosion, it shattered.
Raiga emerged, lightning dancing across his skin.
"Lightning Release Armour Technique!" His body now surged with enhanced speed and durability, the telltale hum of high-frequency chakra coating him in a visible aura.
"You've got flashy tricks, girl, I'll give you that," Raiga growled, voice distorted by the lightning surging through him. "But tricks won't save you from Raiga of the Kiba Blades!"
He slammed the blades together.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
A powerful arc of electricity surged outward in a jagged, fanged pattern, aiming straight at Guren.
"Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Hexagonal Shuriken!" she countered, launching a flurry of crystalline projectiles into the current.
"Crystal Release: God's Crossing Formation!"
Crystals surged from the ground in a straight line, forming a field of spikes that erupted toward Raiga.
Raiga's laughter rang out as he slashed his blades into the sky.
"Lightning Release: Thunderbolt Descent!"
Lightning rained down from above, obliterating the oncoming crystal spikes with brute force.
"Let's see how you handle this—Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning!"
He drove the Kiba blades into the earth. Lightning surged through the ground, converging into a cluster of tendrils that exploded upward beneath Guren's feet, engulfing her in a furious electrical storm.
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