Chapter 41: Stand Aside, I'm About to Show Off
After eliminating the eight Kiri shinobi, Uchiha Raizen stood his ground, calmly awaiting the arrival of the main force.
Soon, the remaining members of the Kiri squad appeared, though their numbers had dwindled to just over forty. The rest were likely guarding their Yuki clan captives.
"Members of Kirigakure," Uchiha Raizen's voice cut through the tension, low and threatening. "Take one more step, and you will share their fate." He gestured to the eight, purple-tinged corpses at his feet.
His words, though not shouted, sent a chill down the spines of the Kiri shinobi. The bizarre state of their fallen comrades made the threat feel all too real.
"I don't know who you are, but—"
"Uchiha Raizen. Elder of the Uchiha Clan," he declared, cutting off the stammering question.
"The Uchiha? Your reach is too long. This is a matter between us and the Yuki clan. We are merely—"
"An 'agreement'?" Uchiha Raizen scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. "In this world, the only true contract is strength! My words are the rules here now. Because I am stronger than you!"
He was putting on a masterclass in bravado. While he'd never been one for theatrics in his past life, he'd consumed enough media to know how to play the part of the overpowered antagonist.
His words, combined with the sight of the Uchiha elder's vestment and the eight corpses he'd single-handedly created, gave the Kiri force pause. Engaging him could mean their utter annihilation, especially if more Uchiha were lurking nearby.
"Let's go," their leader finally muttered, signaling a retreat.
"Wait," Uchiha Raizen's voice froze them in their tracks. "I didn't say you could leave. You took members of the Yuki clan. Hand them over. Do you think I spared you out of the kindness of my heart? The Yuki are the price for your lives. Leave them, and live. Otherwise, die! Fire Release: Annihilating Flame! Fivefold Barrage!"
He unleashed five waves of the A-Rank technique simultaneously. Thanks to his proficiency being over the cap (130/100), each blast was 1.3 times more powerful than normal. Combined, their force was equivalent to an S-Rank jutsu. And he did it all without a single hand seal.
"Understood!" the Kiri leader gritted out, his face pale. "Midou, go! Bring the Yuki captives. Now!" He subtly raised a single finger, a signal to his men to stand down.
"Elder Raizen, please, wait just a moment. They will be here shortly," the leader said, his voice strained.
"You have ten minutes. That is my final offer." With that, Uchiha Raizen calmly walked over to a nearby stone and sat down, projecting an aura of utter boredom.
The Kiri shinobi seethed, but reason held them back. A shinobi who could spam S-Rank level attacks without seals was not an enemy they could overcome.
Eight minutes later, a Kiri ninja named Midou returned, escorting seven dazed and bound Yuki clansmen.
"Elder Raizen... may we go now?" the Kiri leader asked through clenched teeth.
"Get out of my sight," Uchiha Raizen dismissed them with a wave.
The Kiri leader squeezed his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, but he led his force away in a tense, silent retreat.
The moment they were out of sight, a cold sweat broke out on Uchiha Raizen's forehead. That was too close. If they had called his bluff and attacked en masse, his stockpiled jutsu wouldn't have been enough. Fifty skilled shinobi were far different from eight.
Shaking off the adrenaline, he hurried over to the rescued Yuki clansmen. They were alive, but unconscious. He checked their pulses, his mind already shifting to the next problem: how to secure the loyalty of this traumatized, hunted clan now that he had saved them.