[A/N] – Chakra in This Chapter Raika uses her Earth and Wind chakra rhythm subtly. The goal is field disruption, not flashy attacks. The rhythm 'Crack – Pull – Release' is used here to track how she senses and reacts, not to attack. Everything still looks like normal ninja work on the surface. Hidden in plain sight.
We're supposed to be delivering supplies to a border post.
That's it. That's the mission.
Not fighting anyone. Not investigating anything. Just walk, deliver, nod at some bored guards, and walk back.
So of course… someone's about to nearly die.
Because this is Team 13.
"Why is there a burnt squirrel?"
Damu asked it out loud. Because of course he did. And of course he poked it with a stick.
We were an hour out from the nearest post. Forest path, shaded and quiet. Except for the smell of ozone and the roasted rodent.
Takkun squinted at the crispy little corpse. "That's not natural lightning. That's jutsu."
"Burned squirrel jutsu?" Damu tilted his head. "Is that real?"
"No," I said flatly. "But I'm adding it to the Bingo Book under 'abominations.'"
Genma didn't even pause. He knelt by the body, touched the ground, and grunted.
"Pulse residue. Someone's been training here."
I blinked. "Like… Pulsewalker style?"
His mouth twitched. "No. Real pulse. Real chakra. Not whatever you call your walking philosophy."
Rude.
Turns out the squirrel was just the warning sign.
Twenty minutes deeper into the forest, and the trees start showing clean horizontal slices.
"Wind jutsu," Takkun muttered. "Someone's practicing seriously. These aren't shallow."
I ran my fingers over the bark. Cold. No fresh chakra. Probably hours old.
But it wasn't random. The cuts followed a pattern.
Wide sweep. Narrow. Diagonal. Reset. Wide again.
Drills.
Someone was running drills.
Damu looked uneasy. "Why here? This area isn't sanctioned for training."
"Because they're hiding," I said. "Or testing something."
Genma didn't say a word. Just kept walking. Faster now.
We found them ten minutes later.
Half-conscious. Burned. Breathing but barely.
A girl. Probably our age. Crumpled against a boulder, singed from shoulder to waist. Her clothes were regulation Konoha genin gear.
But no Forehead protector
No forehead protector. No village symbol.
And yet… I recognized her face.
Takkun cursed. "That's Saki from last year's class. She disappeared after the exams."
I crouched beside her. Her chakra was leaking. Sloppy, uncontrolled. Like a faucet left running.
I reached out gently — Crack – Pull – Release — and skimmed my earth chakra just below the surface around her body.
She twitched.
"Saki," I said. "Hey. Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered. "I… I didn't mean to…"
Didn't mean to what?
Genma was already scanning the trees. "We're not alone."
Of course we're not.
The first strike came from above. Classic mistake.
They assumed we'd panic.
Genma didn't even move. He flicked his senbon midair, deflected a kunai, and nodded casually.
"Team 13. Formation three."
We moved.
I pressed my palm to the ground — Crack. Pulled the feedback — Pull. Let it ride into a soft chakra burst — Release.
Dust flared up around our feet just in time to blind the next attack.
Takkun was already on the right flank. Damu, to the left.
I stayed back, low, mapping pressure with my chakra.
Whoever was attacking us wasn't an amateur.
And if they hurt Saki — if they trained her then dumped her like that —
They were about to regret meeting me.
The attackers moved fast, but not fast enough.
I tracked their footfalls — chakra pressure shifted slightly left. Two on the trees. One on the ground. Maybe four total. Hidden in decent camouflage, but not good enough for chakra sensing.
"Two in the canopy," I said.
Genma didn't respond. Didn't need to.
Takkun launched a barrage of wire-tipped kunai without even looking. The wires looped and snagged branches. The attackers dodged, but now they had to move.
And movement? Movement is noise.
I shaped wind chakra to my soles — just a pulse — and dashed under the left-most one. She wore black gear, older genin age, but her grip was sloppy.
I swept her legs midair with a pressure burst from below — not an attack, just a misalignment. Her feet missed the branch by an inch.
Gravity did the rest.
She hit the ground like a dropped melon.
Damu whooped. "One down!"
Another kunai flew toward him — he ducked, barely — and Takkun intercepted with a rising kick.
"This isn't normal training," I muttered. "This is ambush training."
Genma deflected another blade, casually. "Or cleanup."
Cleanup?
My stomach twisted. I looked back at Saki. She hadn't moved. Her breathing was shallow, but steady.
Someone trained her. Left her. And now they didn't want anyone to find her.
Screw that.
"Damu, smoke bomb," I called.
He didn't ask why. Just threw it.
Boom. Purple cloud.
I dropped low, grounded both hands — Crack. Pull. Release.
Soft tremors. Wide circle.
Found him.
Main attacker was three trees to the right. Hiding in the trunk shadow. Focused on Genma.
I flicked a pebble toward his foot.
He looked.
Bad idea.
The second he shifted weight, I surged forward and released wind chakra through the dust — not to cut, not to damage, just to obscure and blind.
By the time he blinked, I was behind him.
I didn't punch. I didn't kick.
I slammed both palms against his back and dumped every bit of imbalance I could manage.
His own chakra twisted.
He staggered forward, coughed, and dropped.
When it was over, three attackers were unconscious.
One escaped.
Genma didn't chase. He just picked up Saki, looked at me, and said, "You tracked better this time."
That's Genma for "good job."
I didn't smile.
Because Saki almost died.
And if this is what's happening to genin outside of missions?
Then something's very, very wrong inside Konoha.
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Every bit of support keeps the Void walking forward.
— void_chakra