Heavenly Lightning Slash

Dark clouds pressed down overhead, and muffled thunder rumbled.

In a flat stretch of Konoha's back mountains, far from the village, Ryōken had searched for a long time before finding this place—the highest point within a hundred li.

On the rough platform, Ryōken sat cross-legged inside a cave, refining his chakra.

After a long while, Ryōken opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness flashing through them.

"My chakra has already reached the limit of a Chunin. All that's left is to integrate nature transformation."

With that thought, Ryōken clenched his fist and closed his eyes again, continuing his deductions. He could feel that his own swordsmanship was about to take shape.

In his mind, the Lightning Release ninjutsu and lightning-nature transformations he had memorized over the past month flickered and leaped wildly. All sorts of thoughts collided, and ingenious ideas continuously flashed past.

Crack!

A thunderclap suddenly exploded through the cloud-filled sky.

Silver serpents tore through the pitch-black heavens, followed closely by a torrential downpour. Rain this heavy could drench someone like a soaked rat in an instant, and fill a puddle in mere moments.

"Finally."

Ryōken suddenly opened his eyes, a brilliant gleam flashing within them.

Over the past month, he had experienced this kind of thunderstorm several times. Each time, he had been able to sense the power of lightning more intimately. Every time, inspiration for his swordsmanship would erupt at its peak, benefiting him greatly.

Ryōken rose to his feet and looked up at the dark sky. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped out of the cave.

Just a little more.

The moment he left the cave, the rain arrived as expected, instantly turning him into someone who had just been fished out of the water. His clothes clung tightly to his body, outlining the distinct contours of his muscles.

A faint curve rose at the corner of Ryōken's lips. He could have shut himself away and worked things out alone, combining those insights and ninjutsu to comprehend nature transformation. Becoming a Jonin would have been no challenge.

However, since he wanted to comprehend and create a lightning-nature sword technique, he naturally needed to come into close contact with nature. Only then could he touch upon its true mysteries.

Ninjas explored the truths of the world through ninjutsu.

As for him, he relied on the sword in his hand!

All creation lay within a single sword.

The icy rain and silver serpents reflected in his sharp eyes, allowing Ryōken to enter his optimal state of comprehension.

"Chidori, Lightning Cutter, lightning's extreme speed, thrusting..."

Thoughts continuously flashed through his mind—the S-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu Lightning Cutter from the original work, along with the nature transformations he had grasped over these days.

Crackle!

A pale violet bolt of lightning tore across the sky, stretching dozens, even hundreds of li. Dazzling, domineering, and carrying an endlessly memorable majesty.

His eyes flickered as he frantically analyzed that fleeting instant.

The first bolt revealed nothing.

The second!

The third!

The fourth!

With every bolt of lightning that struck, the thoughts in Ryōken's mind collided more fiercely. He carefully comprehended their changes, taking the essence and discarding the dross.

The rain grew heavier, and lightning ran rampant.

The thoughts in his mind grew fewer and fewer, yet more and more brilliant.

Until, at a certain moment, Ryōken suddenly drew in a deep breath. His eyes closed, then snapped open.

An immense aura suddenly erupted from his body. It was the embryonic form of sword intent. The slanting rain seemed to encounter an invisible force and abruptly shattered apart.

"Break!"

Pressing his tongue against his palate, he shouted thunderously. His longsword left its sheath and instantly tore through the sky.

Ring!

A heaven-shaking sword cry echoed across the heavens. A dazzling blue radiance suddenly lit up Ryōken's sword, and as he swung it, a profound, restrained sword gleam—without the slightest flicker of lightning—instantly illuminated the entire world.

With an unstoppable, domineering force, it swept horizontally outward. Wherever it passed, the mountains were carved with a deep gorge. Wherever it went, the rain was shattered by an unknown force, leaving behind a blank expanse.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Boundless electric currents suddenly erupted, instantly blackening the surface of the gorge.

This sword strike!

Was domineering beyond compare.

This sword could be called Ryōken's strongest strike at present.

Lightning's violence, extreme speed, and cutting power were all contained within it. As it was perfected, it would surely become another S-rank ultimate technique.

"It's finally done!"

A month of accumulation, a month of painstaking study—Ryōken had finally mastered this move and stepped across the threshold of nature transformation.

As that sword strike was unleashed, the chakra within Ryōken's body suddenly began to flow rapidly. An inexplicable change occurred within it, and his pale blue chakra became deeper in color.

After quietly sensing it, he estimated that at this pace, the chakra in his body would finish transforming in about a month. By then, he would break through to Jonin.

A ten-year-old Jonin—the youngest Jonin in the ninja world.

"I should give this move a name."

Letting out a long breath, Ryōken began to think.

After some thought, he had created this move based on the Lightning Cutter from the original work, and he had comprehended it with the aid of heavenly lightning. In that case, should he call it Lightning Cutter Heaven?

No, no. That sounded too strange. It would be called Heavenly Lightning Slash.

"Heavenly Lightning Slash. It'll be called Heavenly Lightning Slash."

Ryōken was fairly satisfied with the name.

With Heavenly Lightning Slash, once his chakra completed its transformation, Ryōken's strength would undergo an enormous leap.

A Jonin was nothing more than a single sword strike.

Sheathing his sword, Ryōken returned to the cave and sat down cross-legged.

Although Heavenly Lightning Slash had been completed, he had yet to fully master it. It was still only in its initial stage.

Ryōken needed to refine it further.

When it advanced to S-rank, that would be the day this move truly reached completion.

At that point, with nature transformation brought to its peak, it would not only possess the ability of Lightning Cutter to sever lightning, but also unleash lightning damage over an enormous area.

The next day, in the afternoon.

After training for an entire day, Ryōken was preparing to go to Ichiraku Ramen when he suddenly received a summons from the Hokage.

Ryōken showed a trace of surprise.

However, since it was the Hokage's summons, he naturally could not refuse.

Thus, Ryōken followed an ANBU ninja to the Hokage Building.

The Hokage's office.

Ryōken saw his long-unseen teacher and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

A tall woman also stood before the desk. Her black hair was tied into a single bundle that hung naturally down her back.

What astonished Ryōken was that the woman had a pair of long, shapely legs. Those sexy legs were particularly eye-catching.

Hearing the door open, the woman turned around. A pretty face as cold as frost immediately appeared before Ryōken. A sword was tucked into her black warrior's attire, giving her the air of a female swordswoman.

Her deep blue eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi. "This is the ninja you recommended to me?"

Though she did not say it outright, her words still carried strong dissatisfaction.

Hiruzen Sarutobi pretended not to hear it and chuckled. "Tetsuki, he's one of Konoha's finest talents. He's very strong."

Hatake Sakumo also smiled and nodded. "It's true. He's my student, after all. His strength definitely won't disappoint you."

"I see."

Seeing this, although Tetsuki still had some doubts, she could only agree.

She knew exactly what kind of powerhouses the two men before her were. Surely, they would not deceive her.

Still, looking at Ryōken's youthful face, although she thought he was rather handsome, he truly did not seem very reliable.

She could not help but mutter to herself.

Why did Uncle Hatake arrange for a teenager to work with me?