Lightning Flash in the Border Forest and the Dimensional Strike of Max-Level Lightning Release

"Who goes there?!"

The lead Cloud Hidden jonin snapped his head up, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks in an instant.

He saw only a blinding flash of lightning descending from the sky, the violent chakra fluctuations causing the very air to groan in agony.

This is... an A-rank ninjutsu?!

And performed with one-handed seals?!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the black lightning, condensed to its absolute limit, pierced straight through his chest.

Squelch!

Blood mixed with shattered viscera sprayed outward.

This Cloud Hidden jonin, who had survived countless brushes with death on the battlefield, collapsed limply to the ground, his face still frozen in a mask of utter shock and terror.

Even in death, he could not fathom when Konoha had produced such a young monster of Lightning Release.

"Captain!"

The remaining two Cloud Hidden ninjas were paralyzed with fear; they hadn't even seen the enemy's movements.

Fast!

Too fast!

That wasn't the speed of a human; it was true lightning!

Uzumaki Kushina, pinned to the ground, was completely stunned.

She looked up, seeing only a youth in an ANBU uniform landing slowly, bathed in the lingering glow of the lightning.

The Owl mask appeared mysterious and powerful under the moonlight, and the eyes visible beneath it were as calm as a bottomless pool of cold water.

"Konoha ANBU...?"

One of the Cloud Hidden ninjas raised his kunai with a trembling hand and roared, his voice cracking with bravado, "Who the hell are you?!"

Baishi did not answer.

He simply watched them calmly, as if looking at two corpses.

The mastery of max-level Lightning Release brought not only power but a confidence born of absolute control.

He could clearly perceive their heartbeats accelerating from fear and the chaotic flow of chakra within their bodies.

Weak, pathetic, and vulnerable.

"Second one."

Baishi's figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Crackle!

A flash of electricity!

The Cloud Hidden ninja who had spoken felt a chill at his neck, and then his entire world began to spin.

The last thing he saw was his own headless body and the cold back of the youth who had appeared behind him.

One-shot!

Another one-shot!

The final Cloud Hidden ninja completely broke down; he abandoned his hold on Uzumaki Kushina and turned to flee.

He was terrified out of his wits.

This wasn't a battle; it was a one-sided slaughter!

However, Baishi would never give him the chance.

"Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear."

Baishi gripped the air with his right hand, and a highly condensed spear of lightning instantly extended, precisely piercing the runner's heart from behind.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

Three elite Cloud Hidden chunin had perished without even managing to unleash a single decent ninjutsu.

The forest returned to silence, leaving only the heavy scent of blood and the lingering smell of ionized air.

Dimensional strike.

This was the dimensional strike against ordinary ninjas brought by an S-rank Lightning Release talent.

Baishi stood in place, breathing lightly.

Releasing two high-level Lightning Release techniques in succession had drained his simulated body's chakra significantly, and his muscles throbbed with pain from the overstimulation.

But the excitement in his heart was impossible to suppress.

This is power!

This is the power to control one's own destiny!

He turned around and looked at Uzumaki Kushina, who was still slumped on the ground, her face filled with shock.

The young girl's red hair appeared exceptionally vivid under the moonlight, and her violet eyes, reflecting his masked figure, were filled with shock, confusion, and a trace of... the reliance of one who had just survived a brush with death.

Very good.

Baishi silently evaluated in his heart.

The first step was achieved perfectly.

Now, it was time for the second step: to deepen the impression and thoroughly hijack the "bond."

He walked toward Kushina step by step, each stride steady and imbued with a sense of power that brought peace of mind.

Kushina instinctively shrank back, but seeing the boy's calm gaze, she froze, merely clenching her fists in nervousness.

Baishi crouched halfway down in front of her and reached out a hand.

He did not reach out to help her up, but instead gently picked up a strand of red hair that had fallen beside her cheek.

In the original story, this was something Namikaze Minato had done.

Now, this iconic scene had been hijacked by him.

"Very beautiful hair."

Baishi's voice came through the mask, carrying a hint of deliberately feigned hoarseness and tenderness.

"It was this splash of red that guided me all the way here."

Boom!

Kushina's mind went blank in an instant, her cheeks flushing a deep red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Since she was a child, she had been mocked as a "Tomato" because of this red hair; this was the first time someone had praised her hair so earnestly.

Moreover, it was after he had saved her life, and in such a gentle tone.

This masked ANBU boy was like a ray of light, tearing through all her anxiety and fear.

"What... what is your name?" Kushina gathered her courage and asked in a small voice.

Baishi shook his head.

"ANBU have no names, only codenames."

He did not give her a chance to continue questioning, directly scooping her up into his arms.

The girl's body was light, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.

"Ah!" Kushina let out a startled cry, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck, her cheeks nearly burning up.

"Hold on tight, we need to leave here as soon as possible."

After Baishi finished speaking, he prepared to activate the Body Flicker Technique.

Suddenly, his expression shifted, and a mouthful of blood gushed out from beneath his mask, staining the front of his uniform.

Pfft!

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" Kushina shouted in a panic.

Baishi's body swayed, yet the arms holding her remained steady.

He could feel the life force of his simulated body rapidly slipping away.

It was the leader of the Cloud Hidden ninjas from earlier; before dying, he had grazed Baishi's flank with a poisoned kunai.

It was a potent toxin specifically designed for ninjas, capable of destroying chakra meridians.

[Warning! Simulated body functions severely damaged, vital signs dropping rapidly!]

[Simulation will be forcibly terminated!]

Looking at the warning on the panel, Baishi felt no panic; instead, a surge of wild joy welled up within him.

A god-sent opportunity!

He had originally been wondering how to make a perfect exit, but now, even the heavens were helping him!

Nothing could imprint itself more deeply into a young girl's heart than a "sacrifice for love"!

"Don't be afraid..."

Baishi's voice became extremely weak, but the arms holding Kushina tightened, as if he wanted to pull her into his very body.

"I... I said I would protect you..."

His vision began to blur, but he forced himself to keep going, speeding through the forest.

He knew Namikaze Minato would be arriving soon.

He had to complete this "affectionate" curtain call before Minato arrived.

Finally, in a clearing in the woods, he saw that flash of gold in the distance.

It was time!

A curve that no one could perceive hooked the corners of Baishi's mouth beneath his mask.

He staggered to a halt, his body went limp, and he collapsed onto the grass, still holding Kushina in his arms.

"Hey! Hold on! Don't you die on me!"

Uzumaki Kushina's tears finally broke through the dam. She scrambled to lift Baishi up, but her hands only met a pool of scalding blood.

"Don't... don't cry..."

Baishi struggled to raise his hand, wanting to wipe the tears from her face, but it fell limply halfway there.

"Your hair... is beautiful... truly..."

He looked at Uzumaki Kushina, his eyes filled with a feigned, deep affection and reluctance to part.

"To be able to... die for you..."

"I am... willing..."

After delivering his final line, Baishi's head lolled to the side, and he completely "stopped breathing."

[Simulation ended.]

[Rating: S (Perfect)]

[Congratulations to the host for successfully intercepting Namikaze Minato's "hero saves the beauty" destiny and altering a pivotal point in Uzumaki Kushina's fate.]

At the same time, a flash of golden light streaked by; Namikaze Minato had finally arrived.

He stared at the ANBU member lying in a pool of blood and Uzumaki Kushina, who was sobbing while clutching the corpse, and stood frozen in place.

He was too late.

The real world, Konoha ANBU base, restroom.

Baishi snapped his eyes open, gasping violently.

He was still standing in front of the mirror; only a minute had passed since he accepted the suicide mission.

Yet, that simulation had felt as real as a lived experience.

[Calculating simulation rewards...]

[1. Obtained Talent: Lightning Release Affinity (S-Rank)]

[2. Obtained Bond: Uzumaki Kushina (Vow of Life and Death)]

[3. Obtained Chakra * 500 units.]

[Talent fusion in progress, please endure the physical transformation...]

The next second, a heart-wrenching, agonizing pain swept through his entire body!

It felt as if billions of steel needles were piercing every one of his cells simultaneously, while violent lightning-attribute chakra brutally reshaped his meridians.

"Argh--!"

Baishi bit down hard, his body trembling violently as beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead.

He could clearly feel his body undergoing a heaven-shaking transformation!

He didn't know how much time had passed before the excruciating pain slowly receded, replaced by an unprecedented sense of power.

He raised his hand, and a faint arc of electricity danced at his fingertips.

He had succeeded!

He was no longer that cannon fodder waiting to be slaughtered!

Just as Baishi was immersed in the joy brought by his newfound strength, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted outside the base!

BOOM--!!!

It sounded as if something had been violently destroyed.

The entire underground base shook.

Alarms blared instantly!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Someone is forcing their way through the base gate!"

"Quick! Go to the main gate for reinforcements!"

Countless ANBU members flashed past him.

Baishi's heart tightened, and he prepared to follow them to see what was happening.

Just then, a girl's voice, filled with endless rage and obsession and laced with the violent chakra of the Nine-Tails, echoed throughout the entire ANBU base.

The voice locked onto his position, piercing through layers of walls and slamming hard against his eardrums.

"Baishi!"

"You bastard, even if I have to chase you to the Yellow Springs, I will never allow you to abandon me again!"