Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation and the Rebirth of the Bottom-Tier Cannon Fodder

"Vanguard bait, confirmed for elimination. Mission core: provide cover for Namikaze Minato's squad..."

In the narrow dormitory corridor, Baishi gripped the charred, top-secret scroll, the veins on the back of his hand bulging like knotted dragons. He chewed over these words, the corners of his mouth beneath his mask curling into an incredibly cruel arc.

So that was it.

Namikaze Minato's concession in the interrogation room had been no compromise for the sake of the bigger picture. That golden-haired genius, hailed by the entire village as the sun, had long since seen through the intentions of the Third Hokage and Danzo. He hadn't even needed to dirty his own hands; he simply had to push the boat with the current, slotting Baishi into this death trap to erase the "love rival" who threatened him, all without shedding a drop of his own blood.

The Will of Fire, the place where leaves dance—it was all just a fig leaf used by those in power to whitewash their peace and purge those who didn't align with them!

Baishi's fingertips twitched.

"Hiss." A flash of intensely refined, ghostly blue lightning flickered, and the top-secret scroll instantly disintegrated into dust invisible to the naked eye, falling in a soft shower onto the blood-stained wooden floor.

His killing intent retracted rapidly, and Baishi's brain regained its extreme rationality. He glanced at the charred Root corpse on the floor. The traces of Lightning Release were too obvious; if the ANBU inspected it, his trump card of hidden strength would be completely exposed.

He drew a standard kunai from his leg pouch and, enduring the pungent stench of charred flesh, precisely delivered two more stabs to the corpse's throat and heart, faking the appearance of a close-quarters struggle. Afterward, he dragged the body into the room and threw it beside the wooden bed.

Next, he pulled out an expensive Explosive Tag, stuck it to the wiring interface of the aging chakra-powered lamp, and connected it to the half-open window with a thin, transparent thread. As soon as the morning breeze blew, the window would sway, pulling the thread and triggering the Explosive Tag, creating a flawless electrical fire.

Having finished all this, he retreated into the cramped bathroom.

He twisted the rusted faucet.

Icy, bone-chilling groundwater poured over his head, washing away the thick bloodstains on his body, as well as the layers of black impurities expelled after his cellular reconstruction. The water flowed down his sturdy back, gathering into a dark red vortex at the floor drain.

Baishi braced his hands against the slippery wall, breathing heavily as he inhaled the cold air thick with water vapor.

The pain had completely faded, replaced by an unprecedented sense of fullness. He closed his eyes, sinking his focus into his body. His once-parched, narrow chakra meridians were now as wide as rivers. The pool of chakra that had originally only been enough for a few C-rank ninjutsu had now transformed into a bottomless lake.

His chakra volume had multiplied several times over! He had definitely reached the level of an elite Chunin, perhaps even touching the threshold of a Jonin.

Not only that, but what shocked him even more was the level of control he possessed, as if his limbs were an extension of his own will.

He attempted to mobilize a sliver of lightning-attribute chakra.

No hand seals.

With just a thought, a tiny, ghostly blue arc of electricity danced at his fingertips like a swimming snake. It was perfectly restrained, without a hint of manic leakage.

He injected this chakra with extreme precision into his legs.

"Zzz—"

Amidst the faint sound of electricity, the muscle fibers in his legs tightened instantly. The soreness and stinging sensation brought on by the forced stimulation of his cells made him grunt. But he didn't stop; instead, he deliberately increased the output.

His muscles bulged, filled with a terrifying explosive power that threatened to tear through his skin.

He bent his knees slightly.

"Crack!"

Without even exerting deliberate force, the anti-slip tiles beneath his feet were crushed directly, spiderweb-like cracks spreading in all directions. If he hadn't reined in his strength in time, that single movement would have been enough to smash through the bathroom ceiling.

"What terrifying explosive power." Baishi took a deep breath and cut off the chakra supply.

The Cloud Hidden Village's Lightning Release Chakra Mode was the secret, unteachable technique of the successive Raikage. Although he couldn't yet cover his entire body in a lightning armor, the mere ability to perform such extreme micro-manipulation on localized cells meant his instantaneous burst speed was already enough to kill the vast majority of ninjas at his level in close combat.

This was his trump card for surviving tomorrow.

At dawn, thick fog shrouded the outskirts of Konoha.

Baishi put on a set of washed-out civilian clothes and left the dormitory area without a sound.

Less than five hundred meters away.

"BOOM—!"

A dull explosion echoed from behind, followed by billowing smoke that shot straight into the sky. The firelight flickered in the fog.

"Fire! Put out the fire!"

The patrolling ANBU and security forces were alarmed; the sound of chaotic footsteps and shouting shattered the morning silence.

Baishi didn't even look back. His pace was steady and rhythmic, the distance of every step precise to the centimeter, like a heartless killing machine.

On the second basement level of the Hokage building, in the ANBU logistics department.

The air was thick with the smell of blood mixed with damp mold.

Baishi handed over the Third Hokage's warrant. The one-eyed old man in logistics glanced at him indifferently, tossed a brand-new ANBU uniform, a black trench coat, and a holster filled with basic ninja tools from behind the counter.

Finally, the old man pushed a pale, white fox mask toward him.

"Codename 'Owl'. From today on, this is your face," the old man said hoarsely, pushing a registry forward. "Sign here. If you survive this mission, come back to collect next month's Soldier Pill."

Baishi didn't speak. He picked up a pen, scrawled his name in crooked letters, and then picked up the mask, his fingertips gently stroking the cold, painted patterns on its surface.

In his previous life, he had worn this mask to hide his fear, to survive in this man-eating system.

But now.

He slowly pressed the mask onto his face.

"Click."

The sound of the latch closing was exceptionally crisp in the quiet logistics office. Beneath the mask, those eyes that had once feigned submissiveness were now as deep as a ten-thousand-foot cold pool, revealing a heart-stopping coldness and sharpness.

He pulled on the black trench coat and strapped the ninja tool pouch to the outside of his thigh.

The moment he donned the uniform, his entire temperament underwent a complete transformation. He was no longer the cannon fodder trembling in the corner, but a hunter truly concealed within the darkness.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

The ANBU Third Assembly Hall.

Under the dim lighting, a dozen ANBU ninjas wearing various masks gathered in small groups, polishing their ninja tools or whispering to one another.

When Baishi pushed open the heavy iron door and walked in, the conversations in the hall came to an abrupt halt.

Several subtle gazes immediately locked onto him. There was curiosity, scrutiny, but mostly a sense of pity, as if looking at a dead man. Although the events that occurred in the underground interrogation room yesterday had been sealed by the higher-ups, rumors had long since spread within the ANBU. A low-level genin who had provoked the Nine-Tails jinchuriki and caught the attention of Namikaze Minato had already been sentenced to death in this circle that valued strength and background above all else.

Baishi ignored these gazes.

He walked straight to a supply crate in the corner, leaned against the cold wall, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes to rest.

Just then, a set of heavy footsteps stopped in front of him.

Baishi slowly opened his eyes.

Standing before him was a burly ANBU jonin wearing a wild boar mask. His codename was "Venom Fang." He was the very team leader listed on the top-secret scroll who was responsible for executing this cleanup mission—and the one tasked with personally "erasing" him!

"You're Owl?"

Venom Fang looked down at Baishi, his voice from beneath the mask dripping with undisguised contempt. He extended a thick finger clad in a tactical glove and poked heavily at Baishi's shoulder.

"I heard you were kowtowing quite loudly in the interrogation room last night? Even the Nine-Tails jinchuriki couldn't save you?"

A few stifled snickers drifted from the surrounding area.

Baishi did not move. He allowed Venom Fang to poke his shoulder, his eyes beneath the mask remaining completely calm.

"Reporting to the captain," Baishi bowed slightly, his voice kept extremely low, revealing a perfectly measured hint of trepidation. "This subordinate is just a simple man who only knows how to follow orders. It is my honor to serve the village."

"Good attitude. I hope your life can live up to your resolve."

Venom Fang sneered, turned to face the others in the hall, and suddenly raised his voice: "Listen up, everyone! Mission objective: the border of the Land of Fire, to wipe out infiltrating Iwagakure spies! Assemble at the main gate of Konoha in half an hour!"

He turned back, his single eye beneath the mask staring fixedly at Baishi, the corners of his mouth curling into a cruel arc: "For this mission, Owl, you are responsible for scouting the vanguard."

Venom Fang stepped closer, lowering his voice to a tone only the two of them could hear. "Don't even think about running. Otherwise, I will snap your neck with my own hands."

With that, Venom Fang turned and strode away.

Baishi remained leaning against the wall, his head bowed like a coward who had already accepted his fate. But his right hand, hidden beneath the wide sleeve of his trench coat, had already quietly brought his index and middle fingers together.

A faint, ghostly blue arc of electricity, radiating a terrifying heat, flickered at his fingertips and vanished.

Scouting the vanguard, huh...

Baishi slowly raised his head. His gaze from beneath the mask cut through the crowd, locking onto the thick nape of Venom Fang's neck. His fingers dug deep into his palm, forcibly suppressing the urge to pierce the man's heart with lightning.

Then let's see who the real prey is once we reach the border forest!