The night was deep, and the sky was dotted with stars, calm and serene.
But on the ground, chaos reigned as a group of ragged Iwa ninjas pursued wildly under the night sky, their killing intent almost tangible.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.
"What happened?!"
Tonton felt a chill in his heart and hastily looked over, his face turning grim.
One of his men had fallen into a pit and was impaled by sharp metal spikes at the bottom.
"Be careful! It seems that Hyuga brat set up traps along the way. If we're cautious, we should be fine."
The Iwa ninjas advanced cautiously.
Another scream followed.
This time, a ninja hidden in the grass was pierced through the foot by a spike, causing him to stumble into the same pit as the first victim and meet the same fate.
"Damn it! That Hyuga brat is truly vicious!"
"You! You! You and you! Go scout ahead and report back."
The unfortunate scouts braced themselves and moved forward. Initially, all seemed fine until one of them stepped into a concealed pit.
Instead of spikes, this pit contained boiling metal covered with a special lid to trap the heat.
Their screams and struggles ended as they melted away.
The Iwa ninjas shivered, their comrades' agonized cries still echoing in their ears, spreading fear among them.
Despite not even catching a glimpse of Hyuga Satoru, they had already suffered significant casualties.
Tonton noticed the growing fear among his men, took a deep breath, and addressed the last remaining sensory ninja.
"How far is that Hyuga brat from us?"
The sensory ninja wore a strange expression and hesitantly replied, "He hasn't moved... it's like he's waiting for us."
Tonton gritted his teeth.
"Is he mocking us? Setting traps but not fleeing, this bastard!"
The last sensory ninja suddenly had an absurd thought: could he still be alive because Hyuga Satoru left him to guide the Iwa ninjas into a trap?
It seemed unlikely...
But the condition of his comrades kept reinforcing this idea.
Tonton took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the remaining Iwa ninjas before speaking sternly.
"I know many of you are scared, but we've lost so many to a single young Hyuga ninja. Do you know what this means?"
"If he grows up, Iwagakure will never be at peace. Your friends and your families are there. Do you want your weakness to make them suffer?"
"From his sniping technique to shadow clones to traps now, it shows he's near his limit. If we hold on a little longer, we can kill him!"
"I will personally ask the Tsuchikage for a commendation!"
Tonton's rousing speech revitalized the demoralized Iwa ninjas, filling them with renewed determination.
"Great, you have spirit."
"Now, let's move on!"
...
After sacrificing another dozen ninjas, Tonton and his men finally emerged from Hyuga Satoru's trap zone.
The sky was beginning to lighten.
Dawn was approaching.
The Iwa ninjas were utterly exhausted after a night-long chase.
"Just a bit more!"
"That Hyuga brat must be at his limit, too. Hold on a little longer, and we can kill him!"
Tonton shouted to his men.
He didn't dare pursue Satoru alone, fearing his unpredictable abilities.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning zipped past Tonton's shoulder, striking a ninja behind him.
Tonton's eyes narrowed; Satoru's sniping had decreased, indicating he was running out of chakra.
The end was near.
...
In the distance, Hyuga Satoru panted heavily, popping soldier pills into his mouth, occasionally firing a shot from his silver rifle.
Just as Tonton guessed, he was indeed near his limit.
But he wasn't out of ammunition.
He had slowed his attacks, funnelling his remaining chakra into constructing the electromagnetic furnace.
Not for traps but as the highest experience-yielding ability in his current state.
[Electromagnetic Force EXP: 19832/20000]
"Just a bit more, and I'll reach level 4."
Satoru gritted his teeth, squeezing out every last bit of energy.
...
The sky was lightening with dawn.
Tonton spotted Satoru standing on a cliff edge, back turned.
"Ha! He's got nowhere to run."
"A wrong escape route?"
"Even with Byakugan, you make such a rookie mistake?"
Joy filled Tonton; Satoru's fate was sealed.
Encouraged, the Iwa ninjas pressed on, shaking off fatigue to rush at Satoru.
Within a hundred meters, Tonton, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, leaned on a tree.
Only about a hundred ninjas remained from the original 200, all injured and exhausted.
"You little brat, why did you stop running? Haha, finally caught you."
Tonton laughed coldly, approaching Satoru.
But he soon froze.
Satoru wasn't panicked. Instead, he watched the sky serenely.
"What are you doing?"
"Don't you think the sunrise is beautiful?"
"Beautiful? Ridiculous!"
"You still admire the sunrise? Oh, right, it's your last one."
Tonton sneered, nearing Satoru.
Suddenly, screams erupted behind him.
He turned, his smile fading.
Black fluid tendrils emerged from the ground, ensnaring and devouring the Iwa ninjas.
One tried to flee, but the tendrils turned into spikes, tearing him apart.
Screams, blood, dismemberment...
The horrific scenes paralyzed Tonton, draining his strength.
"Who are you..."
He muttered, trembling.
"I told you, Namikaze Minato!"
Satoru chuckled.
"I should thank you. Without your pressure, I wouldn't have broken through so quickly!"
Breakthrough?
Tonton turned back.
Satoru held a silver coin, tossing it into the air.
The coin flipped, time slowing.
Tonton understood, eyes widening, scrambling to flee.
But the coin fell, Satoru's fingertip sparking as he flicked it.
"Super Electromagnetic Cannon!"
Boom!
In an instant!
The coin, powered by immense force, became a blazing white beam.
With a thunderous roar, Tonton and the screaming ninjas vanished.
Only a deep trench remained, stretching from Satoru to the horizon...
The sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the cliff in golden light.
It shone on Satoru's back and the endless trench before him...