章節 20: Land of Rivers
Arthur slung a backpack over his shoulder.
Inside it were the trade agreement letter and other essentials Hiruzen had equipped him with. Clutched in his hand was a detailed map of his destination, a safe route to take that would be a three-day journey on foot.
As he approached the village gates, the familiar faces of Kotetsu and Izumo came into view. Arthur ignored them; he was not in the mood to play pretend again. He gradually walked past to take his first step out of the village.
It felt like ages since he'd roamed these lands. Beyond the gates was a ribbon of packed earth winding through the dense forest.
Arthur quickened his pace, his legs leaping from tree to tree as if it were second nature.
The Land of Rivers was written to be a hidden country bordering the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. It doesn't appear much in the story, but he knew of two specific characters that would help him grow stronger: Raiga Kurosuki and his companion, Ranmaru.
Raiga is a member of the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," the top swordsmen from the Hidden Mist Village. Only the most skilled blade wielders were chosen for this group, with a maximum of seven members at a time.
Each swordsman wields a special, mystical blade that has been passed down through the generations. These swords are so powerful that together, the Seven Swordsmen were almost as strong as the village leader, known as the Mizukage.
Over time, the group underwent many changes. Some members died, while others defected and became wanted ninjas, taking their swords with them. By the Fourth Shinobi World War, only one of the original swords, Hiramekarei, remained in the Mist Village's possession.
During the war, five of the deceased Seven Swordsmen were revived to fight for the enemy. These revived swordsmen were eventually defeated and sealed.
In the aftermath of the war, the remaining six swords were recovered by the village. However, a group of rebels tried to steal the swords and take over the territory. Their attempt failed, but the village did loan the swords to three of the captured rebels to help them fight a new threat.
The seven swords themselves are incredibly powerful and have unique abilities. These include a sword that can absorb chakra, one that can be used to sew people together, and another that can explode things on contact.
Raiga just so happened to be carrying one of these swords. He was a skilled ninja from the Mist Village, wielding the "Boltswords."
Despite his skills, he was troubled and questioned the meaning of life. But there was no reason to pity him. He was known for his cruelty, randomly killing people during missions.
Raiga had also served in the Anbu forces before defecting from his village. During that time, he had met Ranmaru, a weak but perceptive boy with a special Kekkei Genkai to see things others couldn't.
Raiga offered Ranmaru protection in exchange for using his abilities to help him see. Since then, the two have become very close, with Raiga developing a very unhealthy relationship with the boy, seeing Ranmaru as the only person he cared about.
He eventually deserted the village and formed a criminal group called the "Kurosuki Family." They took over a mining town and forced the villagers to work for them, for which he resorted to burying people alive as punishment if they upset him.
Ranmaru, despite his loyalty to Raiga, was troubled by the violence. He believed Raiga could find happiness without killing but wouldn't come to that decision until Naruto's intervention.
Arthur couldn't afford to be reckless around those two. His priority was to find them first, without drawing unwanted attention. Heading to the Katabami Gold Mine was his best chance.
The sun climbed higher in the sky, rays of light peering through the trees.
Arthur navigated the safe path, occasionally consulting the map. He did his best to stay alert for any signs of potential danger. Though this was classified as a c-rank mission, the Land of Rivers had a reputation for harbouring bandits and rogue ninjas.
He wouldn't let his guard down.
By nightfall, he had reached a small clearing. A good distance was covered today, so he disregarded setting up camp and instead rested by a towering tree.
He was use to this type of environment as opposed to resting on a soft bed. No firewood, no tent pitched up—just small rations under the simulated starry sky.
The next two days went by quickly.
Arthur had stuck to the main path, blending in with the random travelers passing by. The map had proven to be invaluable, guiding him through a safe route without encountering any enemies.
He kept training light, rarely doing anything save a few physical exercises. Since he was planning to meet a Seven Ninja Swordsman, he needed to save his chakra.
On the third day, there was a slight change in the landscape, indicating he had arrived in the Land of Rivers. Consulting his map, he knew that the mine was only a few miles out. He needed only to pass border patrol, and he was there.
Quickening his pace, he arrived at a gate with an average man dozing off in his chair. Arthur's arrival jolted him awake.
"May I help you?" the man asked.
Arthur spent little time explaining his mission. The man let him pass and continued onward.
As he entered a canyon-like area, the air grew noticeably cooler. Towering cliffs rose on either side. The silence was profound, broken only by the crunch of his boots on the rocky ground. Something was off.
'I'm being watched,' he thought to himself.
Suddenly, three figures emerged from behind a rock formation, blocking his path. All three wore the same dark garb, their faces filled with scars.
"This is Kurosuki territory," the one in the center said. "Trespassers are not welcome."
Arthur's expression remained unchanged. He was in the right place after all. With a cool voice, he said, "I have no intention of trespassing; I'm simply here for Raiga Kurosuki."
The men were surprised. One of them, a burly lad, scoffed, "You think you can just waltz in here and demand an audience with our boss?"
"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Arthur replied, unflinching.
The man reached for the hilt of his sword and growled, "Ya've a lot of nerve, kid. I hope you walk as big as you talk!"
Without waiting, the man lunged forward, unsheathing his sword. Arthur stood there. The moment the man reached him, he stopped the attack by grabbing hold of the man's forearm. Everyone was surprised!
"You," Arthur said, delivering a swift kick to his knee, sending him to the ground with a yelp of pain, "aren't on my level…"
The other two Kurosuki members lunged forward in a coordinated attack, their wolverine claws aimed for Arthur's vital points. But Arthur anticipated their moves.
'Chakra-enhanced strength.'
He dove beneath a sweeping attack from one while simultaneously grabbing the other's arm and twisting it with surprising force. A loud crack could be heard as Arthur broke both the man's claws and arm with his bare hands!
Before the remaining Kurosuki member could react, a figure descended from the top of the cliff, landing silently behind him. It was Raiga!
Arthur didn't show it on his face, but excitement threatened to dull his senses. Rather than him going to his prey, the prey came to him.
"What's the big idea about roughing up my family?" Raiga asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Raiga's arrival sent shivers down the spines of the Kurosuki members. They scrambled to their feet and backed away, holding onto their injured limbs with pained expressions.
Arthur remained composed, turning to meet the gaze of a so-called elite swordsman. There was a tense silence until he spoke: "Raiga Kurosuki... "I've been looking for you."
"Really?" Raiga wondered, smiling sadistically. "I have a lot of people looking for me, kid, but they're usually met with a funeral."
Arthur wasn't at all fazed by the man's imposing stature or his threat. He knew all about his personality and how he fought.
Raiga was a complex and contradictory character. He was tormented and lonely, seeking purpose while resorting to random acts of cruelty. Despite his violence, he cried after killing and held a strange fascination with funerals, mourning his victims even as he mocked them.
"And what about Ranmaru?" Arthur casually said.
The scene became even more tense. Raiga's smirk vanished, replaced by a look of surprise. He clearly hadn't expected anyone to know about his young companion.
"How do you know about Ra—!"
Before Raiga could finish, Arthur lunged forward. He launched a powerful right hook, aiming for Raiga's jaw. However, the attack never landed. It was dodged at the last second.
'So, it really is different,' Arthur thought, continuing his assault.
A spinning back kick aimed for Raiga's head was met with a casual sidestep. A flying knee was dodged by a simple crouch. Arthur attempted to stomp on him, but he slightly leapt back. Each attack was met with a seemingly effortless dodges, so precise it bordered on precognition.
Arthur remained stoic. He wasn't landing a single hit, but he also wasn't going to give up. He launched into a relentless flurry, switching between punches, kicks, elbows, and takedown attempts with impeccable speed.
Raiga continued his evasion, his face growing weary at how much faster Arthur was getting. The Kurosuki members couldn't believe a mere child was keeping their boss on the defenses.
The reason Arthur considered this "different" and wasn't connecting any blows was because of Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai. That character, strapped in a bag behind Raiga's back, was quick enough to relay to Raiga what moves he was going to make beforehand.
Arthur knew this was bound to happen. He knew exactly what that Kekkei Genkai could do.
Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai, one of the few without a name, activates with red glowing eyes. Like the Byakugan, it grants him powerful vision. He can see and hear from great distances, see through objects, and sense chakra.
The main difference is that Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai is even stronger. It can disrupt other visual techniques and create powerful illusions that other Kekkei Genkai have trouble seeing through. What makes it deadlier is that he can sense a person's life force, allowing him to predict their moves and even heal them by transferring his own life force.
Arthur's goal was never Raiga; it was Ranmaru!
Arthur paused for a split second, seeing a pattern to Raiga's dodges. He lunged forward, telegraphing a powerful right hook. As expected, Raiga prepared to dodge. But just before the impact, Arthur shifted his weight and launched a spinning elbow aimed at Raiga's unguarded side.
Instead of evading, he raised his forearm to block. The blow connected with a loud thud, making him grimace as he was pushed back by several yards.
Arthur relaxed his posture, watching Raiga lower his arm, his fingers flexing gingerly. A deep bruise was spreading across Raiga's forearm, the bone beneath his skin visibly throbbing.
Staring, Arthur saw Raiga's lips moving. He was whispering something to Ranmaru.
"What do ya mean his body's not normal?" Raiga asked. "Fine! I'll give him a different kind of funeral!"
A dangerous glint showed in Raiga's eyes as he reached for his weapon—the Boltswords. But Arthur was not going to wait. The Boltswords was too dangerous of a weapon to take head on.
From what he remembered, they were two long, thin, and straight with a slight curve near the tip and base. The most special feature about them is that they are imbued with lightning, making them incredibly sharp and dangerous.
This lightning also allows the wielder to use powerful lightning techniques without needing hand signs and with minimal chakra use. The swords themselves can even conduct natural lightning from the sky!
Before Raiga could complete the motion of drawing his weapon, Arthur launched himself forward in a burst of speed. Raiga reacted, a last-ditch dodge sending him to the side. Simultaneously, the Boltswords were unsheathed, slicing though the air, only missing Arthur's face by a hair's breadth!
Adrenaline pumped Arthur's movements. He weaved desperately, his body twisting and turning as Raiga unleashed a storm of attacks. Each swipe of the blades were only inches from cutting him.
Arthur couldn't afford to be on the defensive end. He needed to neutralize Raiga's advantage with the swords.
Feigning a left hook, he forced Raiga to lunge in for a counter. Arthur dipped under Raiga's stab attempt, launching himself into a low sweep. The move caught Raiga off guard, causing him to dodge by leaping back. But Arthur followed, keeping the gap closed.
They grappled in a close-quarter struggle, dancing fervently against the others' attacks.
A daring plan sparked in Arthur's mind. In the midst of his struggle, he focused: 'Seven heavenly breaths: first activation.' A burst of energy coursed through him.
In a lightning-fast motion, he ripped the bag strapped to Raiga's back free, the movement so swift that even if Raiga heard it coming, he wasn't quick enough to react.
Raiga, surprised by the sudden loss of weight, stumbled forward. His momentum momentarily stopped as he stared in disbelief, the backpack tumbling through the air.
Before he could react further, Arthur reached inside the backpack and grabbed onto a startled figure, the source of Raiga's evasions—Ranmaru. Arthur held the boy close, a sword pressed against his throat.
Raiga looked at his men, wondering when or how Arthur could have gotten one of their weapons. They, too, were surprised, forgetting that it was dropped during their first encounter. Arthur had picked it up moments before taking Ranmaru.
Tension rose as silence plagued the scene.
Ranmaru's glowing wide eyes peered into Arthur's cold ones. Raiga froze, not wishing to lift his weapon.
"You wouldn't want me giving your little friend a funeral, would you… Raiga…?"
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