Shadows and Lightning

The night was heavy with rain, the sound masking his movements as he crouched on the branch of a towering oak. Below him, nestled between the rocks of a narrow valley, was a wooden cabin—his target's hideout. The rogue Kumo shinobi inside had been selling intelligence to the highest bidder, and Konoha's leadership had deemed him too dangerous to live. This was Tetsuma's first real Anbu mission.

At twelve years old, he had already spent two years undergoing the brutal training that shaped Konoha's silent protectors. He had mastered the art of stealth, learned how to kill efficiently, and adapted his Chidori techniques for silent assassination. Now, the time had come to prove himself.

He exhaled, steadying his nerves. The mission was simple: infiltrate, eliminate, and disappear.

The Hunt Begins

Tetsuma motioned to his team—three masked Anbu operatives, veterans in the shadows. He was the youngest among them, but that didn't matter now. The mission had no room for inexperience, only execution.

With a flick of his hand, his chakra surged. Chidori Sharp Spear crackled through his fingertips, forming a thin, deadly blade of lightning. A clean kill from a distance would be ideal. His Sharingan-wielding teammate, codename Crow, gave him a subtle nod—two guards patrolled the entrance.

Tetsuma didn't hesitate. He leapt down, keeping to the darkness. The first guard barely had time to register his presence before a spear of lightning pierced his throat. The second turned, mouth opening to shout—but Crow was faster, kunai flashing across his windpipe.

Silent. Efficient. As expected of the Anbu.

They slipped inside the cabin.

The rogue Kumo-nin was at the far end of the room, sitting at a desk covered in scrolls and open maps. His expression froze as he spotted the intruders. Before he could react, Tetsuma was already moving—his Chidori Senbon technique sent a barrage of lightning needles toward the target.

But then—an explosion of chakra.

The Kumo-nin's body flickered, revealing a Substitution Jutsu. The real target was outside, standing alongside another figure—a Jonin-level bodyguard.

Tetsuma's instincts screamed at him to dodge. A bolt of lightning roared toward him from the enemy's outstretched hand. He barely twisted in time, the attack scorching his shoulder.

This wasn't just some rogue shinobi. This was a setup.

The enemy Jonin was fast—almost too fast. His body was wrapped in Lightning Release Armor, an advanced technique that drastically enhanced speed and defense. Tetsuma's normal Chidori wouldn't be able to penetrate it.

His squad was forced to retreat into the forest, but the Jonin pursued. He wasn't just fast—he was relentless.

Tetsuma gritted his teeth. Running wasn't an option. He needed to adapt.

Instead of engaging head-on, he shifted his strategy. As his teammates created distance, he lured the Jonin deeper into the forest, leading him toward a clearing filled with metal kunai he had planted earlier.

The moment the Jonin stepped in, Tetsuma activated his Chidori Flow, sending electricity coursing through the kunai. The metal conducted the lightning, forming a deadly cage. The enemy barely had time to react before his body seized up, the paralysis locking his muscles.

Tetsuma wasted no time. With a single Chidori Sharp Spear, he pierced the Jonin's chest.

The man shuddered—then fell, lifeless.

The mission was completed, but it had cost them. One of their own had been gravely injured.

As they regrouped, Tetsuma took a long breath, ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder. He had survived. More than that, he had learned an important lesson—power alone wasn't enough. He needed precision. He needed tactics.

This was just the beginning.

As he disappeared into the night with his team, he knew one thing for certain—he would never be prey again.