The Calm Before the Storm 16

Tetsuma's heart raced as he darted through the dense forest, his body flickering with the speed of Lightning Body Flicker Jutsu. Each step was a blur, his surroundings becoming nothing more than flashes of trees and shadows. His mind was laser-focused on one goal: escaping the pursuit. But just as he thought he might be free of their reach, a sudden shift in the air caught his attention.

Out of nowhere, three rogue shinobi appeared, emerging from the underbrush with practiced precision. Their chakra was faint, but their presence was unmistakable. They were well-trained, despite their lower rank, and they wasted no time in attacking.

The first rogue, a burly man with a rough face, clapped his hands together and formed a series of seals. "Water Style: Water Fang!" he shouted, sending a series of sharp, jagged water spikes shooting out of the ground toward Tetsuma.

Tetsuma's eyes widened. He immediately leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp spikes, but the second rogue, a lithe woman with long dark hair, had already prepared her attack. "Earth Style: Earth Pillar!" she called, thrusting her hands toward the ground.

The earth beneath Tetsuma's feet rumbled, and a massive pillar of stone shot up from the ground, blocking his path. He barely had time to react as the pillar began to topple, aiming to crush him beneath its weight.

He quickly reacted, performing another body flicker to the side, but as he did, a third rogue, a tall and thin man with a calm demeanor, summoned another earth-based jutsu. "Earth Style: Earth Wall!" he called, raising a barrier of stone between them, cutting off Tetsuma's escape.

Tetsuma cursed under his breath. The three rogue shinobi had managed to corner him, their coordinated attacks forcing him into a defensive position. He knew they were only a distraction—they weren't powerful enough to kill him, but they would slow him down and force him to fight. Every second he wasted was another step closer to his enemies catching up.

He dashed forward, using his remaining speed to break through the water and earth barriers with a burst of chakra. His kunai flashed as he cut through the water fang attack, and with a precise movement, he dodged the collapsing earth pillar, narrowly avoiding getting pinned beneath it.

But the rogue shinobi weren't giving up easily.

The first rogue quickly regrouped, pulling out a set of shuriken and sending them flying at Tetsuma's head, forcing him to dodge once again. Meanwhile, the woman from before sent another round of water-style jutsu, aiming to trap him.

Tetsuma's frustration grew. His body flickered again, moving faster than the human eye could follow, but it was clear: these shinobi were more persistent than he had anticipated. He couldn't afford to waste more time.

"Damn it, I have to get out of here!" he muttered under his breath, his mind working through options at breakneck speed.

He knew he was running out of options. There was no time to fight these rogue shinobi. Not when his team was depending on him. With his mind made up, he gathered his remaining chakra, preparing to make his escape.

As Tetsuma's body flickered through the trees, narrowly avoiding the earth pillars and water spikes sent his way, he knew he couldn't keep running forever. The rogue shinobi had him cornered, and though he could hold them off for a while, his chakra reserves were running low. He needed a decisive move to break free, to escape this dangerous trap.

In that moment, the solution was clear. He would use his most powerful jutsu, one that he had honed over the years.

His body came to an abrupt halt as he placed his hand on the ground, focusing all his remaining chakra into his palm. The air around him crackled with electric tension, his chakra swirling in a dangerous vortex of power. His fingers tingled with energy as he raised his hand, forming a familiar seal.

"Chidori," Tetsuma muttered to himself, the familiar surge of electricity coursing through his body.

With a swift motion, he thrust his hand forward, the Chidori style jutsu manifesting in a flash of lightning that crackled through the air, illuminating the forest with an eerie blue glow. The sound of the Chidori was deafening—like a roaring thunderclap as it sliced through the air, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake.

The three rogue shinobi were momentarily stunned, their eyes widening in surprise at the sudden burst of lightning. But before they could react, Tetsuma surged forward, his body moving faster than they could track. The Chidori, with its immense power, tore through the air and collided with the earth wall the rogue shinobi had set up.

The wall shattered instantly, sending chunks of rock flying in every direction as Tetsuma pierced through it like a lightning bolt. The rogue shinobi tried to regroup, but the sheer force of the Chidori left them no time to mount a counterattack.

With a burst of speed, Tetsuma dashed forward, the Kusanagi crackling with residual electricity. The rogue shinobi were trying to recover, struggling to rise, but Tetsuma was already upon them.

In one fluid motion, he slashed the Kusanagi through the air, the blade singing with a deadly hum as it cleaved through the air. The first rogue shinobi, the large man, was still trying to push himself to his feet when Tetsuma's sword connected. A clean, swift stroke sliced through the man's defenses, and with a final surge of lightning, the Kusanagi tore through him with ease. The rogue shinobi's body jerked once, and then collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Without pausing, Tetsuma swung the blade again, this time towards the woman who had been knocked down. She was trying to crawl away, her hands gripping the dirt as she struggled to escape, but she didn't stand a chance. The Kusanagi descended in a blinding arc, the lightning-infused edge cutting through her in one clean motion. The woman's body fell limp, no longer a threat.

Finally, the third rogue shinobi, the one who had tried to run, barely had time to react. Tetsuma's shadow loomed over him as he reached for the Kusanagi once more. The rogue shinobi's eyes widened in fear as Tetsuma's lightning-charged sword descended upon him. The Kusanagi cut through his torso in a single swift strike, and he collapsed, the life drained from him instantly.

Tetsuma stood over the bodies, breathing heavily but steady. The Kusanagi no Tsurugi still crackled with lightning energy, the blade humming softly in his hands. His heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve was unwavering. He had done what needed to be done.

With a grim expression, Tetsuma sheathed the blade once again, his mind already focused on the next part of the mission. He couldn't afford to linger. The pursuit was still on, and every moment they wasted here was one that brought their enemies closer.

He turned and sprinted into the trees, pushing himself forward with every ounce of strength left in him. There was no time to dwell on what had happened; there were still many dangers ahead. His mission wasn't over. It was just beginning.