Deep beneath the grassy battlefield, Kuma Rai remained completely still. The earth pressed against his shoulders. Darkness surrounded him. He could hear nothing except the faint vibration of the ground above. His breathing was slow. His eyes were closed. He was waiting. Waiting for the right moment.
The Wild Rage Technique had already been activated.
His Ninja Bear was above him. The beast was not attacking yet. It was still accumulating its rage. Its body trembled violently as the rage continued building inside it.
Rai had used this technique before.
He knew exactly what happened next. The bear would lose its reason. Its instincts would take control. Then it would attack everything it saw. But Rai still could not understand what had happened when the countdown reached zero.
For decades, he had been a Ninja.
He had fought wars. He had survived ambushes. He had faced assassins. He had encountered bloodline users and monsters that ordinary people could not even imagine. Yet when the countdown reached zero and he looked at Inuzuza Koga, something inside his whole being screamed.
It was fear. But he’s not sure what kind of fear. His entire body had reacted before his mind could understand. It had been as if he were looking at something that was not human. Something his instincts could not classify.
Rai slowly opened his eyes.
"What was that?"
He frowned.
"No human has ever made me feel that way."
He raised one hand.
A small amount of chakra gathered between his fingers.
He formed a hand sign.
"Earth Sight."
His vision changed. The darkness around him disappeared. The ground became transparent to his perception. He could see the earth above. He could see his Ninja Bear. The beast was standing motionless.
Its entire body was trembling. Its fur was becoming darker as chakra gathered around it.
Its eyes were turning red.
Rai narrowed his eyes.
"Good."
The technique was working. Then he moved his vision toward Koga. He froze.
Koga was trembling.
His shoulders were shaking. His hands were visibly unsteady. Rai stared. "...What?"
He looked again. Koga was still trembling.
Rai’s eyes widened.
"Don’t tell me..."
He watched the young man for several seconds.
"He’s afraid?"
Rai checked again.
There was no massive chakra hidden inside Koga. No powerful aura. No terrifying technique gathering around him. Nothing. Just a frightened sixteen year old villager standing beside a tiny beast.
Rai’s mouth slowly opened.
"What?"
He looked at the tiny creature.
"That is his summoned beast?"
He stared.
The little creature was barely large enough to reach Koga’s knee. Rai’s expression became strange.
"Isn’t that the reward?"
He had expected something enormous.
The Sky Screen had shown a magnificent legendary beast.
A creature that had crushed monsters with nothing but its roar.
But this?
This looked like a baby.
Rai rubbed his forehead.
"Did I misunderstand everything?"
For a moment, he considered emerging from underground. He could simply attack Koga himself. If Koga really was only an ordinary villager, the battle would end quickly. But Rai immediately rejected the thought.
"No."
He shook his head.
"Information comes first."
That was one of the first lessons every serious Ninja learned. Never assume the enemy had shown everything. Koga could be pretending. His fear could be an act. The tiny beast could be a disguise. There could be another ability waiting. Rai had already seen strange things today.
The Sky Screen itself was strange.
There was no reason to assume its number one Overlord was simple.
"I won’t underestimate him."
Rai closed his eyes.
"I’ll wait."
Above him, the bear continued to tremble.
Its breathing became heavier. Its claws dug into the grass. Its chakra continued increasing.
Meanwhile, Koga was having a completely different crisis.
"Damn it."
He stared at Ignilion.
"It really is a baby."
The little creature looked up at him.
"Rrr?"
Koga crouched.
"You’re supposed to be a legendary beast."
Ignilion tilted its head.
"You fought monsters."
"Rrr?"
"You controlled lava."
"Rrrr?"
"You guarded a sacred mountain."
Ignilion opened its mouth.
A tiny spark came out.
Koga stared.
"...You can barely make a spark."
The little beast looked proud anyway.
Koga sighed.
"Fine."
He opened the information panel provided by the System.
His eyes moved across the abilities.
Flame Spark.
A weak fire attack.
Koga nodded.
"That makes sense."
Then:
Growl.
A simple sound based ability that could weaken the enemy’s fighting spirit.
Koga frowned.
"Useful, but..."
Next came:
Flame Trail.
Ignilion could leave behind a trail of burning flames while moving.
Koga nodded slowly.
"Not bad."
Then he reached the final ability. His eyes stopped.
Earth Eruption.
Koga’s expression changed.
He read the description again.
A powerful attack.
A single hit could defeat an opponent instantly if it landed. But there was a problem. The chance of successfully landing it was only five percent.
Koga’s face fell.
"Five percent?"
He read it again.
"That’s horrible."
Then he noticed the special condition.
His eyes couldn’t help but widen.
"Unless..."
He looked at the battlefield.
An empty grassland.
No trees. No rocks. No buildings. Only grass. And one enormous bear.
Koga’s eyes slowly moved toward the ground.
Then back to the information panel. Then toward the ground again. His breathing stopped.
"Wait."
He looked at the description.
EARTH ERUPTION: THE ATTACK HAS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SUCCESS RATE AGAINST TARGETS POSITIONED BELOW UNDERGROUND LOCATIONS.
Koga’s eyes widened.
He looked at the bear. Then at the ground. Then at Ignilion. Then back at the ground. His mind finally connected everything.
"That bastard is underground."
Koga swallowed.
"So that’s why he disappeared."
He immediately understood. Rai was hiding underground. The battlefield was an empty grassy field.
Koga smirked.
"Let’s see if it really works."
Ignilion’s strongest attack had a special advantage against underground targets.
Koga’s eyes began shining.
"Is this really possible?"
Then the bear roared.
"ROOOOOOAR!"
A massive wave of chakra exploded from its body.
Koga’s hair was blown backward. The grass around him flattened. The little Ignilion stumbled.
Koga stared at where the team came from.
The bear’s eyes were completely red. Its mouth opened. Saliva dripped from its enormous fangs.
Its claws dug into the earth. It looked less like a trained Ninja Bear and more like a starving beast that had been locked inside a cage for years.
Koga swallowed his saliva.
"That thing looks like it has rabies."
The bear suddenly stopped moving.
Its head lowered. Its nose twitched. Then it slowly turned. Its red eyes locked onto Koga.
Koga’s entire body stiffened.
"Oh."
The bear stared at him.
Koga stared back.
Neither moved. Then Koga whispered.
"Ignilion."
The little beast looked up.
Koga pointed toward the ground.
"Use Earth Eruption."
Ignilion blinked.
"Rrr?"
"Please."
Koga’s voice trembled.
"Please hit that thing."
The little beast’s eyes brightened. Its tiny paws touched the ground. Nothing happened.
Koga’s heart nearly stopped.
"Come on..."
The bear suddenly roared.
It charged at them.
The villagers watching the Sky Screen screamed.
"What is that?!"
"Look at the chakra!"
"That bear is enormous!"
The Ninja were equally shocked.
The Kuma Clan, however, erupted in cheers.
"YES!"
"Go, Clan Head!"
"Let the bear loose!"
"Wild Rage!"
"Destroy him!"
The bear lunged across the grass. Its speed was incredible. Koga barely had time to react. The little Ignilion stood between them. The bear’s enormous paw swung.
Koga shouted.
"Ignilion!"
The tiny beast was caught. The impact was brutal. The bear slammed Ignilion into the ground.
BOOM!
The grass exploded. The villagers screamed.
"No!"
"It caught him!"
"That tiny beast is dead!"
The bear lifted Ignilion again. Then slammed it down.
BOOM!
Again.
BOOM!
Again.
The little creature disappeared beneath the bear’s enormous paws.
The Kuma Clan cheered even louder.
"That’s our Clan Head!"
"Finish it!"
"Don’t let it stand!"
The other clans watched with increasingly serious expressions.
Yukiju Ken frowned.
"It’s being crushed."
Karasu Moira narrowed her eyes.
"Then why isn’t Koga doing anything?"
Inuzuza Kiza stared at the screen.
Koga was trembling.
His summoned beast was being thrown around like a toy.
And he was simply standing there.
"What is he doing?"
A villager shouted.
"Is that really the number one?"
Another answered.
"Maybe the Ranking was wrong!"
"But it said strongest!"
"Then why is he losing?"
The Villager Chat exploded.
Villager Mina: THE NUMBER ONE IS GETTING DESTROYED!
Villager Toma: HIS SUMMON IS DEAD!
Villager Haku: WHY IS KOGA JUST STANDING THERE?!
The Ninja Chat became equally chaotic.
Genin Raku: I don’t understand this!
Chunin Sora: Neither do I!
Jonin Taro: Watch carefully!
Genin Raku: Watch what?!
Jonin Taro: I don’t know!
The Kuma Clan celebrated.
Kuma Rai’s subordinates were almost shouting themselves hoarse.
"Clan Head is winning!"
"His technique worked!"
"Look at the bear!"
The bear finally stopped.
It stood over the tiny Ignilion. The little beast lay motionless on the ground. The bear’s chest rose and fell like it was in the middle of its hunting workout. Its red eyes slowly turned toward Koga.
Koga’s blood ran cold.
"That’s..."
The bear lowered its body. Its muscles tightened. Koga could not move. He wanted to run. But his legs refused to move.
The bear lunged.
Its enormous jaws opened. Its claws reached toward Koga.
The entire village screamed.
"KOGA!"
"RUN!"
"MOVE!"
Koga’s eyes widened.
The bear was right in front of him. Its claws were about to reach his body. Then...
Everything stopped.
The bear froze in midair.
Its claws were suspended inches from Koga. The entire battlefield became motionless.
Koga blinked his beautiful eyes.
"What?"
The Sky Screen suddenly flashed. A clear sound echoed across the heavens.
DING!
Every chat window disappeared. Every voice stopped. A massive message appeared.
BATTLE ENDS.
The villagers stared.
Koga stared.
The Kuma Clan stared.
Kuma Rai, still hidden beneath the ground, stared through his Earth Sight.
Then another line appeared.
INUZUZA KOGA WINS!