A strong smell of blood filled Simu's nostrils.
Corpses lay scattered on the ground and against the surrounding walls.
And without exception, all of them belonged to the Anbu. Each was killed with a single, precise strike.
A terrible thought crossed Simu's mind.
"Damn it… it's the Land of Lightning!"
He knew that in the original timeline, the Land of Lightning would eventually attempt to kidnap Kushina, but he didn't expect it to happen this soon!
According to the events in the original story, this attack was supposed to take place a year or two later.
Without hesitation, Simu reached for the signal flare to alert the village.
But just as the flare was fired, a bolt of lightning tore through the air, destroying it mid-flight.
"Boy, you're quite sharp."
A voice echoed from above.
Clay, the Elite Jōnin from the Hidden Cloud, stood atop the wall, watching Simu with a cold gaze.
He couldn't allow this kid to sound the alarm. To buy even a little more time, the best course of action was to kill him right here.
The dead don't talk.
Clay swiftly formed hand seals.
"Lightning Style: Razer Technique!"
A surge of electricity crackled in his palms before he slammed them onto the ground.
Hundreds of electric currents shot forward, slithering like a swarm of lightning serpents, all rushing toward Simu.
Seeing the young ninja frozen in place, Clay smirked mockingly.
"Pathetic. A rookie, after all."
Faced with an overwhelming attack, the boy had completely lost his ability to react. He didn't even attempt to dodge.
But just as the lightning was about to strike Simu's legs—
He vanished.
"So fast—!"
Before Clay could fully process what had happened, Simu was already at his side.
A calm voice rang in his ear.
"Ever felt what it's like to be kicked at the speed of light?"
Simu's leg glowed with a golden flash as he struck with all his might.
"Light-Speed Kick!"
Concerned about Kushina and Rei, he didn't waste time with words and unleashed his full power in an instant.
BOOM!
A dazzling golden light exploded through the courtyard.
Despite his battle-hardened experience, Clay had only barely managed to adjust his stance the moment he noticed Simu disappearing.
But it was useless.
Simu's speed was beyond what he could keep up with—so fast that, for a brief moment, Clay felt as though he was facing the Raikage himself.
Even though he had reacted in time, Simu's kick still managed to graze his shoulder.
And at that speed—
The impact was devastating.
Clay's shoulder shattered instantly, and his entire body was launched like a bullet, crashing through a nearby house with a deafening explosion!
The sheer noise of the battle had already drawn attention.
Nearby shinobi and Anbu finally realized something was wrong.
But Simu didn't waste time.
Rather than staying to fight, he turned into a streak of light and shot off in pursuit of the kidnappers.
Clay was as good as dead. Even if he were captured, he would never reveal any valuable intel.
So Simu made the logical choice—to chase after Kushina and Rei himself.
By the time Anbu arrived at the scene less than two minutes later, all they found was a heavily injured Clay.
The Cloud shinobi clutched his bloody shoulder, his flesh torn apart, with shattered bones visible beneath.
Seeing himself surrounded, he let out a bloody chuckle.
"Heh… Konoha… the Nine-Tails… belongs to us now."
The madness in his expression immediately put Anbu on alert.
"No! He's about to self-destruct! Fall back, now!"
But it was already too late.
Clay drove his fingers into his own chest, piercing his heart.
His entire body lit up with glowing seals.
"Lightning Style: Grand Thunder!"
Massive arcs of lightning surged from his body, forming a gigantic sphere of electricity nearly twenty meters wide.
Anbu who couldn't retreat fast enough were instantly caught in the deadly blast.
A fraction of a second later—
BOOM!
A catastrophic explosion erupted, engulfing everything within a hundred-meter radius in a blinding storm of destruction.
The force of the blast shook the entire village.
Almost every resident in Konoha was jolted awake.
At the Hokage's residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened.
"Those damn bastards…"
Furious, he immediately ordered a full-scale operation.
"Send Anbu to search every inch of the forest near the village!"
"Alert all border patrol units and reinforce the blockade immediately!"
An Anbu operative knelt before him and presented a note left behind by Simu.
The Hokage's hands trembled as he read the words:
"It was the Land of Lightning."
At that moment, another Anbu appeared, his voice urgent.
"Lord Hokage! We've received an emergency report from the border. The Land of Lightning is mobilizing a large force—most likely to provide reinforcements!"
Hiruzen's face turned livid.
Never before had he been so thoroughly humiliated as Hokage.
A few Kirigakure shinobi sneaking into the village? That was one thing.
But for the Hidden Cloud to breach Konoha, assassinate Anbu, and successfully abduct the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—
This was a slap to his face.
"Konoha's security… is a damn joke!"
His anger burned fiercely.
"Alert the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans! I want their best tracking ninjas deployed immediately!"
"Find Kushina and bring her back at all costs!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The Anbu vanished in an instant.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen donned his battle gear.
Konoha—the great war machine—was now fully mobilized.
Like a sleeping lion, it had been rudely awakened.
And now, it was ready to bare its fangs.
Meanwhile, Simu, using his blinding speed, had already covered a vast distance.
Then, finally, he saw it.
A single strand of red hair caught between the leaves.
A faint but undeniable trace left behind by Kushina.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 50+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.