Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

Early in the morning, a red-haired boy with a long knife appeared on the streets of Turbulent Town, the Country of Rivers. During this period, many ninjas from Sand Ninja Village in the Land of Wind had come to Turbulent Town, and the business of shops in the town had improved significantly. The sudden appearance of Raiden on the street did not arouse the vigilance of the people.

On the contrary, Raiden's handsome appearance attracted the attention of many girls.

However, while the local residents in the town were not on guard against Raiden, the Sand Shinobi, who had entered the town long ago, were different. From the moment Raiden appeared on the street, someone began to follow him discreetly.

Just a few minutes after Raiden entered the town, he sensed a familiar chakra nearby. As this chakra appeared, all the Sand Shinobi who had been monitoring him quietly withdrew, as if by prior agreement.

"Is this chakra Rasa's?"

"This guy is actually nearby? And I didn't sense him before!"

Raiden stopped in the middle of the street, looked around, and found no one watching him. Still, the familiar chakra lingered in his awareness.

In the largest hotel in Turbulent Town, Rasa covered one eye with his hand, manipulating an eyeball made of gold dust to monitor Raiden from a distance. This hotel had been taken over by Sand Shinobi, with a barrier erected around it as a temporary base.

Earlier, a Sand Ninja had reported that a strange ninja suddenly appeared in town. Based on the description, Rasa identified the intruder as Raiden. Using the Third Eye technique, he personally kept watch.

Rasa didn't know how Raiden had recovered from his injuries so quickly, nor why he had come to Turbulent Town. His plan was to monitor Raiden until the team sent on a mission returned, avoiding any premature actions.

But now, it seemed his surveillance had been noticed and rendered ineffective.

"It was discovered."

Through the Third Eye, Rasa saw Raiden scanning his surroundings and realized the young man had detected his observation. While Raiden had not pinpointed the source, Rasa knew his plan to remain unnoticed had failed.

Realizing this, Rasa stood up, preparing to confront Raiden. Simultaneously, he ordered all Sand Shinobi in the town to gather on the street where Raiden was located.

As the Sand Shinobi moved, Raiden sensed their approach.

"Sand Shinobi noticed me earlier but only now decided to take action."

"This must be Rasa's doing."

"Should I make a big deal out of this…?"

Raiden pondered when he suddenly heard a baby crying not far away. A young woman struggled to calm the child in her arms, who seemed hungry.

At some point, a boy appeared before the woman, extending a finger to tease the child. The baby, unafraid of strangers, reached out for the boy's finger, stopping its cries. The woman, initially grateful, was taken aback when the boy remarked:

"This little guy isn't very smart. I wasn't this dumb as a kid."

The woman's gratitude turned to anger, but when she looked up, the boy had disappeared.

…

In a barren mountain 50 kilometers outside Turbulent Town, Raiden moved swiftly through the forest. Initially planning to fight the Sand Shinobi in the town, he changed his mind upon finding no trace of Hatake Sakumo or others.

As Raiden departed, the Sand Shinobi pursued him. Moving leisurely toward Konoha, Raiden allowed them to close the distance, leading to a confrontation on the barren mountain.

"Shhhhhh!"

Kunai, shuriken, and gold dust shells flew toward Raiden from behind.

"Finally caught up!" Raiden said with a smirk, disarming the projectiles with his blade. Landing on a branch, he turned to face the forest.

"Raiden, I didn't expect you to return after escaping! Do you think you can leave Sand Ninja Village alive again?" Rasa emerged, leading a dozen Sand Shinobi.

"No, no…"

"I just want to kill everyone here—or be killed by you all~"

Raiden's playful tone unsettled Rasa, who retreated, ordering, "Kill him!"

Sand Shinobi attacked Raiden with puppets, ninjutsu, and close combat. However, Raiden's skill and quick thinking allowed him to counter their moves, disarming the attackers and landing deadly blows.

"Thunderbolt Lightning Pillar!" Raiden unleashed a blinding flash, stunning the Sand Shinobi. In a single motion, he eliminated his attackers and moved toward Rasa.

However, Rasa's gold dust shield thwarted Raiden's strike. Seeing this, Raiden withdrew and warned, "If you follow me, I won't hold back next time."

He vanished into the woods, leaving Rasa stunned by the devastation. Soon, reinforcements led by Karura, Chiyo, and dozens of elite Sand Shinobi arrived, but Raiden was already gone.

"Chase him!" Rasa shouted, furious at missing the opportunity.