#40 Divine Reward System

The sounds of impact echoed through the dense forest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three Rain ninja tumbled through the underbrush, crashing against trees and rocks as they were forcefully pulled by an unseen force. Each impact was followed by a pained cry, their suffering becoming unbearable to listen to.

At that moment, Yu gritted his teeth through the pain and shouted, "Oboro, Mubi! Quickly—channel your chakra across your entire body!"

Without hesitation, the two followed his command, enveloping themselves in chakra. As expected, the immense suction force that had been dragging them instantly vanished.

However, their bodies were already covered in bruises.

"Kagari what the hell was that?" Oboro panted, wiping blood from his lip.

Kagari's expression darkened. "If I’m right, it’s a [Kekkei Genkai]."

"A Kekkei Genkai?!" Oboro and Mubi's eyes widened in shock.

Kagari nodded grimly. "Yeah… and I think it’s [Magnet Release]."

"Magnet Release?! That’s the Fourth Kazekage’s ability!" Oboro stammered.

The realization sent a shiver down their spines. Kekkei Genkai users were rare, and running into one now had completely wrecked their plan. More than that, their strategy relied on metal weapons—exactly what this ability countered.

They now understood why they had been dragged so easily—it was magnetism. And at this moment, the three Rain ninja were completely at a loss.

Mubi swallowed hard and asked, "But wait… if that’s the case, shouldn’t they be from the Land of Wind? The ones we’re fighting wear Konoha headbands."

Kagari scoffed. "Use your brain. I said Magnet Release usually appears in the Land of Wind—I never said it couldn’t exist elsewhere."

Mubi shot him an irritated glance. "Fine. So what do we do now? Keep fighting?"

Bon thought for a moment before nodding. "Now that we know what we’re dealing with, we just have to counter it. We can still take them down."

"How?" Mubi asked.

Oboro smirked. "If our kunai and shuriken won’t work, we’ll switch to wooden weapons. They won’t be as strong, but it doesn’t matter. Our real goal is to wear them down."

Kagari and Mubi exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement.

"Let’s move before they get away!" Oboro urged.

Just as he said that, a voice echoed through the forest.

"Sorry, but we weren’t planning on running."

The three Rain ninja froze. Slowly, they turned to the source of the voice, and their blood ran cold—Tatsuya, Sasuke, and Naruto stood right there, smirking.

"When did you get here?!" Mubi gasped.

"While you were busy whispering," Naruto laughed, resting his hands on the back of his head.

"Oboro, Mubi! Drop all your metal gear now!" Kagari barked. "Or we’ll be out of chakra before the fight even starts!"

The two didn’t hesitate, immediately tossing away their kunai, shuriken, and anything else metallic.

Naruto snickered. "Look at them throwing all their weapons away!"

"Tatsuya, check them out!" Sasuke smirked.

Naruto burst into laughter. "Hah! They look ridiculous!"

The Rain ninja gritted their teeth. "Laugh all you want," Kagari spat. "We’ve figured out your Kekkei Genkai’s weakness. Let’s see how you handle this!"

With that, the trio quickly formed hand seals.

"[ Sly Mind Affect Technique]!" they shouted in unison.

A dozen clones appeared before them, each flickering like an illusion.

"More of these fake clones?!" Naruto groaned.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and frowned. "No… it’s different this time. The real ones aren’t mixed in with them. They’re hiding somewhere else."

The Rain ninja, hidden beneath the ground, stiffened. They hadn’t expected Sasuke to see through their technique so quickly.

"That’s the Sharingan!" Kagari whispered.

"The Uchiha clan’s legendary Kekkei Genkai," Oboro muttered, suddenly looking uneasy. "We’re really unlucky. Not one, but two Kekkei Genkai in the same team…"

"Even if he has the Sharingan," Mubi growled, "they don’t know [Earth Release]. As long as we stay underground, we’re untouchable!"

Above them, Naruto growled in frustration, smashing one of the clones into mist. "Damn it! They’re hiding again!"

Sasuke suddenly tensed. "Naruto, move!"

The ground burst open, and a hand shot out—holding an explosive tag.

Naruto barely leaped back in time as the tag detonated, sending dirt and debris flying.

"These cowards keep sneaking around!" Naruto snarled, brushing dust from his face.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "They’re good at ambush tactics. If we don’t flush them out, they’ll keep attacking from the shadows."

Tatsuya, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Then it’s time I end this."

Naruto and Sasuke turned to him, curious.

Tatsuya formed a hand seal, and immediately, the earth beneath them trembled. Small metallic particles rose from the ground, gathering in the air above him.

They condensed, shaping into a massive hammer that loomed over him like a weapon from a myth.

The Rain ninja, still hidden underground, felt a sudden sense of dread.

"[Magnet Release: Thor's Hammer]!" Tatsuya declared.

The hammer, gleaming with swirling iron sand, hovered ominously in the air. The Rain ninja could only stare in horror.

"Oh… we’re screwed," Mubi muttered.