The killing intent didn't fade.
It thickened.
Raizen didn't move immediately. He stood there, fists still raised, eyes locked onto Gabimaru as if trying to peel him apart layer by layer. He wasn't looking at the man's face anymore—he was studying him.
The stance.
The balance.
The way his weight rested slightly forward, heels light, ready to vanish at any moment.
Raizen narrowed his eyes.
That hand…
Gabimaru's right hand hovered just a little too close to his waist. His sleeves were loose, but not sloppy—designed to hide something, not for comfort. The fabric around his forearms was reinforced, stitched thicker than normal clothing.
Raizen noticed the faint metallic glint beneath the cloth.
Shuriken…
Kunai knives…
Raizen exhaled through his nose.
"…He's definitely a ninja."
The moment the thought finished—
WHOOSH.
Air exploded outward.
A violent surge of wind slammed across the training hall, rattling windows, lifting dust from the floor in spirals. The sound cracked like a whip snapping at full force.
Gabimaru was gone.
Not moved.
Not dashed.
Gone.
Raizen's pupils shrank.
Fast—!
Before he could even turn his head, instinct screamed.
Behind—
Too late.
BOOOOM!
A punch detonated into Raizen's back.
The impact was monstrous—compressed power released in a single instant. Raizen's body folded midair as he was launched across the hall like a broken projectile. He slammed into the wooden wall with a deafening crash, cracks spiderwebbing outward from the point of impact.
Blood burst from his mouth.
His body slid down the wall, knees buckling as he dropped to one knee, coughing violently.
"—Kh!"
Warm liquid dripped from his lips, splattering onto the floor.
"…Woah," Raizen muttered hoarsely. "That punch… packed a lot of weight."
The hall was dead silent.
Aoi's hands were frozen halfway to her mouth, eyes wide, breath caught in her throat.
Senji's gaze sharpened for the first time since the fight began.
Lu, arms crossed, didn't look surprised.
"…Tch," Raizen muttered. "Just breathe. Just breathe."
He forced air into his lungs, slow and controlled, grounding himself. Pain radiated through his spine, but it wasn't overwhelming—more like a warning.
Then—
Something shifted.
Raizen felt it before he saw it.
A strange coolness washed through his vision, like frost spreading across glass. The world sharpened unnaturally—edges clearer, movements heavier, time stretching thin.
His eyes glimmered.
Silver-white light flickered across his irises.
Crystalline patterns bloomed faintly within them, like fractured moonlight frozen in place.
Gabimaru noticed immediately.
His expression hardened.
"…Not good."
Aoi blinked.
"…Huh?"
Senji tilted his head slightly.
"…Did his eyes always look like that?"
Lu squinted once, then shrugged. "Looks normal to me."
Raizen himself hadn't noticed yet.
Gabimaru clicked his tongue sharply.
He raised both hands and slammed them into the ground.
"Kyoketsu Shōnge!"
The floor cracked.
Chakra—or something close to it—surged outward like a pulse.
Then—
Figures began to rise.
One.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Forty.
Forty identical Gabimarus surrounded Raizen in a wide circle, each one standing perfectly still, eyes locked on him, breathing in perfect sync.
Aoi gasped.
"…Clones?!"
Lu leaned forward slightly. "Forty of them."
Senji's eyes narrowed. "…Not illusions."
Raizen pushed himself upright.
Blood still stained his chin, but his posture straightened.
He looked around.
Time slowed.
The clones moved.
But to Raizen—
They crawled.
Every footstep dragged through thick air. Every twitch of muscle was visible, readable. He could see the tension in their calves before they lunged, the slight twist of shoulders before strikes.
"…Huh," Raizen murmured. "So this is what it feels like."
The first clone attacked.
Raizen stepped forward.
Not back.
His fist rose.
CRACK.
The clone's face caved in, dissolving into smoke midair.
Second and third came together.
Raizen ducked under a kunai slash, grabbed one clone's wrist, and drove his elbow into its throat while sweeping the other's legs out from under him.
Two more vanished.
Shuriken flew.
Raizen tilted his head just enough for them to whistle past his ear, then snapped his fingers forward.
A shockwave burst from his knuckles, obliterating three clones at once.
He moved.
Not fast.
Precise.
Each step landed exactly where it needed to be. Each strike ended before the next began. He wasn't wasting motion—he was erasing targets.
Clones rushed him from all sides.
Raizen spun, foot pivoting, and unleashed a low sweeping kick that shattered five at once.
A blade scraped his shoulder—
He caught the attacker's wrist mid-strike.
"…Too slow."
His knee drove upward.
Another clone vanished.
One leapt from above.
Raizen didn't even look.
He raised his arm and punched backward.
BOOM.
The clone exploded midair.
Dust settled.
Smoke faded.
The last clone dissipated.
Silence returned to the training hall.
Raizen stood alone at the center, chest rising and falling steadily.
Gabimaru stared.
"…Stop."
Raizen paused.
Gabimaru straightened, lowering his stance.
"…I can't believe none of you dimwits have realized it."
Lu blinked. "What's bushy eyebrows talking about?"
Aoi frowned. "…I dunno."
Gabimaru snapped his head toward them.
"Hey, woman—shut your trap and listen."
Aoi bristled.
Raizen turned his head. "Oi."
Gabimaru ignored him and pointed directly at Raizen.
"Listen, Raizen."
Raizen raised a brow.
"You have powers," Gabimaru said flatly. "And I can't believe you never noticed."
Raizen frowned.
"…What?"
"First," Gabimaru continued, "look at the mirror real quickly."
Raizen blinked.
"…Mirror?"
He turned slightly toward a polished metal panel along the wall—meant for training posture corrections.
He froze.
"…Ohhhh."
His eyes.
Silver.
Not gray.
Not white.
Silver, glowing faintly, crystalline patterns etched into his irises like fractured moonstone.
"…Yh," Raizen muttered. "You're right. My eye color changed."
He leaned closer.
"…And I see some crystals in them too."
He straightened.
"…Ok. Whatever."
Gabimaru stared at him like he wanted to punch him again.
"…Those eyes of yours," Gabimaru said slowly, "are special."
Raizen tilted his head. "Special how."
"They're called Ryōgetsu."
"…Ryōgetsu?"
Gabimaru nodded. "Moon-dual eyes. A perception-type ability that enhances reaction, processing, and combat prediction."
Aoi's breath hitched.
Senji's eyes widened slightly.
Lu's arms loosened from their crossed position.
Gabimaru continued.
"Those eyes don't awaken randomly. They're a specialty—specifically from the Yamato Clan."
Raizen blinked.
"…Yh," he said casually. "That's my clan."
Gabimaru's jaw tightened.
Raizen's expression shifted.
"…Then that means…"
His thoughts raced.
"…That means Kaito also has—"
The sentence cut off.
The hall fell silent again.
Something heavy settled in Raizen's chest.
The fight was no longer just a fight.
It was a revelation.