The next morning, after a quiet breakfast with Genji, Quon dressed in his training clothes and prepared to head to the lake for the day's practice.
Outside the remote fishing village, a figure walked calmly across the narrow dirt path that cut through the mist. He wore an elegant, slim-fitting white tailcoat with long sleeves, the hem trailing behind like a ghost. Loose black pants swayed gently with each step. His face was expressionless, his pace unhurried.
It was Jigen.
"Finally found you," he murmured under his breath, his golden eyes glowing faintly.
Jigen had sensed the aura of his kin and moved steadily toward the source—Quon's house.
The village was already sparsely populated, especially in recent years. Outsiders rarely visited, and the presence of a stranger moving directly toward Quon's residence set off immediate alarms. Two jōnin stationed nearby—members of the Kaguya clan—sprang into action, their instincts sharp.
They landed in front of Jigen in an instant.
"Hey, who are you?" asked one of them, Kaguya Sugito, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
Jigen glanced at them with cold detachment. "Ninja from Kirigakure… this aura… descendants of Kaguya?"
"Stop mumbling to yourself and answer the question!" the second jōnin, Kaguya Nobuya, barked. "Who are you, and what is your purpose here?"
Jigen didn't answer. His silence, combined with his eerie calm, only deepened their unease. Sugito and Nobuya exchanged a glance—they would strike first.
Sugito's chakra flared as he stamped his foot into the ground, propelling himself toward Jigen with a fist cloaked in dense chakra.
At the same time, Nobuya began forming hand seals behind him.
Jigen tilted his body slightly and easily sidestepped Sugito's punch. He responded with a swift side kick that landed squarely in Sugito's abdomen, sending him flying backward.
"So fast… and strong!" Sugito gasped, crashing into a nearby tree.
Jigen extended his right arm, fingers spread. In a flash, black chakra rods materialized in the air and launched toward Sugito, piercing his limbs and torso. He screamed in pain as he felt his chakra being rapidly drained.
"My chakra… it's being sucked away!" Sugito grunted, struggling but pinned.
Nobuya didn't falter. His jutsu completed, he shouted, "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive dragon made of surging water burst into the sky and roared toward Jigen.
"I'll play with you for a little while," Jigen said nonchalantly and lightly leapt to the side, avoiding the attack with ease.
"Coming here will be your death," Nobuya spat, anger boiling. "Water Style: Water Fang Blade!"
Jetting forward, he launched a swirling blade of water at Jigen, who dodged again, unimpressed.
"Is this the extent of Kirigakure's strength?" Jigen mocked.
Nobuya didn't waste time on words. He charged, throwing a heavy punch, which Jigen casually blocked. Sugito, regaining some movement despite the rods, leapt into the air, forming rapid hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
Dozens of sharp, condensed water bullets burst from his fingers, hurtling toward Jigen. Nobuya followed with a final airborne charge, a rotating blade of water forming in his hands.
Jigen danced between the bullets with minimal effort. He grabbed Nobuya's arm mid-air, and the water sword dispersed. Before Nobuya could react, Jigen's foot slammed into his chest, launching him into the air. Nobuya crashed into the ground and did not rise.
"Nobuya!" Sugito roared, recklessly attacking again. His eyes were wild, driven by rage and instinct.
"Don't make me waste my time. I'm not here for you," Jigen said. He raised his hand and unleashed a wave of invisible chakra that blasted Sugito away. Another volley of black rods pinned him to the earth, immobilized and drained.
"Boring," Jigen muttered and resumed walking toward his true destination.
---
The crashing sounds and flares of chakra had already alerted Genji and Quon inside the house.
Genji's expression turned grim. "One person… but he took down two jōnin with ease. He's heading straight for us. Quon, go. I'll cover you."
Quon hesitated, but nodded. "I understand."
He took a step outside the yard—just as silence fell.
The battle was over.
"It seems today's fight will be tough," Genji thought. "Those two may have been average jōnin without their bloodline awakened, but I wouldn't have taken them down that quickly either. He's not normal…"
A deep resolve hardened in Genji's chest.
For my son, I'll fight with everything I have.
The footsteps drew closer. Jigen now stood before them. He looked at Quon with eerie excitement, his expressionless face twitching into a rare glimmer of anticipation.
"Come, mortal… become one with God!" he declared with fanatic devotion, arms wide.
Quon's face turned pale.
He knew this man.
The tall monk-like figure was none other than Jigen—the vessel of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, the leader of Kara from the future Boruto timeline. But how? It wasn't time yet—Boruto wasn't even born!
"He's already here… This is a disaster," Quon thought, heart pounding. "And even injured, he's absurdly powerful."
His past life memories were clear. Jigen wasn't just strong—he was practically untouchable. But Quon had no choice. He summoned his chakra, targeting Jigen's vitals.
Bones erupted from his skin, spiraling and condensing into a massive drill of white bone around his right arm—each edge razor-sharp, glinting in the morning light.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Iron Wire Flower!"
The drill launched forward, whirling with deadly speed.
Jigen, arrogant and curious, didn't dodge. He allowed the strike to land, testing Quon's power.
The chakra-enhanced bone technique slammed into his chest and knocked him back several meters. He landed on his feet, but his robes were torn, blood dripping slightly from a wound.
Jigen touched his chest, blinking at the damage. "You… actually hurt me? An ant?"
Quon gritted his teeth. "That's just the beginning."
"Quon, get back!" Genji stood in front of his son. "This enemy is beyond you. I'll hold him. Run!"
"How touching," Jigen said mockingly. "Another one rushing to die."
Genji raised both arms, fingers pointed forward. "Corpse Bone Vein: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Ten bone projectiles fired like bullets, but Jigen summoned a long black staff in his hand and swept it in an arc. The resulting chakra shockwave shattered the bullets mid-air.
"So strong," Genji thought, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "I'll have to go all out… even if it kills me."
He began forming hand seals, his fingers flashing rapidly—twenty in total. His voice echoed through the air, filled with solemnity.
"Quon, go!"
Quon looked back with tears brimming in his eyes. "Take care, Father!"
"Corpse Vein: Burning Blood Technique!"
As the forbidden jutsu activated, Genji's skin began to steam. His blood ignited inside his body, enhancing his speed and power to an unnatural level, but at great cost.
---
To Be Continued…
(End of Chater 7)