Surrounded by a pack of ravenous wolves, Veigar Koshima remained unfazed. His cold, piercing gaze was locked onto the wolf king standing in the distance.
Within the span of just two or three seconds, the ninjatō in Veigar's hand had already been stained crimson with the wolves' boiling blood. Of the seventeen wild wolves that had lunged at him, only the lone, isolated wolf king remained.
Seeing its fallen pack scattered lifelessly around Veigar, the wolf king—a mere beast with no extraordinary intelligence—still instinctively understood what this meant.
It had witnessed this countless times while hunting other animals: those who fell never rose again.
"Awoooooo...!"
At that moment, the wolf king felt an overwhelming sense of danger emanating from Veigar. Acting on instinct, it howled into the night—a desperate call for reinforcements or a mournful lament, no one could tell.
"Perfect. You'll be my test subject for this new jutsu."
Veigar released his bloodstained ninjatō and focused on the technique he had been eager to test. In the palm of his right hand, a swirling, ethereal blue sphere of chakra began to take shape—the Rasengan.
Behind him, Kakashi Hatake and Ryouji Takeuchi, who had rushed to their feet upon hearing the wolf king's initial howl, were both in shock as they watched Veigar.
Ryouji was astonished that someone as young as Veigar had single-handedly slain over a dozen wild wolves without a single scratch. For the first time, a deep yearning for the power of a shinobi ignited within him.
Kakashi, on the other hand, was more surprised by the jutsu Veigar was using. He hadn't expected Veigar to have already mastered the Rasengan—the signature technique of the future Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
Since Veigar had yet to fully refine the Rasengan, he still needed a brief moment to gather and shape the chakra properly.
However, just as he prepared to unleash it, something unexpected happened. Rather than attacking, the wolf king suddenly turned and bolted into the darkness of the forest.
"Hey! Hey! You're the wolf king, aren't you?!"
"And you're just... running away?!"
"That's a disgrace!"
If he had the time, Veigar would have mocked the wolf king further. Unfortunately, he was still in the middle of a fight.
Without a second thought, he gave chase. He wasn't about to let his perfect test subject escape—not when he was so close to testing the true power of his Rasengan.
The wolf king didn't get far. In a flash, Veigar descended from above, slamming the spiraling sphere of chakra directly onto the beast's head. In an instant, the wolf king was obliterated.
And then—everything changed.
The moment the wolf king perished, Veigar's body abruptly froze mid-air, completely beyond his control. He crashed to the ground in an unceremonious heap.
It was then that he felt it—something shifting inside him, flowing toward the palm of his right hand.
In the next instant, the symbol of Phenomenal Evil Power—which he had only ever "seen" in deep meditation—manifested visibly within the Rasengan, radiating an intense, blinding light.
Just as suddenly as it appeared, the glow vanished, and with it, so did the wolf king's Life Essence, which should have gradually dispersed upon death.
Back at the campsite, Kakashi, still standing guard over Ryouji, caught sight of the brief but ominous dark-green glow in the distance. Concerned for Veigar's safety but unable to leave his post, he shouted, "Veigar! Are you alright?!"
Deep in the forest, Veigar heard him and quickly responded, "I'm fine! I'm coming back now!"
He had no time to dwell on the strange occurrence—the mysterious force invading his body, the sudden disappearance of the wolf king's Life Essence. All he could do was grab the beast's corpse and make his way back.
As he stepped into the flickering firelight of the campsite, Kakashi immediately noticed the dirt and dust covering Veigar's clothes from his earlier fall.
Concerned, Kakashi asked, "Veigar, what was that green light just now?"
"And why do you look like you just wrestled the ground?"
Veigar knew Kakashi must have noticed the glow. There was no way he wouldn't ask about it.
Giving a subtle signal in shinobi hand signs that meant, We'll talk later, Veigar simply replied, "Nothing serious. I just tripped."
Understanding his intent, Kakashi nodded and said, "As long as you're okay."
Veigar tossed the wolf king's corpse onto the pile of fallen wolves and carefully observed. As expected, the Life Essence from all the wolves had already dispersed.
He walked over to retrieve his ninjatō, wiping the blade clean with a cloth before sliding it back into its sheath. At the same time, he pondered how best to explain what had just happened to Kakashi.
Once Kakashi confirmed that the area was secure, he approached Veigar, standing amidst the lifeless wolves. Ryouji, having been jolted awake by the battle, walked over as well.
Surveying the carnage, Ryouji, now wide awake, spoke up. "Thank you both for saving me. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead."
No one truly wants to die, and Ryouji was no exception. He was immensely grateful that Veigar and Kakashi had honored their promise to protect him. Had they abandoned him earlier, he would have undoubtedly been devoured by the wolves.
Veigar and Kakashi simply shook their heads. Then Veigar said, "Ryouji-san, protecting you is our mission. There's no need to thank us."
Ryouji nodded, though he silently made a note to remember their kindness.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he suggested, "These wolf pelts should fetch a good price. High-quality pelts like these aren't easy to come by."
"Especially this wolf king's pelt. Even without the head, it's still valuable."
"What do you think? Want me to skin them all for you?"
Veigar exchanged glances with Kakashi before turning back to Ryouji. "You know how to skin wolves?"
Ryouji laughed heartily. "Don't underestimate me! Back in my prime, I was the best hunter in my village."
Since Ryouji was willing to help, Veigar was more than happy to accept. Smiling, he said, "Then, Ryouji-san, we'll leave it to you."
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