After a short ride on his airscooter and a swift river-crossing using his airbending, Kenka arrived at the Land of Waves. He landed smoothly at a quiet dock where the water gently lapped against the wooden posts. The breeze was calm, the sky cloudless, and the fishing boats rocked peacefully in their moorings. Yet Kenka's brows furrowed. Despite the illusion of serenity, he could sense it — the stillness was not peace, it was aftermath. A veil over something much darker. 'The real battle must've moved on… probably not fought here in town. Open ground is more likely.'
Leaving the dock behind, Kenka followed a narrow stone path that curved slightly into the heart of the village. The deeper he went, the more eerie the silence became. When he reached the marketplace, the truth of his suspicions was confirmed. The place was deserted. Stalls stood abandoned, goods left to spoil, and not a single soul lingered.
The street that cut through the center of the market told the story clearly: dried blood painted the stones in dark, flaked splotches, and the bodies of shinobi — both Leaf and Mist — lay scattered across the ground, frozen in their final moments. Kenka knelt beside a fallen Leaf shinobi, fingers brushing the scorched flak jacket. 'This wasn't a surprise attack... this was a retreat. The battle pushed past here.'
His eyes followed the trail of bodies, noting the alternating pattern of allied and enemy corpses. The line of death stretched forward down the street before turning sharply left at the far end. Without hesitation, Kenka moved.
Turning the corner, Kenka stopped at the sight before him. A boy, younger than him, was kneeling in the middle of the alley, cradling the body of a female Leaf shinobi. Tears streamed down his face as he held her tightly, his sobs soft but gut-wrenching. Her arms hung limp, head tilted back with eyes still open.
Kenka remained silent for a moment, allowing the boy his grief. Then, with deliberate softness in his steps, he walked over and crouched beside him. He gently tapped the boy's shoulder and spoke in a low, sympathetic tone. "Your teammate?"
The boy flinched at the contact, lifting his head. His bloodshot eyes met Kenka's. Sniffling, he nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat.
Kenka reached forward and delicately closed the fallen girl's eyelids, pressing two fingers against them. Her face, even in death, looked serene. He then turned his gaze back to the boy. "We'll bury her after. Let's get going. If you just give up now, then you wouldn't be honouring the sacrifice she made."
Without waiting for the boy's response, Kenka stood and turned to walk away. He took a few steps, then paused mid-stride. Realization dawned. 'Crap... I don't know where the battle's actually happening.'
He turned back to the boy, still kneeling beside the body. "Sorry, but where's the battlefield?"
The boy didn't answer at first. Instead, his trembling hand reached for his pouch. He pulled out a kunai and slowly rose to his feet. His expression had shifted — the sorrow remained, but something sharper now burned behind his eyes. Through gritted teeth, he spoke. "Come, I'll show you."
Kenka's lips curved into a grin, pleased by the boy's newfound resolve. "Lead the way."
Without hesitation, the boy turned and sprinted down the street. Kenka followed, keeping just behind him while scanning the rooftops and shadows for ambushes. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, and he knew better than to trust the calm.
For several minutes they ran, weaving through alleys and abandoned fields, until they arrived at the eastern coastline — the furthest edge of the Land of Waves. Before them, the ocean stretched wide, glittering beneath the midday sun.
The boy didn't stop. He stepped onto the surface of the water with practiced ease and continued forward, sprinting across it. Kenka followed, matching his pace across the waves. Though he trusted the boy's direction, a flicker of doubt passed through his mind. 'Where are we even going?'
Shielding his eyes against the sunlight, Kenka squinted toward the horizon. At first, he saw nothing but open sea… then, slowly, shapes came into focus — distant figures clashing violently. What he had thought were boats were actually shinobi locked in fierce combat atop the water.
"Is that them?" he called out.
The boy glanced back and nodded. That was all Kenka needed.
With a deep breath, he began using his airbending, channeling air to his feet. His speed multiplied instantly, launching him forward like a gust across the surface of the sea. Spray kicked up in his wake.
Behind him, the boy stumbled to a halt, jaw hanging open. "H-how?!" he shouted after Kenka, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kenka didn't answer. Instead, he pushed even faster, the sea a blur beneath his feet. Within seconds, he closed the distance and burst into the heart of the battlefield.
His sudden arrival sent a shockwave of water upward. It rained down on the shinobi around him, dousing both Leaf and Mist fighters alike.
The fighting ceased instantly. All eyes turned toward the newcomer in the center of the battlefield. When the Leaf shinobi caught sight of Kenka's green flak jacket, their expressions lit up with hope.
"R-REINFORCEMENTS!!!" one of them bellowed.
Cheers erupted. The morale shift was immediate, palpable. Kenka's presence alone had ignited fresh energy in the Leaf forces.
Scanning the chaos, Kenka quickly assessed the situation. The Leaf and Mist forces were locked in a deadlock — neither side had a clear upper hand. Good. One more pair of hands can tip the scale.
An older man wearing a battered green flak jacket broke away from a Mist shinobi mid-combat and called out, "How did you get here so quick?! I just sent the request!"
Kenka shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess I'm pretty quick."
The old man barked a laugh and adjusted his loose headband, flicking his long grey hair out of his face. "Why don't you get in the mix of things then? Eh?"
Grinning, Kenka raised a hand, palm out. "Electro Ball Jutsu!"
Sparks crackled in his hand as a swirling orb of electricity formed. It whined with rising energy for a few seconds — then fired like a cannonball toward the Mist shinobi the old man had been fighting.
ZAPPPP!
The ball hit dead-on. The Mist shinobi's body convulsed violently, foam spewing from his mouth as his muscles seized. Then, silence. He dropped face-first into the water, unconscious and floating motionless.
The old man's eyes darted from the enemy to Kenka. His eyebrow twitched. "That easily… This kid is terrifying…" he muttered.
He quickly jogged over to the floating body, confirming the kill and nodding grimly.
[Congratulations! Rare Spin Awarded!] a bright blue screen popped up before Kenka's eyes, the system's voice crisp and satisfied.
Scratching the back of his head, Kenka glanced at the notification. 'That easy?' The victory felt a little hollow, but he wasn't about to complain.
Dismissing the screen with a blink, he turned his eyes back to the chaos around him. A smirk tugged at his lips. 'Time to really shake things up.'
"Hey, system?" Kenka said aloud, his voice laced with anticipation.
[Yes?] the system responded immediately.
"I would like to use a Rare Summon and an Uncommon Summon."