The three watched cautiously as thick mist rolled toward them. Before they could even see the enemy, they sensed a sudden surge of chakra from the distant bridge.
"Has Kakashi also fallen into a tough fight? It seems the enemy timed this perfectly. We've been exposed too early and are at a disadvantage in intelligence," Mizuki thought anxiously. Kakashi was no longer reliable, nor was Ibiki for that matter. With such circumstances, launching a surprise attack would be difficult—it had become a straightforward confrontation where strength alone would decide the outcome.
The trio gradually disappeared into the dense fog, positioning themselves back-to-back in a triangular formation to maintain vigilance.
"Watch out, there are four of them," Mizuki, the only one among them capable of scouting through the mist, warned. "They're Mist's assassination squad. This is troublesome."
"Should we launch an attack?" Hayate Gekko asked Aoba Yamashiro—the strongest among the three.
"Let's try negotiation first. Direct combat with Mist ninja might trigger a war. Let's ask about their purpose first."
Gradually, four shadowy figures emerged from the mist. The leader appeared quite young with white hair, followed by others with red, green, and blue hair respectively.
"The basic colors of the spectrum—there's no limit to how wild hair color can get in the Ninja World," Aoba Yamashiro remarked as he spoke up first. "You're the Mist assassination squad, right? What business do you have intruding on Konoha's mission grounds?"
A raspy and unpleasant voice came from the white-haired leader: "Our target is the Rogue Ninja Zabuza and his Cleaver Sword. We emphasize—we have no intention of opposing Konoha."
"Therefore, we request your departure."
"We cannot comply. We must complete our mission."
"Oh? Then you intend to interfere in Mist's internal affairs?"
"Tsk, can a traitor still be considered a Mist ninja?" Mizuki retorted.
"So negotiation isn't possible after all? It would've been best if we each got what we wanted. Since you refuse..." the opponent spoke sinisterly, "then we'll kill you all and completely raze the Land of Waves."
Negotiation collapsed instantly, and battle erupted fiercely.
Among the three Leaf ninja, Aoba Yamashiro possessed the greatest power but his ninjutsu was unsuitable for the current environment. Hayate Gekko excelled in kenjutsu and was no slouch at ninjutsu either, yet his physical condition posed a risk—he couldn't afford a drawn-out fight. As for Mizuki, though ordinary, his balanced abilities made him the least vulnerable member. His superior physical stamina combined with his temporary water-summoning beasts gave him the most adaptability in this situation.
"The enemy leader is a skilled swordsman—you stop him," Aoba ordered Hayate.
"Understood, leave it to me." Hayate dashed forward immediately.
Mizuki and Aoba took on three opponents and gradually gained the upper hand. The enemy trio didn't seem particularly strong, barely managing to hold their positions using a basic team-based technique.
As the battle remained deadlocked, Mizuki glanced toward the other side—Hayate seemed evenly matched against the white-haired youth wielding a sword. However, the enemy was younger, so endurance should eventually favor Hayate, although Hayate's own frail health could pose a problem later on, even if it wasn't an immediate issue at the moment.
Thinking this over, Mizuki said to Aoba, "Buy me some time." He then pulled out a summoning scroll, bit his finger, and began forming Hand Seals, murmuring incantations under his breath.
Aoba Yamashiro quickly stepped in front of Mizuki. [Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!]
A massive fireball burst through the thick fog, flying toward the trio. It exploded violently—though the damage was limited, it forced the enemies to retreat.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Mizuki seized the opportunity. A series of glowing runes spread across the water's surface, revealing faint lights beneath. They were nearly invisible at a glance, their bodies blending perfectly with the water.
"Prepare to charge—we're going in," he said. Since there's no frontline fighter, he would have to take that role himself. The opponents weren't skilled, so victory seemed likely.
He hurled three shuriken, each aimed at one enemy. Then, he lunged forward. As the trio braced to dodge, they cried out in unison. One was hit directly by a shuriken, his arm severed and rendered useless. Another fell victim to Mizuki's kunai stabbing into his chest. The third was struck in the stomach by Aoba Yamashiro, gravely injured. These immortal jellyfish were more than just decoys.
"Nice job, Mizuki."
"There's no immediate threat here anymore—I'll go assist over there. Watch yourself."
"Got it."
Mizuki caught his breath and dashed toward another battlefield.
Striking an unprepared enemy—we must finish this quickly.
Hayate Gekko had been battling the white-haired youth for quite some time but hadn't managed to gain the upper hand yet. His Konoha Nagare Kenjutsu and physique simply didn't suit this kind of prolonged fight. He excelled at delivering swift, decisive strikes. Though clearly stronger, poor visibility and environmental conditions prolonged the fight.
"Hm? Something underwater?" Hayate noticed something unusual. "Is that Mizuki's summoned beast?" He couldn't help but feel hopeful—reinforcements must've arrived.
Carefully engaging his opponent while observing the signals below the water, he slowly lured them toward a trap.
[Binding Seal Formation!] Suddenly, multiple beams of light shot up from the depths, enveloping the white-haired boy. Bound tightly, he could barely move. Hayate wasted no time—he performed the Dance of the Sword. One slash cut the throat. Another pierced the chest. A final blow severed the arm holding the blade.
"Victory," Hayate exhaled, finally relaxing after such an intense fight.
"Watch out!" Mizuki, who had been assisting nearby, sensed danger. "Fall back now!"
The white-haired youth suddenly dissolved into a puddle of water. Moments later, a jet of pressurized water impaled Hayate's abdomen, leaving him unable to completely evade despite trying to retreat swiftly.
"What the hell! So it was Suigetsu Hozuki all along. This kid is already this strong? The ninja world is full of freaks. Why hasn't Orochimaru captured him yet?"
Mizuki rushed to support Hayate immediately.
The seemingly defeated youth reappeared, raising his steel blade once more. In a few swift strikes, he slaughtered several immortal jellyfish that Mizuki had spent ages cultivating underwater.
"Damn it—we're taking heavy losses here." Not daring to linger any longer, Mizuki shielded the severely injured Hayate and withdrew to Aoba Yamashiro.
Although Mizuki's combat capability wasn't much lower than Suigetsu Hozuki's—and might've even been slightly superior—Suigetsu had also expended a considerable amount of energy. In a direct confrontation, Mizuki could have matched Suigetsu in battle for quite some time. The problem was that he had to protect the severely injured Hayate Gekko at the same time. Suigetsu targeted Hayate relentlessly, leaving Mizuki no room to dodge or maneuver freely. Gradually, Mizuki found himself at a disadvantage, getting slashed all over and nearing his limit.
As Mizuki fought while retreating, he finally spotted Aoba Yamashiro ahead and thought he might finally get a moment of relief—only to realize her condition was even worse than his.
"What happened?" Mizuki exclaimed in shock.
"There's poison," Aoba replied weakly, kneeling on the water's surface with one thigh impaled, clearly unable to continue fighting. "I thought we had it under control… I wanted to extract some intelligence from the last one, but I got careless. Watch out—the three enemies are poison users. Their blood spreads through the water, making it nearly impossible to guard against."
"Now *that's* an unexpected development," Suigetsu remarked with amusement. Of the trio representing the basic colors of the spectrum, only the red-haired one still stood, his arm wounded by a shuriken. The blue-haired opponent had died instantly after being stabbed in the chest by Mizuki, while the green-haired one, impaled in the stomach by Aoba, was now critically injured and unable to fight.
"Water Moon-sama~" the red-haired fighter approached proudly.
"You're somewhat useful," Suigetsu said indifferently before suddenly turning and beheading the wounded green-haired enemy. "Those who are no longer useful should just be eliminated."
"This is unbelievable," Mizuki muttered bitterly. He had only planned to take things easy, never expecting he'd end up fighting alone on the frontlines. They had started with a clear advantage, but everything collapsed after encountering that water-body technique.
"Mizuki, it's already decided. You should leave—go get the squad leader to avenge us," Aoba knew there was no turning back. "It was my mistake. Don't blame yourself."
"Exactly," Suigetsu added, "Silver-haired big brother, since our goal isn't you, feel free to go. We just want the Cleaver Sword—everything else doesn't matter." It seemed even Suigetsu had used up a lot of energy.
Mizuki couldn't help laughing bitterly: "Hey Aoba, Hayate… If I abandon you two and run this time, do you think the Third would let me live?"
Saying this, Mizuki pulled out a sealing scroll and took out several vials of [Green Agent], handing them to Aoba and Hayate.
"We gamble with our lives now. Inject half a vial into severe wounds, apply some topically for minor ones. As for side effects—well, that's up to your luck."
"What kind of messed-up stuff is this?"
"A life-or-death potion—byproduct of poison research. Take it or leave it—I won't be responsible." Saying so, he directly injected a full vial into his right arm. A sharp pain surged through him and Mizuki cried out in agony.
Seeing Mizuki go all-out, both Aoba and Hayate hesitated no longer, injecting the agent into their wounded thighs and abdomen respectively.
"Mizuki, what the hell did you make this from? That's intense!" Aoba winced in pain.
"Told you. I'll explain if we survive."
Hayate, enduring the agony, stood back up: "The enemy can't hold on much longer either. Let's hang in there a little longer."
"But their poison is still a serious problem," Aoba warned.
"Leave the poison to me. Can you still move?"
"Your life-saving pills aren't half bad. Even if it hurts like hell."
"That's good."
After speaking, Mizuki took out another sealing scroll and unrolled it. Inside was a pile of blue liquid. Mizuki poured it into the water and added the remaining nutrient mixture and cell-stimulating pills from his palm. Then he channeled chakra to activate it quickly. The blue liquid immediately began spreading outward, emitting an unpleasant odor.
"Stand on this area. Don't step outside the blue boundary."
"What is this?"
"It's a type of tiny blue organism. I've accelerated its reproduction rate. It can rapidly consume nutrients in the water, usually breaking down biological toxins. If not, it can at least act as a barrier." Mizuki explained. This world hadn't experienced much eutrophication yet, so many people had never seen what they called 'green tides'—massive algal blooms.
"Hey kid," Mizuki called out, "don't underestimate adults, alright? How about we end this here? Your secret techniques aren't omnipotent, after all." He tried to bring the deadly fight to a close.
"Not a chance. I'm set on obtaining the Cleaver Sword."
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