"We need to move fast!" Seiki muttered, grabbing a fistful of shuriken from the pouch at his waist.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique?" The Mizukage narrowed his eyes. He was, of course, well aware of Seiki's signature move.
"So then, what will you do now?" Seiki scattered the shuriken in all directions with the Scatter Like Falling Cherry Blossoms stance, then vanished in an instant.
Almost simultaneously, the Mizukage countered by forming dozens of ice shuriken and hurling them outward.
In the next moment, Seiki abruptly appeared before the Mizukage, but before he could act, the Mizukage also teleported to the opposite side like lightning.
It looked like they'd swapped positions in an instant!
Asuma and the others outside the barrier gawked at what had just happened.
"How is that possible? He actually dodged it!"
"Could it be—he knows the Flying Thunder God Technique too?"
"No, look closely—he coated himself in frost and used it as a medium for teleportation!"
"Don't get too full of yourself, punk!" The Mizukage chuckled softly. "I can do the same thing too!"
This was exactly why he was willing to drag out the fight. With both possessing similar teleportation abilities, there was no way to determine a winner quickly.
Seiki couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, compared to those brute-force jinchuriki, you Kage are much more troublesome!"
"Failing to gather intel on your enemy before charging in? That's a rookie mistake for any ninja!" The Mizukage replied coldly, countering with mockery. "Now tell me, kid, what's your plan?"
"In a normal fight, I'd have no shot against you. However, within these barrier-restricted conditions, defeating you isn't entirely impossible!" Seiki said calmly with a faint smile.
Just like during the Chunin Exams—a tournament designed to test aspiring Chunin—he'd once been nearly overwhelmed by Yugito, all because the cramped space restricted the mobility of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
[Eight Gates, Open!]
The Dragon Pulse Chakra sealed within the Yin Seal was essentially equivalent to refined Sage Chakra. This meant he didn't need to constantly maintain Sage Mode's "Stillness" technique.
With the boost from Sage Mode, the Fifth Gate's power surged through him, sending waves of glowing blue chakra rippling around his body.
"What is this?" The Mizukage's pupils constricted sharply. No sooner had he blinked than his opponent appeared right before him, crossing space itself.
Without time to think, he instinctively teleported to another ice shard. Just as he emerged halfway from its surface, that blue aura followed close behind like a shadow.
"Unbelievable! Such speed..." The Mizukage inwardly cursed. He hastily pulled back his exposed half-body and teleported again to another ice fragment.
Yet this time proved far worse. Scarcely had he peeked out slightly when he saw a fist hurtling toward him, scaring him into retreating once more.
What followed was a constant back-and-forth between the two—an endless game of teleportation and chase.
To the observers outside, the spectacle oddly resembled an arcade game known as Whack-a-Mole.
And now the Mizukage was barely dodging each attack—on the verge of getting pounded!
However, the Mizukage was truly a relic of the past—an arrogant old fossil who had somehow survived since the Warring States era. Once she got used to the rhythm of the fight, she began responding with increasing ease.
As a result, the battle's flow shifted accordingly—from a frantic game of whack-a-mole to a frustrating chase, like trying to catch a kite in the wind.
"If that's how it is, then I'll open the Sixth Gate—Gate of View!" Seiki Shimaseki took a deep breath, his aura surging as the flames swirling around him gradually turned into a brilliant golden hue.
After all, having controlled Might Duy's body and experienced the Seventh Gate firsthand, the first seven gates held no secrets for him anymore. The real challenge lay in his physical endurance.
It was like finally mastering a jutsu, only to realize you didn't have enough chakra to pull it off.
Only with the enhancement from Sage Mode could he barely reach this threshold.
Inside the extradimensional space, the Mizukage had clearly not yet sensed the danger. As he began repeating his previous process, half of his body emerged when Seiki suddenly struck with an extremely violent punch, sending him flying until he crashed heavily into the barrier.
'Pha! How come this brat's speed has increased again?' Even protected by an Ice Release Barrier that absorbed most of the blow, the Mizukage still spat out a mouthful of blood.
Seiki naturally gave him no time to rest, delivering another shadow-like punch without hesitation.
'Again?' Horrified, the Mizukage quickly retreated back into the dimensional rift. This time, instead of rushing out immediately, he stayed inside to calm himself.
Unfazed, Seiki calmly charged through the barrier like a bull in a china shop.
In this state, even his normal attacks could destroy those ice crystals at their very core.
Inside the extradimensional space, the Mizukage's heart tightened—he could sense numerous mediums disappearing rapidly. If he waited just a few more seconds, he might be trapped forever in this void.
Yet, rather than panic, he remained composed and analyzed: "This brat's speed is too fast for me to dodge, and staying hidden in this dimension carries great risk as well. The only solution is to break free quickly! Only in wide-open spaces can I fully demonstrate the advantage of [Demonic Mirroring Thin Ice]!"
"But where should I strike to break through the barrier?" The Mizukage pondered inwardly. Breaking through required hand seals and casting a ninjutsu, but no matter how fast he formed the seals, it still took time.
For ordinary people, that brief moment wouldn't allow even a reaction, but facing Seiki Shimaseki, there could be absolutely no room for wishful thinking. That meant he had to prepare for incoming attacks during that window.
"Even with my Ice Release protecting me, taking three to five hits would already be my limit. Therefore, I must try to break through the barrier with one decisive strike!" He extended his Sensor ability outward, carefully observing the four individuals maintaining the barrier. "Wait… this guy's protective barrier…"
Through his perception, he noticed a sizable crack forming at one person's position.
"Could it be from the impact of that earlier devastating attack? I'll break through here!" He wasn't worried this might be a trap—the crack felt genuine.
Moreover, he had gathered intelligence on Team Seiki beforehand and knew they weren't particularly impressive—aside from possessing some basic Sage Art.
In this situation, that Konoha ninja Mizuki wouldn't possibly be able to stop him!
With that thought, Mizukage didn't hesitate for a moment. After casting an Icy Barrier in advance, he emerged from the Ice Surface.
Sure enough, the moment he appeared, attacks rained down on him from Seiki in a violent storm.
"Exactly like this!" Instead of resisting, Mizukage let the impact send him flying backward.
He deliberately took the hit at a point midway between Seiki and Mizuki—this way, he could cut the travel time to a minimum.
"This round, I've definitely won!"
[Ice Release: Heavenly Four Pillars!]
Four massive ice pillars instantly shattered the inbuilt Chakra Barrier protecting Mizuki before continuing their momentum and slamming into his body.
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