Time seemed to freeze in that moment. Almost every Mist shinobi refused to believe what they were seeing with their own eyes.
Their Kage—actually killed? Crushed decisively and utterly by the enemy!
"This can't be real! It must be an illusion, right? Yeah, I've definitely fallen into their genjutsu!"
"That's right—it has to be fake! How could our Mizukage ever tell us to surrender?"
"Seiki Shimaseki… This guy isn't human—he's a god, no, a demigod beyond comprehension!"
The battlefield was filled with cries of despair. Their Kage—the very symbol of the village—had been slain on their own turf, delivering a devastating blow to both morale and faith!
In an instant, everyone fell into confusion and uncertainty.
Even the Konoha shinobi were stunned into silence. After all, that was a Kage—a figure standing at the peak of the ninja world!
"Without even realizing it, you've grown this strong already, Seiki!" Asuma whispered in awe. "I don't want to fall too far behind you either!"
"You really are something else, Seiki. The old days don't even come close to your brilliance today!" Though he said this, Mizuki was already thinking about how to use this victory for propaganda.
"Rin, we've avenged you!" Kakashi murmured absentmindedly. Although Rin wasn't dead, just thinking about her being sealed away in icy coldness for so many years made him unbearably distressed.
Calmly and unhurried, Seiki pulled his arm out of the Mizukage's chest. "Break the barrier now!"
Mizuki and the other three immediately dispelled the barrier, looking quite relaxed.
Since the Mizukage also possessed a technique similar to the Flying Thunder God Technique, they hadn't attacked the barrier directly at the beginning. Indeed, things had gone much more smoothly than expected.
Forget switching off the barrier—they still had plenty of chakra left.
Seiki's eyes scanned the remaining Mist shinobi—calm, yet terrifying to behold. To the gathered Mist ninja, it felt like the gaze of a demon.
Especially Fuguki Suikazan, whose soul trembled beneath that stare.
He now only felt regret—endless, crushing regret.
He should have fled with Raiga when he had the chance. Now, he might as well start thinking about his final words.
However, Seiki appeared to have no intention of continuing the fight. After scanning the area, he spoke gently, "My sole purpose for coming here today was revenge against the Third Mizukage. Since my mission is accomplished, this ends here."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Seeing this, the Mist ninja collectively exhaled in relief, nearly collapsing to their knees from weakness. It was almost like a case of Stockholm syndrome—they couldn't explain why, but they actually felt a bit grateful toward Seiki.
Just as conflicting emotions swirled through their minds, a Water Gun jutsu suddenly shot toward Seiki from afar.
At that moment, panic erupted among them.
"What idiot dared act recklessly?! If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!"
"We're done for! We're really doomed this time!"
With uncanny reflexes, Seiki didn't even look back. With a casual backhand strike, he redirected the water jet like light reflecting off a mirror, effortlessly sending it flying in another direction.
Mizuki halted abruptly and signaled with a hand at his neck. His voice was icy cold as he asked, "Seiki, shall we take action?"
"No need," Seiki replied with a faint smile. "You guys go ahead first. The one approaching interests me quite a bit—I'll stay behind and interact with him for a while."
Everyone was familiar with Seiki's strength, so there was no need for worry.
Kurenai gave a slight nod. "Then be careful."
Asuma, on the other hand, sighed. "How come you're being reckless too, Seiki!"
Just a few breaths later, a Mist shinobi with boyish features came rushing from afar, wielding an iron rod longer than his own body—his appearance looked rather mismatched.
"Cursed… Mizukage-sama is already…" Upon arrival, Yagura immediately noticed the Mizukage lying in a pool of blood. "Even his arm was severed! It really must have been an intense battle."
Hearing his murmur, the group of Mist shinobi exchanged strange glances. Well, it definitely was intense—but the Mizukage had been on the receiving end the entire time.
"Everyone, thank you for enduring this long. Now, together, let's..."
However, before he could finish speaking, the crowd interrupted, "Lord Yagura, perhaps you should just give up?"
Yagura couldn't believe his ears for a moment. "What did you say?"
Some looked ashamed under his gaze, while others appeared quite at ease—they were saving Lord Yagura, after all.
"Mizukage-sama died in a 'fair' duel!"
"And Mizukage-sama explicitly told us not to seek revenge!"
"Lord Yagura, please don't act recklessly or you will die too!"
At that moment, Yagura felt frozen stiff. Had he been the only one all along who thought differently?
Shaking his head to clear those messy thoughts, Yagura strode alone toward Seiki. "You murderer who killed the Mizukage! I cannot pretend nothing happened!"
Seiki remained calm. "Braving death even knowing I killed the Mizukage—your courage truly is vast!"
"My courage doesn't require your evaluation!" Taking a deep breath, Yagura drew a circle with his staff before himself. A water mirror instantly formed in midair. "Water Release: Water Mirror Jutsu!"
The mirror surface rippled, then a figure resembling Seiki stepped out from within.
"Water Mirror Jutsu?" Seiki murmured.
"Water Mirror Jutsu?" The opposing "Seiki" mechanically repeated.
"This sensation truly is annoying!" Seiki flashed forward at speeds beyond sight, charging straight at the other.
"Seiki" echoed once more, charging forth in exactly the same posture.
In the next instant, a ripple spread outward in concentric waves from where the two clashed.
After their brief exchange, both returned unscathed to their original positions.
Somewhat proudly, Yagura stated, "This reflection copies your every movement exactly. Even the power of your ninjutsu can be copied!"
"Exactly the same movements, huh?" Seiki smiled lightly. "Although I don't fully understand how this technique works, regardless, it still relies on your chakra foundation, right?"
Instinctively sensing something ominous, Yagura asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Seiki smirked, "Let me give you a word of caution—without Bijuu-level chakra, don't even think about using that jutsu!"
Seiki raised his right hand, and tangible chakra visibly condensed in his palm, forming a growing orb of light that soon resembled a miniature sun.
The so-called 'Seiki' was mimicking the same motion. However, once it reached a certain volume, the Chakra Sphere's growth rate suddenly slowed down.
Yagura already looked withered and frail, his steps staggered so badly he nearly collapsed. "Damn it! I'm going to be completely drained! At this rate, I'll die from total chakra depletion!"
Realizing this, Yagura had no choice but to reluctantly cancel his own ninjutsu.
Then, the Chakra Sphere went out of control and erupted like a volcano, swallowing Yagura in its terrifying blast. The surrounding Mist Shinobi were also blown away by the shockwave amidst confused curses and shouts.
Seiki simply shrugged helplessly, "If your chakra isn't up to par, don't force it!"
Sensing another powerful chakra rapidly approaching, Seiki hurled the glowing sphere toward that direction—and vanished instantly with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
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