Ninja were trained to become mechanical killing machines, yet high-level battles often demanded flexible thinking. It was a contradiction that wasn't entirely pure.
The stronger the ninja, the less likely their mind would be rigid—and Haseo was no exception. However, rather than simply being flexible-minded, it could be said his entire way of thinking was sly and quick-witted.
Right now, his opponent couldn't quite understand why there was a Uchiha ninja acting as a spy in Mist, especially since this Uchiha must have been hiding within Mist for an extended period of time. Otherwise, how could he possibly know the identities and exact locations of the jinchuriki?
The Sharingan's genjutsu had extremely high efficiency and priority when extracting information. Often, people who'd been controlled by the Sharingan's illusions didn't even realize they'd been manipulated afterward. Thus, gathering intelligence this way carried minimal cost.
Therefore, Uchiha Kushan managed to remain undetected for so long within Mist Village while collecting countless valuable pieces of intelligence.
It wasn't only about the jinchuriki either—Uchiha Kushan's body practically overflowed with various types of intelligence regarding Mist itself. Compared to Haseo, he should've been the enemy's top target.
So just then, he escaped.
"Whether you're Uchiha or anyone else, tonight not one person from Konoha will leave this place alive. Mist won't allow such reckless behavior from outsiders.
And no matter what your intention is, I can only say it was definitely a mistake appearing before my eyes like this... because I am truly the strongest ninja in all of Mist—stronger even than the Mizukage."
Uchiha Kushan's disappearance made the jinchuriki feel increasingly anxious and on edge.
Haseo thought this claim wasn't necessarily wrong. After all, the strength of the Third Mizukage wasn't particularly impressive. If a jinchuriki could properly harness tailed beast chakra, his power could easily surpass ordinary ninja. Moreover, during a battle within Mist, some techniques used by the Mizukage couldn't be employed—or else the village wouldn't have required someone like Haseo to sneak in and cause destruction in the first place.
The Mizukage himself could've torn apart his own home completely.
Still, Haseo refused to agree with that statement.
"Even if you are the strongest ninja in Mist, you still aren't the strongest one currently here in this village..."
In other words, he was telling him—I'm stronger. Plain and simple.
Throwing around arrogant words wasn't hard—if they could provoke the enemy while lifting his own spirits, why not say a few more?
However, talking alone couldn't kill a ninja. Eventually, brilliant blue arcs of electricity lit up around Haseo's body. With a flick of his wrist, his long blade had already left its sheath, shining brightly with surging lightning chakra wrapped around its sharp edge.
This surging chakra transformed an already razor-sharp weapon into something even more unstoppable.
The next instant, Haseo's figure abruptly vanished from the spot, dispersing throughout the space like a burst of lightning flashing across water's surface.
Haseo was already a battle-hardened ninja, yet each time he felt that sensation of high-speed pursuit, his heart couldn't help but surge with excitement.
Every move a ninja made was a deadly dance right on the edge of oblivion.
The thrill of speed blended with the raw tension of death—like clinging low to the ground while riding a bullet-fast train, where one slip meant getting scraped into nothingness. The body that had barely participated in the last fight gradually reignited its former fiery passion.
Killing was an act of trampling life; no matter how graceful the motion of reaping souls, it was definitely not art. However, for a ninja whose entire existence revolved around killing, if there was anything worth calling a "masterpiece"...
It would either be enemy bloodshed.
Or... Make Out Paradise.
Haseo's lightning-wrapped form instantly slashed through thick mist so dense it completely obscured visibility. Like teleportation, he appeared before his foe, his long blade slicing upward with a vibrating sound that tore through the air, the sharp edge traveling from the Jinchuriki's ribs toward his neck.
"Dang!"
The opponent stepped back, and a crisp metallic clang immediately followed.
An enemy barely managed to block Haseo's sudden attack with just a kunai.
And somehow, without anyone noticing exactly when, the Jinchuriki's appearance had clearly changed—he now grew behind him a milky-white "appendage," twice the length of his body.
More accurately, it was a tail.
Apparently affected by the impact between the two shinobi, the tail twitched slightly twice, then suddenly swung its tip toward Haseo's position, spraying forth a curtain-like rain of acidic liquid.
Faced with the sudden assault, Haseo lightly sidestepped but stood his ground. He simply kept his cold gaze locked onto the enemy's silhouette.
Against such a high-density offensive, unless completely dodging from the original spot, no matter how nimble or fast Haseo's movements were, he couldn't evade entirely.
So when a fist-sized glob of acid shot toward his side face, Haseo merely flicked up his sleeve and hand, slashing downward directly with his left arm to bat it away.
With a sizzling sound, the acid splattered upon his hand quickly corroded the skin and muscles into charred blackness. Yet immediately afterward, his slashed-down arm lifted again.
This time, though it looked like he was empty-handed, he had already drawn another sharp blade.
[Wind Release: Tenpen'usha no Jutsu].
As the invisible air blade surged forward, the single tail exposed by Six-Tails seemed pierced like an octopus limb impaled by a harpoon, sinking deeply into the cut all at once.
"It's grotesque."
Then, as Haseo swung his arm, under intense cutting force, the tail snapped cleanly in half.
As for his words showing obvious disrespect or even defamation against Six-Tails, such disrespect was inevitable.
Six-Tails Saiken, although classified as a "Tailed Beast" in species attributes, actually has a life form closely resembling Katsuyu.
The Katsuyu of the Haseo family are round and silly-looking, practically adorable. But this Six-Tails creature? It's basically just a bloated blob with six tails—completely triggering intense physical disgust from deep inside.
This thing can also be called a Katsuyu? Haseo immediately kicked it out of the Katsuyu lineage—it's clearly an alien.
"You seem unusually fascinated by the Tailed Beasts. Shouldn't you prioritize attacking me directly, since I'm the real body here?"
Mukan swung his arm, knocking the Long Blade from Haseo's grip.
In his eyes, Haseo's earlier move didn't make any sense—going for the tail with such a powerful attack?
That's just a chakra projection; even if one tail is severed, as long as the Six-Tails possesses infinite chakra, it can regrow as many tails as it wants.
If Haseo had aimed directly at the person instead, his opponent would've had no choice but to dodge. Otherwise, he might've been killed outright.
As if to prove a point, two brand new tails once again grew from behind the Jinchuriki. Immediately afterward, the same attack launched again—countless acidic droplets raining down toward Haseo.
By then, however, Haseo's hands had already sealed together in preparation.
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