Using genjutsu against Haseo, a ninja proficient in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, is actually a great idea worth trying. After all, few can surpass Haseo's overwhelming attack power and speed. Fighting him on his own terms would only place oneself at a disadvantage.
But genjutsu is different—it seems to be Haseo's weakness, as he neither masters it nor appears particularly skilled at resisting it.
In theory, when facing someone far stronger than you, genjutsu or sealing techniques might deliver unexpected results—even a fatal strike.
However, if the opponent is Haseo, then sealing techniques are probably not your best option. Although Haseo himself isn't an expert in sealing, behind him stands the entire Uzumaki clan. Moreover, sealing techniques are inherently complex, cumbersome, and usually require prior setup. Their practicality in actual combat is low, and high-tier sealing techniques capable of immediate deployment during battle are undoubtedly extremely advanced.
Over ninety percent of those top-tier sealing techniques come from the Uzumaki clan.
So ultimately, it seems only genjutsu remains a viable option.
Regardless, Mist's attempt deserves recognition.
But... thinking carefully, can ordinary genjutsu really affect someone like Haseo? It doesn't matter how the genjutsu was activated—but what about how it gets released?
Even without assistance from third-party chakra, Haseo can immediately tap into Nine-Tails' chakra. More importantly, ever since becoming a ninja, Haseo has had one unique trait that sets him apart—he always has various types of chakra chaotically circulating inside him.
Water, fire, lightning, earth, wind, raw unaffiliated chakra, some Sage Chakra mixed with natural energy, the chakra of the Nine-Tails...
And all this chakra circulates through two meridians...
Imagine—the chakra within Haseo is so chaotic it feels like a boiling pot, as if a Fortune 500 company had its annual general meeting in full swing. Compared to that, an ordinary ninja's chakra flow seems as still as a statue.
Disrupting chakra pathways through chaotic fluctuations and reconstructing a new meridian cycle—this is the way to break free from genjutsu. And Haseo himself is essentially a walking... In short, he doesn't even need to try; the natural disorder of his chakra alone is enough to shatter typical genjutsu effects.
Thus, the moment Haseo realized he was under genjutsu, it was already undone. His ability to manifest multiple elemental chakra affinities simultaneously, along with his uniquely fast hand seals, is already considered "public knowledge" in the Ninjutsu World. However, his body's deeper secret isn't part of that public record.
After all, nobody has managed to take Haseo apart—yet.
Once the illusion shattered, the first thing he saw was a face filled with killing intent.
But that wasn't the Kazekage.
The Fourth Kazekage stood slightly behind and was charging forward as well.
For enemies, using Genjutsu to seize a fleeting opening would allow them to launch a fatal attack. The problem now was that such a "fleeting moment" was practically non-existent—there wasn't even enough time for a single nervous twitch before the most dangerous part of the attack had already passed.
Haseo showed no particular reaction—he instinctively thought, "Consider this a rehearsal for dealing with a Genjutsu attack."
He had indeed rarely faced off against Illusion Technique Specialists before, but in the future he definitely would—and not just any specialists, but the strongest one among them.
It wasn't that Genjutsu couldn't defeat Haseo; rather, the power and level of the enemy's techniques simply didn't meet the standard.
Almost immediately after stepping forward just once, Haseo's speed matched exactly with the charging ninja. And by the time he took his second step, he had already surpassed the ninja's speed.
Haseo extended his left foot, lightly tapping the very tip of the enemy's descending foot mid-landing. Instantly, he disrupted the opponent's rhythm, causing him to lose balance and lurch forward. At this moment, Haseo's left leg continued forward, lifting up as bent as a drawn-out longbow fully loaded with power. Then, as his limbs stretched out, that accumulated power erupted.
"Bang!"
"Boom!"
The enemy's body was violently kicked away, sliding along the ground in a perfectly straight line before crashing heavily into a pile of broken rubble.
Before "gracefully" exiting the battlefield, the enemy's face showed pure bewilderment he couldn't hide… It wasn't amazement at Haseo's attack—it was disbelief that their completely ineffective Genjutsu had failed entirely.
Under normal circumstances, this guy's waist should have already been broken.
Maintaining and adjusting one's body posture during battle was among the most basic fundamentals for any ninja. Yet those who fought Haseo seemed especially prone to losing physical balance—as fast-moving units like himself gave enemies little opportunity to reposition.
Haseo didn't even spare a glance at the enemy he'd kicked flying, directly rushing toward the Fourth Mizukage.
Yagura wasn't unaware of how strange it was that their Genjutsu had no effect, but he knew precisely where his focus needed to be right now.
Although the Fourth Mizukage stood short, the weapon in his hands was long.
A pitch-black iron rod with barbed hooks at its tip shot straight forward, piercing through the air with brutal accuracy and sharpness aimed directly at Haseo.
A faint whistling sound sliced through the wind behind it.
Haseo tilted his head slightly, narrowly dodging the strike. Immediately after, however, Yagura began pulling the weapon back.
Deliberately halting the thrusting motion, Yagura switched instantly from forward stabbing to drawing the weapon backward. This return motion wasn't defensive—it remained an offensive move. The specially designed front hook on the weapon stabbed viciously toward Haseo's neck like a scorpion's stinger.
One thrust, then a swift pull—in an instant, Yagura had already demonstrated his superior taijutsu skills.
Yet there was still a vast difference between lethal intent and actual death. On the battlefield, every ninja's attack was potentially lethal, yet enemies rarely complied by instantly dropping dead.
Haseo's left hand pressed against the weapon that was thrust horizontally toward him, while his body surged forward a step. At the same time, his right hand pressed firmly against the Fourth Mizukage's shoulder.
His right hand clenched firmly before releasing his left. His legs launched upward—lifting his knees, leveling both feet—and then he dropped down hard from above, crashing onto the Mizukage's weapon.
"Bang!"
Before the long polearm could be pulled back, its front end slammed into the ground under immense force. The Fourth Mizukage's hands, still gripping the weapon tightly, trembled slightly from the strong counterforce.
Haseo twisted his torso slightly and flipped his body over the position where the Mizukage stood, landing behind him.
At this moment, Haseo still hadn't released his right hand.
Then, tightening his core and sinking his stance, he anchored himself firmly to the ground. Bright flashes of lightning surged through his bent right arm—the signature crackle of a powerful technique. As his arm made a half-circle motion, he swung it around like a catapult, lifting and slamming down the Mizukage who was behind him.
Under such violent traction, the first parts of the Fourth Mizukage's body to hit the rocky ground were his resilient skull and vulnerable neck.
It's not common in real combat, but even ninjas have a bit of respect for throwing techniques.
Because these kinds of attacks don't hold back—they can kill with one move.
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