Chapter 572: Super Water Release Suppressing a Jinchuriki
"It's you again." Roshi frowned when he saw the ninja who had launched the water spear.
Roshi was no stranger to Mugetsu. After all, Mugetsu had first begun making a name for himself on the battlefield of the Land of Grass.
Although more than two years had passed since then, Roshi still remembered him clearly.
Part of that was because Mugetsu's fame had only continued to grow as he repeatedly displayed his strength on the battlefield. But another reason was that Mugetsu's Water Release back then had left a deep impression on him.
At that time, Mugetsu did not have many techniques, and his chakra reserves were still low, yet his Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation had already reached the Mastery Level with over 7,500 proficiency.
With that high level of proficiency, along with Water Release's natural advantage over Fire Release, Mugetsu had once suppressed Roshi's Lava Release and prevented it from displaying its true destructive power.
"Then I'll deal with you first!" Roshi, clad in lava armor, charged at Mugetsu without hesitation.
"Spread out!"
As he rushed forward, Roshi shouted to the surrounding Iwagakure ninja.
There was no such thing as immunity to friendly fire in the real world. If an Iwagakure ninja so much as brushed against his Lava Release armor, they would lose a layer of skin at best and die at worst.
Aside from the few jonin responsible for protecting Roshi, the rest of the Iwagakure ninja immediately burst forth with chakra and retreated to a safe distance, continuing to use ninjutsu to deal with the two great toads and Jiraiya.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Even as he charged, Roshi kept spitting out massive lava spheres wreathed in flames.
"Earth Release: Rock Iron Cannon Technique!"
The jonin assigned to protect him also launched their attacks, firing cannonball-like stones at Mugetsu.
"It's time to wake you up." Looking at the confidently advancing Roshi, Mugetsu switched to Water Breathing and entered Water Breathing Chakra Mode.
With his Perfect-level Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation, combined with techniques like Flame Breathing and Azure Flame, he could have defeated Roshi with Fire Release too.
But if there was an easier, less chakra-intensive method, Mugetsu would naturally choose that one.
After all, there were nearly two thousand enemies on the battlefield. To be safe, he intended to fight in the most energy-efficient way possible.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
Mugetsu brought his hands together, and an enormous amount of chakra within him instantly transformed into Water Release chakra.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
An immense current of water suddenly appeared around Mugetsu, then rapidly began to rotate and rise, forming a giant vortex ten meters wide and completely enveloping him.
Before Roshi's lava spheres could even touch the vortex, the moisture-laden wind surrounding it had already diminished their flames.
The instant they collided with the spinning water, the flames went out completely and the spheres were flung far away.
Bang! Bang!
The Rock Iron Cannon strikes launched by the other Iwagakure ninja seemed to hit an invisible wall. None of them could break through the vortex's defense.
Such powerful Water Release. Didn't the intelligence say Raging Sun Mugetsu specialized in Fire Release? The Iwagakure jonin protecting Roshi could not help but feel shocked.
By the logic of nature transformation, Earth Release held an advantage over Water Release. Yet even with so many of them attacking together, they still could not break Mugetsu's defensive Water Release.
As Mugetsu continued pouring chakra into the technique, the water vortex rapidly expanded in both width and height. In the blink of an eye, it had become a monstrous vortex fifteen meters wide and over forty meters tall.
"That's not some small breakthrough. That's absolutely huge," Jiraiya exclaimed as he stared at the outrageous Water Release that had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
In addition to using ninjutsu to intercept the Iwa ninja force and shield the two great toads, Jiraiya had also been keeping a close eye on Mugetsu.
Although dealing with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki had been Mugetsu's own suggestion, Mugetsu was still his junior. As the senior, Jiraiya naturally had to be ready to step in if something went wrong.
Still, Jiraiya didn't think Mugetsu would actually lose. With Water Release on this level, there was no way Roshi's Lava Release could come out on top.
What is he trying to do? Why make such a huge fuss with a purely defensive Water Release? Roshi felt an inexplicable sense of unease rising in his heart, and he immediately used Lava Release again, intending to break through Mugetsu's defense.
The surrounding Iwagakure ninja also wanted to help him, and they all launched various ninjutsu attacks at Mugetsu.
But none of their attacks affected the vortex in the slightest.
Bang!
Even with Jiraiya and Minato helping to block attacks, there were simply too many Iwagakure ninja on the battlefield. Gamabunta was the first to reach his limit and was forced to return to Mount Myoboku in a heavily injured state.
Iwakura let out a slight sigh of relief and began condensing Explosion Release chakra, bombarding the still-resisting Gamaken.
"Iwakura-sama, an enormous number of chakra signatures have appeared around us!" A sensory ninja reported with a tense expression.
First there had been the explosive tag trap, then the large-scale ninjutsu, and then the summoned giant toads blocking their retreat. All of that had bought enough time for high-mobility ninja to arrive from beyond the usual sensory range.
Iwakura's face darkened further. Just as he had thought he might finally catch his breath, even worse news arrived.
While he was still thinking about what to do next, an earth-shaking roar exploded across the battlefield, and he turned in alarm.
"Water Release: Ten Thousand Water Dragon Blast!"
Once enough power had accumulated, Mugetsu immediately used the unique properties of Water Breathing chakra to perform a secondary transformation on the vortex.
Rumble!
The massive water vortex, which had previously been spinning upward without end, suddenly stopped.
The next moment, the enormous quantity of water Mugetsu had condensed surged outward like colossal ocean waves.
Looking up at the dozens-of-meters-high wall of water, the surrounding Iwagakure ninja all widened their eyes.
But that was not the end of it.
As the huge waves crashed down, the torrents twisted again, shaping themselves into thick, elongated, ferocious giant water dragons.
This was the unique and terrifying control afforded by Water Breathing Chakra Mode. In that state, Water Release could undergo nearly limitless transformations.
The sudden appearance of ten giant water dragons stunned not only the Iwagakure ninja on the battlefield, but also the Konoha force that was rushing in from the rear.
"That has to be Mugetsu-sensei's ninjutsu, right? That's insane. Let's hurry!" Obito blurted out as he instinctively quickened his pace.
Mugetsu was not the only ninja holding back the Iwa force's retreat, but in Obito's mind, Jiraiya was known for Fire Release, while Minato relied on Flying Thunder God and Rasengan.
No one else there could possibly release a technique on this level. It had to be Mugetsu.
The other disciples all nodded and burst forth with even more chakra, increasing their speed further.
Stopping a thousand-man ninja force meant enduring immense pressure every second.
"Whoever gave him that nickname must be blind. They couldn't even come up with a decent one!" Roshi's expression darkened.
If he had known Mugetsu's Water Release was this monstrous, he would never have chosen him as an opponent. He would have switched with Han instead.
Han's Boil Release was neither restrained by Water Release nor particularly vulnerable to Mugetsu's Fire Release.
But there was no time for regret now. Four of the ten water dragons had already encircled Roshi from different directions.
Roshi erupted with chakra and dodged with all his might, while the jonin protecting him tried to help by using Earth Release to block the attacks.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Several Iwagakure jonin worked together, raising thick earthen walls around Roshi.
Jinchuriki were extremely destructive, but their methods were often relatively straightforward. If they encountered a ninja who could counter them, and lacked sufficient intelligence in the first encounter, it was entirely possible for them to be shut down immediately.
That was why every major village assigned escorts specifically to protect their jinchuriki.
Those escorts might not match a jinchuriki's power, but they could help cover the jinchuriki's weaknesses and keep them from being incapacitated by a sudden counter.
Under normal circumstances, with several skilled Iwagakure jonin working together, it would have been rare for a Water Release attack to be impossible to defend against.
But unfortunately for them, the opponent they had run into was Mugetsu.
What was Mugetsu's current level?
Perfect-level Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation, perfect-level Water Breathing, and numerous high-level Water Release techniques.
Even if Senju Tobirama himself were resurrected in his prime, he might not necessarily surpass Mugetsu in Water Release alone.
Rumble!
The towering earth walls collapsed with thunderous force under the impact of the giant water dragons.
Roshi found himself completely overwhelmed by the multi-directional assault.
The other Iwagakure ninja also wanted to help him, but they simply could not. Mugetsu had created ten giant water dragons in total.
While Roshi was being chased by four of them, the remaining six were crashing into the clustered Iwagakure forces.
The terrifying force of those water dragons forced the enemy to focus entirely on their own survival. No one had spare strength to help Roshi escape.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One giant water dragon smashed into Roshi, instantly extinguishing the flames of his lava armor and releasing clouds of white steam.
Roshi clenched his teeth and poured out more chakra, trying to maintain the lava armor and resist the dragon's pressure.
Rumble! Rumble!
The second and third water dragons struck him one after another.
The overwhelming force pinned Roshi to the ground, preventing him from standing. The earth beneath him began cracking apart under the relentless impact.
Boom!
When the fourth water dragon hit, Roshi was forced completely out of Lava Release Chakra Mode.
Not a single trace of flame remained on him. The lava coating his body was shattered apart, and the ground beneath him had already turned into a shallow pool.
"Tch. Why bother?" The Four-Tails sighed inwardly as it watched the scene unfold.
The relationship between the Four-Tails and Roshi was a strange one, unlike those between other tailed beasts and their jinchuriki.
The Four-Tails actually acknowledged Roshi.
Roshi, however, did not acknowledge it, refused to communicate with it, and would not even call it by name.
The ten giant water dragons not only crushed Roshi out of Lava Release Chakra Mode, but also wreaked havoc on the surrounding Iwagakure ninja.
For one brief second, the battlefield, which had been filled with overlapping cries, explosions, and collisions, actually went quiet beneath Mugetsu's monstrous Water Release.
"Mugetsu-sensei! Minato-sensei! We're here!"
As Obito's voice rang out, a large number of Konoha ninja flooded in from all directions.
"Damn it. We were just a little too slow," Iwakura muttered bitterly as he realized they had missed their best chance to break through.
.....
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