Yes, it was afraid. Terrified, to be precise.
It recoiled from the alien, destructive power churning within the spheres orbiting Yuta's form—a force that felt like it could unmake existence itself.
This new intelligence made the Third Mizukage scowl.
His original plan had been elegant: use the sea urchin's unique senses to pinpoint Yuta's location, then close the distance and crush the boy with his superior taijutsu.
He'd even counted on Yuta realizing the summon was unaffected by the light and trying to eliminate it first. That's what any rational shinobi would do.
But his sea urchin was more than a sensor. Its spines secreted a venom of unparalleled potency.
While the shinobi world sang praises of Hanzo the Salamander and his poisons, the Mizukage privately believed his companion's toxin was superior. One scratch, and the boy would beg for death.
Now, that entire strategy lay in ruins. The destructive aura surrounding Yuta was so powerful it had cowed his summon, making close-quarters combat impossible. Half his strength was nullified.
'Could I defeat him with ninjutsu alone?' he pondered, mind racing. 'Troublesome. But if I can lure him into contact with the venom… perhaps.'
While the Mizukage schemed, Yuta observed from his spiritual vantage point, giving a mental nod of confirmation.
A genuine, giant sea urchin. Signing a contract with one… the summoning world of this place never ceased to amaze. Its full capabilities were unknown.
Since intelligence was lacking, the only recourse was a field test. Yuta's spiritual form brought its hands together in a soft clap.
Three of the Spirit-Devouring Vortex spheres orbiting his physical body shot forward, screaming towards the Mizukage.
'What?!' The Mizukage's blood ran cold. 'Those orbs… they can be launched?!'
A wave of bitter frustration washed over him. He'd wasted precious mental energy devising counters, only for the boy to reveal another facet of his power that rendered him a fool.
'Damn it! At this speed, dodging is impossible!'
Gritting his teeth, he was forced to expend more of his dwindling reserves. Evaporation Violent Blast!
The principle behind the S-rank secret art was simple: mix chakra with oil and water to form a special clone. The oily exterior heated rapidly, vaporizing the water core and causing a catastrophic explosion from the built-up pressure.
Simple in theory, but the chakra cost of the technique was astronomical.
Even for a Kage with substantial reserves, consecutive uses were unsustainable. Two blasts had already drained him severely. He had, at most, two more in him.
'Using an S-rank jutsu just to survive a single projectile…' Yuta mused, unimpressed. He didn't believe the Mizukage could keep this up.
More concerning to him was the Vortex's performance. Its power… could be greater. To enhance it, he had two paths: fuse its principles with the distinct Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku to create something wholly his own, or attempt to imbue it with chakra nature transformation while maintaining its core structure.
The latter seemed currently impossible.
'So, that meant dealing with the toads? Troublesome.'
While Yuta was briefly lost in thought, the Mizukage fired his third Jōki Bōi, pushing his chakra to the brink. What little remained wouldn't stop another Vortex.
What happened next actually made Yuta's eyebrow twitch.
The Third Mizukage placed a hand on his giant sea urchin and, with a brutal heave, shoved the massive creature directly into the path of the oncoming destructive spheres.
In other words, he was using his lifelong companion as a living shield.
'What is this, some Sasuke-level summon abuse?' Yuta thought, a mix of disgust and morbid amusement flashing through his mind.
So this was the plan for the sea urchin? To be a sacrificial pawn from the very start? He had to admit, the Mizukage's foresight in securing such a useful meat shield was… pragmatic.
In the final instant before the Spirit-Devouring Vortex made contact, Yuta could have sworn he saw a whirlwind of emotion in the sea urchin's simple consciousness—confusion, betrayal, rage, and fear—all condensing into a single, silent scream: "You damn bastard! I trusted you!"
Though Yuta pitied the creature for having such a wretched contractor, sentiment had no place here. The enemy's tool was still the enemy.
The giant sea urchin was erased from existence in the blink of an eye, leaving not even ash behind.
Yuta idly wondered if it was a unique being or one of a species. If the latter, he'd just committed summon-beast genocide.
"You damned brat! DIE!"
Using the last spatial data transmitted by the sea urchin before its death, the Third Mizukage erupted into motion. A blade of shimmering ice and churning water reformed in his grasp. His target: Yuta's stationary physical body.
Sacrificing his partner of decades had broken something in him. His face twisted into a mask of pure, unhinged fury, and he charged with a recklessness born of utter desperation. His pallor worsened by the second, his chakra reserves critically low.
"You will join my summon in death!"
His logic was brutal and simple. Letting the sea urchin die was a necessary evil.
If he died, it was over. If the sea urchin died, he could still avenge it. And he would avenge it.
This was his last, forced gambit. His final chance.
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