With the Third Hokage holding onto the scroll of seals, where would Ino learn Multiple Exploding Tags?
Utilizing Chōjūrō's inexperience, she seized the initiative, enduring the immense pain in her left hand, and formed hand signs again.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Chōjūrō, wielding his great Ninja Blade Hiramekarei, had just shattered an Exploding Tag and was still pondering the weakness of this "Multiple Exploding Tags" when he suddenly found himself enveloped in thick mist.
He thought it was mist on his glasses and instinctively wiped them, only to discover that he was surrounded by dense fog.
Looking left and right, he immediately realized he didn't know how to complain anymore; this was their Hidden Mist Village's Hidden Mist Technique!
Chōjūrō, despite his flaws, was destined to be the Sixth Mizukage and was very intelligent. He quickly realized Ino's purpose in using the Hidden Mist Technique at this moment.
"You're afraid of my Ninja Blade and too injured to engage in close combat, right? I absolutely cannot lose to you, cannot lose to a Ninja from Konoha Village!" Chōjūrō tightly gripped his Ninja Blade Hiramekarei with both hands, his gaze fixed on his surroundings. If any Water Release Ninjutsu flew his way at that moment, he would counterattack head-on.
Little Mustache, observing from the shadows, was speechless. Using Hidden Mist Village's signature Ninjutsu at such a critical moment in battle certainly implied they believed their Ninjutsu was effective, but didn't she find it ironic? Shouldn't she be using Konoha Village's Ninjutsu to decide the outcome at this point?
Chōjūrō knew the weakness of the Hidden Mist Technique; their Hidden Mist Village had thoroughly studied this technique, so it was nothing new.
He closed his eyes and listened intently. All around him was the sound of water surging, but if he listened carefully, he could still hear the faint sounds of Chakra stepping on the water's surface.
"I found you!" Chōjūrō heard three footsteps simultaneously. Putting himself in her shoes, he figured if he were in her position, he would definitely use a Shadow Clone to attack and retreat with his main body.
He roared and swung his blade in the direction of the rapidly retreating sound.
"Hiramekarei: Release!" As he swung his blade with force, a faint blue light emanated from the flounder-like blade, and then a Chakra sphere with a diameter of over one meter shot out like a meteor into the distance.
The violent energy blasted a huge hole in the water, sending waves soaring into the sky, with a figure caught in their midst.
"I found you!" Chōjūrō was particularly pleased; this cunning enemy had finally fallen into his hands.
He was very clear that his opponent was not good at close combat.
Taking three steps in two, he held the Ninja Blade Hiramekarei upside down, leaped up, and charged straight at the figure.
Ino's golden ponytail was already soaked by the water. At this moment, with blood at the corner of her mouth, she seemed flustered by Chōjūrō's sudden attack.
"Give up, I don't want to hurt you." Chōjūrō swung Hiramekarei with one hand. Though he appeared slender, he could wield a large Ninja Blade like Hiramekarei, possessing far greater strength than Ino. He deflected the Kunai aimed at his forehead with a single strike, then freed one hand, grabbed Ino by the collar, and said with intimidating presence.
Ino, left with no choice, raised her hands in surrender.
Chōjūrō was momentarily dazed, then immediately sensed something was wrong; his opponent wasn't the type to surrender so easily.
It was a Genjutsu! Had he fallen under a Genjutsu? Chōjūrō quickly disrupted his Chakra.
He only paused for a second, but Ino had already seized the opportunity to unleash a massive Water Dragon Bullet. The water dragon now roared, sweeping him into the sky, flying higher and higher.
Chōjūrō roared and infused Chakra into Hiramekarei again. The massive Chakra sphere shattered the Water Dragon Bullet with a "boom."
As soon as he landed, he felt a chill in his back. Ino, whom he had always considered poor at close-quarters combat, used a Water Shunshin to accelerate, reversed her grip on a Kunai, and stabbed towards his heart.
Hiramekarei was a huge Ninja Blade, far less nimble than a Kunai, but Chōjūrō was extremely familiar with this Ninja Blade. He roared, swung the Ninja Blade, and rotated his body halfway to slash backward.
Ino's move was a feint. She only completed half of her attack motion, changing the Kunai from a stab to a throw to bait Chōjūrō into slashing. She then circled to the front, clenched her right hand into a fist, and delivered an uppercut to Chōjūrō.
With a "bang," Chōjūrō's glasses were knocked off. He felt his vision blur, and then a rain of punches descended upon him.
"You three ganging up on me!"
"And you brought Ninja Blades in? Can you be any more shameless?"
Chōjūrō immediately retorted, "I was carrying my Ninja Blade before entering the maze, and none of you protested!"
Ino angrily rebuked, "How overbearing! Bullying a weak woman like me, are you even men?!"
The "weak woman" proceeded to punch and kick Chōjūrō.
Ino's strength might be low, but punching someone in the face would hardly injure the fist, would it?
Chōjūrō also got desperate and roared, wildly swinging Hiramekarei. Without his glasses, his nearsightedness made him as good as blind in the dense fog.
He had trained to cope with his nearsightedness, so Hiramekarei's wild dance, though seemingly chaotic, was actually very methodical.
Ino's back was slashed with a huge wound by Hiramekarei, but she still held the absolute upper hand. Chōjūrō was punched more than ten times, his eyes swollen, and his neck, shoulders, arms, and chest and abdomen were pierced with several bloody holes from Kunai.
Ino was exhausted but gritted her teeth and persevered, kicking his Ninja Blade away. Chōjūrō, however, grew more tenacious with each blow. Blind as he was, he couldn't find Hiramekarei for a moment and could only draw Bai's samurai sword, which he had been carrying, to continue the fight. The two fought for over thirty more exchanges before Ino finally landed a punch on the back of his head, eliminating the future Sixth Mizukage.
Having consecutively defeated the Hidden Mist Village's trio, Ino was extremely drained. Her victory lay in her diverse skill set; compared to Ninjas of the same age group, she had few weaknesses now.
"Huff, huff, Second Mizukage, did I... did I pass the test?" she asked Little Mustache, panting.
There was a considerable degree of friendliness between them. Little Mustache was, after all, a Mizukage, and he had his principles.
He sighed heavily, "These youngsters truly disappoint me. Thankfully, I'm already dead, otherwise they would exasperate me to death... Yes, you passed the test!"
Ino pursed her lips, awaiting his next words.
Little Mustache held up three fingers, then, realizing his mistake, withdrew them: "I know far too many Ninjutsu. You can only choose one. The Ninjutsu I know are Ninjutsu: Steam Impurities Explosion, Water Release: Water Sphere Technique, Water Release: Oilification, Water Release: and then Secret Technique: Water Gun Technique... Finally, there's Genjutsu and the summoning scroll for my most precious summoning beast, 'Mirage.' Which one do you want to choose?"
He rattled off a long list, using many adjectives, especially for the summoning beast.
Only after he finished speaking did Ino say, "I'll learn the first Ninjutsu, Steam Impurities Explosion."
Little Mustache looked like a chicken with its neck wrung, his expression extremely displeased.
Ino nodded emphatically: "Usually, the first technique mentioned isn't very good, right? Lord Second Mizukage, you spoke so perfunctorily and quickly, it must be because this technique isn't very powerful. Teach me Ninjutsu: Steam Impurities Explosion. I'll learn that one."
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