Kill the Mizukage!
These four words hit Zabuza's heart like a heavy hammer.
He stared coldly at the two individuals wearing black and red uniforms, his hand slowly tightening around the hilt of the ninja sword hanging at his waist.
"Kid, do you really know who I am?"
Zabuza's ferocious eyes instantly made one think of a wild beast in the wilderness—ferocious and dangerous.
Simu smiled faintly and repeated his previous words once again.
"Of course, you are Mr. Zabuza Momochi, the 'Demon' and top ace of the Hidden Mist Village's assassination unit."
"Since you know who I am, why do you dare to say such words in front of me?"
Zabuza gripped his sword tightly, looking like a predator baring its fangs, ready to strike at any moment.
Facing this question, Simu slowly raised two fingers.
"First, I do not believe you have the ability to kill me, because my companion Tobi is an exceptionally powerful shinobi."
Simu pointed to Hidan, who was standing in front of him. As for why he used the name Tobi, it was purely because it rolled off the tongue easily.
Zabuza narrowed his eyes. Although he was incredibly displeased, his years of assassination work were enough to keep him calm.
"Second, this goal should be identical to yours, Mr. Zabuza, shouldn't it?"
The moment those words left Simu's mouth, a terrifying killing intent erupted from Zabuza.
In an instant, the deck beneath Zabuza's feet shattered from the immense force. Carrying a tempest of murderous aura, the "Demon" Zabuza materialized right in front of Simu. The ninja sword in his hand flashed down like lightning, aiming directly for Simu's neck!
"You bastard, don't just treat me like air!"
Hidan's furious voice rang out right on time. A crimson afterimage flashed like a blood-red crescent moon, slashing straight toward Zabuza's back.
If Zabuza insisted on severing Simu's neck, he would be cut in half by Hidan's Three-bladed blood scythe!
Clearly, Zabuza had no intention of trading his life for Simu's.
Therefore, the moment he sensed the danger, he reversely gripped his sword at the absolute limit, curling his body to narrowly clear Simu and land on the opposite side of the deck.
However, because of Zabuza's sudden evasion, Simu's body was now completely exposed to the edge of Hidan's blade.
At the exact same time, as the top ace of the Hidden Mist assassination unit, Zabuza did not let this opening slip away.
"Do you prefer to be killed by your comrade, or by me?"
Zabuza let out a whisper like the murmur of the Reaper.
He adjusted his posture the moment his feet touched the deck, swinging his sword from Simu's other side. He actually formed a pincer attack with Hidan!
Facing this double-sided assault, Simu merely pushed up his glasses calmly.
Immediately after, a thick, blood-colored armor materialized over his body, firmly blocking both attacks from the left and right.
"What is this?"
Zabuza's eyes filled with utter bewilderment. However, the countless electrical arcs surging from the blood-colored armor quickly forced him to stop thinking.
Simu's eyes had transformed into the Sharingan at some unknown point. He was precisely controlling the electrical arcs emitting from the surface of the Koukaku, attempting to travel up the blades to paralyze his enemies' bodies.
Nevertheless, Zabuza's reaction speed was remarkably fast, and he instantly retreated.
His gaze swept over Simu, his expression turning solemn.
"So you are a member of the Uchiha Clan..."
Simu did not deny it. After all, this body of his did indeed contain a significant amount of Uchiha lineage. As for the eyes, they were harvested from Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan, so calling himself half an Uchiha was not an exaggeration at all.
Zabuza lowered his gaze slightly, doing his best to avoid eye contact, and immediately began weaving hand signs.
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
A dense fog instantly rolled in from the sea, enveloping the entire ship and completely blocking all visibility for Simu and Hidan.
Zabuza's chilly voice drifted out from the swirling mist: "The best way to deal with the Uchiha Clan is to restrict their vision. And the Hidden Mist is absolutely an expert in this field."
As an elite Jonin of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza had undergone rigorous training and possessed ample experience fighting against the Uchiha.
The Hidden Mist Technique was undoubtedly one of the most effective methods to suppress the Uchiha Sharingan, and to a certain extent, it could even be called a hard counter.
Furthermore, once vision was lost, the Sharingan's two greatest advantages—Genjutsu and dynamic vision—could no longer be fully utilized.
"No matter how strong an Uchiha is, before this technique, they are no different from an ordinary shinobi," Zabuza continued.
To conceal his tracks, he even used a specific method to make his voice sound like surround sound, making it impossible for the enemy to discern his general location through audio cues.
He lurked in the thick fog like a true assassin, waiting for the perfect moment to deal a fatal blow to his enemies!
That opportunity arrived quickly.
However, it did not appear on Simu, but rather on Hidan.
"You bastard, using such cowardly tricks! If you have the guts, come out and fight me face-to-face with real blades!"
Hidan provocatively slammed his scythe into the deck and shouted loudly into the mist.
Unfortunately, Zabuza could not be provoked by such a simple taunt, nor would he lose his composure over it.
Consequently, after Hidan lowered his weapon, Zabuza did not dispel the fog. Instead, using the mist as cover, he abruptly materialized behind Hidan and pierced the enemy's chest with his ninja sword.
A crimson spray of blood blossomed in the mist, and warm blood slowly dripped along the cold blade.
Yet, Zabuza did not lower his guard, because this guy had just demonstrated the ability to survive fatal wounds without dying.
Sure enough, after Hidan let out a groan, a massive amount of spider silk erupted from his body, tightly binding Zabuza from behind.
"Caught you!"
Hidan laughed maniacally. He swung the Three-bladed blood scythe planted beside him, aiming to slash the bound Zabuza right through the waist!
However, the expected scene of blood spraying everywhere did not happen. The Zabuza that was sliced in half instantly dissolved into two splashes of clear water.
"Water Clone. It seems Mr. Zabuza is still quite cautious."
Simu casually scanned the surrounding fog. Even though it was just a casual glance, it made Zabuza feel a prickling sensation on his back, as if Simu could see right through the mist to look at him.
This was an assassin's intuition.
In fact, that was exactly the case.
Aside from transplanting a pair of Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan, this body was also implanted with a Byakugan.
Therefore, the current Simu possessed a 360-degree field of vision with no blind spots and could see perfectly through the fog. No matter how Zabuza adjusted his positioning, he remained under Simu's constant watch.
To be safe, Zabuza chose to use a long-range attack to test the waters.
Since they were currently on the ocean, deploying Water Style ninjutsu was the most cost-effective method of combat.
Zabuza leaped down onto the surface of the sea, his hands weaving signs so quickly they left afterimages. After executing dozens of signs, he finally summoned a massive, imposing water dragon!
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
The churning seawater surged backward and rolled upward, shaping into a menacing water dragon. Accompanied by a terrifying roar and a majestic aura, it crashed directly toward Simu.
Seeing this, Simu similarly wove hand signs and spat out a raging torrent of fire from his mouth.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
An equally massive fire dragon collided with the incoming water dragon in mid-air. The impact immediately generated an immense amount of water vapor, making the surrounding mist even denser.
"Water Style: Water Flicker!"
The moment the mist exploded, Zabuza executed his Body Flicker Jutsu. He appeared at Simu's flank once more, swinging his sword downward.
However, these movements were entirely exposed before the all-seeing Byakugan. Simu drew his own blade and successfully parried Zabuza's strike.
The two ninja swords clashed in the air, throwing off bright sparks.
Zabuza made a prompt decision. He twisted his body mid-air and delivered a heavy, powerful sweep kick directly against Simu's durable crimson armor.
Absolutely nothing happened.
On the contrary, the countless Kagune sprouting from Simu's body left Zabuza overwhelmed, forcing him to retreat.
"If Mr. Zabuza only possesses this level of strength, killing the Mizukage and ending the Blood Mist won't be an easy task."
The cold reflection on Simu's glasses flashed through the mist.
He obviously did not know Zabuza's exact thoughts, but this did not stop him from deducing Zabuza's psychological state to a certain extent based on the available intel.
Ever since the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, implemented the Blood Mist policy, a vast number of talented shinobi in the Hidden Mist Village had been consumed by internal strife.
Every single ambitious Hidden Mist shinobi could see just how detrimental this policy was to the village, and they wanted to change it at all times.
Coincidentally, Zabuza was a famous Jonin of the Hidden Mist and had personally suffered from the poison of the Blood Mist policy, which was why Simu made such a probe.
Furthermore, when Simu stated their goal was to "kill the Mizukage," Zabuza's reaction was shock rather than anger, which proved a great deal.
Even so, being told his strength was insufficient was still incredibly infuriating.
Zabuza slowly adjusted his headband, and a teeth-grinding voice leaked from beneath his bandages: "Kid, don't get too ahead of yourself."
"Water Style: Giant Waterfall Jutsu!"
The sea suddenly surged violently, kicking up a massive tidal wave that slammed toward the ship.
"Trying to destroy the ship? That wouldn't be very nice."
Simu clapped his hands together, instantly copying Zabuza's ninjutsu.
"Water Style: Giant Waterfall Jutsu!"
The ocean churned once more. A tidal wave of the exact same size, height, and scale was instantly replicated, crashing right into Zabuza's wave out on the water.
The aftershocks of the two massive waves colliding caused the ship beneath Simu's feet to rock violently, emitting an overloaded creaking sound.
"Hidan, hurry up, or I'm going to step in."
Simu gently pushed up his glasses, looking toward Hidan who was buried deep within the mist.
"So annoying, I get it!"
Hidan scratched his cheek impatiently. Suddenly, a slit split open on his forehead, and a pure, flawless Byakugan opened up.
That's right, Hidan had also transplanted a Byakugan with Simu's help. It was only due to a certain stubborn pride that Hidan wanted to prove he could take down the enemy without using it.
After activating the Byakugan, the surrounding mist could no longer affect him in the slightest. Zabuza's figure was completely exposed to Hidan's line of sight.
"This time, I've really caught you!"
Hidan licked his lips with his tongue. He raised his Three-bladed blood scythe, leaped down from the ship, and dashed across the surface of the sea toward his enemy.
"This guy... how can he suddenly see me?"
Zabuza gripped his sword in confusion until he noticed the Byakugan on Hidan's forehead, causing realization to dawn upon him.
"This guy is from the Hyuga Clan?"
If the Hidden Mist Technique was the bane of the Sharingan, then the Byakugan was undoubtedly the bane of the Hidden Mist Technique.
That terrifying visual penetration could completely ignore the obstruction of the Hidden Mist Technique, rendering it utterly useless.
Hidan's fierce offensive that followed proved this point flawlessly.
With the Byakugan active, Hidan fully demonstrated his Taijutsu capabilities, fighting on equal footing with Zabuza, who was a master of close combat.
The clashing of blades echoed continuously through the mist. Because Hidan wielded a heavy weapon and disregarded his own life, he gradually gained the upper hand in close-quarters combat.
As Zabuza was blown back by a heavy strike, he rubbed his slightly numbed wrist, his expression turning entirely solemn.
At this stage, the Hidden Mist Technique he deployed had lost all efficacy against Hidan. Yet, he did not dare to dispel the technique. If he did, that Uchiha might regain his vision as well, resulting in a two-on-one scenario that would be even more disadvantageous for him.
Thus, Zabuza could only continuously consume chakra to maintain the mist, which was a considerable burden on him.
"Time is just about up, I'm getting serious now."
Hidan's uniform was already torn in several places, and Zabuza had inflicted numerous wounds on his body. However, they all healed within an incredibly short period of time.
This detail also caught Zabuza's attention, making him break away immediately after striking rather than trading blows with Hidan.
But it was clear the opponent still held other trump cards.
"Even though I absolutely loathe these damn bugs, I have no choice but to make a small sacrifice in order to offer you to Lord Jashin."
Hidan rummaged through his uniform and pulled out a round, red insect, popping it into his mouth and biting down.
In an instant, an incredibly ominous and rampaging chakra erupted from his body. The sheer force of the impact caused the sea beneath Hidan's feet to explode, and the surrounding mist was heavily dispersed by the violent chakra storm.
"This is... Version 2 Jinchuriki transformation?"
Zabuza stared in absolute shock at Hidan, whose entire body was now covered and enveloped by dark-red chakra.
He had seen the Fourth Mizukage utilize this type of ability before. It was precisely because he knew how powerful this force was that he had hesitated to act, actively seeking alliances and biding his time.
He never expected that the guy in front of him was actually a Jinchuriki as well. No wonder he possessed such a terrifying recovery capability.
Zabuza's face grew heavily shadowed. However, he did not choose to retreat immediately, because he desperately wanted to test just how powerful the strength of a Tailed Beast truly was!
Feeling the power surging through his body, Hidan slowly split his mouth into a wide grin. The dark-red Tailed Beast chakra entwined around his Three-bladed blood scythe, looking exactly like a mass of molten lava burning furiously within the mist!