"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Sensing the terrifying aura erupting from Hidan, Zabuza did not dare to delay, unleashing a powerful technique right from the start.
The surrounding seawater immediately churned and surged, rotating to form a fearsome dragon of water. Accompanied by a majestic roar, it crashed furiously toward Hidan, who was completely enveloped in Tailed Beast chakra.
"Then I will use you to test this power."
Feeling the surging power within his body, Hidan stared intently at the oncoming water dragon. With his aura vastly magnified, he chose not to evade. Instead, he raised his crimson Three-bladed blood scythe and hacked straight into the attack.
As he swung his weapon, a massive amount of Tailed Beast chakra flowed into the scythe, exploding violently the exact moment it made contact with the water dragon!
"Boom!"
A terrifying explosion resounded.
Countless arcs of rampant Tailed Beast chakra violently injected from the blade into the body of the water dragon, causing the latter to continuously expand, boil, and ultimately burst apart!
A massive volume of seawater scattered, pouring down like a torrential rainstorm over this area of the ocean.
"How is this possible..."
Zabuza's face was filled with shock. Although the Water Dragon Jutsu was only a B-rank ninjutsu, its power far exceeded that of standard B-rank techniques, making it one of his strongest single-target burst abilities.
Yet, it had just been chopped to pieces by someone wielding a scythe, which left him feeling utterly horrified.
He looked at the rain falling all over the sky and stared at Hidan, who was walking forward slowly with chakra that resembled burning flames enveloping his body. He could not help but marvel, "Is this the power of a Tailed Beast?"
At this moment, Zabuza felt incredibly fortunate that he had not made a premature move against the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi. The power of a Tailed Beast was clearly far greater than he had originally imagined!
"Are you ready for death?"
Hidan extended his tongue once again to lick his lips, displaying a maniacal and twisted expression.
Right after, the surface of the sea beneath his feet exploded violently, and his entire body lunged forward like a mad bull, charging ruthlessly toward his enemy.
As Hidan continuously swung his blade, the surface of the sea was cleaved open time and time again.
The combination of an immortal body and a Jinchuriki transformation essentially turned Hidan into a humanoid monster, leaving Zabuza exhausted from trying to fend him off.
No matter what kind of Water Style ninjutsu he utilized, Hidan would aggressively shatter it with a single slash enhanced by Tailed Beast chakra. Furthermore, Zabuza could not best him in close-quarters Taijutsu either. Fighting up close carried the severe risk of trading wounds with an immortal opponent, causing Zabuza to quickly fall into a disadvantage.
Simu watched this scene unfold, his face devoid of any surprise.
After unlocking the power of the Jinchuriki transformation through the Husk, Hidan's victory was merely a matter of time.
Although Zabuza was a powerful shinobi renowned as the "Demon," his foundational strength was relatively basic, focusing primarily on Water Style ninjutsu and Taijutsu without possessing any truly unique abilities.
His overall evaluation was that of a strong elite Jonin, but he fell short of the Kage level.
With Hidan's current capabilities, dealing with Zabuza was more than manageable.
Facts proved that Simu's deduction was completely accurate. Fifteen minutes later, due to the high-intensity expenditure of chakra, Zabuza's physical reaction speed began to decline. Under Hidan's relentless assault, he finally exposed a vulnerability, allowing Hidan to successfully force a trade of wounds.
The latter paid the price of having his chest pierced to successfully leave a deep laceration across Zabuza's abdomen.
The events that followed became much simpler.
Hidan deactivated his Jinchuriki transformation, let out a crazed laugh, and extended his tongue to take an enraptured lick of the blood on his blade.
"Next, enjoy the judgment of Lord Jashin to your heart's content!"
Hidan leaped onto the deck, using his own blood to draw a Jashin Religion symbol beneath his feet. He then threw his arms wide open, looking as if he were welcoming something.
"What is going on?"
Zabuza watched this scene in utter bewilderment.
There was nothing he could do about it, as the events unfolding today had completely exceeded his understanding.
First, his Hidden Mist Technique had been easily seen through. Then, Hidan had displayed that bizarre physical recovery speed alongside the Jinchuriki transformation. Now, he was acting like a lunatic, performing some unknown ritual...
As Hidan's skin color rapidly altered, with black and white patterns spreading across his body, Zabuza's heart beat faster and faster, and an ominous premonition continuously festered within his mind.
"No, I have to stop him!"
Although he did not know what kind of ritual the opponent was preparing, the more an enemy desired to accomplish something, the more he needed to prevent and disrupt it!
Holding onto this conviction, Zabuza threw several sharp kunai without the slightest hesitation, which flew toward the enemy standing on the deck accompanied by whistling sonic booms.
Sensing the impending danger, Hidan not only made no attempt to dodge, but the corners of his mouth actually curved upward into a bizarre smile.
With immense bewilderment, Zabuza watched with his own eyes as the kunai he threw successfully impaled Hidan's abdomen and shoulder.
Blood splattered outward, yet Zabuza felt absolutely no excitement.
Because everything that had occurred today was simply too bizarre, he now possessed only a single thought, which was to make a strategic retreat!
And he indeed acted upon it.
The moment the kunai found their mark, he turned his body, intending to deploy the Body Flicker Jutsu to escape from this place.
However, the exact instant he turned around, an intense agony manifested alongside a spray of blood.
Two wounds instantaneously appeared on his own body, one on his abdomen and one on his shoulder!
The intense and sudden agony caused this master of assassination to stumble, actually causing him to collapse entirely onto the surface of the sea. The blood pouring from his wounds continuously expanded outward along the seawater.
"What is going on?"
Zabuza no longer knew how many times he had raised this question today.
Nevertheless, a powerful desire to survive allowed him to temporarily suppress his confusion. Relying on his formidable willpower, he quickly got back up and executed a Water Style ninjutsu to rapidly submerge himself into the water.
Seeing this, Hidan merely drew a pitch-black spear from his uniform at a leisurely pace.
"If the prepared sacrifice manages to run away, I will be quite troubled."
Hidan spoke in a soft voice, then raised the spear in his hand, driving it through his own thigh without a shred of hesitation!
A massive plume of blood blossomed within the sea. Lurking beneath the water, Zabuza endured the intense pain and continued to flee.
But very soon, one wound after another began to manifest across his body. Such severe injuries ultimately broke his endurance, forcing him to surface.
"To think that I would actually die here..."
Staring at Hidan who was slowly walking toward him, Zabuza's vision gradually grew blurry.
His eyes were filled with unyielding resentment. He had not yet killed the Mizukage or changed the Blood Mist, so was he truly about to die just like this?
Just as Hidan was preparing to deliver the final blow to Zabuza, Simu finally spoke up.
"Hidan, wait."
Hidan turned his head with a face full of impatience and said, "Damn Simu, what do you want now?"
Simu's figure had materialized beside Zabuza at some unknown point, and he smiled as he said, "Mr. Zabuza remains useful to me."
These words immediately infuriated Hidan: "This is my prey, a sacrifice I intend to offer to Lord Jashin! What right do you have to steal him from me?!"
Simu did not grow angry, merely pushing up his glasses calmly as he asked in response, "If not for me, wouldn't you still be spinning in circles inside that mist right now?"
Feeling that he had been insulted, Hidan instantly threw a tantrum: "Are you kidding me? Even without the Byakugan and Tailed Beast chakra, I could still take this guy down just the same!"
Simu raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Really?"
"Of course!"
Hidan swore confidently.
Abruptly, an immense amount of mist rolled in from the surroundings.
Before Hidan even had the chance to activate his Byakugan, he was decapitated by a swift strike from Simu.
The latter held Hidan's head in his hand, playing with it as he said, "See, without the Byakugan, you wouldn't even know where my attack was originating from."
"Damn Simu, I am definitely going to kill you!"
The small Hidan in Simu's hand struggled desperately, only to have his mouth sewn shut by Simu using a Kagune...
He knelt down, injecting Yang Style chakra into Zabuza's body.
After a short while, the color returned to the face of the previously dying Zabuza, and the wounds on his body began to stop bleeding.
Simu hoisted Zabuza onto the deck and said calmly, "Alright, Mr. Zabuza, now we should discuss our transaction."
"What transaction?"
Zabuza crawled up from the deck with great difficulty, watching the other party with a look of extreme wariness.
When Simu was healing Zabuza, he had not left any hidden restrictions, such as sealing his chakra.
Yet precisely because of this, Zabuza felt even more alarmed.
This implied that the opponent was completely unafraid of him choosing to flee or attempting a desperate strike.
But then again, the individual capable of easily defeating him had just had his head casually chopped off and played with. His own strength likely amounted to absolutely nothing in the opponent's eyes, right?
Thinking up to this point, the traditionally proud Zabuza actually experienced a profound sense of frustration.
After all, he was considered something of a genius within the Hidden Mist Village.
Or rather, anyone capable of surviving under the Blood Mist policy and climbing to a high position was fundamentally a genius.
However, such a genius was completely insignificant in front of Simu.
Seeming to sense Zabuza's emotions, Simu lightly adjusted his glasses and spoke up: "Mr. Zabuza need not think so poorly of himself. Your strength has already reached the limit of an ordinary person. For someone without a lineage, you have already done exceptionally well. You are merely constrained by this frail body."
"A frail body?"
Zabuza understood the words, and they piqued his interest.
"Does your Excellency mean to say that a shinobi with a Kekkei Genkai is definitively stronger than a civilian shinobi?"
To be frank, due to the influence of the Blood Mist policy, the vast majority of shinobi in the Hidden Mist Village held a dismissive attitude toward those with a Kekkei Genkai. Although Zabuza opposed the Blood Mist policy, under its subtle influence, he did not believe that an ordinary shinobi was naturally inferior to one with a Kekkei Genkai.
Facing his query, Simu slowly shook his head.
"Lineage does not merely refer to a Kekkei Genkai. To be precise, lineage refers to bloodlines and genes."
"Bloodlines and genes dictate your body, which is also the husk that restricts every soul."
"The body is a husk... restricting the soul?"
Zabuza murmured, falling into deep thought.
Seeing this, Simu suddenly removed his glasses, his eyes instantly shifting into the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The contemplating Zabuza instinctively went on guard, but he quickly relaxed again.
Because he knew perfectly well that given the current circumstances, if Simu truly wished to act against him, he would not have any possibility or opportunity to struggle or resist.
He might as well relax and observe what the other party truly intended to do...
Sure enough, Simu did not launch an attack against Zabuza.
A surging visual prowess emanated from his body. Not only that, but as he gently raised his hand, the surrounding sea suddenly split open, and countless particles of black iron sand slowly rose from the seabed, blotting out the sky.
"This is... the Magnet Style of the Hidden Sand?!"
Zabuza was shocked once more.
He found it difficult to comprehend why an Uchiha from the Hidden Leaf would be associated with Magnet Style.
Very soon, an event that caused his jaw to drop even further occurred.
Rampant Tailed Beast chakra continuously surfaced from Simu's body, and a large number of blood-colored tentacles sprouted outward. A malicious and ferocious aura instantly enveloped the entire sea.
The surface of the ocean agitated, kicking up waves dozens of meters high.
On a pier several kilometers away, the fishermen who witnessed this scene believed that the legendary Sea God was furious, and they hastily knelt on the ground to kowtow.
The Sharingan, Magnet Style, a Tailed Beast, alongside a body that sprouted arbitrarily like a monster.
All of this caused Zabuza to experience an unparalleled sense of awe.
A thought suddenly gestated wildly within his mind: A body that grows so freely is what true freedom of the soul looks like!
Simu slowly descended onto the deck, landing right in front of Zabuza.
"The body is but a shackle restricting the soul. Only by transcending this shackle will your soul achieve its true manifestation."
He placed his glasses back on, and the malicious, bizarre aura from a moment ago vanished without a trace. The surface of the sea also returned to a calm state, as if absolutely nothing had occurred.
Simu smoothed his hair and said calmly, "This is the true path to freedom."
He looked toward Zabuza, who was leaning against the ship's railing, and asked, "Do you wish to obtain true freedom, Mr. Zabuza?"
"True freedom."
Zabuza and Simu locked eyes.
The scene of him personally slaughtering all his comrades during the exam surfaced once again.
That mist permeating with the color of blood had always been the nightmare in his heart.
No matter how fast he ran, how many people he killed, or what kind of efforts he made, he could never escape from that dense fog thick with the scent of blood.
Now, an opportunity was finally laid out in front of him.
Zabuza's intuition informed him that as long as he reached out his hand and accepted the other party's invitation, he would be able to obtain true freedom.
That was absolute freedom extending from the soul to the physical flesh, a true freedom capable of transcending the Blood Mist and changing the entire Hidden Mist Village!
"I want freedom!"
Zabuza used every ounce of his strength to utter these words.
Under his hopeful gaze, Simu slowly pressed his palm against the top of Zabuza's head.
At this moment, Simu resembled a sacred priest, bearing holy light to redeem the people of the world trapped within a lost purgatory.
A terrifying power continuously injected into Zabuza's body. His soul was truly awakened at this moment, and his body altered along with the changes in his soul.
Freedom would descend upon the Hidden Mist.