Chapter 155: He's Doomed
What Li Jiexuan hadn't expected was that he ultimately did get to meet the Second Mizukage of the Hidden Mist—Hōzuki Gengetsu.
"I heard a three-year-old ninja from Konoha defeated one of our ANBU?" Hōzuki Gengetsu swaggered into the ANBU headquarters and found Li Jiexuan. The ANBU at his side wanted to stop him, but in front of the Mizukage, he had no standing at all.
"I also heard you're Konoha's envoy for peace talks?" Gengetsu's eyes were full of mockery. "And that the moment you entered the Hidden Mist, you crippled one of our ANBU?"
Li Jiexuan nodded helplessly. All of that was true—there was nothing to argue about.
"Hahaha!" Gengetsu threw his head back and laughed. "I've never seen such an interesting peace envoy. And to possess such power at such a young age—how exciting!"
"You don't mind that I injured your ANBU?" Li Jiexuan asked in confusion. He couldn't understand why Gengetsu could still laugh when one of his subordinates had been beaten.
"Of course I don't mind!" Gengetsu sneered disdainfully. "If he was injured by you, it's because he was too weak. To question the strong for the sake of the weak—wouldn't that be ridiculous?"
What kind of bandit logic is that!?
Li Jiexuan fell silent. But this was also related to how the Hidden Mist selected its Mizukage.
Even though they were from the same ninja village, from the moment they became ninja, they were expected to fight one another. Only when the strongest finally emerged would the struggle temporarily subside.
Because of this, the Hidden Mist followed a single creed: strength above all!
"So, you agree to peace talks?" Li Jiexuan raised a doubtful brow. In the anime, it was said that Hōzuki Gengetsu admired talented young warriors—but would he really go this far?
"No, no, no…" Gengetsu grinned viciously. "Of course I don't agree to peace."
"Why?"
"Because war is interesting!" Gengetsu stuck out his tongue and laughed like a madman. "Besides, I've never fought the Hokage. Who's stronger? We'll only know after we fight!"
A complete battle maniac.
But Li Jiexuan caught the most important sentence.
"So you're saying, if the Hokage defeats you, you'll give up on the war?" Li Jiexuan narrowed his eyes, staring at Gengetsu.
Hearing that, Gengetsu looked around with excitement. "What? Has Senju Tobirama—the so-called fastest ninja—already arrived?"
"No. He hasn't." Li Jiexuan stood up with a cold smile. "But if I defeat you, that would end everything just the same, wouldn't it?"
"You?" Gengetsu stared at Li Jiexuan and burst into laughter. "You're saying you want to challenge me? Maybe in another ten years, you might manage it…"
"No. I'm saying I'm going to defeat you."
Li Jiexuan decisively tore up the peace document. If words couldn't convince you, then force would.
Hearing this, the surrounding Mist ninja roared with laughter.
"You dare challenge the Mizukage? You have a death wish!"
"Lord Mizukage is the strongest in all the Hidden Mist!"
However, Gengetsu's expression turned unprecedentedly serious. He stared coldly at Li Jiexuan. "You should understand—I won't hold back."
"Neither will I." Li Jiexuan sneered. "If I win, you stop the war between the Hidden Mist and Konoha."
"And if you lose, you stay in the Hidden Mist and serve as my bodyguard for life!" Gengetsu smirked. "And if you're thinking of relying on the Nine-Tails' chakra inside you to win, you've miscalculated!"
Mission triggered: Duel with the Mizukage.
Mission content: The Hidden Mist believes only in strength. Use strength to conquer the Mizukage and complete the peace talks.
Mission reward: One Kage-level treasure chest, ten thousand points.
And so, the duel between Li Jiexuan and the Second Mizukage was set. Three-year-old Li Jiexuan of Konoha would challenge the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist—Hōzuki Gengetsu!
The news spread throughout every street and alley of the Hidden Mist almost instantly. Even other nations soon caught wind of it. When Senju Tobirama, far away in Konoha, received the report, his heart nearly collapsed.
"That brat—I sent him to negotiate peace, not to throw his life away!" Tobirama shook his head helplessly, handing the intelligence to Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him. "Challenging the Mizukage in the Hidden Mist Village itself—he must be tired of living!"
"But what if Li Jiexuan wins?" Hiruzen suddenly said. "Back then, we didn't expect him to kill Reto by himself either…"
Hearing that, Tobirama fell silent for a long moment before nodding firmly.
"In that case, he's even more doomed!"