Bang!
Before the cold current could completely freeze Ryuji and the others, the mechanical bird shattered it, spewing blazing flames from its mouth, engulfing the cold current.
However,
Initially, the flames were vigorous, their light illuminating the sky, instantly pushing the cold current back five or six meters.
But after only two or three seconds, affected by the surrounding temperature, they dimmed and were overtaken by the cold current, pushed back.
No, 'pushed' isn't quite fitting; 'engulfed' is more appropriate.
The cold current invaded, engulfing the flames, continuing to blow toward everyone.
The mechanical bird hastily turned, soaring upward, escaping the coverage range before being swallowed by the cold current.
"As expected, fire is ineffective!"
Ryuji looked back at the frozen flames, with an expression of 'just as expected'.
The Yuki Clan's Ice Release was a Kekkei Genkai formed by combining Wind and Water Chakra Natures. Single-nature Fire Release was indeed difficult to work. Moreover, ice countered fire.
Ice and fire of the same level clashing… absolutely, the cold current would extinguish the flames before melting.
"It's not about Fire Release being ineffective; it's that this Third Mizukage is somewhat too strong!" Aka frowned. "I mean no offense, but I truly can't imagine how Pakura made this guy suffer a loss and flee in a one-on-one fight."
Leaving aside whether Ice Release or Fire Release was stronger, just that technique of transforming the body into ice to immune physical damage and the ability to silently form ice mirrors anywhere for light-speed reflection… these weren't things ordinary Kage could handle.
As for Pakura's strength...
How to put it? She was strong. In terms of destructive power alone, ordinary Kage couldn't compare to her.
But in terms of overall strength, she was just an Elite Jonin, still a bit short of the Kage threshold.
Yet, it was her who, in last July's war, led less than two thousand to fight against overwhelming odds, repelling the Third Mizukage's six thousand troops, and made him suffer a loss and flee in their confrontation.
Although Pakura had the advantage of desert climate then, given the strength the Third Mizukage displayed now, the desert climate advantage wasn't enough to bridge their strength gap.
It was like Water Release Shinobi couldn't use Water Release where there was no water, but water-release powerhouses could still use it without water.
At most, it consumed a bit more Chakra, the Ninjutsu casting was slower, and control was more difficult.
If the strength disparity between combatants reached a certain level, then even with these disadvantages, victory was still possible.
This was what puzzled Aka.
This Third Mizukage, based on the strength displayed so far, was already at the pinnacle of Kage-level. If he still hid some trump card, reaching super-Kage-level strength wasn't impossible.
Here, we must mention so-called super-Kage-level.
In the Shinobi World, there was no rating system based on combat strength.
So-called Genin, Chunin, Tokubetsu Jonin, Jonin, Kage were merely military ranks for Shinobi, not necessarily linked to combat strength.
For instance, Madara, with super-Kage-level strength, was only a Jonin.
The Sannin, Danzo, Kakashi, Guy, all with Kage-level strength, remained Jonin.
Non-combat departments like code-breaking, barrier, beast-taming, medical had positions like Jonin, Chunin, Genin, but their combat strength was pitiful compared to ordinary Shinobi.
In the Shinobi World, people usually called powerful shinobi 'experts', 'elite Shinobi', etc.
Ryuji using the Shinobi System to rate Shinobi strength levels was entirely something from his previous life's Naruto fans… same names, completely different meanings.
And so-called super-Kage-level strength meant strength surpassing ordinary Kage.
Within this level, the strength range was still vast, even larger than from Genin to Jonin.
Sage Kabuto was super-Kage-level, Nagato was super-Kage-level, Obito with a single Rinnegan was super-Kage-level, Madara in life was super-Kage-level, Madara reincarnated via Impure World Reanimation was still super-Kage-level, the First Hokage reincarnated was super-Kage-level, the First Hokage in life was still super-Kage-level.
But clearly, there were strength differences among them.
The strongest could even instantly kill the weakest.
Now, the Third Mizukage also had the possibility of reaching super-Kage-level.
...Only a possibility. If he couldn't later display eye-catching abilities, he still wouldn't surpass the Kage-level strength rating.
But in other words, he had already touched the threshold of super-Kage-level strength.
Such strength compared to Pakura, who had only touched the Kage threshold, definitely couldn't be bridged by just the desert climate advantage.
Unless...
"He can only display such strength under special circumstances!" Ryuji voiced his speculation.
Pakura had mentioned her battle with the Third Mizukage to him.
In that battle, the strength the Third Mizukage displayed had a clear gap compared to now.
Initially, Ryuji had two conjectures.
One, the environment limited his strength.
Two, the Third Mizukage at that time was under Madara's control, so he couldn't perfectly display his strength.
But upon careful thought, these didn't hold up.
Judging by the strength the Third Mizukage displayed now, the desert climate obviously couldn't suppress his strength that badly.
And being controlled preventing perfect strength display... considering Obito controlling Yagura, that issue didn't appear, so this deduction also didn't hold up well.
Then, only one conclusion remained.
That was, this environment enhanced the Third Mizukage's strength.
"Domain?"
Ryuji suddenly thought of something, looking up at the falling snowflakes.
January was already cold, and being overseas added to the chill, temperature around minus twenty degrees Celsius.
But due to the domain's effect, the temperature directly dropped to around minus fifty degrees, already exceeding ordinary people's limits… the kind where urinating would instantly freeze.
If ordinary water was like this, then for the Third Mizukage using Ice Release, wouldn't it be like adding wings to a tiger?
When suppressed by desert climate, he was ordinary Kage-level strength. Without suppression, peak Kage-level strength. If enhanced by climate, then touching the super-Kage-level threshold or even already at super-Kage-level strength… that wasn't impossible.
"If we can break this domain, then he can't display this level of strength."
Hearing this, Aka frowned.
To break the ice and snow domain, melting with fire was undoubtedly the best method.
But bitterly cold, Fire Release was already suppressed. The ice and snow domain's range was several hundred to nearly a thousand meters, with continuous snowfall... Trying to break it with Fire Release was pure wishful thinking.
"Let me try Scorch Release!"
After pondering a moment, Aka began forming hand seals.
Orange fireballs the size of soccer balls rose one after another, then merged above Aka's head, enlarging, finally forming a huge fireball about six meters in diameter.