Although he didn't know the exact weakness of the Third Mizukage's technique of transforming himself into ice to become immune to physical attacks, there must certainly be limitations.
Under a dual assault of physical and Ninjutsu attacks, it was impossible not to be affected at all.
As for predicting...
The mechanical birds possessed autonomous consciousness.
Moreover, because of their mechanical bodies, their perception methods differed from humans, allowing them to see clearly even in the thick mist.
When the ice mirror formed before him, Ryuji and Aka charged towards it.
And the light-speed reflection of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals moves in a straight line.
After witnessing it several times, Aka had calculated the gap between the moment the opponent's mirror formed and the instant it reflected movement, leading to the scenario where the Third Mizukage rushed right into their fists.
"To be so perceptive!"
The Third Mizukage, whose body had aged considerably, stared at the young man and girl opposite him, his expression grave.
"Mizukage-dono, do you still wish to continue fighting?" Ryuji wore a composed smile as he suggested, "Anyway, the objective of your operation this time isn't here. How about simply withdrawing and proceeding with your original mission?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Mizukage fell into deep thought.
He had previously believed he could aKanave a first-encounter kill against the enemy's leader using the tactical system centered around his domain. Thus, he had unhesitatingly rejected the other party's proposal.
But now, the first-encounter kill had failed. Instead, he himself had been defeated.
Even if he called upon all of Kirigakure's elite to act together and ultimately aKanaved victory, they would suffer losses in both personnel and equipment. This would be extremely disadvantageous for the subsequent operation to attack Konoha.
However,
After the previous war, Konoha's main force numbered less than five thousand, all pinned down in the Land of Earth.
As long as his own side still possessed two thousand elites, it would be sufficient to complete the plan for the surprise attack on Konoha.
So...
"I refuse!"
The Third Mizukage looked solemnly at Ryuji. A bone-chilling cold air emanated from his body's surface, and his aged form gradually began to restore its youth.
"As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kirigakure can accept failure. But for us to surrender without a fight is impossible."
"How is this surrendering without a fight? It's merely a proposal beneficial to both sides, a cooperation."
"No matter how nicely you phrase it, you cannot hide the fact that in this proposal, we are the ones forced by circumstances."
"Is that so!" Ryuji sighed regretfully. "If persuasion to this extent cannot succeed, then it can only be resolved by force. Kill them!"
With the command given, the puppets flying high above raised their chakra cannons one after another, aiming at the forest below.
Instantly, purple light blazed intensely.
The Third Mizukage's eyes nearly burst with rage as he shouted, "Defend!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!
Amidst the continuous, deafening roars, bursts of flames erupted one after another. The sky above the vast forest spanning dozens of kilometers was instantly shrouded in smoke and dust.
Not waiting for the dust to settle, the knight puppets charged in, weapons at the ready.
This wave of collective cannon fire primarily targeted the large trees. In the complex environment of the forest, puppets lacking normal human senses were at a significant disadvantage in combat.
Of course, this decision was also made by Ebizo based on calculations, concluding that even aiming at people wouldn't aKanave significant results under the circumstances.
Now, with the sea of trees leveled, the Kirigakure's Shinobi had no more cover to hide behind. The knight puppets, leveraging the momentum from the previous explosions, slaughtered chaotically like tigers entering a flock of sheep.
Although the Kirigakure's Shinobi quickly regained their composure and organized counterattacks under the command of their team leaders, this wave of unexpected assault still reduced their numbers by several hundred.
The Third Mizukage looked up at Ryuji and Aka, his black eyes swirling with killing intent.
"Today, you will certainly die!"
After saying this, he waved his hand grandly. The snow in the sky stopped falling.
Yagura, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the Three-Tails, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, and even a group of Anbu guards swarmed forward, arriving beside the Third Mizukage.
"No matter how strong you are, facing so many elites leaves you with only the path of death!"
"That's not necessarily true!"
Following a crisp, lovely voice from high above, a girl with a pink ponytail and a sexy figure descended from the sky.
She formed hand seals and, just as she was about to land, pressed down on the air and shouted, "Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
Amidst thick smoke rising, a giant black salamander appeared in the clearing.
"Roar!"
The salamander roared furiously, raising a hurricane that scattered the thick fog. Billowing purple gas spewed from its mouth.
The girl stood atop the salamander's head. Changing her hand seal, she took a deep breath of air. The purple gas seemed to find its home, swirling into her mouth before she forcefully expelled it.
[Ninjutsu - Ten Thousand Purples, a Thousand Reds Poison!]
Whoosh!
Multicolored mist exploded above the salamander's head, radiating indiscriminately in all directions.
This was Ryuji's tactic.
First, try to see if combat could be avoided through conversation. If not, then display strength to make the other party retreat knowing the difficulty.
If that still couldn't resolve it, have Kana, who had been waiting in the air, suddenly make an entrance, using potent poison to capture everyone in one fell swoop.
This was also why only Ryuji and Aka had descended.
Because only the two of them possessed antibodies immune to the alluring poison.
This sudden change caught everyone off guard.
The Kirigakure's side all realized this was potent poison and swiftly retreated. However, they couldn't outpace the speed at which the poisonous mist exploded. Just as everyone was about to be enveloped by the poison fog, the Third Mizukage formed hand seals and blew fiercely forward.
Frosty, icy-cold air streamed from his mouth, instantly freezing the poison mist that had engulfed a range of several tens of meters.
"This..."
Kana stood dumbfounded on the salamander's head.
Since her body had been modified, she had been undefeated in battle.
As long as the enemy wasn't prepared in advance, her abilities would not fail.
She originally thought this time would be no exception, never expecting the Third Mizukage to easily neutralize it.
"Indeed, it's not that easy!" Ryuji and Aka arrived on either side of the salamander, their expressions somewhat helpless. "If possible, I really don't want to clash head-on with an enemy of this caliber. The losses would be too great."
This time was different from Konoha.
Although Konoha's lineup last time was even more impressive, the battlefield was within Konoha Village itself, with less than two thousand ordinary Shinobi unable to resist the assault of the puppet army.
Whether it was property or the lives of ordinary Shinobi and villagers, they were all factors causing hesitation and restraint.
But this time, there was nothing of the sort.
Kirigakure commanded a force of six thousand, sufficient to oppose the five-thousand-strong puppet army.
And within the Land of Whirlpools, there was nothing to cause them such hesitation. Once battle commenced, it would inevitably be an all-out decisive confrontation.
"That really scared the hell out of me!" Juzo, shouldering the Executioner's Blade, stepped onto the frozen block of poison mist, saying with lingering fear, "I thought I was going to die in such an undignified way!"
"Since the enemy has made their move, we cannot fall behind either!"
"Let Sunagakure also witness the might of our Kirigakure!"
"Exactly! Last time in the Land of Wind was frustrating enough. Now they've given us another scare. Let's settle both scores together!"
The elites of Kirigakure charged forward in unison.