A thick fog, dense enough to block out the surroundings, shrouded the nearby trees, rocks, and even the ground beneath his feet. Not even the Sharingan could fully pierce through this chakra-infused mist, and Uchiha Shisui could only see about four or five meters ahead of him. Beyond that, things became unclear.
However, this wasn't anything new to him.
It wasn't his first time dealing with the Hidden Mist ninja. He'd already encountered their Silent Killing and Hidden Mist Techniques before, even taking down a few self-proclaimed assassination experts from the Mist during the Third Great Ninja War. While those ninjas were certainly skilled, they clearly weren't as formidable as they had boasted.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be Shisui standing here today.
"Can you tell me your name, attacker from earlier?" Shisui asked, holding his sword at the ready and scanning for any clue to track down Zabuza Momochi.
"Zabuza Momochi," came the faint, echoing voice, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location. As the name "Silent Killing" suggests, this assassination technique involved a number of sound manipulation tricks. One such skill was making it impossible for the target to locate the source of the voice, a key part of the Silent Killing Technique.
"The 'Demon' Zabuza Momochi?" Shisui suddenly realized.
Much like he and Sougen had made their names during the Third Great Ninja War, there were also prodigies in the Mist Village. Zabuza Momochi was one of the talents that Hidden Mist had actively promoted. However, either by luck or fate, the two had never crossed paths during the war.
This would be their first battle.
"No wonder! Your Silent Killing Technique is the most impressive I've encountered from any Mist ninja so far. That last strike almost got me," Shisui said casually, though his wrist suddenly turned, and with the howl of the wind, his small blade slashed toward his side.
There was no sound of flesh or bone being cut.
Only the splash of water hitting the ground.
"A Water Clone? How troublesome," Shisui thought instinctively, but as he withdrew his blade, he sensed something was wrong. The water that had splashed to the ground was still moving. "Water Gun Technique." The upper half of a figure, formed from flowing water, appeared—Hozuki Mangetsu. With his right hand in the shape of a gun, he aimed at Shisui's chest and fired a high-pressure stream of liquid more powerful than a bullet.
This was Hozuki Mangetsu's killing move.
He had disguised his Liquid Transformation Technique as a Water Clone to get close to Uchiha Shisui and then use the Water Gun Technique, which required no hand signs, to finish him off. The tactic seemed simple, but the simpler the move, the more effective it often was.
Simplicity meant fewer weaknesses.
Hozuki Mangetsu was confident no one could dodge his Water Gun Technique from this range.
Until—
The liquid, capable of piercing through stone, tore through the trunk of a tree, and Mangetsu could hardly believe that Shisui had evaded the attack. So, this was the famed "Shisui of the Body Flicker"? The nickname truly fit him.
**Uchiha Style: Sword Dance of the Ember**
Shisui's counterattack came swiftly.
The failed strike and Mangetsu's liquified body were enough for Shisui to figure out his attacker's identity. He was up against a ninja from the Hozuki Clan, likely the "Prodigy" Hozuki Mangetsu.
Shisui couldn't help but feel slightly puzzled. First Zabuza Momochi, now Hozuki Mangetsu—was he surrounded by the Mist's prodigies?
Pushing aside his scattered thoughts, he wielded his blade with the precision and swiftness of the Uchiha. Sparks of fire flickered along the edge as he slashed diagonally, making sure the strike covered enough area to ensure a lethal hit.
This was Shisui's first encounter with a member of the Hozuki Clan, and his knowledge of their Liquid Transformation Technique was purely theoretical, so he naturally opted for the safest approach.
And of course—
Never forget Shisui's surname.
He was an Uchiha. The same Uchiha who had once driven off Ao and his Mist squad. And it wasn't just his Body Flicker Technique that had done the job—it was also the power of his Sharingan. His genjutsu was every bit as formidable as his mastery of the Body Flicker.
As Shisui's blade fell, the tomoe in his Sharingan spun, and in an instant, his eyes met Mangetsu's. **Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique** activated. Phantom iron spikes appeared and drove into Mangetsu's body, robbing the prodigy of his ability to move.
Mangetsu froze, completely at the mercy of Shisui's blade.
Fortunately for him, this wasn't a one-on-one battle.
**Water Style: Water Fang Bullet**
A high-speed rotating stream of water, like a drilling snake, shot toward Shisui from multiple angles, directed by an unseen Kisame Hoshigaki hiding within the mist.
"Another one?" Shisui muttered, slightly exasperated.
Judging by the timing of the attack and the power of the jutsu, this unseen assailant was no pushover. Even Shisui was beginning to feel the pressure of facing three powerful adversaries.
As the spiraling water jets closed in, Shisui's blade cut through one of Mangetsu's arms, the clash of fire and water creating a hissing sound like boiling water. But when the severed arm hit the ground, it dissolved into a puddle of water.
"Another miss," Shisui frowned slightly.
There was no time for a second strike, though, as the water bullets were already upon him. But Shisui had already made hand signs with his left hand, and just as the water hit, his Body Flicker Technique activated, causing him to vanish from the spot. The next moment, he reappeared atop a distant tree.
"Too fast," Kisame muttered from within the mist, frowning deeply.
He wasn't surprised that his Water Fang Bullet had missed. If Shisui could be caught so easily, he wouldn't have earned such a fearsome reputation. Kisame's problem was the sheer speed of Shisui's Body Flicker Technique—it was so fast that he couldn't think of any way to catch him.
As he pondered, Kisame sent a Water Clone to Mangetsu's side, shattering Mangetsu's body with a punch and returning him to his liquid form, breaking the hold of the Shackling Stakes Technique.
Mangetsu reappeared beside Kisame, unscathed and with both arms intact. This was the power of the Hozuki Clan's Liquid Transformation Technique, which allowed them to evade most physical attacks—a top-tier survival ability.
"Kisame, Zabuza, don't look into his Sharingan," Mangetsu warned. He wasn't sure if the Kisame beside him was the real one or another clone, but he knew both Kisame and Zabuza could hear him. After his close encounter with Shisui, he knew they would be looking for information.
"Under no circumstances should you make eye contact with Shisui. His genjutsu… is beyond what we can handle."
His expression was deadly serious.
Neither Kisame nor Zabuza had ever seen Mangetsu look like this. In their eyes, Mangetsu always wore a smirk, dripping with arrogance and bloodlust. Even though they found him unpleasant, they couldn't deny his strength.
But to see Mangetsu this rattled after just one exchange with Shisui—this was a first.
"That ridiculously fast Body Flicker would be trouble enough, but add genjutsu on top of it..." Kisame shook his head.
This was going to be tough.
Zabuza, hiding within the mist, remained silent.
"This time is different from before. If we're not careful, we could become the prey here. Stay sharp if you don't want to die," Mangetsu said, creating more than ten Water Clones to work alongside Kisame's clones in harassing Shisui.
Then—
He pulled out a large scroll and summoned the twin swords, Hiramekarei.
---
In the center of the island's forest, the Mist ninja camp stood. Inside, a disguised White Zetsu, posing as Yagura, sat anxiously. The explosions and smoke rising from the west side of the island constantly reminded him that it might be time to wrap things up.
Uchiha Sougen was coming. The Mist ninja here were no match for Susanoo, not even close.
Just as Zetsu prepared to flee, commotion erupted outside the tent.
"Water Release: Giant Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Outside, Yagura unleashed a powerful Water Release jutsu. He spewed out a massive wave, like a raging ocean. The surging water instantly swept away all the debris and trees nearby, including the Mizukage's tent, which was torn apart and carried away by the current. Even the ground itself was stripped away, leaving Zetsu, who was disguised as Yagura, unable to escape as the water swept him into the air.
"So impressive."
Sougen stood atop the corpses of several Mist shinobi, gazing up at the enormous, oval-shaped water prison in front of him. Judging by eye, the thing had to be over ten kilometers in diameter. The Mist ninja's camp was almost entirely flattened. Fortunately, most of the Mist shinobi had been drawn to the west side of the island by a surprise attack from the Leaf ninjas, leaving only about a hundred behind at the camp.
Yagura's mastery of Water Release was remarkable. The Giant Exploding Water Colliding Wave was a defensive jutsu with the added ability to trap enemies. The Mist shinobi caught in the wave weren't killed instantly; Yagura quickly tossed them aside. However, the Zetsu disguised as him remained trapped within.
(End of chapter)