"Orochimaru, you bastard—trying to invade the Land of Water again, are you?"
The Third Mizukage's face was pale, his expression already looking half-dead as he spoke.
Orochimaru sneered.
"Strike while the iron's hot. A venomous snake never passes up easy prey. Third Mizukage, you're already on your last legs."
It was true—the Third Mizukage was dying. Every shinobi from Kirigakure knew it. Grief showed plainly on their faces. And yet, despite his condition, their leader stood at the front lines, still fighting to protect his country and his village.
Karatachi Yagura raised his voice.
"Everyone, lift your heads! The Mizukage-sama fights to protect us, to protect the village! What excuse do we have not to fight?! Kill the Konoha shinobi! Kill them! Avenge our fallen comrades!"
"Kill them!"
"Slaughter the Konoha ninja! Drive them from our homeland!"
"For Kirigakure!!!"
The hearts of the people had been rallied!
Yagura gave the Third Mizukage a respectful nod. The Mizukage exhaled deeply and said,
"I'll be the one to drive you out, Orochimaru. Don't think you can take even a single step into the Land of Water."
Orochimaru continued to smirk coldly.
"As expected of the Third Mizukage—your righteous speech is admirable. But let's not forget it was you who attacked Konoha first. Why is it that we're not allowed to strike back? And now you play the victim? How convenient."
He looked down on Kirigakure's hypocrisy. They had made the first move, but now when Konoha counterattacked, they were being labeled the aggressors? Was anyone going to call that out?
A pot of shit dumped wherever they pleased!
"Enough talk! Kirigakure shinobi—for the village, charge with me!" the Third Mizukage roared, no longer wasting words on Orochimaru. He led the charge forward.
Orochimaru laughed darkly and waved his hand. The Konoha forces leapt into battle.
The clash between the shinobi of Konoha and Kirigakure exploded into chaos—fierce, frenzied combat on all sides.
Kiyosuke locked eyes with Terumī Mei.
"So you came."
"I did."
"You shouldn't have."
"But I'm already here."
"You're no longer my match, Mei."
He exhaled slowly. Around him, Kirigakure shinobi closed in: the Kaguya Clan, the Hōzuki Clan, the Yuki Clan—and of course, Terumī Mei herself. Bloodline after bloodline, all targeting him.
Fighting fire with fire—bloodline limit against bloodline limit!
"Ice Style!"
"Flying Bone Needles!"
"Water Style: Iron Water Cannon!"
"Lava Style: Monster Technique!"
A flurry of jutsu rained down. Kiyosuke's expression didn't shift in the slightest. With the unique hand seal method of the Second Hokage, he formed seals quickly.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
A spiraling wall of water rose around him, blocking all incoming attacks.
Terumī Mei's face turned icy cold.
"Kiyosuke, today—I will kill you!"
Kiyosuke paused for a moment, then said,
"Is that so?"
He gave a small laugh.
"Seems like you've made up your mind, Mei. You know, if we were from the same village, I'd totally be chasing after you. You're too cute. Of course, given how handsome I am, my date schedule's booked out eight years in advance."
"…"
She had been feeling a little conflicted. Now? Not even a trace. She was ready to kill this bastard!
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive water dragon surged toward him, claws outstretched. Kiyosuke met it with a blast of flame from his mouth, vaporizing it midair.
"Attacking from behind? That's just rude. Everyone knows infiltration is best done without announcing yourself. That's what makes it art!"
With a grin, he summoned a blazing spear of fire in his hand and hurled it with force. It streaked through the air and impaled a shinobi straight through the chest, silencing him before he could even scream.
"Kill him!"
Someone shouted, and the Kirigakure shinobi all opened fire at once—ninjutsu and ninja tools flying at Kiyosuke from every direction.
He moved swiftly to avoid them, but then noticed the mist growing thicker around him.
Screams echoed through the fog.
They were Konoha voices.
In this dense mist, Konoha shinobi were no match for their opponents.
Silent Killing Technique.
Kirigakure's signature assassination method: cloak the battlefield in mist, then use sound to locate enemies. A top-tier assassination art.
Kiyosuke swept his eyes across the battlefield. The mist blurred everything—he could only see heat signatures. With so many Konoha and Kirigakure shinobi tangled together, it was hard to tell who was who.
A team of wind-style users from Konoha banded together and summoned a storm that blew the mist away.
The fog dispersed—and the Kirigakure shinobi were suddenly laid bare.
You may have schemes, but we've got counters!
With their cover gone, the Kirigakure shinobi had no choice but to engage directly.
Orochimaru and the Third Mizukage clashed once more, unleashing jutsu in every direction. In no time, the forest had transformed into a swamp.
When titans fight, the very terrain changes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Kiyosuke and Terumī Mei fought with kunai, no holding back, every strike aimed to kill. Since his training at Ryūchi Cave, Kiyosuke's power had grown—even without Sage Mode, he was stronger than before. The gap between them was beginning to show.
But Mei wasn't fighting alone.
"Water Style: Iron Water Cannon!"
Her comrade, Hōzuki Genzuki, backed her up with a water-style jutsu, forcing Kiyosuke to dodge. A direct hit would've done serious damage.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow!"
Kaguya Taketori sprouted sharp bones from his palms, elbows, shoulders, and knees. With flawless, flowing taijutsu, he launched a barrage of attacks—deceptive, unpredictable, and deadly.
Unfortunately, even when his strikes pierced Kiyosuke's body, they did nothing.
Kiyosuke had turned to an elemental state—immune to pain and injury.
"Fall back, Taketori!" Mei shouted.
Taketori immediately retreated.
"What's this?" Kiyosuke chuckled. "Afraid of me already? I don't bite."
A torrent of liquid came crashing down on him from above. Flames flared up on his body, evaporating it instantly.
He said calmly,
"An ambush, huh? More and more of you keep showing up. Looks like you've really decided to take me down."
He could sense at least twenty Kirigakure shinobi surrounding him. He turned to Mei.
"You're leading this?"
"I am."
"Oh, I see. Then remember this day, Mei. This will be the worst decision of your life. Allow me to show you… my newest power."
He formed hand seals.
His chakra stirred the natural energy left behind by the White Snake Sage. That energy began flowing on its own, circulating his chakra and drawing more power from the environment.
A violet sage mask appeared on his face.
His eyes turned into cold, reptilian slits.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!"
...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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