Hoshiyomi stood wreathed in a green chakra aura, his Mikazuki Munechika pointed directly at Yagura:
"To be able to push me this far," Hoshiyomi said calmly, "you really are worthy of the title Mizukage."
Yagura stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide and trembling. What kind of monster is this man?
That overwhelming pressure—could it be that the terrifying gravity attack from before hadn't even been his full strength?
But he couldn't back down now. For the sake of all his fallen comrades, for those slaughtered Kirigakure shinobi—he, the Fourth Mizukage, could not fall here.
Gritting his teeth, Yagura spun his coral staff through the air. As it turned, a curtain of water appeared before him, glimmering faintly like glass.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
The moment the water formed, it became as smooth as a mirror—reflecting Hoshiyomi perfectly. But the reflection didn't remain still. A moment later, the image of Hoshiyomi moved on its own.
The reflection stepped out from the mirror, gripping an identical sword, and in the blink of an eye, the shadow Hoshiyomi fully emerged from the liquid surface.
Without hesitation, it lunged forward, brandishing its blade at the real Hoshiyomi.
Hoshiyomi smirked, unfazed.
"Bringing out this kind of cheap trick now is a bit ridiculous, isn't it?"
As he spoke, Hoshiyomi shifted the angle of his Mikazuki Munechika's blade and used a Shunpo. Instead of dodging, he charged directly towards the shadow Hoshiyomi.
Dragon Nest Flash!
The two Hoshiyomis clashed in an explosion of steel and chakra. But of course, the clone could never truly match him.
After only a few exchanges, Hoshiyomi's blade struck the enemy's sword with such power that the fake Mikazuki Munechika went spinning away. Hoshiyomi didn't stop there—his movements blurred as he unleashed over thirty strikes in mere seconds.
No matter how much the Shadow Hoshiyomi could recover, it couldn't withstand such a relentless barrage.
With Hoshiyomi's final slash, the shadow Hoshiyomi could no longer endure the damage and dissolved into a splash of water on the floor.
Just then, Yagura spoke up:
"Who cares if it's a cheap trick? It's enough to hold you up! Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave! (Baku Suishōha)"
He took a deep breath and exhaled a massive torrent of water. A raging tsunami burst from his mouth, surging toward Hoshiyomi like a living wall.
But Hoshiyomi didn't flinch. His tone was almost mocking.
"You still haven't figured it out, have you?
Using the same kind of attack on me twice… is pointless."
He raised his sword high, chakra swirling violently around the blade.
"Now—shatter!"
In an instant, Hoshiyomi's chakra shifted to Wind Release, and he brought the sword down in a devastating arc.
A huge cyan-green crescent blade of energy roared forth, slicing through the air like a storm.
From the distance, Pakura could only stare in shock. That monstrous blade of wind cleaved directly through Yagura's towering wave, splitting the tsunami clean in half before hurtling straight toward the Mizukage himself.
Yagura's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Impossible! He had used Exploding Water Colliding Wave with enough force to wash away an entire town, and yet this man had cut it apart—with sword energy alone?
And the closer the sword energy came, the greater its cutting force grew.
He couldn't maintain the water flow any longer—if he did, he'd be cut in two.
Cursing under his breath, Yagura ceased his jutsu output and dove aside with all his might, barely escaping the blade.
The sword energy roared past, shearing through the walls of the Mizukage's Building. Yagura looked back just in time to see it carve a deep gouge straight through the wall before fading into the distance.
Yagura let out a long, shaky breath of relief — Good thing I stopped it in time.
But just as he was about to regain his composure, a voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Hey… what are you looking at?"
That all-too-familiar voice made Yagura jolt in terror. Before he realized it, Hoshiyomi — after releasing that massive sword energy — had already appeared silently behind him.
Panicking, Yagura tried to grab his coral staff, but Hoshiyomi gave him no chance. With a sharp kick to Yagura's side, he sent the Mizukage flying into the wall of the Mizukage Building with a thunderous crash.
This time, Hoshiyomi didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and drove his blade straight into Yagura's abdomen.
Yagura let out a muffled groan of pain, but instead of retreating, he suddenly gripped Hoshiyomi's sword with both hands, blood dripping down his palms, and let out a grim, desperate laugh:
"Now… you're not getting away!"
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Yagura quickly performed one last hand seal, spitting out a high-pressure water blade mixed with his own blood, aiming directly for Hoshiyomi's heart.
Hoshiyomi's pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he activated Dance of the Startled Swan — his figure vanished instantly, reappearing beside Pakura.
Yagura stared blankly at the spot where Hoshiyomi had stood, a flicker of regret in his eyes. So… I still couldn't keep him here in Kirigakure.
That last Water Severing Wave was his final effort. After realizing he had failed to eliminate Hoshiyomi, and already severely injured, he no longer had the strength to hold on. His head lolled to the side as he fell unconscious.
Hoshiyomi calmly walked back to where Yagura lay and pulled Mikazuki Munechika from his body. He looked down at the Mizukage, blood still trickling from the corner of his lips, and sighed softly.
"To fight this hard, just to avenge your people… I understand your resolve. I was planning to kill you outright, but you've earned my respect.
I'll spare you this once. Good luck, Mizukage."
Sheathing his sword, Hoshiyomi turned toward Pakura and said,
"We've caused enough damage here. Let's go — time to head back to Konoha."
Pakura blinked, still dazed by everything that had happened. It took her a few seconds to respond softly,
"Ah… right."
As she followed Hoshiyomi out of the ruined Mizukage Building, she kept glancing back — at the shattered walls, the massive X-shaped scar left by Hoshiyomi's blade, and the scattered limbs of the fallen Kirigakure shinobi.
The entire scene looked so surreal it was hard to believe it had truly happened.
Gekko Hoshiyomi… what a terrifying man, she thought.
But at the same time, to be his ally — that must feel incredibly safe.
The people of Konoha are so lucky… to have such a protector.
As those thoughts drifted through her mind, Pakura followed Hoshiyomi out into the open air.
Outside, she finally realized that the entire area around the Mizukage Building had been surrounded — countless Kirigakure shinobi had gathered, weapons drawn, faces grim.
Of course, it made sense. The entire Mizukage Building had been reduced to rubble; even the deaf would've felt the tremors.
It would've been strange if no one had come to investigate.
Off to the side, the three Hyūga shinobi who had accompanied Hoshiyomi had already been captured. When they saw Hoshiyomi and Pakura emerge, their heads drooped in shame — embarrassed to be caught so easily.
Meanwhile, the Kirigakure shinobi surrounding the area stared in disbelief at the two figures emerging from the wreckage.
Only two people?
The ones who had stormed and destroyed the Mizukage Building… were just two people?