The Water Prison Technique was an extremely basic technique. It didn't require many hand seals, and once cast, as long as one maintained chakra output, it could trap the opponent in a high-pressure sphere of water and prevent them from escaping.
Though simple, this technique was extremely practical—almost all Mist Ninja could use it. It could even be strengthened or modified, such as by replacing water with corrosive liquid, or creating duplicates to trap multiple enemies at once.
But in the hands of this Water Clone, the Water Prison Technique was too perfect. The jutsu was cast instantly, without any hand seals, yet the water sphere was extremely stable and powerful—it crushed the trapped person's body with a deadly squeeze.
That wasn't a level of pressure a Chūnin could endure.
Even worse, although this was a clone, it acted completely independently. It maintained the Water Prison while summoning another water clone with one hand to continue launching attacks.
"This is too abnormal…"Fengjiansi, hiding in the shadows, watched in astonishment.
"Even though I already guessed it might be like this, it's still hard to believe. These zombies have completely lost the shackles of the living body… not only is their chakra nearly endless, but they also have no need to control their physical condition. They can keep making water clones and Water Prisons continuously…"
In normal circumstances, water clones were limited in number because each required a portion of chakra. Making more than a few would severely drain a ninja. But this monster? He was creating them non-stop.
The forest filled with crashing water sounds and cries of panic.
These Water Clones had perfectly inherited the user's jutsu abilities—but their minds had become simpler and more violent.
They didn't hold back or strategize. They didn't try to preserve strength. Instead, they used every bit of power for overwhelming force.
"Wait… is this really still a 'clone'? Aren't they just mass-produced water-element zombies?"
Fengjiansi found this situation increasingly hard to categorize.
The only flaw was that the water clones' bodies were inherently unstable. Once struck by strong enough force or destructive jutsu, they would collapse into water, so their endurance wasn't great.
But in this forest—where there was water everywhere—each one that collapsed could just be remade immediately.
"Looks like this is turning into a drawn-out battle…"Fengjiansi muttered, noticing the reactions of the Konoha ninjas.
They finally realized something was wrong.
No matter how strong a Water Clone was, it shouldn't last this long. Its power and persistence were clearly unnatural, beyond what a human could provide.
That meant… something was behind the Water Clone.
Soon, some ninja shifted their focus away from the clones and began scanning the forest.
Fengjiansi narrowed his eyes. "It's time."
He moved silently through the woods, crouching low, until he finally saw the source.
A water-logged corpse was half-submerged in a marshy pool, connected by a thread of chakra to dozens of Water Clones rampaging through the woods.
"It's a water-style corpse puppet… controlled from a distance. Incredible. So this is the real enemy behind the curtain…"
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small black talisman—the Zombie Talisman.
Silently, he tossed it into the pool.
Then, he vanished.
A moment later, a terrible scream echoed through the forest—echoed by the howling collapse of all the Water Clones, one after another exploding into water.
The water returned to stillness.
(To Be Continued)