Unfortunately for Mizuki, his kunai struck Sanada Kazama's Wood Style clone with a dull clang and was immediately flung aside, the blade repelled by the clone's iron-hard body.
"What—! How can your body be this tough?!" Mizuki's eyes widened in shock as disbelief overtook him.
Kazama smirked."That was only one of my clones. If you can't even damage a clone of mine, what makes you think you can fight me?"
Even as he spoke, Kazama's true body had already slipped silently behind Mizuki.
"No… impossible! A clone can't have a body that solid!" Mizuki's disbelief deepened. Naruto's Shadow Clones had already shaken him to the core earlier, but now seeing another so-called "dead-last" genin like Kazama wielding such a technique was beyond what his mind could accept.
"Ordinary clones, yes—they're fragile. But the technique I've used is none other than the Wood Style: Multiple Clone Jutsu!"
With a swift series of hand seals, Kazama summoned not one or two but three thousand Wood Style clones, filling the clearing with an overwhelming tide of identical bodies. The sheer force of the spectacle made the air itself seem to shudder.
"And now," Kazama declared, his eyes gleaming, "I'll show you my original taijutsu ultimate art!"
"Taijutsu ultimate art?!" Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki all froze in shock at his words.
Everyone knew—the strongest taijutsu was the Eight Gates, a forbidden power so fierce that even Kage would hesitate to face it head-on.
"Could it be… Kazama's mastered the Eight Gates?" Iruka thought in awe. His initial astonishment had turned into genuine respect.
"Kazama, your strength… it truly leaves me speechless as your teacher! I—"
But just as Iruka began to shower him with praise, he suddenly noticed Kazama's hand movements and his expression instantly darkened. A terrible premonition struck.
"Thousand Years of Death! Triple-Thousand Volley!"
Iruka froze mid-sentence. "…I take it back." Three dark lines formed on his forehead.
"Thousand Years of Death— and three thousand at once? You've got to be kidding me!"
Mizuki, recognizing the gesture, went pale with horror. His body shook as he turned to flee in blind panic.
Too late.
Kazama's clones had already arranged themselves into a massive formation, three thousand strong, moving with perfect coordination as they surged toward Mizuki's backside like a relentless tide.
The silent forest erupted with Mizuki's screams—piglike howls of agony—as Kazama's army of clones delivered the merciless taijutsu barrage.
For an instant in the moonlit night sky, Mizuki's body arced upward, tracing a grotesque rainbow of… well, let's just say it was no ordinary rainbow. The infamous "filth rainbow," or Shitbow, as the old shinobi might whisper.
By the time Mizuki collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing and his stomach voided, he was left trembling, unable to rise. Whether or not he would ever walk properly again was uncertain. But one thing was certain—Mizuki would never suffer constipation again.
Ding! First successful use of Wood Style: Multiple Clone Technique. Reward: Body Flicker Jutsu obtained!
Naruto stared in wide-eyed amazement. "Kazama! That was incredible! Since when could you use Wood Style clones?!"
Kazama chuckled lightly, brushing off the question."Oh, that? I just… realized it one night while I was sleeping."
Of course, he would never reveal the truth of his system.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "You can master something like that in your sleep? You're insane—you're a total genius!"
Kazama smiled at Naruto's envious look."Don't be so jealous. You've learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu yourself, haven't you?"
"Shadow Clone? Hah, that's nothing! I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" Naruto declared proudly, thumping his chest with his fist.
Kazama's grin widened. "What a coincidence—my dream is to become Hokage too."
"Really? Then that makes us rivals! And don't expect me to hold back."
"Haha!"
The two boys laughed, sparks of camaraderie and rivalry igniting instantly between them.
Iruka, watching them from the side, felt a deep warmth in his chest.
"These two brats… With strength like this at such a young age, maybe… just maybe… one of them really will become Hokage someday."