On the training field—
Momochi Zabuza faced his first challenger.
And then—
Before anyone could even blink, he formed a single-handed seal and unleashed the secret art that defined every shinobi of Kirigakure.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
At the same moment, his opponent, quick to react, performed the same jutsu.
A dense fog instantly spread across the vast underground arena.
Within moments, the entire training hall was shrouded in thick mist. Even those in the spectator area found themselves enveloped by it. Saying that one "couldn't see their own fingers" might have been an exaggeration—but visibility had indeed dropped to almost nothing.
"This fog… I can't see a thing!"
Yūsuke blurted out, still shaken by the story of Zabuza slaughtering all his classmates. He turned toward his companions, but even the outlines of Kyoichi and Mei Terumī had grown faint and blurred.
"Kyoichi, can you still see what's happening in the arena?"
"Only their silhouettes," Kyoichi replied truthfully.
"Huh?"
"Don't forget—I'm a sensory-type shinobi," Kyoichi added before Yūsuke could question him further.
At his waist, the Eye of God shimmered faintly.
In his dark pupils, needle-fine threads of golden light gleamed. The fog hadn't vanished from his view, but within that endless field of gray and white, he could clearly make out the humanoid outlines of those moving within it—even the shapes of the blades hanging on the wall were traced in perfect detail.
"...Kyoichi," Yūsuke asked, unable to contain the curiosity he had suppressed for so long, "I've always wondered—how exactly did you train that sensory technique of yours?"
The Koeda Clan was renowned for their powerful spiritual energy—stronger than that of ordinary shinobi—but their talents had always manifested in illusionary arts, not sensory perception. In the clan's entire history, not a single sensory-type ninja had appeared before Kyoichi.
"Maybe the gods compensated me," Kyoichi said with a half-smile, "since I failed to master our clan's sacred Flute Art."
"Gods?"
"Yeah. The gods."
"...You don't sound like you're joking."
"When did I say I was joking?"
"Huh?"
Yūsuke blinked wide-eyed.
"Hahaha! Yūsuke, you actually believed that?" Kyoichi burst out laughing.
But Yūsuke didn't join in. He looked at Kyoichi's hazy outline through the fog and felt a chill run down his spine. Somehow, it didn't sound like a joke.
If he wasn't joking… then did that mean gods—real gods—actually existed?
For a while, Yūsuke's mind went blank, and he fell into silent thought.
"Kyoichi… these gods… do they really exist?" Mei Terumi asked softly, testing his tone.
"I don't know," Kyoichi answered. "I've never seen one with my own eyes. But because of some… experiences, I can't deny that they might exist. So, I can only say—I don't know."
"..."
The girl fell silent, a bit shaken herself.
'Because of some experiences'? she thought. That sounded like he's actually encountered something incredible...
Just then—
"Oh, it's already over," Kyoichi said calmly, his gaze fixed on the mist-filled arena.
"What?" Mei instinctively widened her eyes, peering toward the battlefield.
But all she could see was fog. Nothing else.
Even today, the Hiding in Mist Technique remained one of Kirigakure's signature arts, and with good reason. Even fellow Kiri-nin couldn't see through it once enveloped. The only effective countermeasure was to cast the same technique.
After all, the mist carried the caster's chakra—allowing them to sense movement and locate their enemy.
Otherwise, if even the user couldn't tell directions or find their opponent, that would be a joke unworthy of Kirigakure's name.
When two users cast the Hiding in Mist Technique at once, both became equals in that environment.
Of course, that didn't mean the technique lost effectiveness. Their physical sight remained obscured, but they could "see" through the chakra-laced fog and rely on sound to locate their opponent.
In short—
whoever adapted better to this sensory environment, whoever could judge by faint noises and motion, would gain the upper hand in battle.
"Kyoichi, what happened?" Mei asked, frustrated by her inability to see anything.
She herself knew the Hiding in Mist Technique well—yet, standing outside the field, she couldn't use it to counter the overlapping mists released by Zabuza and his opponent.
On the battlefield, multiple Kiri-nin could indeed cooperate, combining their chakra to create an even broader fog. But this wasn't an open battlefield—it was an underground, enclosed space.
If too many people used the jutsu here, the fog would grow so thick that even the nearest objects would vanish completely from view. Right now, at least, they could faintly make out shapes within arm's reach.
That was why, despite their curiosity, none of the Jōnin spectators dared use the jutsu themselves—
except one.
Yagura Karatachi.
"Take him to the infirmary," Yagura's voice echoed faintly through the mist.
Two seconds later—
"Alright, next challenger—step forward if you dare," he announced. "Zabuza, you'll wait three seconds after the challenger completes their Hiding in Mist Technique before you attack. If the challenger can't perform the technique, make sure to state so before the fight begins."
"Understood," Zabuza replied coolly.
A few seconds later, light footsteps echoed—another challenger entered the arena.
"Kyoichi," Mei pressed again, "how did Zabuza win just now?"
"...Since the match started," Kyoichi said after thinking for a moment, "aside from the one time Zabuza spoke… did you hear any sound from him?"
"Huh?"
Mei froze—then realization struck her. Her eyes widened.
"The Silent Killing Technique! He used the Silent Killing Technique…! No wonder—no wonder!"
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