In a real ninja battle, no one would shout out the name of their techniques.
Every word spoken was a flaw—an opening that could be exploited.
But Seiji shouted anyway.
He was not announcing his move to intimidate the enemy. He was shouting to warn his companion.
The instant Seiji's voice rang out, Yue understood his intent without hesitation. His expression sharpened, and his hands flew into seals, chakra surging violently through his body as he released his ninjutsu in perfect coordination.
Mikoto had just dodged another Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear, twisting her body in midair and landing lightly on the ground—
Only to feel the earth beneath her feet tremble.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dense stone pillars erupted upward from all directions, sealing off every possible escape route the moment her feet touched the ground.
Earth Release: Rock Pillar Prison!
The rock walls rose high and tight, forming a cage that completely trapped Mikoto within.
Her eyes narrowed.
In this situation, there was only one escape route left.
Upwards.
But even as that thought crossed her mind, a deafening roar echoed through the battlefield.
A massive Water Dragon surged forward, its serpentine body coiling through the rain-soaked air, chakra roaring violently as it charged toward her.
The Land of Rain amplified Water Release techniques to terrifying levels.
Under such environmental conditions, the power of the Water Dragon Bullet Technique far surpassed its normal state. One direct hit would be more than enough to shatter solid stone—let alone a human body.
If she leapt into the air, she would collide head-on with the incoming Water Dragon.
If she stayed on the ground, the rock prison would crush her.
There was nowhere left to run.
Nowhere left to hide.
Mikoto understood this instantly.
But surrender never crossed her mind.
If she could not evade—
Then she would confront it head-on.
Her hands rose simultaneously, fingers moving in flawless coordination as chakra surged violently through her meridians.
Across from her, Seiji's face twisted into a triumphant grin.
"In this situation, what can you possibly do?!" he roared.
"Even if you use Fire Release, you won't be able to block my Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Beside him, Yue's lips curved upward in confidence.
They had used this combination countless times.
No matter how powerful their enemies were, no one had ever resisted it successfully.
Not once.
"Teacher Mikoto!"
Sasaki Ayami's face turned pale with shock as she witnessed the scene unfolding before her.
Without thinking, she took a step forward, ready to rush into the battlefield—
But Minato grabbed her wrist and yanked her back just in time.
"Calm down, Ayami!" Minato said urgently, his voice tense. "You can't help her right now. If you rush in, you'll only make things worse."
His grip tightened slightly as he spoke.
The words were rational.
But they were painfully difficult to accept.
Minato's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms.
He hated this feeling.
Hated how weak he was.
When facing enemies of this level, all he could do was watch.
Under the gaze of Minato and the others, Mikoto completed her hand seals.
She lifted her head, took a deep breath—and exhaled.
Flames erupted from her mouth, condensing instantly into the shape of a roaring dragon made entirely of fire. It surged forward, colliding directly with the incoming Water Dragon.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!
This, too, was a B-rank ninjutsu.
In terms of raw power alone, Mikoto's technique should not have been inferior.
However—
The environment was against her.
The rain dampened the flames.
She had executed the technique hastily, without time to fully refine her chakra output.
And most importantly—
Water Release naturally countered Fire Release.
The moment the two dragons collided, the fire dragon was overwhelmed.
Hissssss!
A massive burst of steam exploded outward, filling the battlefield with thick, blinding vapor.
The flames were extinguished almost instantly.
And the Water Dragon did not stop.
It smashed straight through the dissipating fire and crashed into Mikoto with overwhelming force.
Bang!
The violent impact obliterated the surrounding rock pillars, sending fragments of stone flying in all directions.
Mikoto's body was thrown backward like a broken leaf, tumbling dozens of meters through the rain before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Pain flared through her body.
Still, she forced herself to remain conscious.
The Great Dragon Fire Technique had at least weakened the Water Dragon enough to prevent fatal damage.
Though injured, she had not lost her ability to fight.
The clash between the two massive techniques sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
The dense water vapor spread far and wide, enveloping Aosui and the Hidden Mist kunoichi who were fighting nearby.
The Hidden Mist female jonin felt her heart leap with joy.
She knew that this disturbance could only have been caused by Seiji's technique.
In her eyes, there was no doubt—
That Uchiha woman was either dead or completely incapacitated.
Victory was finally within reach.
Aosui, however, did not share her optimism.
His expression remained grave.
He did not believe Mikoto would die so easily—but her condition was undoubtedly dire.
He could not afford to delay any longer.
The moment that thought settled in his mind, Aosui surged forward, closing the distance between himself and the Hidden Mist kunoichi.
At the same time, taking advantage of the obscured vision provided by the lingering steam, he reached into the system storage space with a thought.
Several exploding tags appeared instantly in his hand.
These were rewards he had obtained from blue orbs—items he typically kept stored within the system rather than in a conventional ninja pouch.
The convenience was incomparable.
With a flick of chakra, he ignited them.
Then, in a brief exchange as he passed by the Hidden Mist kunoichi, Aosui slapped the tags directly onto her body.
Her eyes widened in horror as she noticed them.
It was already too late.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Multiple explosions detonated simultaneously.
Exploding tags were lethal weapons even on their own. At such close range, the combined blast was devastating.
The violent explosion tore through her defenses, sending her flying and ripping her arm apart with a sickening crack.
She screamed in agony as she slammed into the ground, blood splattering across the mud.
The explosion dispersed the remaining water vapor.
Aosui glanced at the severely injured kunoichi, now writhing on the ground and wailing in pain.
He did not spare her another look.
His hands were already forming seals.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Unlike Seiji, who required forty-four hand seals, Aosui completed the technique with only six.
Faster.
Cleaner.
And no weaker in power.
The massive Water Dragon surged forward once more, roaring across the battlefield.
"Die!" Seiji shouted as he and Yue charged toward Mikoto, intent on finishing her while she was injured.
Mikoto clenched her teeth and retreated rapidly, forcing her aching body to move despite the pain.
She knew she could not face the two of them head-on in her current state.
Just as she was desperately searching for a way to break through—
A thunderous roar echoed behind them.
Before Seiji or Yue could react, the Water Dragon slammed into both of them with overwhelming force.
Bang!
Caught completely off guard, the two were blasted away, their bodies flung dozens of meters through the rain before crashing heavily into the ground.
They did not rise again.
The sudden reversal stunned everyone.
Mikoto froze, eyes wide, staring at the scene in disbelief.
Then she turned.
And saw Aosui standing there, hands still held in his sealing posture.
"Aosui…" she exclaimed. "When did you master such a powerful Water Release technique?"
"I learned it from Uncle Kosuke," Aosui replied calmly.
During the past month, while training in Konoha Style Willow under Maruboshi Kosuke, Aosui had also learned several Water Release ninjutsu.
All for this moment.
"I see."
Mikoto nodded slowly.
As his comrade, she naturally knew Kosuke—and knew that Aosui had trained extensively with him.
She let out a soft breath, her shoulders relaxing at last.
"Thank goodness for you," she said sincerely. "Otherwise… we really would have been wiped out on this mission."
Who could have imagined that a simple C-rank escort mission would turn into a deadly ambush involving twenty rogue ninja, including three jonin?
Without Aosui turning the tide, none of them would have returned to Konoha alive.
"Yes, Brother Aosui," Minato said as he approached with the others. "We owe everything to you this time."
The admiration in their eyes was unmistakable.
Shock.
Respect.
Awe.
They had never imagined that a medical ninja could possess such terrifying combat ability.
In truth, nearly all the enemies had been dealt with by Aosui alone.
Among them, Mukai Yuuki felt particularly embarrassed.
Every time he recalled what he had said before setting out—about protecting Brother Aosui—he wished he could dig a hole and disappear.
With Aosui's strength, protection was unnecessary.
If anything, he should have been the one staying out of the way.
Except for Minato, everyone was injured.
Once the battlefield was secured, Aosui immediately began treating them one by one.
[Completed treatment for Uchiha Mikoto. Reward: 1 Gold Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Fire Release — Great Fireball Technique.]
[Completed treatment for Mukai Yuuki. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: 10 Chakra.]
[Completed treatment for Sasaki Ayami. Reward: 1 White Orb.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: 10 Chakra.]
As Aosui worked, Minato suddenly stiffened.
His hand moved instantly to his kunai.
"Who's there?" he shouted, eyes locked on the shadows ahead.
The rain continued to fall.
And someone else was approaching.