At the ruins of the Hozuki clan, the mysterious masked man in black launched a relentless assault.
His hands danced as countless water threads wove a continuous offensive, the strands lashing out with such speed they left high-speed afterimages in their wake.
Facing this attacker, Hozuki Haigetsu's expression turned solemn. He gathered a massive volume of water in his palms, which instantly transformed into five high-pressure water jets. These "water cutters" sliced through the air at extreme velocity toward the masked man.
High-pressure cutting streams?
The attacker was caught off guard. His water threads collided with the jets, resulting in a violent explosion, yet the cutting streams didn't lose momentum.
The sheer force of the impact carved five deep fissures into the ground. Haigetsu, controlling the technique with a cold gaze, watched the slightly disheveled masked man.
Why have I never seen this type of Water Style before? The attacker wondered. Could this be a hidden secret of the Hozuki clan?
Ever since Aoki Shiraishi's "Black Mist" became famous throughout the shinobi world, the Water Style secrets of Hozuki Gengetsu (the Second Mizukage) had become a hot topic in the Hidden Mist.
Every Mist ninja believed Shiraishi must have learned the Second's secret techniques. For years, the Mist had searched for these scrolls with little success; even the clan ruins had been picked over countless times.
Has this Hozuki Haigetsu obtained the complete legacy?
In reality, Haigetsu wasn't using a Hozuki secret technique, but rather a move from Shiraishi's skill cards: Water Style: Water Torrent Rend. Much like Uchiha Kaede mastered Fire Style cards, Haigetsu's primary arsenal consisted of Shiraishi's Water Style cards.
"Water Torrent Rend" compressed water into immense pressure to create a unique cutting range, easily bypassing an opponent's defenses—a move similar in concept to Kaede's "Flame Whip."
This coincidence led the masked man to mark this "Hozuki clansman" as a significant threat. He curved his fingers into claws, launching a powerful Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm at Haigetsu.
After several minutes of intense combat amidst the ruins, Haigetsu performed rapid hand signs, launching a barrage of Water Shuriken. To his surprise, the masked man countered with the exact same technique.
As I thought... this guy is from the Sand!
The battle had begun to attract the attention of the Hidden Mist's intelligence scouts. Neither Haigetsu nor the mysterious attacker dared to linger. They broke off their engagement simultaneously, retreating in opposite directions to disappear into the shadows.
Meanwhile, on the road to the Land of Grass...
"Hozuki Castle is built on an isolated island in an inland sea, and it's named 'Hozuki.' What exactly is its connection to the Hozuki clan of the Land of Water?" Shiraishi asked, half to himself and half to his companions.
Due to decades of war, much of the history regarding Bloodline Limit clans was fragmented.
Surprisingly, the elderly envoy accompanying him was a man of vast erudition and answered directly.
"The main body of the Hozuki clan is currently in the Land of Water, but during the Warring States period, they were actually active in the Land of Grass. After various historical shifts, most of the clan migrated to the Land of Water."
The Hydraification technique was most effective in a maritime environment like the Mist; the geography of the Grass had been less conducive to their prosperity.
"Hozuki Castle wasn't originally a prison," the envoy continued. "It was the Hozuki clan's very first ancestral stronghold."
As the envoy detailed the history, the pieces clicked into place for Shiraishi. "Then the Lord of Hozuki Castle, Mui... his true name should be Hozuki Mui?"
"That is correct."
When the clan migrated, they didn't abandon their old base. They left a branch behind to maintain the fortress. Over time, the clan split into the Land of Water branch and the Land of Grass branch. Mui was the patriarch and warden of the latter.
Through the shared consciousness network, Shiraishi (the main body) had watched the entire battle his Water-clone, Haigetsu, had just fought in the Mist.
"Arashi," Shiraishi commanded, "Cross-check the records for me. I want a list of all ninjas from our academies who are currently on leave or assigned to missions in the Land of Water."
The ninja in the ruins was definitely an insider. He used Puppet Master threads and Shiraishi-Style Kenjutsu—techniques taught primarily in the Sand's academies. The user was either a graduate or an instructor.
Shiraishi considered the second academy in the Land of Valleys as a possibility, as well as the foreign Jonin who had joined their ranks, such as Souji the Sword-Hunter.
Arashi executed the order meticulously. Hours later, a list was produced: Baki, Souji, and several other high-level Jonin were confirmed to be teaching classes at the time.
There were no official missions to the Land of Water involving Jonin who fit the profile.
As Haigetsu practiced Water Style in the Mist, Shiraishi's own affinity and power in that element grew proportionally. The miraculous nature of his Heavenly Curse of the Five Phantoms was becoming undeniable.
The "Uchiha Madara of the modern era," Fifth Kazekage Shiraishi, was under constant scrutiny. His "Shiraishi-Style" techniques were being mimicked by children in the Sand, and even other villages were studying his simplified Wind Style and Taijutsu applications.
The combat techniques Ashura had taught Shiraishi in the past contained traces of ancient clan sword-styles, some of which had long been lost to history.
Even in the Uchiha camp back at the Leaf, several youths were practicing with long blades, emulating Shiraishi's movements.
One particular move, the Reverse Spin Triple Dance, bore a striking resemblance to the Four-Ring Rippling Dance—a style the Uchiha ancestors lost during the Warring States period.
Consequently, the Uchiha elders had begun using the Sharingan to copy Shiraishi's televised or observed movements for their youth to study.
Uchiha Kaede (Shiraishi's fire-clone) was also training with a wooden sword. Though he used the Sharingan to mimic the forms, his movements were naturally more fluid and seamless.
As a split personality of Shiraishi himself, these physical techniques were second nature to him, yet they still left the other Uchiha youths in awe.
"Kaede's strength seems to have jumped again." "He is Uchiha Zhan's son, after all—the son of the Hokage's most capable subordinate."
Kaede ignored the whispers. His wooden sword whirled faster and faster, a faint glow of heat beginning to shimmer around his increasingly blurring strikes.
I must master this body quickly, Kaede thought. I can't let the gap between me and the other clones grow too wide.
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