"Only the weak rely on visual interference to hide themselves. That kind of trick doesn't work on me," Shimizu said, almost kindly.
Unfortunately, the verbal provocation failed to stir even the slightest emotional ripple in his opponent.
Without another word, the Mist ninja once again activated the Hidden Mist Technique.
"Does hiding in the shadows really give you that much security?"
Shimizu remained standing where he was, seemingly defenseless.
The more Shimizu provoked him, the more uncertain the Mist ninja became about when to strike.
The previous "perfect" opportunity had turned out to be a trap.
So what about now, when Shimizu appeared completely open?
There must be a trick.
As long as he preserved himself and held out until reinforcements arrived…
This ninja's chakra reserves couldn't possibly sustain those powerful techniques from earlier. Otherwise, he would have already used them again.
The Mist ninja's reasoning was largely correct.
But the real reason behind Shimizu's behavior was something he would never guess.
Every moment Shimizu idly chatted was time spent rapidly recovering chakra.
His chakra recovery speed was astonishing.
In a prolonged battle of attrition, that was an incredibly powerful advantage.
And his enemies weren't limited to this elite chūnin before him.
There were still five more approaching—
Six, counting the one whose hands he had severed.
Naturally, Shimizu needed to recover as much chakra as possible for what came next.
Not only that—
He intended to kill the ninja in front of him using the least chakra possible.
One strike.
Certain kill.
And he would do it only after the enemy had successfully signaled his comrades.
After all, such a large-scale Hidden Mist Technique also served as a beacon to indicate the battlefield's location.
Soon—
At the edge of his sensory range, 126 meters away, five chakra signatures suddenly entered—
Then vanished into the fog that disrupted chakra perception.
Finally, they're here. Shimizu had actually been worried the group might lose their nerve and flee. Leaving this last man alive as bait had proven incredibly effective.
The moment the Mist ninja realized his comrades had arrived, he felt a brief flash of relief. That split second decided his fate.
Water Release: Instant Water. Shimizu teleported instantly behind the Mist ninja.
Lightning Release: Lightning Blade Slash.
Lightning burst forth, piercing through the ninja's abdomen in a spray of crimson.
Water Release: Water Wall.
Before the Lightning Blade Slash had even finished, a sphere of water rose up and enveloped both of them.
Three seal-less techniques in a single breath—
Teleportation, execution, and defense—
All within the span of a blink.
So fast that the naked eye couldn't follow the sequence.
The reinforcements' attacks arrived a fraction too late. Several Water Release techniques and thrown kunai slammed into the spherical Water Wall surrounding Shimizu—only to be completely blocked.
"You…" The dying Mist ninja stared in disbelief.
How had Shimizu located him?
How could he unleash such lightning-fast lethal force?
And what kind of flawless defense was that?
Each question alone was enough to leave him unable to die in peace.
Long before the Mist ninja cast the Hidden Mist Technique for the second time, Shimizu had already considered something:
Techniques that disrupted perception were often genjutsu-based.
If so—
Could the method used to dispel genjutsu also break through the perception-blocking effect of the Hidden Mist?
He tested it immediately.
First, he slowed the flow of chakra within his body to an extreme minimum—
Then, in an instant, accelerated it violently through his meridians.
The result proved successful.
At the precise moment his chakra flow peaked, he clearly sensed the Mist ninja's exact location.
After eliminating the elite Mist ninja he considered the most troublesome, the remaining five shinobi of Kirigakure were nothing more than a disorganized rabble.
An hour later, by the seaside, the final survivor—the Mist ninja whose hands Shimizu had severed—breathed his last.
He had tried to escape the island by wooden boat.
But no matter how fast he rowed, he couldn't outrun Shimizu's mutated, high-speed underwater form.
Just like that, all nine were dead.
Shimizu then cleaned the battlefield—erasing traces, disposing of corpses, gathering spoils and any usable supplies.
Even so, he was still short on resources.
It made sense. They were all survivors of the tsunami. How much could anyone possibly have left on them?
This mission had cost him too much.
He had even lost the official documentation.
Without the proper papers, even if he obtained a stamp from the Land of Hot Water, the ANBU mission report would lack the formal documentation required for completion.
Rather than spending several days returning to Yugakure for official certification, he might as well report everything directly to the Third Hokage and let him determine whether the S-rank mission was a success.
Mission success was closely tied to payment.
But on this journey, what he had gained far exceeded money:
The integration and mastery of multiple powerful ninjutsu
The initial grasp of developing techniques on his own
Fusion with the strange shark-like creature, granting underwater breathing and high-speed swimming
Rapid chakra recovery through eating
Accelerated healing from injuries
After considering all these changes, Shimizu decided to conceal everything.
From Orochimaru.
From Tsunade.
Even from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At least for now.
None of this could be exposed to the public eye.
Thus, traveling alone, he chose to cross the sea directly and begin his return journey to Konoha.
Over the following days, he resumed practicing and recreating the remaining techniques from the lost ninjutsu notes.
Sure enough, his Water Release talent had skyrocketed.
Aside from "Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade," he had mastered every other Water Release technique.
Including the S-rank attack he had long coveted—
Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion.
Among S-rank techniques, both its destructive power and area of effect were terrifying.
There was also an A-rank support technique—
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.
This technique allowed the user to spew forth a massive torrent like a tidal wave, instantly forming a giant elliptical water prison that enveloped the enemy.
Within that surging water, the caster could move freely.
Compared to the Mist's standard Water Prison Technique, it was vastly improved—both in range and in the lack of restrictions on the user.
Unfortunately, he had yet to successfully cast Hard Whirlpool Water Blade.
Insufficient chakra reserves continued to plague him.
Forcing a technique that required such enormous chakra could result in exhaustion or backlash.
So this overwhelming S-rank technique would have to wait.
On the last day of September—
Shimizu finally returned to Konohagakure, after more than a month away.