Among all Water Release techniques, Water Severing Wave stood at the very peak of lethality—surpassing even the famed Hard Whirlpool Water Blade.
The latter derived its power from overwhelming scale: vast torrents capable of reshaping the terrain itself, drowning everything in sheer volume.
But Water Severing Wave was different.
Its strength lay in something far more terrifying—
Unmatched instantaneous penetration and destructive force.
In the original story, the Second Hokage had once used this forbidden S-rank technique to become the first to damage the Divine Tree. The thin, blue stream of water he expelled from his mouth acted like a razor-sharp, high-pressure blade, slicing cleanly through the tree's roots one after another.
And that tree…
Was the true form of the Ten-Tails—the very origin of all chakra.
Yet even against such an existence, the Second Hokage had drawn first blood using this self-created jutsu alone.
However, for all its terrifying power, the technique came with severe limitations—especially in Shimizu Uzuki's hands.
Its hand seals required time.
The initial speed of the water beam was not particularly fast.
And once activated, its effect lasted for only a single breath. Maintaining it any longer demanded a continuous and massive output of chakra to prevent the technique from collapsing.
Because of this—
Shimizu never used it recklessly.
Every time he deployed it, he first created the conditions necessary to ensure a high chance of landing the strike.
He had done so during the S-rank mission in the Land of Rivers, against Sunagakure shinobi. He had done the same when facing formidable opponents—and even against the massive One-Tail.
And this time…
Was no exception.
Closing in from the flank had been deliberate—to minimize the distance between himself and both enemy groups, leaving them no time to evade the high-pressure water jet.
The Water Formation Wall had provided him with a safe casting window.
And the Water Colliding Wave—
Combined with coordinated Fire Release—
had been used to blanket the battlefield in dense steam, obscuring all vision.
Thus, the moment the mist enveloped the field—
Shimizu struck.
A thin, blue stream of water swept from south to north, cutting across everything in its path.
It wasn't just a straight line—
It spread outward in a fan-shaped arc, scything through the battlefield with unstoppable force.
An S-rank forbidden Water Release technique.
A killing stroke.
"Everyone—get off the rooftops!!"
The instant Ebizō realized the true danger, the water jet was already upon them.
Those with sharp instincts reacted immediately, leaping down from the rooftops—
But not everyone was fast enough.
A crisp, slicing shhhk echoed through the night as the high-pressure stream cut cleanly through buildings and bodies alike.
Gradually, the thick steam began to dissipate.
And what it revealed—
Was silence.
A silence so absolute it felt like a graveyard.
One of the Sunagakure ANBU swallowed unconsciously, unable to suppress the fear rising in his chest.
"All units—report your status!" Ebizō called out loudly, taking cover behind a building.
Several ANBU clustered nearby, pressed against thick earthen walls. At this moment, only solid earth seemed capable of offering even the slightest sense of safety.
But the only response—
Was the soft, rhythmic sound of dripping.
Drip… drip…
Everyone turned toward the sound.
It was blood.
Falling from the edges of rooftops, striking the ground below—each drop unnervingly loud in the stillness of the night.
Not far away, three ANBU corpses lay sprawled across a rooftop—
Each of them cleanly severed at the waist.
Blood pooled around them.
"I—I'm Rosan from Squad Seven… the situation here… it's bad…" The voice came through shakily, clearly shaken to the core.
Someone had responded.
But among the three battalion leaders—
Only one voice answered.
Where were the others?
When Ebizō and the few beside him cautiously returned to the rooftops, Commander Narita finally arrived with over four hundred Sunagakure shinobi in tow.
What greeted them—
Was a field of death.
Dozens of ANBU corpses lay scattered, each one cut cleanly in half, their deaths brutal beyond words.
Under the pale moonlight, the blood shimmered with an eerie, almost unreal glow.
For a long moment—
No one spoke.
.........
The same shock rippled through the dozens of Konoha shinobi who had already withdrawn into the Kazekage building.
From the highest level, they had a clear view of the battlefield below—and the horrific state of the Sunagakure ANBU was impossible to miss.
It took them quite some time to process what they were seeing.
Shock.
Then exhilaration.
At last, one of them couldn't hold back any longer and asked, his voice filled with excitement:
"Uzuki-senpai, we clearly had the advantage just now—why didn't we press the attack and wipe them out completely?"
For the Konoha shinobi—
Only the deaths of their enemies could truly begin to ease the hatred in their hearts.
"The others have already jumped off the rooftops. Tracking them now would be difficult—and we'd be easy targets for ambush," another Konoha shinobi said calmly, having kept his head despite the earlier victory.
They all understood the truth—
That success had come from surprise.
If it turned into a direct clash, their side would inevitably suffer heavy losses.
"And the sensory unit reports that enemy reinforcements are close. If we stay any longer, it'll turn into a full-scale bloodbath."
"To think that after achieving such results, Uzuki-kun can still pull back in time… truly rare," Orochimaru remarked with a faint smile.
"There's no need to fight them to the death, especially when they outnumber us," Shimizu Uzuki said softly, his gaze drifting toward the distant point where the two Sunagakure forces were regrouping. "And don't forget—we still have a mission. Killing alone won't truly avenge our fallen comrades."
"Yes… understood!" The shinobi who had spoken earlier lowered his head, chastened.
"Amane's traps will hold them off for a while longer. They'll likely suffer another setback," Shimizu continued, calmly laying out his reasoning. "After two unexpected defeats, their third attack will be far more cautious. That buys enough time for Squads Seven and Eight to finish preparing."
"And Squads Five and Six still need time to complete their objectives."
As he spoke, he glanced around the room.
This was a high-level meeting chamber inside the Kazekage building, dominated by a round table and adorned with four lifelike statues of past Kazekage. Along the walls hung over a dozen exquisite murals, each seemingly depicting the glorious achievements of successive leaders.
Quite the propaganda, he thought to himself.
"Oh, right—how is Squad Six progressing?" Shimizu asked.
"They're almost done—just the final level remains!" Arai reported immediately, his voice filled with unmistakable admiration.
By now, his respect for Shimizu had become wholehearted.
And even more so for Amane.
At this very moment, Inohara Amane was still stationed on the lower floors with over a dozen Konoha shinobi, fully focused on maintaining the traps they had set.
They were the key to stopping the next wave of Sunagakure's assault.
They couldn't afford to fail.
.........
Staring into those eerily crimson eyes, a Sunagakure boy—no more than thirteen or fourteen—spoke with absolute certainty.
"That's the Sharingan… isn't it?"
"To think I'd get the chance to face Konoha's famed bloodline limit."
"My comrades… dying at your hands… it's not unjust."
His voice was ice-cold.
Around him lay the bodies of two other boys his age—
Both had fallen to Uchiha Shisui.
Shisui said nothing, his gaze fixed on the boy standing before him—slightly taller, yet equally resolute. His hands trembled faintly as they gripped his short blade.
It was the natural aftermath of repeated, intense clashes.
The opponent was strong—
Incredibly strong.
Not only did he possess remarkable physical power, but his Wind Release techniques were unpredictable and dangerous. Several times, Shisui had come perilously close to being caught off guard.
Most troublesome of all—
The boy never once met his gaze.
Without eye contact, Shisui's Sharingan genjutsu was useless.
Has he fought Sharingan users before? Shisui wondered.
"My name is Baki. Chūnin of Sunagakure," the boy introduced himself, then looked at his equal with steady eyes. "And you? Konoha ninja."
"Uchiha Shisui. Chūnin of Konoha."
"You invaded Sunagakure. There's only one path left for you—death."
"Let your strength decide that," Shisui replied, slowly raising his blade as he prepared for another feint.
He had to deceive this experienced opponent completely—
Only then could he land a decisive strike.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the distance:
"Shisui! New orders from Uzuki-senpai! We're pulling out!"
"Got it!"
The moment his reply left his lips, Shisui's hands blurred through seals.
In an instant, three Shisuis appeared and charged forward together.
"You've used that trick plenty of times—it won't work on me!" Baki didn't retreat—instead, he rushed straight in. "Or… are you trying to run?"
Two of the Shisuis attacked first, blades flashing, while the third followed closely behind.
Shisui had used clones many times before to mislead his opponent's judgment and create openings for a killing blow.
Baki knew this.
And he was confident.
This time—the third one is the real body!
Wind Release: Wind Blade!
Die!!
The invisible blade sliced cleanly through one of the Shisuis—
Without resistance.
Damn it… where's the real one?!
In that instant, Baki felt a searing heat behind him.
He turned with difficulty, catching a glimpse—
Of a massive fireball, nearly the size of a human body, roaring toward him.
"BOOM!!"
Though he survived the blast, Baki gripped his kunai, ready to continue the fight—
Only to find that Shisui was already gone.
"Tch… ran away…" he muttered.
But the power contained within Shisui's Fire Release was far from something one could simply ignore.
A thin line of blood slipped from the corner of Baki's lips.
Soon, he could no longer suppress the damage raging inside his body.
He collapsed heavily onto the ground.
As his vision dimmed and his eyes slowly closed, a realization struck him—
Shisui had only withdrawn because of "Uzuki-senpai's new orders."
So… I was saved by the enemy…
How ironic…
...
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