The white-haired Hohzuki Mangetsu emerged from beneath the ruins using the Hydrification Technique. His purple eyes gazed solemnly at the man before him, who had already donned a mask and passed through the collapsed debris unscathed without his body undergoing any change.
A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Mangetsu had wanted to retreat as soon as the man revealed his Sharingan, but the moment he tried to move, he was restrained and his Chakra was absorbed.
It was that freak with the pitcher plant growing on him next to the man.
"It's so quiet around here; everyone is sleeping quite soundly today."
Such a violent explosion, yet Mangetsu hadn't sensed anyone approaching. It seemed that Suikazan Fuguki wasn't the only one being schemed against today.
Thinking of this, Mangetsu knew exactly what he needed to do right now.
[Sorry, Suigetsu, I have to get this intelligence to Mei Terumī and the others no matter what!]
Bang!
He gripped the Twin Sword: kiba tightly in his hands.
"Putting on a show of a desperate last stand, but in reality..."
As he spoke, Obito's figure suddenly vanished.
[Space-Time Ninjutsu! Oh no!]
The swirling vortex of space that appeared before the disappearance did not escape Mangetsu's eyes. Making a split-second decision! The Twin Sword: kiba instantly completed its Chakra release and Shape Transformation, striking straight down in one direction behind him.
However, the incredibly powerful attack passed right through, instead landing on his original body which he was using to transmit the intelligence.
"Tsk!"
Hohzuki Mangetsu's heart sank; the enemy's terror far exceeded his expectations. Fortunately, the attack released by the Twin Sword: kiba was ineffective against his Hydrification Technique, so dealing with it didn't even count as much of an expenditure.
"You underestimate the Sharingan too much. Having the original body plan to slip away while a Water Clone uses the Twin Sword: kiba as a distraction—it's a decent idea."
Both the Sharingan and the Byakugan possess the ability to see through Chakra, and the Sharingan further grants meticulous dynamic vision. Trying to pull small tricks in front of such a dōjutsu user—whether in terms of Ninjutsu or micro-management—almost everything can be seen through.
So, from the start, Obito understood that the one confronting him was merely a Water Clone inheriting one-tenth of the original's power.
This combination could be considered ingenious.
Even though the Water Clone was only a tenth of the original, the Ninja sword it used was the Twin Sword: kiba. This was a blade that could increase the Chakra it contained as the number of enemies killed grew. Combined with Hohzuki Mangetsu's skill in swordsmanship, the power it displayed was definitely extraordinary.
"Thanks for the compliment. So, can you let me leave? I promise I won't go tell Mei Terumī and the others."
Sincerity radiated from his purple pupils, leaving Zetsu on the side staring in a daze.
But Obito ignored him completely.
Sincerity? Then what were those clumps of Chakra his Sharingan saw moving underground?
Two Water Clones emerged from the ground simultaneously, and at the same time, the final hand seal they held was completed. The Water Clones instantly transformed into two water dragons and lunged at Uchiha Obito.
However, after the two water dragons collided, Uchiha Obito remained completely unharmed, without even a single water droplet on his body.
"As expected, he passed right through. It seems this will be a difficult fight."
Hohzuki Mangetsu gave a bitter smile.
[If all seven Ninja swords were in my hands, perhaps I'd have a chance to keep him here, but for now, I should prioritize escaping.]
Thinking of this, Hohzuki Mangetsu glanced at Zetsu, who was still watching the battle.
The methods of this black-and-white yin-yang person were even more bizarre than the man calling himself Uchiha Madara; otherwise, he would have slipped away while in the sewers earlier.
However, seeing as he hadn't made a move since the beginning, perhaps his frontal combat ability is quite weak?
Hohzuki Mangetsu decided to give it a try.
"No matter what you intend to do, it's over now."
Obito had appeared behind Hohzuki Mangetsu at some unknown point, and the power of Kamui began to distort the space.
Although Hohzuki Mangetsu immediately turned his entire body into water, how could mere hydrification resist the absorption of space?
But as the absorption continued, countless tiny threads began to be pulled from the ground! As fast as the spatial absorption was, these threads surrounded Obito just as swiftly, threatening to cut him to pieces in an instant!
Helplessly, Obito had to give up, and Mangetsu's body quickly converged from the threads back into its original form.
"I see, you're physical when you absorb things. I've gained another piece of useful information."
Retracting the threads, the original Mangetsu was now holding the Longsword: Nuibari.
Obito looked to the side; just as he had intended to finish off Mangetsu, Zetsu's body had been sliced in two by the Water Clone holding kiba.
"The prodigy who can masterfully use all seven swords—your reputation is well-deserved."
When taking over the Land of Water, Obito had researched the seven Ninja swords and the so-called Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist who controlled them. Without a doubt, the skill Mangetsu was displaying now far surpassed that of Suikazan Fuguki.
But that was all.
Having received Madara's careful guidance, Obito's perspective and his own strength had already far exceeded the scope of ordinary Ninjas. The Nine-Tails Attack he caused at just fourteen years old was the best proof.
Hydrification grants immunity to most physical attacks, and four of the seven Ninja swords were in his hands, giving him a variety of methods even without using Ninjutsu.
Therefore!
"Uchiha Flame Formation!"
A soaring crimson Barrier instantly surrounded both Obito and Mangetsu. The moment this Barrier appeared, it effectively cut off all options for escape.
"He doesn't even need hand seals?!"
From Mangetsu's perspective, he only saw Obito slap his hand on the ground, and then this Barrier of exaggerated range and intensity appeared.
When did Ninjutsu become so convenient and fast?
And this was only the beginning.
Countless wooden branches shot up, instantly occupying the entire space within the Barrier.
Although Wood Release can absorb Chakra, Mangetsu was no ordinary small fry. Relying on this to directly disable him after hydrification and kill him wasn't very reliable.
"Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
Outside the Barrier, Obito watched the raging sea of fire, his Sharingan still observing closely, not missing a single detail.
Although he had played enough for now and his strength and initial starting capital were sufficient for his next steps, Hohzuki Mangetsu had to die here today!
"It seems my evaluation was still too low; he actually managed to escape even like this."
The Uchiha Flame Formation had no blind spots, whether in the sky or underground. But now, under the observation of Obito's Sharingan, there were traces of a corner of the Barrier being violently blasted open.
"Zetsu."
Black and White Zetsu emerged from the ground once more.
"It's fine, he's a dead man. Not only was his Chakra drained by the Wood Release, but he was also heavily wounded by the Fire Release. His method of escape was Summoning the Blastsword: Shibuki, which further caused his Chakra to almost vanish."
Obito nodded after hearing Zetsu's report.
A Ninja's Chakra is a fusion of physical and spiritual energy, a process that requires stamina. When that too is exhausted, the Ninja dies.
"To be safe, you should first parasite him with the Spore Technique."
If Zetsu hadn't done so, Obito would have unhesitatingly used Kamui to chase him down and finish him off cleanly.
"Of course. Ah, he's dead."
As he spoke, Zetsu made eye contact with Obito, transmitting the scene he saw to the other.
By a small river just outside the Hidden Mist Village, Hohzuki Mangetsu lay on the ground with one hand outstretched as if trying to reach for something, his heart stopped.
"The Hidden Mist Village has lost another talent. Let's go, Zetsu."
At the same time, a White Zetsu emerged from Hohzuki Mangetsu's corpse. He positioned the body face up, and after observing it carefully for a moment, he gradually melted into the ground.
Ten minutes later, the corpse showed no abnormalities, and some insects had already crawled onto the fresh flesh.
Twenty minutes later, the corpse's hand suddenly rose slowly and formed a seal. A burst of electric current suddenly surged from Hohzuki Mangetsu's body, and the insects on him were turned into charred remains by the sudden lightning strike.
"Phew! Barely succeeded."
Stopping one's heart isn't a particularly rare skill, but the problem is that it can't be sustained indefinitely. Once it exceeds a certain time, at best, the brain suffers irreversible damage; at worst, one truly dies.
While Obito was releasing the Blast Wave Wild Dance, Mangetsu used the cover of the flames to decisively summon the Blastsword: Shibuki and used almost all his remaining Chakra to barely blast an opening.
But after escaping, Mangetsu immediately discovered that his Chakra was still being continuously absorbed. This was clearly the technique of that yin-yang pitcher plant person who had restrained him in the sewers.
With no time to wonder why that person wasn't dead, Mangetsu immediately decided to fuse the Longsword: Nuibari into his body.
The seven Ninja swords of the Hidden Mist have different abilities, but their ultimate secret is "oneness of man and sword." By fusing with the Longsword: Nuibari, he could self-rewrite his body, such as grafting blood vessels, which allowed him to supply oxygen to his brain through micro-management and avoid brain death.
Twenty minutes was the limit. He then used Lightning Release to restore a bit of vitality to his body.
If White Zetsu had still been lingering in his body at this time, Hohzuki Mangetsu would have had to accept his fate.
Thinking of this, Mangetsu couldn't help but smile bitterly. With only a faint bit of stamina left, could he really reach Mei Terumī?
[But I have no choice now; the rest can only be left to fate.]
Taking out a small scroll he carried with him, Hohzuki Mangetsu wrote down the important intelligence and tucked it into his robe.
This was the only insurance he could provide now.
Mangetsu tried to stand up, but the ensuing weakness made his body go limp and he fell again. It seemed the physical energy stimulated by the Lightning Release earlier had vanished.
Involuntarily, Mangetsu looked at the flowing river nearby. He immediately crawled over using both hands and feet, intending to use the power of the river to float downstream!
[I can't hold on much longer, Suigetsu...]
Foreseeing his own death, Mangetsu couldn't help but recall the image of his young brother in his mind.
Although the Hohzuki clan was not one of the Bloodline Limit Clans, and they had even produced a Mizukage in the past, their talents had withered since the previous generation started the Village of the Bloody Mist policy. Now, the only ones in the clan who could be called excellent were him and his brother Suigetsu.
Wading through the cold river and moving forward step by step, Mangetsu began to reminisce about the past.
From the effort he put in behind being called a prodigy—all of it began with the desire to revitalize his clan. At the time, he naively thought that as long as he became strong and made the name of Hohzuki famous again, he could do it.
But the result was that he did indeed become strong, so strong that his classmates were killed by him without any suspense during the graduation exam.
What was his mood back then? He couldn't quite remember. But it was from that time that something must have dawned on him. That's why when Zabuza Momochi attempted to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage and failed, he didn't use his full strength to stop him.
That was a man worthy of respect, because he took the initiative to kill everyone in that year's class, taking that heinous crime upon himself, so the Hidden Mist higher-ups had no choice but to cancel that system.
After Suigetsu was born, Mangetsu felt even more grateful to him. That feeling of personally killing comrades you spent day and night with was finally a thing of the past.
And after graduation, he used the strength he had worked so hard to develop to continuously kill those innocent members of the Bloodline Limit Clans.
As a member of an ancient Hidden Mist clan, Mangetsu understood better than anyone the contributions the Bloodline Limit Clans had made to the Hidden Mist. It was at that time that he truly understood the reason why the Hohzuki clan had declined to such a point; it wasn't a lack of talent in the clan, but this cruel system.
To revitalize the clan, the current state of the Hidden Mist had to be changed, and the key to achieving this was indeed the current Mizukage.
Fortunately, he was a member of this generation's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and his strength and status were extremely high. He had to first investigate the reason for the bloody mist policy and then decide how to act.
It was also at this time that Mei Terumī spread the rumor that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was being controlled by Genjutsu.
Recalling when Mei Terumī had approached him and Suikazan Fuguki, Mangetsu actually already believed it in his heart.
At that time, he hadn't just been a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist for a day or two, and his investigation hadn't just begun; on the contrary, the more he investigated, the more doubts and strange occurrences there were.
But because of this, he needed to stay here and cooperate with Suikazan Fuguki to lure out the person behind the scenes! To make them pay the price they deserved for the countless comrades who had been sacrificed in the Hidden Mist Village over all these years!
Today he had done it, but it seemed his luck was really very bad.
[My consciousness is about to... am I really still walking?]
What he saw was the hazy sky obscured by mist. When he realized this, Mangetsu knew that he really didn't even have the strength to move a muscle anymore.
How much further was it to Mei Terumī's territory?
He wanted to recall his impression of the last scenery he saw, but he couldn't even manage that.
It seemed he was really going to die.
He was so unwilling.
At least let him see Suigetsu one last time to say his last words, and then give the important intelligence in his robe to Mei Terumī and the others before dying.
"I'm... sor... ry, Suigetsu."
Mangetsu gradually closed his eyes.
Just then, a giant snake suddenly emerged from the water, swallowed Mangetsu in one gulp, and then swiftly moved through the forest to a man with fair skin and an extremely feminine beauty.
Orochimaru frowned slightly as he looked at Hohzuki Mangetsu, who had only a faint breath left.
This was a symptom of excessive Chakra consumption; ordinary Medical Ninjutsu was useless.
For his ideal of eternal life, Orochimaru had conducted too many human experiments. Although he was not a Medical Ninja now, ordinary Medical Ninja weren't even fit to carry his shoes.
So Orochimaru understood that the best way to save Hohzuki Mangetsu was to inject Chakra from the outside, rather than the method of using Medical Ninjutsu to stimulate the injured person's own recovery.
[It's hard to make it perfect, but if I maintain a state of suspended animation, he can live for a while.]
In his mind, he recalled Uzumaki Tian Yin, whom he had met once in the Root. If she were here today, Hohzuki Mangetsu could be saved directly.
Unfortunately, the Uzumaki Clan was truly too few now. Over all these years, Orochimaru only knew of Tian Yin, that Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in his hometown who hadn't inherited much of the bloodline, and that one among the three children he encountered in Amegakure in the past.
If he had such determination back then, he should have "taught" those three instead of Jiraiya; that way, the Rinnegan would have basically been in his hands.
Thinking of the man who was one of the trio from back then whom he had seen not long ago—Pain, the current leader of the Akatsuki Organization—Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh at the fickleness of fate.
Looking at the intelligence in Mangetsu's robe and the four Ninja sword scrolls on him, Orochimaru thought for a moment and decided to take all the swords except for kiba.
The Longsword, Blunt Sword, and Blastsword had a certain research value. As for kiba, although powerful, its own effects didn't have much that attracted Orochimaru, so it was better to send it back to Mei Terumī along with the intelligence.
His goal was the Rinnegan and the Sharingan, so Orochimaru didn't mind using Mei Terumī and the others to test and weaken Akatsuki.
[That leaves the Bloodline Limit and secret technique clans of the Land of Water; only the Kaguya Clan is left now.]
After using a few methods to control a "corpse" of Hohzuki Mangetsu to deliver the intelligence, Orochimaru carried the real Hohzuki Mangetsu and walked slowly toward the depths of the forest, intending to withdraw.
And just a few minutes later, Orochimaru's footsteps suddenly stopped, and his face showed uncontrollable shock, as well as... joy!