Kirigakure.
Mizukage Building.
After several months, the heads of Kirigakure's various ninja clans, the leaders of each department, and a group of elite jonin had, for once, received another summons from the Third Mizukage.
The group sat in two rows around a long table.
On one side sat clan forces such as Hozuki Akizuki, while on the other sat forces under the Third Mizukage, such as Suikazan Fuguki.
Besides them, there were two others seated at the head positions on either side of the table.
Kirigakure elder, Genji.
And Karatachi Yagura, the candidate currently considered most likely to succeed as the Fourth Mizukage.
"Clan Head Hozuki caused quite a stir some time ago."
The burly Suikazan Fuguki, standing over two meters tall, grinned as his eyes brazenly swept over Hozuki Akizuki across from him.
The moment he spoke, everyone's gaze turned toward Hozuki Akizuki.
They had all heard the battle report from Kijin Island.
It was utterly unbelievable!
They all had a fairly good grasp of Hozuki Akizuki's strength.
Yet this man had suddenly erupted and defeated Orochimaru of Konoha's Three Sannin. What was going on?
"I merely used a Secret Technique left behind by the Second Mizukage."
Hozuki Akizuki kept a cold expression, with no intention of explaining further.
In truth, that was all he could say.
Tell them it was a blessing from some bizarre, unknown god?
The moment he tried to speak, his body would stiffen!
He had no choice but to claim it was a Secret Technique left behind by an ancestor of his clan.
"The Second Mizukage..."
Suikazan Fuguki's expression shifted repeatedly, filled with uncertainty.
Could there really be a Secret Technique capable of raising someone's strength so drastically in such a short time?
Before the Third Shinobi World War, he would never have believed