Is Having a Lot of Chakra Such a Great Thing? (Seeking Collection~ Seeking Recommendation Tickets~)

"Demon?"

Zabuza Momochi looked puzzled by the title Kisame Hoshigaki had just used.

"Heh, you don't know? The fact that you slaughtered over a hundred of your fellow graduates has already spread, so you've earned your own moniker: the Mist Demon. How about that? Pretty imposing, right? That's a level of recognition many jonin struggle to achieve!"

Kisame explained the origin of the name, his tone slightly exaggerated, leaving it unclear whether he was offering praise or mockery.

"."

Zabuza clenched his fists, his expression twisting into a savage grimace for a fleeting moment.

"My name is Zabuza Momochi. I specialize in taijutsu."

"That's it?"

Kisame waited for a moment, and seeing that Zabuza had no intention of sharing his dreams, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine then. To help us understand each other better, you two will spar with me. Two against one, no rules. You can use whatever means you have to try and defeat me, and we'll go until I say stop. As for the location, let's use the academy training ground."

"Captain Kisame."

Just as Kisame Hoshigaki was about to head out, Araki asked one final question:

"May I ask if you are currently a chunin or a jonin?"

"Oh? Why do you ask?"

"Because I would also like to have a clearer understanding of my own strength."

Araki's expression was quite serious.

"Don't know how strong you are? What an interesting little brat!"

Kisame Hoshigaki grinned. "I was just promoted to Special Jonin. If you can manage it, try your best to defeat me!"

"And that Zabuza Momochi, how do you plan to handle him?"

In a quiet room, Hozuki Sengetsu and Karatachi Yagura sat facing each other.

"I have already had him join Kisame Hoshigaki's squad," Yagura said with a faint smile.

"Kisame Hoshigaki? That freak?"

Hozuki Sengetsu frowned. "He's only a chunin, isn't he? Why not have him join Mangetsu's squad?"

"Sengetsu, you must understand: Zabuza, and even Araki who graduated with him, are rare talents. Furthermore, they come from commoner backgrounds, so the Third Mizukage will not take the initiative to make things difficult for them."

Karatachi Yagura shook his head.

"But you are different. This time, with my coordination, the fact that the three great families rose up in opposition will surely make the Mizukage hold a grudge. He won't target commoner ninja, but you family-affiliated ninja are not exempt. You had best be careful and stay alert for the time being."

"So, you intentionally had them draw a line between us just to protect them?"

Hozuki Sengetsu's tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

"Don't forget who has been supporting you from the shadows, Yagura!"

"I certainly haven't forgotten your support, but I made it very clear to you from the start: I did not oppose the Third for the sake of your families. I opposed him because his methods have already harmed the interests of the entire village!"

Karatachi Yagura's tone also turned solemn.

"If you are hoping that I will return you to the peak of the Second's era, then I am afraid you will be disappointed. I am not hostile toward you, but I will not grant you special treatment either. In my view, one's background should not limit a ninja's development. We are all Mist ninja, are we not?"

"Fine, you are right. But how is that Kisame Hoshigaki's strength?"

Hozuki Sengetsu changed the subject.

"He is a few years older than Zabuza and the others, and I just promoted him to Special Jonin. His strength is formidable; it was only the number of missions that limited his promotion."

A gentle smile appeared on Karatachi Yagura's face.

"Is that so? And how does he compare to Mangetsu?"

Hozuki Sengetsu also looked interested.

"Your family's Hydrification Secret Technique naturally counters all Water Release ninjutsu and taijutsu. Kisame currently has no means to inflict actual damage on Mangetsu."

Karatachi Yagura shook his head, a sigh escaping him.

This was the greatest advantage of being a ninja from a great family. In his view, the two had similar talent, and Kisame was even a step ahead in terms of raw power and physique, but a single Hydrification Technique instantly reversed the situation.

"You are too kind."

Hozuki Sengetsu curled the corner of his mouth.

Ninja Academy, training ground.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

After rapidly weaving hand signs, Kisame Hoshigaki's chest swelled, and he opened his mouth wide, spewing out enough water to fill a lake, turning the entire training ground into a vast ocean.

Although the point of this technique was not to launch a direct attack but to alter the terrain, this ability to change the world in an instant still made the expressions of Zabuza and Araki turn ugly.

Kisame is cheating, damn it! We're just two newly graduated genin, and he opens with a B-rank ninjutsu? Is he showing off how much chakra he has? Is having a lot of chakra really that great?

Araki complained frantically in his mind.

"The stage is set. You can come at me now!"

Kisame Hoshigaki stood atop a cresting wave, looking down at the two as he issued his challenge to battle.

Araki and Zabuza exchanged a glance; one gripped his sword with both hands, while the other drew a kunai, and they split into two paths, charging across the water toward Kisame Hoshigaki.

Kisame Hoshigaki also drew the long blade strapped to his back, an excited grin spreading across his face.

In terms of speed, Araki held the edge. As he closed to within ten meters of Kisame, he suddenly exerted force through his feet, leveling his longsword and transforming into a streak of light as he thrust directly at his opponent's abdomen.

[Flash Thrust]!

Clang!

Kisame's reaction was equally swift; with a slight flick of his wrist, he blocked Araki's full-force thrust with only one hand.

"Not bad, your speed is quite impressive!"

He offered a word of praise, then the muscles in his arm bulged slightly as he swung with force, actually sending Araki flying backward.

[What immense strength!]

Araki steadied himself in mid-air, sliding across the surface of the water for a short distance before coming to a halt, his expression turning grave.

By this time, Zabuza had also arrived.

However, the kunai in his hand was significantly shorter than a sword, and combined with the disparity in stature between himself and Kisame Hoshigaki, he had no means of threatening his opponent other than throwing shuriken.

In fact, despite his best efforts to dodge, he found himself in a precarious position within just a few exchanges, forced to use the [Substitution Technique] to narrowly escape disaster.

At this moment, Araki raised his sword and charged again.

It wasn't that he didn't want to coordinate with Zabuza; first, Zabuza was currently of little help beyond acting as a distraction; second, the two of them had never fought together, meaning their synergy was zero; and finally, swordsmanship relied heavily on maneuvering space—having an uncoordinated person occupying that space was more of a hindrance than a help.

After all that explanation, it boiled down to one thing: he thought Zabuza was just too weak!

This time, Araki did not charge straight in to test his strength against Kisame; having realized the gap in their raw power, he knew he had to play to his strengths and use speed to defeat his enemy.

He arrived before Kisame, his longsword flashing as he unleashed nine sword shadows in an instant, the shimmering cold light enveloping his opponent's entire body.

[Nine-Headed Dragon Flash]!