As he watched, Aragaki Yasushi furrowed his brow again.
Something was off. They'd been fighting for so long, so why hadn't the Third Mizukage made a move?
Was he too scared to leave his office?
As Aragaki muttered to himself, he suddenly saw a stream of water shoot from the top floor of the Mizukage Building, as fast as a bullet and carrying a bone-chilling cold. It shot straight toward the Kaguya Clan chief.
The Kaguya Clan chief was swinging his bone blade, cutting down two Anbu Ninja.
"Pfft!"
The stream of water pierced straight through his heart. Blood gushed out at once, splattering all over the ground.
At that moment, a narrow-eyed man with long black hair and Mizukage robes jumped down from the top floor of the Mizukage Building.
Who else could it be but the Third Mizukage?
Aragaki Yasushi's pupils narrowed. He recognized the jutsu the man had just used.
Wasn't that Water Style: Water Gun Jutsu?
It was a secret jutsu of the Hozuki Clan. How could the Third Mizukage use it?
Had he stolen it from the Hozuki Clan?
What a shameless bastard.
If Aragaki could recognize it, the Kaguya Clan chief naturally could too.
Clutching his bleeding heart, he somehow managed to stay alive for the moment thanks to his powerful vitality.
Fury filled the Kaguya Clan chief's eyes. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something.
But before he could make a sound, several more streams of water shot toward him like bullets, striking him squarely in the chest.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
With several sharp pops, the streams of water riddled the Kaguya Clan chief's chest. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and he could no longer hold on.
He fell to the ground, lifeless, his eyes still open in death.
The Third Mizukage stood where he was, his narrow eyes opening slightly. His gaze was icy as he shouted at everyone present, "The Kaguya Clan has rebelled and intends to overthrow the village! Show no mercy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he rapidly formed Hand Seals, unleashing one Water Release Ninjutsu after another.
Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!
Water Style: Water Formation Wall!
Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique...
The techniques came one after another, dazzling everyone.
The Kaguya Clan, which had been gaining the upper hand, was now surrounded by cries of pain. Its members were in disarray, beaten so badly they couldn't fight back.
The tide of battle turned in an instant!
Though the battle had once again become one-sided, this time it was the Third Mizukage who had the advantage.
Aragaki Yasushi crouched on a tree branch, staring in astonishment.
According to rumors from his previous life, the Third Mizukage had been a shinobi of the Yuki Clan.
But that was clearly impossible.
If he possessed the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, why would he enforce the Bloody Mist Policy and suppress other bloodline shinobi?
The Yuki Clan wouldn't have been nearly wiped out, either.
Even without Ice Release, though, the Third Mizukage's strength was terrifying. He'd turned the battle around all by himself. He was definitely no pushover.
No wonder he was a Kage Level powerhouse.
But then a bold idea suddenly popped into Aragaki Yasushi's head.
I wonder if I could teleport straight behind the Third Mizukage right now and rip out his heart. Could I take the old bastard out in one hit?
Aragaki's eyes lit up.
It seemed highly doable!
After all, this was a prestigious space-time movement technique, too fast for the old bastard to react to.
Teleport over, reach in and rip out his heart, then teleport back. The whole thing would be smooth and seamless, without anyone noticing. Perfect.
But just then, Aragaki suddenly felt a strange gaze, as if someone were secretly watching him.
Was someone following me?
Aragaki's heart skipped a beat. He instantly pushed all those thoughts aside, his expression turning wary.
Without a moment's hesitation, he focused his mind and teleported away, vanishing from the tree branch.
When he appeared again, he was standing silently behind a brown-haired girl.
She had a slender figure and a seductive air. Who else could it be but Terumi Mei?
Terumi Mei had been staring toward the tree branch. When Aragaki suddenly vanished, her pupils contracted, and her face filled with surprise.
Had he noticed me?
The next moment, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and her whole body stiffened in alarm.
"Are you Terumi Mei?"
Aragaki's voice sounded behind her.
"With all this excitement going on, why aren't you helping the Kaguya Clan? How do you have time to keep an eye on me?"
"Or did you think I was so handsome you couldn't help wanting another look?"
Terumi Mei slowly turned around, a seductive smile on her face. Her voice was soft. "You're joking, Senior Aragaki. I only came to see how the Kaguya Clan's rebellion was going. I didn't expect to find you here. I wasn't watching you on purpose."
"But if you're willing to date me, Senior, I don't mind. I just wonder whether the higher-ups in your village might get the wrong idea if they found out."
Aragaki raised an eyebrow and sneered.
The nerve of Terumi Mei, teasing me like that.
As the two of them stood at an impasse, the Third Mizukage in front of the Mizukage Building seemed to sense something. His brow furrowed slightly.
A sharp stream of water shot toward the alley where Aragaki and Terumi Mei were hiding, moving at an absurd speed.
The Third Mizukage darted after it, rushing into the alley. His cold gaze swept over the area, but the alley was empty except for scattered trash. There wasn't a person in sight.
The Third Mizukage frowned, his narrow eyes opening again, confusion filling his gaze.
Strange. I clearly sensed a chakra fluctuation just now. Was it my imagination?
Meanwhile, two figures appeared out of thin air in another remote alley in Kirigakure.
They were Aragaki and Terumi Mei, who had just teleported away right under the Third Mizukage's nose.
Aragaki frowned. "Damn, that old bastard noticed us. Could that affect the plan?"
Terumi Mei, however, seemed unconcerned. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone relaxed. "You're worrying too much, Senior Aragaki. That man already knows we intend to overthrow him. He's just so confident in his own strength that he doesn't take us seriously."
Aragaki raised an eyebrow, instantly intrigued. "Oh? From the sound of it, he's strong?"
Terumi Mei smiled, but a hint of seriousness flashed in her eyes. "He has mastered the Water Mirror Jutsu, an extremely strange technique that can create a perfect copy of an enemy and reproduce all of their ninjutsu flawlessly."
"Over the years, everyone who dared to assassinate him ended up dying at their own hands, killed by their own techniques. It was a miserable way to go."
Aragaki's brow furrowed even deeper.
The Water Mirror Jutsu?
Wasn't that a technique Karatachi Yagura had mastered in the original story?
How could the old bastard, the Third Mizukage, use it too?
So it was a hereditary technique of Hidden Mist? Whoever became Mizukage could learn it?
Aragaki looked at Terumi Mei. "If he's that strong, why did you start a rebellion? How are you confident you can take him down?"
Terumi Mei winked at him and gave him a seductive smile, her tone mysterious. "That's a secret of Kirigakure. I can't tell you so easily."
Aragaki scoffed, looking disdainful. "What secret? I could figure it out without even trying. You're just counting on having more people, aren't you?"
He stroked his chin and analyzed smugly. "Since it's called the Water Mirror Jutsu, I'm guessing it can only copy people near the water mirror. If we attack from different directions, it won't be able to copy everyone at once. Then we can find its weakness."
"And even if it can perfectly copy an enemy, the chakra still has to come from the user, right?"
"That must put an enormous strain on the user's chakra. If the fight drags on, he'll eventually run out."
Terumi Mei's smile froze, and surprise filled her eyes. She couldn't help praising him. "I didn't expect you to figure out how to counter it so quickly. You really are a clever young man. No wonder you became a jonin at such a young age."
Aragaki smiled. "That's right. I am a super genius."
"Don't fall for me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished in a flash, leaving only his voice behind.
"I'm heading back. Don't let that old bastard catch you."
Terumi Mei looked at the empty alley and frowned.
What a troublesome guy.
Before you continue