The Truth of Hozuki Mangetsu (1)

The moment Terumi Mei made her move, Uesugi Shinji had already detected her presence. However, he had no intention of continuing to deal with Hozuki Mangetsu, so he simply allowed Terumi Mei to take his hand.

Terumi Mei's palm was delicate and warm; Uesugi Shinji, who had never been accustomed to physical contact with anyone, was surprised to find that he felt no aversion at all.

At this moment, Rin, who was not far away, rushed over quickly. Her gaze swept over Terumi Mei's hand holding Uesugi Shinji's, and she couldn't help but let out a soft huff.

"This Humble One was just about to dispel this ninjutsu," Uesugi Shinji said slowly.

Hearing Uesugi Shinji's words, Terumi Mei nodded and released her grip, simultaneously flashing a meaningful smile at Rin, who was watching her with an unfriendly expression.

Because Terumi Mei acted with such poise, Rin felt a bit awkward and immediately turned her head away to avoid the other woman's gaze.

With no further interference from Terumi Mei, Uesugi Shinji finished his hand seals, and the chakra in his hands erupted instantly.

"Release!"

A dense mist surged from the Ice Tornado that had trapped the two bodies of Hozuki Mangetsu. As the mist evaporated and dissipated, the entire Ice Tornado crumbled, freezing the surrounding ground and trees solid.

Simultaneously, the Ice Tornado itself disintegrated, and the two bodies of Hozuki Mangetsu were freed from the atomized ice.

Hozuki Mangetsu was not unconscious; he remained fully aware. However, having just been frozen, his limbs and body were numb and uncontrollable, and as soon as he was freed, he collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

The two Hozuki Mangetsu lying on the ground could not speak because their tongues were frozen stiff, but the white irises in their eyes darted around nimbly, glancing repeatedly at Terumi Mei as if trying to signal something with their gaze.

Seeing this, Rin's face showed astonishment, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Impossible! Could there really be two Hozuki Mangetsu in this world?"

The reason Rin was so surprised was that she had always assumed one of these two Hozuki Mangetsu was some form of Clone Technique, most likely a Water Clone.

Among the known clone techniques in the ninja world, aside from illusion-based clones, any physical clone created by ninjutsu would collapse upon the slightest impact. It was absolutely impossible for a clone to survive the Ice Tornado and remain intact.

But now, after the Ice Tornado had been dispelled, both Hozuki Mangetsu were lying there alive, which completely defied Rin's understanding.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Rin stepped forward and poked the faces of the two Hozuki Mangetsu with her finger. The elastic sensation confirmed to her that both of them were indeed real.

Ignoring the angry glares from the two Hozuki Mangetsu, Rin habitually turned to look at Uesugi Shinji and asked in a very puzzled tone, "Shinji, do you know what is going on here?"

As the captain of the squad, Uesugi Shinji was also the brains of the entire team. Whether in missions or daily life, whenever Kisame or Rin encountered problems they couldn't understand, they would ask him, and in most cases, they would receive the correct answer from him.

Over time, asking Uesugi Shinji whenever a problem arose had become a habit for both Kisame and Rin.

Uesugi Shinji nodded at her words and replied slowly, "I know."

Although Uesugi Shinji was answering Rin, his gaze remained fixed on Hozuki Mangetsu, as if he were deep in thought.

At the very beginning, he had also assumed that one of the two Hozuki Mangetsu was a clone.

But just now, while dispelling the Ice Tornado, his Ice Release chakra had come into contact with their bodies. By using the Light Brain to scan them through the extension of his Ice Release chakra, he had unexpectedly discovered the truth about Hozuki Mangetsu!

Why did Hozuki Mangetsu seek him out? Why was he so eager regarding Ice Release ninjutsu? Why did he possess two bodies?

Uesugi Shinji now had the answer to all of these questions!

Hearing Uesugi Shinji's words, Rin's eyes lit up, and she stared at him with anticipation, waiting for him to explain the mystery that puzzled her.

Terumi Mei, standing to the side, also showed a strange look in her eyes, gazing at Uesugi Shinji with curiosity. In reality, she knew the secret of Hozuki Mangetsu perfectly well, but she couldn't believe that Uesugi Shinji had discovered all of this after just one exchange.

Ten seconds passed.

Under the gaze of the two beauties, Rin and Terumi Mei, Uesugi Shinji said nothing further. He remained staring intently at Hozuki Mangetsu, even going so far as to raise his hand to stroke his chin in thought, seemingly very interested in Hozuki Mangetsu.

"Hey, Shinji, I'm asking you a question!" Rin shouted, slightly annoyed.

Terumi Mei also frowned slightly, wondering to herself if Uesugi Shinji was the type to talk nonsense, and that he didn't actually know the secret of Hozuki Mangetsu at all, but was just speaking off the cuff.

Uesugi Shinji merely replied slowly, "Did I not already answer you?"

Rin stomped her foot in frustration, having forgotten her captain's habit of being a man of few words! No matter what you asked him, even if he knew the answer, he would only ever provide the precise scope of what was asked—not a single word more.

Terumi Mei was also stunned for a moment, but being quick-witted, she soon realized what had happened and couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.

Shaking her head helplessly, Terumi Mei asked Uesugi Shinji, "Then, would you please clear up this confusion for us?"