"Both Hozuki Mangetsu are real. This is the Hozuki Clan's secret technique, the Hydrification Technique. No, it would be more accurate to say it's Hozuki Mangetsu's own Kekkei Genkai."
Uesugi Shinji looked at Hozuki Mangetsu, who was sprawled on the ground in a sorry defeat. His calm voice nevertheless held a trace of admiration.
Then Uesugi Shinji slowly explained his theory.
It all went back to Hozuki Mangetsu's talents. Not only was he physically gifted, but he was also extremely intelligent. Even at a very young age, he displayed a maturity far beyond that of his peers.
His growth in ninjutsu training, in particular, was unprecedented.
As one of Kirigakure's most renowned clans, the Hozuki Clan naturally had access to exceptional resources for training shinobi. Hozuki Mangetsu's father was the clan head. Once he discovered his son's talent, he decided to devote the clan's full resources to raising him.
Hozuki Mangetsu, who was expected to achieve great things, didn't disappoint his father or his clansmen. By the age of seven or eight, he was already strong enough to hold his own against jonin. If he hadn't been so young, with his chakra and physical strength still lacking, defeating an ordinary jonin wouldn't have been out of the question.
It was around that time that Hozuki Mangetsu became obsessed with developing ninjutsu, particularly the clan's secret Hydrification Technique.
The Hydrification Technique allowed its user to turn their body into water at will, rendering physical attacks ineffective. Besides making it easy to evade most kinds of attacks, it also allowed the user to conceal their movements while in their liquid state, making it an extremely versatile technique.
Moreover, the Hydrification Technique had stringent requirements for its users' constitutions. Since the secret technique was first developed, only a handful of Hozuki with unusual constitutions had been able to use it. Hozuki Mangetsu's constitution met the requirements as well.
After years of research, Hozuki Mangetsu had actually succeeded in advancing the Hydrification Technique to a whole new level. He could not only turn his body into water, but also freely reshape his liquid body into solid clones.
Each of these solid clones was the real Hozuki Mangetsu. They could use every ninjutsu he had mastered, and unlike clones created with transformation techniques, they wouldn't collapse when struck.
To kill Hozuki Mangetsu, one had to kill every one of his solid clones. As long as even a single clone survived, he could return to peak condition in a short time!
The Hydrification Technique Hozuki Mangetsu had modified wasn't simply a ninjutsu. It also required physical modification and the use of certain special Sealing Jutsu.
By the time he had fully mastered this new version of the Hydrification Technique, its abilities had gone beyond the bounds of a secret technique. They had become completely integrated into his body and genes, transforming into a whole new Kekkei Genkai. Hozuki Mangetsu was the first person to possess it!
When Uesugi Shinji finished explaining, Rin, Terumi Mei, and Hozuki Mangetsu all wore stunned expressions.
Rin was astonished by Hozuki Mangetsu's talent, while Terumi Mei and Hozuki Mangetsu were shocked by how precisely Uesugi Shinji had analyzed everything.
"Then why did this kid sneak out in the middle of the night to fight you?" Rin pressed.
A fleeting look of regret crossed Uesugi Shinji's eyes. He continued, "As the saying goes, the clever are often undone by their own cleverness. This kid doesn't have long to live. He's already terminally ill."
"His liquid body will gradually collapse. His entire body is slowly breaking itself down and turning to water, all the way down to the cellular level, until he eventually dissolves into a puddle and dies."
Rin was startled. Then, realization dawned on her. "Could your Ice Release ninjutsu cure his bloodline disease?"
Uesugi Shinji shook his head. "I can't cure it, but Ice Release can stop his body from liquefying itself. The bloodline disease will no longer pose any threat to him."
After speaking, Uesugi Shinji felt a little parched. He'd said more today than he usually did in an entire week.
He could already tell that Terumi Mei and Hozuki Mangetsu were very close. Perhaps this was his chance to establish a working relationship with Terumi Mei, the rising star of Kirigakure.
As her subordinate, he was already at a disadvantage. If he didn't want to be on the losing end of their cooperation, he would have to use a few tactics of his own.
Uesugi Shinji turned to Terumi Mei and pretended to take his leave. "It's getting late. We've settled everything, so we'll be on our way."
Without waiting for her reply, Uesugi Shinji turned and started to leave.
Rin, who was beside him, was still reluctant. She thought they should at least demand an explanation. Hozuki Mangetsu was young and suffering from a bloodline disease, which was pitiful, but surely they couldn't just let him get away with attacking a fellow shinobi in the middle of the night?
But before Rin could speak, she saw Uesugi Shinji's pointed look. She immediately understood and turned to follow him.
"Could you two wait a moment?"
They had barely taken a few steps when Terumi Mei's voice rang out behind them, just as Uesugi Shinji had expected.
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