As he slowly walked across the broad river, Uesugi Shinji saw the once-clear water freeze into a thick, crystalline sheet of ice.
Through the frozen water, he saw Suikazan Fuguki, unable to move. The man had his back to him, though, so Shinji couldn't see his expression.
Just then, Uesugi Shinji sensed a group of shinobi rapidly approaching. There weren't many of them, probably only four or five, but every one seemed to be an elite jōnin.
Regardless of who was coming, Uesugi Shinji decided to finish off Suikazan Fuguki first. Ice Release chakra surged from his body. He raised his left hand and pressed it straight down against the ice beneath his feet.
"Hold it!"
At this critical moment, a loud shout rang out beside Uesugi Shinji. The newcomer clearly wanted to save Suikazan Fuguki's life.
Uesugi Shinji recognized the voice, but his hand didn't slow at all. The moment his palm touched the ice, a circle of black seals spread outward.
A pillar of ice suddenly surged up from beneath the river, with Suikazan Fuguki right at its center. With a crisp crack, hundreds of sharp Ice Spikes burst out from inside the pillar, tearing Suikazan Fuguki to pieces.
From a distance, the cluster of spikes erupting from the pillar looked like an ice lotus in bloom. But streaks of scarlet stained its beautiful petals, lending it an eerie look beneath the sunlight.
"I never expected Lord Mizukage to grace us with his presence. This is quite a surprise."
Uesugi Shinji slowly turned and looked at the newly arrived Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura. Standing on either side of Yagura were four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Uesugi Shinji wasn't a fool. The Fourth Mizukage had shown up just as he killed Suikazan Fuguki, with a group of