Hozuki Mangetsu

The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was based on the number eight, and almost every move had eight variations. Kanna's move was no exception. The forehead, eyes, bridge of the nose, temples, crown, and both ears—in all, eight vital points—were all within the range of this finger strike.

In a real fight, this strike should be delivered with its force held in reserve, making it impossible for the enemy to tell exactly where they would be hit. Then, when the moment came, it would catch them off guard and kill them in one blow. But this was only a performance. Although Kanna was a little annoyed with Amayuri, they had no real grudge, so she made no attempt to conceal her target. It was obvious at a glance: I'm going to poke you between the eyebrows.

With a soft pop, Kanna's expression froze. The staff member beside her was stunned, too.

Ringo Amayuri hadn't resisted at all. She'd actually tilted her head back and taken the blow head-on.

"You bastard! What are you doing?" the young staff member cried, starting to rush over to stop Kanna, but a middle-aged man beside him grabbed him.

"Leave them alone! Their situation is special, so they have to settle any conflict themselves. We don't need to interfere!"

"But—"

"Listen to me. Don't treat them like children. This is their choice!" the middle-aged man said meaningfully.

At that moment, Ringo Amayuri finally spoke.

"I'll return that finger strike to you."

With that, Ringo Amayuri closed her eyes, went limp, and toppled backward.

Kanna instinctively stepped forward and caught her, then felt her eyelid twitch.

Was she really going to be this dramatic? Even for a performance, this was far too fake.

She hadn't even used any force! It was one thing not to block, but was there really any need to go this far?

"She fainted? Take her to the infirmary," the middle-aged man said calmly. "This girl spent all night in the Security Force headquarters. She's completely exhausted. Congratulations, Kanna. You've beaten the strongest competitor in this Chunin Ninja Exam."

Kanna stared blankly for a moment, then lowered her head to look at Ringo Amayuri.

"Completely exhausted? Was she interrogated all night?"

Ringo Amayuri looked quite beautiful unconscious. Her usually tense face had relaxed, and the corners of her mouth were faintly raised. Kanna's heart gave a little jolt.

"I-I didn't mean to. It was an accident." Kanna stammered, handing Ringo Amayuri over to the middle-aged man. "But I'll still accept punishment. Please make sure to report this to the warden."

"You're both too old for those tricks." The middle-aged man glared at Kanna and led her into the warden's office next door.

Three minutes later, Kanna received her punishment: her term in juvenile detention was extended by three months. Ringo Amayuri's was, too.

That meant Kanna would have to spend six months in the Juvenile Correction Center before getting out. That should be enough time for the Third Hokage and her father to sort out that mess.

After this incident, Kanna's opinion of Kirigakure sank even further. Even the Mizukage and the Mizukage Aide couldn't protect her; they had to watch the powerful clans' reactions. How could things possibly get better from here?

It wasn't even the Bloody Mist era yet, and the power struggle among the higher-ups was already so blatant. Once the Fourth Mizukage took power, wouldn't things get even worse?

A week later, at noon, Kanna was studying the new B-rank ninjutsu she'd drawn, Ninjutsu: Exploding Bubble, when she suddenly received some unexpected news.

The Hayashinaka Clan still had no intention of letting Ringo Amayuri off the hook. They sent one of their clan members to start a fight in a busy street, then had him brought into the Juvenile Correction Center under perfectly legitimate pretenses.

"Really? What does that have to do with me?"

On the training ground, Kanna was talking with Ringo Amayuri.

"They're after you, aren't they?" Kanna chuckled. "What's wrong? Are you scared? Want me to help?"

As comrades of sorts, Kanna and Ringo Amayuri had gotten along a little better than before. They could just about be called friends.

"I don't care who the Hayashinaka Clan sends," Amayuri said with a cold laugh. "But do you think you're safe? I heard the Hozuki Clan sent Hozuki Mangetsu. He seems to be here for you, so be careful you don't get beaten to death."

"Hozuki Mangetsu?" Kanna was taken aback. Her expression darkened, and she said grimly, "Is that so? Looks like he really is here for me."

The Hozuki Clan could be considered Kirigakure's most prominent clan. It had produced the Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki, as well as Hozuki Senjin, wielder of the Twin Blades: Hiramekarei among this generation's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Their status was comparable to the Uchiha Clan's in Konohagakure. They were powerful, but also widely feared, and represented the clans opposing the Mizukage this time around.

Kanna had heard of Hozuki Mangetsu, too. At only twelve, he was an undeniable prodigy. Though he held only the rank of Chunin, that was simply because he hadn't yet made enough contributions. In terms of strength, he was even stronger than an ordinary Jonin!

Gulp. As Kanna thought, she unconsciously blew a bubble.

Ringo Amayuri frowned and casually slapped it away.

"You're a Genin of Kirigakure, and you still like playing with childish toys?"

"What childish toys?" Kanna snapped back to awareness, only to see Amayuri raising her hand to smack the exploding bubble.

It was like an adult walking along the road and suddenly seeing a bunch of annoying bubbles drift over. You'd smack them before even thinking about it!

"Wait!"

Kanna had only just stretched out a hand when a bang rang out. Ringo Amayuri flashed three meters away, clutching her right hand and glaring at her.

"Misunderstanding!" Kanna said with an awkward laugh, trying to explain. "It was absolutely a misunderstanding! I definitely wasn't trying to sneak attack you!"

Amayuri narrowed her eyes and was about to speak when an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from beside them.

"Explosion Release?"

Kanna spun around in alarm. A white-haired boy had appeared behind her at some point, muttering to himself.

"An interesting ninjutsu. It can make bubbles explode with tremendous force. Is it Explosion Release?"

Kanna's thoughts raced, and a name surfaced in her mind.

"You're Hozuki Mangetsu!"

"Oh? That's right." Hozuki Mangetsu looked over and said calmly, "I've only just arrived, so I hope you seniors will show me the ropes."

"Hey! Hozuki Mangetsu! How'd you end up over there?"

A ninja emerged from a distant covered walkway and waved to Hozuki Mangetsu.

"Come on! Go register with the warden with me!"

"Coming." Hozuki Mangetsu answered and leisurely walked over.

As he passed Kanna, he stopped and gave a quiet chuckle.

Kanna watched Hozuki Mangetsu's back, simmering with anger.

Hozuki Mangetsu had apparently only meant to provoke her a little. He hadn't expected Kanna to hold back, but then Ringo Amayuri, standing in front of him, suddenly spoke up.

"What are you laughing at?" Amayuri pointed at Hozuki Mangetsu and said coldly. "I hear you're a prodigy. So what if you're a prodigy? Does that make you so special?"

At that point, Kanna had no choice but to step forward. This was her problem, after all. Someone else had stood up for her; she couldn't just keep hiding behind them. But she couldn't think of anything good to say, so she could only echo, "Yeah, so what if you're a prodigy?"

"I'm nothing special." Hozuki Mangetsu's expression didn't change, and he kept walking as he spoke. "You're Ringo Amayuri, right? I know about you. You bear the name of a prodigy, too, so you should understand me. But even among prodigies, there are different levels. Take my advice: don't provoke me. Otherwise..."

"Big talk!"

Before Hozuki Mangetsu could finish, Kanna stepped forward and aimed her palm at him. Her chakra surged all at once.

"Get out of my way!"

The repulsive force connecting Kanna and Hozuki Mangetsu snapped. A tremendous invisible force crushed into him. With a boom, Hozuki Mangetsu was sent flying, smashing through the railing of the covered walkway. He rolled across the grass several times before staggering to his feet.

"Phew." Kanna took several deep breaths to steady herself.

That single, low-powered Shinra Tensei had used up half her chakra.

"Hehehe..."

In the distance, Hozuki Mangetsu actually laughed. His body rippled and undulated like a wave, the motion washing down from his head to his heels in layers. By the end, every scrape had healed, leaving him completely unscathed.

"Hydrification Technique? A special ability that makes him immune to most physical attacks. What a pain..." Kanna frowned and thought to herself.