Mysterious Peacock Method

Mysterious Peacock Method!

Hōzuki Mangetsu formed several hand seals, and a vast, overbearing surge of chakra erupted from his body, manifesting as a tangible entity that swirled around him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ranmaru threw several shuriken from a blind spot.

With the enhancement of his Red Eye, his taijutsu and ninjutsu had improved rapidly.

Hōzuki Mangetsu controlled the chakra, shaping it into arms to swat away the shuriken. However, when he attempted to use the materialized chakra to grasp the final blade, he felt his control falter.

Clatter!

The materialized chakra vanished instantly, leaving a visibly exhausted Hōzuki Mangetsu behind.

The shuriken tore through the air, grazing Hōzuki Mangetsu's shoulder and drawing a few droplets of liquid.

"Lord Mangetsu!"

Ranmaru was shocked and rushed to his side.

He had never dreamed that these few shuriken could actually injure the renowned Hōzuki Mangetsu.

"I am fine!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu waved his hand dismissively.

He possessed the ability to liquefy his body; physical attacks, excluding those infused with Lightning Release, were meaningless against the Hozuki Clan.

Although the Mysterious Peacock Method of Hoshigakure was incredibly wondrous, its essence ultimately relied on a ninja's control over chakra shape transformation.

The Hozuki Clan was one of the strongest in the Mist Ninja ranks, producing countless experts over the last century and standing as a lineage of great antiquity. As an outstanding talent of his generation, Hōzuki Mangetsu possessed immense strength, and his chakra control was truly exceptional.

Through short-term practice, he had basically mastered the techniques of chakra materialization, achieving a preliminary level of defense, manipulation, and flight.

While the chakra materialization of the Mysterious Peacock Method was comparable to Susanoo or a Tailed Beast, it had a glaring drawback: the user's body could not move while maintaining the full-power manifestation.

In other words, once the materialized chakra was broken, the user was left sitting ducks for that split second.

However, this flaw meant little to the Hozuki Clan, as they possessed a secret technique to liquefy their bodies, perfectly resolving the issue.

Yet, this relegated the Mysterious Peacock Method to merely an auxiliary tool.

Cough! Cough!

Hōzuki Mangetsu couldn't help but cough a few times.

The Ten-Tails fragment was clearly not something just anyone could adapt to; in just a few short days, he felt a sharp, piercing pain throughout his entire body.

It seemed the Hozuki Clan's physique was not suited for this technique!

At this moment, Hōzuki Mangetsu began to yearn for the Sage Body of the Senju and Uzumaki clans.

The Sage Body was an incredibly formidable existence.

Both the Uzumaki and Senju clans possessed immense physical energy.

"Lord Mangetsu!"

Ranmaru said with concern, "This star is filled with violent energy that makes one feel very uncomfortable. It will erode the body over time; it would be better if Lord Mangetsu stopped practicing it."

He held a poor opinion of the Ten-Tails fragment!

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded in agreement.

Although the Ten-Tails fragment could significantly increase one's mastery of chakra shape transformation, the side effects were simply too great—even the Hozuki body couldn't endure it.

It seemed he would have to reseal it and wait until he obtained a Sage Body.

Seeing Hōzuki Mangetsu reseal the fragment, Ranmaru finally brightened up.

After settling Ranmaru in, Hōzuki Mangetsu returned to the village.

This trip had been highly rewarding. Most importantly, he had obtained the eyes of Uchiha Shisui—one of the greatest "bugs" in the Naruto World. Once he successfully acquired the cells of Senju Hashirama, he would be virtually invincible.

"Little Brother Hozuki!"

Terumi Mei's figure suddenly appeared before him.

"Big Sister Mei!"

A smile appeared on Hōzuki Mangetsu's face. He was no match for Terumi Mei yet, so he had to play the part when necessary.

Terumi Mei smoothed her long hair and said with a smile, "You've returned just in time. There is a full Jonin meeting tonight; make sure you attend!"

A Jonin meeting?

Hōzuki Mangetsu paused. In his memory, ever since the Fourth Mizukage Yagura took power, he had been acting unilaterally and rarely convened such meetings.

"Did something happen?"

He asked, puzzled.

Terumi Mei's smile remained unchanged as she said, "First, Ao's squad encountered Konoha at the border and was attacked; only Ao managed to escape. Second, according to the intelligence Ao brought back, the upper echelons of Konoha seem to be showing signs of division, and the Fourth is considering whether to take this opportunity to strike at Konoha. Third..."

She paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "Suikazan Fuguki's subordinate, Kisame, failed his mission to escort intelligence and slaughtered all his companions. Kisame is a trusted aide of Suikazan Fuguki. This is an opportunity, and we must not let him off easily."

So that was it!

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

So that was the idea Terumi Mei had in mind.

Taking the opportunity to strike at Fuguki, to sever one of his arms.

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled and said, "Actually, there is no need for so much trouble. As far as I know, Kisame is filled with resentment toward Suikazan Fuguki; the conflict between the two will inevitably sharpen sooner or later. If you openly move against Kisame, and it triggers Suikazan Fuguki to defend him, it won't do any good for driving a wedge between them."

What?

A sharp glint flashed through Terumi Mei's eyes as she whispered, "Where did you get this information?"

If Kisame truly harbored resentment toward Suikazan Fuguki, she could certainly make something of it.

Besides, Kisame was formidable, a standout among Jonin, and a target well worth recruiting.

Sister Mei!

Hōzuki Mangetsu gave a mysterious smile and said, "If you trust me, it is best to do nothing for now. Just sit back and watch the show. As for a turncoat like Kisame, you would be better off not setting your sights on him."

In fact, Suikazan would eventually die at the hands of Kisame.

He was certain of this.

Terumi Mei's beautiful eyes swept over Hōzuki Mangetsu, and she suddenly smiled charmingly, saying, "Fine, this time I will trust little brother Hozuki once."

She suddenly stepped forward, standing right next to Hōzuki Mangetsu, and said seductively, "If you dare to lie to me, watch out, or this sister will swallow you whole."

With a roll of her eyes, she turned and walked away gracefully.

What a scheming woman!

Hōzuki Mangetsu shook his head helplessly.

To achieve anything, one must rely on the strength of the collective, so the position of Mizukage in Kirigakure must be secured.

Whether it was Suikazan Fuguki or the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, they were all fleeting clouds; only the charming Terumi Mei before him was his primary rival.

The Hozuki Clan lacked sufficient strength, and Hōzuki Mangetsu needed to borrow Terumi Mei's power, but was Terumi Mei not doing the same?

Once Yagura died and the Bloody Mist Era ended, the competition would come down to individual strength and contributions to the village.

Therefore, Hōzuki Mangetsu had to seize the time to improve his own strength, cultivate his own subordinates, and accomplish some tangible feats.

Only then would he have a chance to snatch the position of Kage from Terumi Mei's hands.