Mysterious Peacock Method

Mysterious Peacock Method!

Hōzuki Mangetsu formed several hand seals, and a vast, domineering surge of Chakra poured out of his body, taking physical form around him.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Ranmaru threw several Shuriken from a blind spot.

With the boost from his Red Eye, his Taijutsu and ninjutsu had also improved rapidly.

Hōzuki Mangetsu shaped his Chakra into arms and batted away several Shuriken. But when he tried to use the physical Chakra to catch the last one, he found himself struggling.

Splash!

The physical Chakra quickly vanished, leaving Hōzuki Mangetsu looking exhausted.

The Shuriken whistled through the air and grazed Hōzuki Mangetsu's shoulder, sending a few drops of liquid flying.

"Lord Mangetsu!"

Ranmaru was startled and hurried over to him.

He had never dreamed that those few Shuriken would injure the renowned Hōzuki Mangetsu.

"I'm fine!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu waved a hand.

He could liquefy his body, so physical attacks other than Lightning Release were completely ineffective against the Hozuki Clan.

Though the Mysterious Peacock Method of Hoshigakure was wondrous, at its core it tested a ninja's control over Chakra shape transformation.

The Hozuki Clan was one of the strongest clans in Kirigakure. It had produced many powerful shinobi over the past century and was also a relatively ancient clan. Hōzuki Mangetsu was an outstanding talent of his generation, with formidable strength and exceptional Chakra control.

After a short period of practice, he had already more or less mastered the technique of giving Chakra physical form. He could now use it to defend, manipulate objects, and fly.

Although the physical Chakra created by the Mysterious Peacock Method rivaled Susanoo and the Tailed Beast, it had one obvious drawback: while fully maintaining its physical form, the user couldn't move.

In other words, if the physical Chakra was broken, the user would be helpless in that instant.

However, this drawback was no concern for the Hozuki Clan. Their secret technique allowed them to liquefy their bodies, perfectly solving the problem.

But that meant the Mysterious Peacock Method could only serve as a supporting technique.

Cough, cough!

Hōzuki Mangetsu couldn't help coughing a few times.

The Ten-Tails fragment really wasn't something just anyone could withstand. After only a few days, he was already feeling intense pain throughout his body.

It seemed the Hozuki Clan's bodies weren't suited to this jutsu!

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

The Sage Body was an incredibly powerful thing.

Both the Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan possessed immense physical energy.

"Lord Mangetsu!"

Ranmaru said worriedly, "This star is filled with violent energy, and it makes people feel extremely uncomfortable. Given enough time, it'll corrode the body. Lord Mangetsu, you'd be better off not training with it."

He had a poor impression of the Ten-Tails fragment!

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

The Ten-Tails fragment could greatly improve his control over Chakra shape transformation, but its side effects were simply too severe. Even the body of someone from the Hozuki Clan couldn't endure them.

It seemed he could only seal it again and wait until he obtained the Sage Body.

Ranmaru was pleased when he saw Hōzuki Mangetsu seal the fragment again.

After getting Ranmaru settled, Hōzuki Mangetsu returned to the village.

This trip had brought great rewards. Most importantly, he had obtained Uchiha Shisui's eyes, one of the biggest cheat codes in the Naruto World. If he managed to get Senju Hashirama's cells later, he would practically be invincible.

"Little Hozuki!"

Terumi Mei suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Big Sister Mei!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled. He still wasn't a match for Terumi Mei, so he had to play nice when necessary.

Terumi Mei brushed back her hair and smiled. "You're back just in time. There's a meeting of all the jōnin tonight. Be sure to attend!"

A jōnin meeting?

Hōzuki Mangetsu paused. As far as he remembered, after Fourth Mizukage Yagura took office, he usually acted alone and rarely called meetings like this.

"Did something happen?"

he asked, puzzled.

Terumi Mei's smile didn't change. "First, Ao's team ran into Konoha at the border and was attacked. Ao was the only one who survived. Second, according to the information Ao brought back, Konoha's leadership seems to be showing signs of a split. The Fourth is considering whether to take advantage of the situation and attack Konoha. Third..."

She paused, a cold glint passing through her eyes. "Kisame, one of Suikazan Fuguki's subordinates, failed in his mission to escort intelligence and killed all his companions. Kisame is Suikazan Fuguki's trusted subordinate. This is an opportunity, and we mustn't let it slip by."

So that was it!

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

So this was Terumi Mei's plan.

Was she planning to use this opportunity to move against Fuguki and cut off one of his arms?

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled. "There's no need to go to all that trouble. As far as I know, Kisame resents Suikazan Fuguki. Their conflict will grow worse sooner or later. If you openly move against Kisame and Suikazan Fuguki steps in to protect him, it won't do you any good in driving the two apart."

"What?"

A sharp gleam flashed through Terumi Mei's eyes. She lowered her voice. "Where did you hear that?"

If Kisame truly resented Suikazan Fuguki, she might be able to use that to her advantage.

Besides, Kisame was powerful, one of the best among the jōnin, and someone worth recruiting.

"Big Sister Mei!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled mysteriously. "If you believe me, it's best not to do anything for now. Just sit back and enjoy the show. As for a traitor like Kisame, you'd be better off not trying to win him over."

In fact, Suikazan Fuguki had died at Kisame's hands.

He was certain of it.

Terumi Mei's beautiful eyes roved over Hōzuki Mangetsu. Then she suddenly smiled sweetly. "All right. This time, I'll trust you, Little Hozuki."

She stepped closer until she was right beside Hōzuki Mangetsu, then said flirtatiously, "If you dare lie to me, I'll tear you limb from limb."

She shot him a glance, then turned and walked away gracefully.

What a schemer!

Hōzuki Mangetsu shook his head helplessly.

To accomplish anything, he would have to rely on the strength of the group. That was why he had to claim the position of Mizukage of Kirigakure.

Suikazan Fuguki and Fourth Mizukage Yagura would both be gone in the blink of an eye. Only the alluring Terumi Mei before him was his greatest rival.

The Hozuki Clan wasn't strong enough, so Hōzuki Mangetsu needed Terumi Mei's help. But wasn't she in the same position?

Once Yagura died and the Bloody Mist Era ended, what mattered would be individual strength and contributions to the village.

So Hōzuki Mangetsu had to hurry and grow stronger, train his subordinates, and earn a few solid achievements.

Only then would he have a chance to seize the position of Mizukage from Terumi Mei.