Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki

A tall, thin figure, a lazy expression, and a provocative gaze.

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled; he knew the young man before him was none other than Kirigakure's backup weapon—the Six-Tails jinchuriki, Utakata.

Ninjas raised during the Bloody Mist Era were emotionally detached; in the pursuit of power, comrades slaughtering one another was a common occurrence.

Even the relationships between masters and disciples or brothers were incredibly indifferent.

Utakata and Harusame, that master-disciple pair, were perhaps an exception.

It was evident that Harusame cared deeply for this disciple, though unfortunately, a misunderstanding had severed that bond.

At this moment, Utakata was still basking in his master's affection, his temperament somewhat arrogant.

"Master has always praised you highly, saying you are the number one youth in the village. Why am I finding that hard to believe?"

Utakata cracked his knuckles, looking completely indifferent.

"No manners!"

Harusame scolded him, then laughed, "This child has been spoiled by me. Mangetsu, why don't you let him witness your skills? It will be good for this brat to know that there is always someone better."

Is this just trying to smooth things over?

Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at Harusame in confusion, but seeing him still wearing that smiling expression, it seemed he had no intention of stopping them.

It appeared Harusame wanted to use his disciple to test his own mettle.

"Since that's the case, I'll play along with you!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu said easily.

The reason the neutral faction chose Hōzuki Mangetsu, aside from the sake of the village, was more importantly to see if he possessed the strength.

Without strength, words are merely empty talk and carry no weight.

"Very well!"

Utakata took out an iron blowpipe and blew out strings of bubbles, surrounding himself in the center.

"Let me state this first!"

A smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"My techniques are these bubbles!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

Utakata was Harusame's disciple and had inherited his master's Bubble Secret Technique.

"And another thing!"

Utakata's pupils constricted as he said, "The position of Mizukage belongs to me, Utakata."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and countless bubbles surged toward Hōzuki Mangetsu.

Water Release: Explosive Bubble!

Utakata formed a seal and shouted loudly.

Countless bubbles exploded in succession.

He knew Hōzuki Mangetsu was a top-tier existence among jonin, so he opened with a lethal move.

As the smoke cleared, Hōzuki Mangetsu's figure slowly emerged from the water residue.

Utakata sneered.

The reason the Hozuki Clan could become the strongest family in Kirigakure was primarily due to their ancestral Hydrification Technique.

For a Water Release ninja, this was an absolutely frustrating existence.

Water Release techniques had almost no effect on the Hozuki Clan; instead, they only bolstered the power of their own techniques.

Once they encountered a Water Release ninja, the Hozuki Clan was already in an invincible position by using the Hydrification Technique.

However...

A cold smirk appeared on Utakata's lips; he didn't only know Water Release ninjutsu.

Water Release: Strong Acid Foam!

Countless bubbles were blown from his ninja tool once again, containing the strong acid of the Six-Tails.

After exploding, they would produce extreme corrosiveness, and upon contact with water, the range of the corrosion would increase, making it difficult even for the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique to avoid.

Utakata blew a large bubble and sat on it, rising into mid-air.

He was a long-range, area-of-effect type ninja.

Did I get him?

Utakata muttered to himself.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

A powerful gust of wind struck, scattering Utakata's bubbles.

Hōzuki Mangetsu's figure reappeared.

In this short span of time, the ground had already been corroded beyond recognition by the strong acid.

The power of the Six-Tails is truly formidable!

Wind Style?

Utakata frowned slightly; if Hōzuki Mangetsu could use Wind Style, his bubbles would lose much of their effectiveness.

Because strong winds could disperse his bubbles.

"You are strong!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled and said, "Therefore, I must also bring out my true skills, otherwise I will be looked down upon."

As he spoke, he drew a blade—it was none other than the Twin Blade Hiramekarei.

Twin blades!

Utakata's pupils constricted as he stared at the sword in awe.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had always been a powerful group in Kirigakure and a symbol of the village's most capable ninjas.

Becoming one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had always been the aspiration of every young ninja in Kirigakure.

"I've decided, I'll take your Twin Blade Hiramekarei first!"

Utakata quickly put away his bubble-blowing tool.

Mist Concealment Technique!

He formed the hand seals to cast this jutsu and swiftly vanished into the thick fog.

Fool!

Harusame, standing to the side, cursed under his breath.

Hōzuki Mangetsu was known as the reincarnation of the Demon, and his Silent Killing Technique was peerless in Kirigakure; for his own disciple to attack the man's greatest strength with his own weakness was madness.

Seeing Utakata use this technique, Hōzuki Mangetsu was momentarily stunned.

He was a prodigy of the Silent Killing Technique, and even Zabuza was no match for him; for Utakata to dare use this technique to finish him off was truly overestimating himself.

Hōzuki Mangetsu felt a surge of irritation.

At that moment, he suddenly sensed a figure rushing toward him at high speed.

Using taijutsu directly?

Hōzuki Mangetsu sneered; he was a master of taijutsu, and aside from a freak like Might Guy, no one in Kirigakure was his match.

Hiramekarei, Release!

Hōzuki Mangetsu shouted, and a sphere of chakra energy ejected from the holes in the twin blades, heading straight for the oncoming figure.

Twin Blade Hiramekarei was a weapon with immense explosive power; if met head-on, even a Susanoo would struggle to withstand it.

Crack, a sound like something shattering echoed through the air.

Hōzuki Mangetsu was shocked to discover that the Hiramekarei energy sphere had been smashed by a single hand, and the figure had not slowed down in the slightest, charging straight at him.

Mist Body Flicker!

At the critical moment, Hōzuki Mangetsu used the Mist Body Flicker to escape the range of the attack.

The assailant seemed to have overshot his mark, taking quite a while to turn back around.

This is the Tailed Beast Cloak!

A look of gravity flashed across Hōzuki Mangetsu's face.

The Utakata before him had already transformed into his Tailed Beast state, his body shrouded in a layer of red chakra Tailed Beast Cloak, with two tails swaying incessantly behind him.

Tailed Beast transformation has three states; the red Tailed Beast Cloak is the initial state, in which jinchuriki can still maintain their sanity. As the number of tails increases, the jinchuriki's body becomes increasingly corrupted by chakra, which is the second state. At this point, the jinchuriki gradually loses control, and only a few who can live in harmony with their Tailed Beasts can achieve the complete form.

Judging from later events, Utakata could never achieve the complete form, meaning he could at most reach the second state of Tailed Beast transformation.

But even in just the second state, Hōzuki Mangetsu found it extremely difficult to deal with him.

Incredibly strong!

Hōzuki Mangetsu retreated as he fought.

Whether it was physical speed, strength, or durability, Utakata's Tailed Beast transformation had increased significantly.

Relying on the Mist Body Flicker and his exquisite taijutsu, Hōzuki Mangetsu was able to hold on for a while, but after some time, Utakata's power grew greater and greater, and his own body gradually began to lose control.

ROAR!

Utakata suddenly looked up and let out a thunderous roar, and the tails behind him increased to five.

This is bad!

Harusame was shocked. He knew that Utakata's limit was four tails, and he had not expected this Hōzuki Mangetsu to be so formidable that he could actually hold out for such a long time.