The Flower of the Hidden Mist, Terumi Mei

Returning to the village, Hōzuki Mangetsu couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and joy; even for the ruthless Hozuki brothers, there was a sense of belonging to one's home.

The Hozuki Clan was once a prominent family in Kirigakure, but unfortunately, ever since the death of the Second Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu, the clan had begun a steady decline. By now, they had been completely removed from the list of prestigious bloodline families.

However, their secret Hydrification Technique still gave them the capital to stand tall among the masses.

Except for a small number of Lightning Style users, other factions in Kirigakure had basically no solution for the Hydrification Technique.

Opening the door, a fist came flying toward his face.

The angle, force, and timing were all mastered perfectly.

Hōzuki Mangetsu didn't need to guess to know it was the handiwork of that little brat, Hozuki Suigetsu.

This was their way of greeting each other as brothers.

Children raised in the Village of the Bloody Mist had no concept of emotion; all they had was a pursuit of power.

Because of this, companions and friends often killed one another.

The graduation exam for Kirigakure ninjas involved comrades slaughtering each other, and only the victors were qualified to graduate.

During his graduation exam, Demon Zabuza single-handedly killed all his classmates, which forced Kirigakure to change that cruel rule.

However, the graduation exam remained filled with bloodshed even now.

In order to survive, many children were trained from a young age to have cold-blooded and cruel personalities.

The Hozuki brothers were no exception.

When the two brothers sparred at home, they always played for keeps; bleeding and getting injured were common occurrences.

If it were the past, Hōzuki Mangetsu would have definitely traded blows with his younger brother Suigetsu, but now that he had become Hōzuki Mangetsu, he naturally had no interest in such things.

With a splash, he activated the Hydrification Technique.

Hozuki Suigetsu's punch naturally missed its mark.

"Brother, you're cheating! You can't play like that."

Suigetsu said, clearly displeased.

Looking at the little brat's annoyed expression, a sudden warmth flashed through Hōzuki Mangetsu's heart.

In his previous life, he was an only child with no siblings, but now that he had come to this Naruto world, he actually had a younger brother, which made him feel quite excited.

"Suigetsu, I just finished a mission today and I'm a bit tired; I don't want to spar with you."

Hōzuki Mangetsu said gently.

Hearing Mangetsu say this, Suigetsu finally stopped.

"Well?"

A pair of small hands reached out in front of Mangetsu.

Hōzuki Mangetsu was stunned for a moment, confused. "What?"

Suigetsu smiled brightly. "My gift, of course! Don't tell me you forgot, Brother—today is the day I was promoted to genin."

Only then did Hōzuki Mangetsu extract the relevant information from Hōzuki Mangetsu's memories.

The reason Hōzuki Mangetsu had been in such a rush to get home was precisely to make it in time for Suigetsu's graduation ceremony.

Children in the era of the Bloody Mist were precocious; they began experiencing real combat at the age of six or seven.

So that was it!

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled sheepishly. Hōzuki Mangetsu had certainly prepared a gift for his brother, but it must have been lost during the pursuit by Orochimaru.

"What do you want?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu tilted his head to look at Suigetsu.

Suigetsu immediately said with excitement, "I want your ninja sword, Hiramekarei. I will definitely become the strongest of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and I will definitely surpass you, Brother."

Hiramekarei?

Hōzuki Mangetsu chuckled silently.

As expected of someone from the Hozuki Clan, he was born with a desire for ninja tools, and Suigetsu was also a genius-type ninja.

If cultivated well, he would surely be a great helper.

The Hozuki Clan were natural experts at using weapons.

Like his brother, Suigetsu possessed an extremely strong talent for weaponry; any ninja tool in his hands could unleash its maximum lethality.

The seven great ninja swords could only exert their maximum combat power in the hands of the Hozuki Clan.

However...

Suigetsu's current ability was insufficient; he simply couldn't control a high-explosive ninja sword like Hiramekarei.

Furthermore, Suigetsu only possessed Water and Wind elements, so he couldn't use a Lightning Style weapon like Kiba either.

The Great Sword Samehada would actually be quite suitable for Suigetsu, but unfortunately, it was still in the hands of Suikazan Fuguki.

As for the remaining swords, the Longsword required technique, the Blunt Sword required physical strength, and the Blast Sword required precise control; while each had its own merits, none were suitable for Suigetsu's current growth.

As for that useless broken blade, Hōzuki Mangetsu did not even consider it.

After pondering for a long time, he finally took out the Kusanagi Sword he had obtained from Orochimaru.

So beautiful!

Shui Yue'er held the Kusanagi Sword in his hands, unable to put it down, ripples of excitement flashing through his eyes.

"It's yours!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled and patted Shui Yue'er on the head.

This Kusanagi Sword was dispensable to him; besides, he possessed the Hiramekarei, which had the strongest explosive power, enough to deal with ordinary opponents.

However, in Shui Yue'er's hands, combined with his wind-attribute chakra, it could further increase the blade's damage, which would completely elevate Shui Yue'er to a new level.

"Long live big brother!"

Shui Yue'er drew the sword and ran off happily to play with it.

He was also a genius at using weapons; the moment he held the Kusanagi Sword, he understood its characteristics and was already off to practice with it.

This child!

Hōzuki Mangetsu shook his head, his gaze falling upon the emblem of the Hozuki Clan.

This emblem was once the strongest symbol of Kirigakure, but unfortunately, it had now fallen into decline.

Compared to a relatively peaceful village like Konoha, Kirigakure was somewhat turbulent and filled with hidden dangers.

The coming period would likely be the most cruel and bloody years for Kirigakure, with a large number of bloodline clans being persecuted and many powerful ninjas dying in internal strife—a situation that would persist until the Fifth Mizukage took office.

Only with powerful strength could one survive under such cruel rules.

Right!

Hōzuki Mangetsu suddenly remembered that it seemed the Second Mizukage was also from the Hozuki Clan; his Hydrification Technique and Yin Release were both incredibly formidable.

However, the Hydrification Technique was a kekkei genkai that the Mangetsu brothers could not use, but that Yin Release Giant Clam was quite good, capable of using large-scale genjutsu.

Thinking of this, Hōzuki Mangetsu immediately got up and headed to the shrine on the outskirts of the village where the Hozuki Clan paid respects to their ancestors.

The remains of the Second Mizukage were buried there.

As soon as Hōzuki Mangetsu left the house, he noticed a shadow following behind him.

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Kirigakure was indeed filled with murderous intent; it was a time of great unrest, with various factions stirring, and the Hozuki Clan was inevitably dragged into the muddy waters.

Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique!

As soon as he left the village, the other party used a ninjutsu.

"Come out!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu sneered. When the other party cast this technique, he knew there was no malicious intent, for he was a master of the Silent Killing Technique.

"You've returned, little brother Hozuki!"

A graceful figure appeared before him, with long brown hair and a charming smile—it was none other than the Flower of the Bloody Mist, Terumi Mei. She was a super-strong ninja possessing two kekkei genkai. She was also the village's future Fifth Mizukage, the iron-willed woman who single-handedly ended the Bloody Mist era.

Even in the later Fourth Great Ninja War, Terumi Mei displayed truly stunning strength.