Thunder Blades Kiba

Clover Gold Mine in the Land of Rivers!

The figure of Hōzuki Mangetsu appeared at the entrance of a curry shop.

According to the plot of Naruto, in a few years, the protagonist Naruto and a team of genin specializing in taijutsu would arrive here to defeat Raiga Kurosuki, the wielder of the Thunder Blades Kiba who had entrenched himself in this location.

Raiga Kurosuki would eventually die, and the Thunder Blades Kiba would fall off a cliff, presumably to be collected by Kabuto Yakushi, which is why they would later appear on the battlefield of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

However, Hōzuki Mangetsu had already arrived ahead of time.

"Customer, what flavor of curry would you like?"

As soon as Hōzuki Mangetsu stepped through the door, an old woman immediately greeted him; she was Granny Sansho, the owner of this curry shop. Following behind her was a young boy, her grandson, Kaishi.

"I heard that you have been working on a special kind of curry, Granny, known as the Curry of Life?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu asked.

He had disguised himself for the moment, carrying nothing that bore the markings of Kirigakure.

"So, a customer has heard of the Curry of Life?"

Granny Sansho laughed.

She was a perfectionist, possessing an almost demanding pursuit of curry.

She had been researching the Curry of Life for a long time, but unfortunately, she had yet to make any real progress.

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled.

He knew that, in the end, this grandmother and grandson duo would successfully create the Curry of Life.

It was just that, for now, they were likely still in the midst of their research.

"I want to eat the Curry of Life right now, and I hope you can finish your research as soon as possible. Remember, the color must be black!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu took out some money and placed it on the table.

Truth be told, the reason he came here, aside from reclaiming the Thunder Blades Kiba, was primarily to find the super-supportive Red-Eyed Ranmaru.

This was a bloodline limit even more formidable than the Byakugan.

In the original story, Ranmaru used these eyes to run the genius Neji Hyuga in circles; if one were to ask which technique was the best for seeing through things, it would certainly be these red eyes, which were also the natural enemy of both the Byakugan and the Sharingan.

"Customer, rest assured, we shall begin making it right now!"

Granny Sansho was exceptionally excited.

It wasn't because of the money Hōzuki Mangetsu had offered, but because it was rare for someone to acknowledge her curry.

Thus, the grandmother and grandson began to work fervently on their research into the Curry of Life.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Hōzuki Mangetsu's mouth.

The Curry of Life was tied to the very life of Ranmaru; since it was this pair who developed it in the original story, giving them some time would eventually lead to its creation.

It was just a pity that Hōzuki Mangetsu knew nothing about curry, only vaguely remembering it as a black, rather unappetizing-looking mass.

After Raiga Kurosuki defected, he had traveled to many places, but eventually settled down in this small, remote area.

Although this place was isolated, it was rich in gold, which was likely why Raiga Kurosuki had chosen to stay.

Hōzuki Mangetsu moved alone, stealthily creeping toward Raiga Kurosuki's lair.

Raiga Kurosuki was also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, possessing extraordinary strength; defeating him would be difficult for Hōzuki Mangetsu, not to mention that he also had Red-Eyed Ranmaru by his side.

After much thought, Hōzuki Mangetsu decided he could only use that one technique.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

He bit his finger and performed a series of hand seals.

A massive clam appeared before Hōzuki Mangetsu.

Was this the clam of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu? It was indeed large enough to be compared to a small house.

"Brat, are you the one who summoned this lord?"

The Giant Clam extended two tentacles, puffed out a cloud of smoke, and said leisurely, "It has been a long time since I was last summoned, not since the death of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu."

"Mr. Clam, my name is Hōzuki Mangetsu. I am a descendant of the Second Mizukage, and I have inherited the contract from him. This is my first time summoning you, and I hope for your guidance in the future," Hōzuki Mangetsu said respectfully.

The Giant Clam puffed out two more clouds of smoke.

"Being summoned by a brat is quite unpleasant. But since you are a descendant of the Second and have signed the blood contract, I shall begrudgingly accept. Tell me, why have you summoned me?"

"This junior wishes to perform the Mirage!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu whispered.

To deal with Raiga Kurosuki, he had to deceive Red-Eyed Ranmaru first, but Ranmaru's clairvoyant abilities were extremely powerful; after much deliberation, Hōzuki Mangetsu concluded that only genjutsu would work.

Although the original Hōzuki Mangetsu knew some genjutsu, it was not worth mentioning in the face of Red-Eyed Ranmaru's ocular power.

The only thing that could be of use was the Second Mizukage's strongest genjutsu, the Mirage.

However, the Second Mizukage's strongest genjutsu, Mirage, requires coordination with the Giant Clam to increase the range of the technique.

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad! Mirage must have my cooperation to unleash its maximum power."

The Giant Clam seemed quite talkative, perhaps because it hadn't been summoned for a long time.

"Ninja Art: Mirage!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu had no time to chat with the Giant Clam; he was anxious to deal with Raiga Kurosuki.

Soon, both the Giant Clam and his figure vanished into the mist.

The Mirage genjutsu utilizes the phenomenon of light refraction, allowing illusory projections to be cast anywhere within the dense fog.

In this way, everything the enemy sees is a phantom, thereby achieving the goal of disrupting them.

The thick fog quickly enveloped Raiga Kurosuki's camp.

"What is going on?"

Raiga Kurosuki walked out with a group of his subordinates.

Is this the Hidden Mist Jutsu?

A cold glint flashed through his eyes. Had someone from the Hidden Mist come to hunt him down?

The Hidden Mist Anbu had a specialized Hunter-nin unit, and Raiga Kurosuki had once served in that department; he knew the village would never let defectors like them go.

No, this isn't an ordinary Hidden Mist jutsu!

Standard Hidden Mist techniques could not produce such a vast expanse of fog without the right weather and terrain conditions.

At this moment, a figure suddenly walked over.

"Raiga Kurosuki!"

Hōzuki Mangetsu's figure emerged from the thick fog.

"It's you!"

Raiga Kurosuki's pupils constricted.

"Hōzuki Mangetsu!"

Both were members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, so they were old acquaintances.

"Are you here to hunt me down? Where are the others?"

Raiga Kurosuki sneered, gripping the Thunder Blades Kiba tightly in his hands.

From the moment he defected from the village, he had been prepared for death. The Thunder Blades Kiba and Red-Eyed Ranmaru on his back were his everything.

He would not be captured so easily.

Although Hōzuki Mangetsu was known as a genius, he, Raiga Kurosuki, was no pushover either.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Gate!"

Raiga Kurosuki plunged his twin blades into the ground, and countless bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, densely shrouding Hōzuki Mangetsu in the attack.

He knew Hōzuki Mangetsu's capabilities, so he opened with a lethal strike.

After the smoke cleared, Hōzuki Mangetsu was still standing there leisurely.

"What?"

Raiga Kurosuki was shocked.

Thunder Gate was a jutsu with a massive attack range; even if Hōzuki Mangetsu was proficient in the use of the Thunder Blades Kiba, it was impossible for him to remain unscathed.

"Ranmaru!"

Raiga Kurosuki suddenly shouted to the bundle on his back.

"Lord Raiga, I don't see anything."

Ranmaru, behind him, suddenly spoke.

"Genjutsu?"

Raiga Kurosuki formed a few hand seals and let out a loud shout.

When he opened his eyes, the figure of Hōzuki Mangetsu was still before him.