Hydrification Technique
Naruto: The Rise of the Mist Ninja
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Hydrification Technique |
| Original Name | 水化术 |
| Alias(es) | Water Transformation Secret Technique 1 |
| Affiliation | Hozuki Clan of Kirigakure 1 2 |
| Occupation/Role | Secret technique used for bodily liquefaction, defense, escape, and infiltration 2 25 32 |
| Known Users | Hozuki Mangetsu; Hozuki Suigetsu, also called Shui Yue'er 2 50 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1; first demonstrated in Chapter 2 1 2 |
Background / History
Hydrification is one of the Hozuki Clan's greatest strengths, alongside its mastery of the Seven Ninja Swords. Even after the clan declined following the Second Mizukage's death, the technique preserved its standing: most Kirigakure factions lacked a reliable counter, with Lightning Release users being the principal exception 5 6 8.
Orochimaru pursued Mangetsu specifically to obtain the technique, viewing its ability to negate physical attacks as valuable to his search for immortality. Suikazan Fuguki exploited this interest by leaking Mangetsu's whereabouts, hoping Orochimaru would eliminate him 2 5.
After transmigrating into Mangetsu's body, Gu Mangetsu offered Orochimaru the technique to save his life. Orochimaru verified the scroll's authenticity and accepted it, ending his immediate pursuit. Possession of the scroll does not establish that Orochimaru successfully used Hydrification 2 3.
Abilities & Skills
Bodily Liquefaction
Hydrification turns any part of the user's body into liquid, allowing physical attacks to pass through rather than inflict ordinary bodily damage 2.
- Partial or complete transformation: Mangetsu can liquefy individual areas or his entire body 2.
- Immediate activation: No preparation time is required; Mangetsu counters Zabuza's surprise attack by liquefying instantly 25.
- Sustained liquid state: The body can remain liquefied as long as it continues producing chakra 25.
- Reflexive response: Shortly after transmigration, Gu Mangetsu's body liquefies subconsciously when he slaps his own cheek 2.
- Reformation: Dispersed water can gather back into human form, as demonstrated after Might Guy shatters Mangetsu's liquid body 35.
Water Merging and Movement
The user can merge with surrounding water, turning a water-covered battlefield into an escape route or hiding place 2 32.
- Escape cover: Mangetsu uses Exploding Water Colliding Wave to flood the battlefield before merging into it 2.
- Concealment: While disguised as a puddle, he secretly observes Danzō and Orochimaru without either detecting him 32.
- Restricted-space movement: He escapes the Hokage Secret Chamber by liquefying and slipping through pipes 35.
- Water Release advantage: Ordinary Water Release attacks are largely ineffective against the Hozuki Clan and can leave additional water for its users to exploit 5 48.
Restraint and Counterattacks
Liquefaction can trap an attacker inside the user's body, creating an opening for a close-range counterattack 25 35.
- Against Zabuza: Mangetsu catches Zabuza's hands in his liquefied body and places a finger against his forehead, threatening him with the separate Water Gun Technique 25.
- Against Might Guy: He traps Guy's kicking leg, then uses the separate Water Arm Technique to seize the other foot while preparing Water Gun 35.
- Restraint limit: Guy escapes by opening the Fifth Gate of the Eight Inner Gates 35.
Technique Combinations
- Lightning Release: Mangetsu survives Kisame's Water Shark Bullet through Hydrification, reappears on the water, and channels Thunder Banquet through the Kusanagi Sword to attack nearby Anbu 5.
- Mysterious Peacock Method: Hydrification protects against the momentary vulnerability created when the method's full-power chakra manifestation breaks. It does not prevent the Ten-Tails fragment's damaging bodily side effects 19.
Weaknesses & Limitations
| Counter or condition | Effect |
|---|---|
| Lightning Release | Disrupts Hydrification. A sudden lightning strike breaks Mangetsu's transformation, leaves his body translucent, and puts him in a coma 2. |
| Lightning-infused physical attacks | Bypass the protection ordinarily provided against physical strikes. Mangetsu avoids Orochimaru's electrified Kusanagi Sword with a Water Clone rather than Hydrification 2 19. |
| Chakra disruption | Chakra is needed to maintain and restore bodily form. If that chakra is dispersed, the user cannot recover 35. |
| Gentle Fist | Identified as a dangerous counter because it can disrupt the chakra sustaining the Hozuki body's form 35. |
| Extreme destructive force | Hydrification is not absolute protection against the fully opened Eight Inner Gates. A Hozuki predecessor among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen died against that technique 35. |
| Six-Tails acid | Utakata's Strong Acid Foam spreads its corrosive effect through water, making it difficult to avoid with Hydrification. Mangetsu instead disperses the bubbles with Wind Release 48. |
| Wind-enhanced Kusanagi Sword | When Suigetsu attacks with wind-nature chakra on the blade, Mangetsu judges that simply evading through Hydrification is insufficient and uses the Mysterious Peacock Method instead 20. |
| Lava Release and Boil Release | Mangetsu suspects Hydrification might not withstand Terumi Mei's techniques; this remains an assessment rather than a demonstrated defeat 23. |
| Access restrictions | Mangetsu explicitly tells Chojuro that he cannot learn Hydrification, offering swordsmanship instruction instead 8. |
Notable Uses
| Event | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Escape attempt against Orochimaru | Mangetsu merges into a flooded battlefield, but an unexpected lightning strike interrupts his retreat 2. |
| Suigetsu's greeting ambush | Mangetsu liquefies to let his younger brother's punch miss without engaging in a spar 6. |
| Raiga's explosive ambush | Mangetsu survives an ambush involving a Lightning Clone and Explosive Tags, then reforms from the water. Raiga subsequently turns to Lightning Release as the appropriate counter 10. |
| Zabuza's Mist Body Flicker | Hydrification negates an otherwise potentially fatal surprise strike and allows Mangetsu to immobilize Zabuza 25. |
| Konoha infiltration | Mangetsu eavesdrops on Danzō and Orochimaru, then later uses pipe travel to escape after stealing the Thunder God Sword and Sealing Scroll 32 35. |
| Utakata's Explosive Bubble | Mangetsu emerges from the water residue after the attack, prompting Utakata to switch to corrosive acid bubbles 48. |
Related Techniques
- Oil Transformation Technique — Hozuki Gengetsu's distinct kekkei genkai, described as superior to Hydrification. The Hozuki brothers lack the necessary bloodline; acquiring its scroll alone does not let Mangetsu use it 8 28.
- Water Clone Technique — A separate evasion technique used against Orochimaru's attacks, including his Lightning Release-infused sword. Its dissolution into water should not be confused with bodily Hydrification 2 3.
- Water Gun Technique and Water Arm Technique — Separate Hozuki arts used alongside Hydrification for close-range offense and restraint 25 35.
Notable Quotes
“Actually, the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique requires no preparation time. As long as my body can still produce chakra, it can remain in a liquefied state.”
— Gu Mangetsu, explaining the technique to Zabuza 25