Bitter Battle

The three watched the approaching mist warily. Before they could see the enemy, they felt a surge of chakra from the distant bridge.

"Kakashi is in trouble too? It seems the other side timed this perfectly. We're at an intelligence disadvantage and were exposed first," Mizuki fretted. Kakashi was unreliable, and Ibiki was uncertain. A surprise attack was impossible in this situation; it would have to be a head-on battle of strength.

The three were gradually swallowed by the thick mist, forming a triangle formation with their backs to each other, on guard.

"Be careful, there are four of them," Mizuki, the only one with reconnaissance abilities in the mist, warned. "It's the Mist Assassination Squad. This is troublesome."

"Should we charge?" Hayate Gekko asked Aoba Yamashiro, the strongest of the three.

"Let's see if we can negotiate first. Fighting Mist ninjas directly will start a war. Let's ask their purpose."

Gradually, four indistinct figures emerged from the mist. The leader appeared very young, with white hair. The remaining three had red, green, and blue hair.

"The primary colors of light. There are no hair colors in this ninja world you can't find," Aoba Yamashiro said, looking at the four masked figures. "You are the Mist Assassination Squad, aren't you? What business do you have trespassing on Konoha's mission area?"

A hoarse, unpleasant voice came from the white-haired leader. "Our target is the rogue ninja Zabuza, and the Executioner's Blade he carries." He emphasized the last sentence.

"Therefore, we have no intention of making enemies of Konoha. Just leave here."

"We cannot do that. We have a mission to complete."

"Oh? So you intend to interfere in Mist's internal affairs?"

"Tch, a rogue ninja. Is he still considered a Mist ninja?" Mizuki retorted.

"So, no agreement? Actually, it's best if we each get what we want. Since you refuse," the other side said sinisterly, "we'll just kill you all and plunder the Land of Waves."

The negotiations broke down, and the battle immediately entered a white-hot phase.

Among the three Konoha ninjas, Aoba Yamashiro was the strongest, but his preferred ninjutsu was ill-suited for this environment. Hayate Gekko had excellent swordsmanship and decent ninjutsu, but his body was a liability, unable to sustain a prolonged fight. As for Mizuki, though ordinary, he had the fewest weaknesses and the best physical condition. Combined with the reconnaissance abilities of some temporary water-based summoning beasts, he was actually the most capable of performing.

"The enemy leader is a master swordsman. You go and hold him off," Aoba Yamashiro instructed Hayate Gekko.

"Understood. Leave it to me." Hayate Gekko leaped forward.

Mizuki and Aoba Yamashiro fought three opponents and held the advantage. The three enemies didn't seem very strong, barely holding on with some kind of combined attack technique.

The situation became a stalemate. Mizuki glanced at the other side. The white-haired youth's swordsmanship seemed decent, on par with Hayate Gekko. However, the youth was younger and should have a stamina disadvantage, though Hayate Gekko's condition was also precarious, but not critically so for now.

With this in mind, Mizuki said to Aoba Yamashiro, "Buy me some time." He then took out a summoning scroll, bit his finger, and began forming hand seals.

Aoba Yamashiro quickly shielded Mizuki. "Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A large fireball broke through the mist and flew towards the three enemies, creating a large explosion. While the damage was limited, it forced the enemies back.

"Summoning Jutsu." Mizuki seized the opportunity. Runes spread across the water, and points of light appeared beneath the surface. Without a close look, one wouldn't notice their bodies were identical to the water.

"Prepare to charge. Follow me." There was no tank, so he had to play the role himself. The opponents weren't exactly masters, so the odds were high.

He threw three shuriken, each aimed at one of the enemies, then charged headlong. As the three opponents prepared to dodge, they suddenly cried out in unison. One was hit directly by a shuriken, his arm severed, rendering one hand useless. Another was caught by Mizuki, a kunai thrust into his chest. The third was stabbed in the stomach by Aoba Yamashiro, severely wounded and unable to fight. The venomous jellyfish weren't just for show.

"Well done, Mizuki."

"There's no threat here for now. I'll go support the other side. Be careful."

"Okay."

Mizuki took a breath and ran towards the other battlefield.

"Taking advantage of their unpreparedness, we'll aim for a quick victory."

Hayate Gekko had been fighting the white-haired youth for a long time, but no winner had emerged. His Konoha Style Swordsmanship and his body were ill-suited for this style of combat; a single fatal blow was his specialty. He clearly had the advantage in skill but was drawn into a prolonged fight due to poor visibility and the environment.

"Hmm? Is there something in the water? Mizuki's summoning beast?" Hayate Gekko rejoiced. "They won over there! Reinforcements have arrived."

While cautiously dealing with his opponent, he observed the hints from the water, gradually luring the enemy into a trap.

"Sealing, Binding Formation!" Suddenly, several beams of light flashed from beneath the water, enveloping the white-haired youth and binding him so he couldn't move. Hayate Gekko didn't waste the opportunity. He unleashed the Dance of the Crescent Moon, slicing through the opponent's throat with one strike, piercing his chest with another, and severing his sword-wielding hand with a third.

"Won." Hayate Gekko, after a long and fierce battle, felt a sense of relief.

"Careful!" Mizuki, who had arrived to assist, sensed something was wrong. "Retreat quickly!"

The white-haired youth suddenly dissolved into a pool of water, and then a water spear shot directly into Hayate Gekko's abdomen. Despite his rapid retreat, he couldn't dodge in time.

"Damn it, it's Hozuki Suigetsu! He's this strong at this age? There are too many monsters in the ninja world. Why hasn't Orochimaru captured this guy yet?"

Mizuki quickly moved to support the injured Hayate Gekko.

The youth who should have been dead reappeared, his steel blade raised again. In a few strikes, he cleanly dispatched the Turritopsis dohrnii that Mizuki had been cultivating for a long time.

"This is a huge loss." Mizuki didn't dare linger, escorting the severely wounded Hayate Gekko towards Aoba Yamashiro. Although Mizuki's strength wasn't much weaker than Hozuki Suigetsu's current level, and perhaps even slightly stronger, and Hozuki Suigetsu had also expended considerable energy, Mizuki could have held his own for a while if he fought all out. However, with a heavily injured Hayate Gekko, the situation was entirely different. Hozuki Suigetsu's attacks were aimed directly at Hayate Gekko, leaving Mizuki no room to dodge. He was completely at a disadvantage and was being cut to pieces, unable to hold on much longer.

As Mizuki retreated while fighting, he finally saw Aoba Yamashiro ahead and thought he could finally relax. To his surprise, Aoba Yamashiro was in an even worse state.

"What's going on?" Mizuki exclaimed in shock.

"Poison," Aoba Yamashiro replied weakly, kneeling on one knee on the water's surface. A large hole was in his thigh, clearly rendering him unable to continue fighting. "I thought victory was assured and wanted to gather some intel, but I was careless. Be aware, all three of them are poison users. Their blood flows through the water, making them hard to guard against."

"This is truly an unexpected turn of events. I didn't think these few useless individuals would have any effect," Hozuki Suigetsu appeared. Of the "primary colors," only the red-haired one, whose arm was injured by a shuriken, could still fight. The blue-haired one, stabbed in the chest by Mizuki, had died on the spot. The green-haired one, stabbed in the stomach by Aoba Yamashiro, was severely wounded and unable to fight.

"Lord Suigetsu~" the red-haired one came over to report his achievements.

"You're still somewhat useful," Suigetsu ignored the red-haired ninja and turned to decapitate the green-haired one. "Useless trash should be killed."

"What is this supposed to be?" Mizuki was on the verge of tears. He had only intended to play a minor role, but now he had to fight alone on the front lines. What was once an absolute advantage had been turned into a desperate situation by a single Hydrification Technique.

"Mizuki, the situation is beyond saving. You should go; just call the captain to come and avenge us." Aoba Yamashiro knew things were past the point of no return. "It was my carelessness; I don't blame you."

"Exactly, silver-haired big brother. Anyway, our target isn't you guys, so if you leave, I won't stop you. As long as I get the Executioner's Blade, I don't care about anything else." It seemed Hozuki Suigetsu's stamina was also running low.

Mizuki couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Tell me, Aoba, Hayate, do you think the Third Hokage would let me off if I ran away alone this time?"

After speaking, Mizuki took out a Storage Scroll and retrieved a pile of green potions, handing them to Aoba Yamashiro and Hayate Gekko.

"Let's gamble with our lives. Inject half a vial into severe wounds and apply it to minor ones. As for the side effects, that depends on your luck."

"What the hell is this stuff?"

"Something that'll cost you your life—a byproduct of my poison research. Use it or don't; I won't be held responsible." Having said that, he injected a vial directly into his own right arm. A wave of intense pain surged through him, forcing a scream from Mizuki's throat.

Seeing that Mizuki was putting his life on the line, Aoba Yamashiro and Hayate Gekko no longer hesitated, injecting the potion into their injured thighs and abdomens respectively.

"Mizuki, what is this made of? It really packs a punch." Aoba Yamashiro winced in pain.

"Right? I'll tell you if we survive."

Hayate Gekko also stood up, enduring the sharp pain, and said, "The enemy can't hold on much longer either. Just hold out a little while longer."

"But the opponent's poison is a problem," Aoba Yamashiro reminded him.

"Leave the poison to me. Can you two still move?"

"Your potion is decent. Even if it hurts like hell."

"That's good."

After saying this, Mizuki took out another sealing scroll. Upon opening it, a pile of blue liquid was revealed. Mizuki poured it into the water, then dumped the remaining Nutrient Solution and Fission Potion into it, channeling his chakra to rapidly stimulate the mixture. The blue liquid spread quickly in all directions, emitting a foul odor.

"Stand on this; don't step outside the blue area."

"What is this?"

"A type of small blue organism. I've accelerated its reproduction; it can rapidly consume the nutrients in the water, which generally breaks down biological toxins. If that doesn't work, it can at least act as a barrier," Mizuki explained. This world hadn't seen much eutrophication yet, and many people had never seen an algal bloom.

"Hey kid, don't underestimate your elders. Why don't we call it quits here? Your secret technique shouldn't be omnipotent," Mizuki attempted to end the death match.

"That won't do. I'm determined to get the Executioner's Blade."

"Then there's no helping it." Mizuki said regretfully, "I'll go first. You two recover as quickly as you can, and keep an eye on his Hydrification Technique. I'll buy us some time."