Everyone was dumbfounded.
Their voices trembled with disbelief.
One move?!
"How is this possible... Kenichi is a jōnin!"
"Even if his opponent is powerful, how could he defeat Koto Kenichi so easily?"
They were all stunned!
This was way too absurd. That was a jōnin—how many jōnin could a village even have?
They were the village's powerful fighting force, yet he'd been defeated so easily?
Hyuga Kagami: "..."
He wasn't the only one stunned. Kagami was stunned too.
Was this guy really that weak?
He'd only used twenty percent of his strength!
"I haven't lost!"
Koto Kenichi's blood and breath churned. He shakily got to his feet, his face full of stubbornness and unwillingness to give up!
He took a deep breath. "I... I haven't lost yet!"
At that moment, he didn't look at Hyuga Kagami. Instead, he looked at Mei Terumi, his face full of love and devotion.
It was as if he were saying, See? I'm still holding on for you!
Hyuga Kagami: "...I have to admit, sometimes... love really is a powerful thing."
This was just ridiculous!
You came here to fight. Cut out all this pointless nonsense!
Never mind. I'll use ten percent of my strength next. After all... his mission was to make a big commotion!
His expression turned solemn, his face full of admiration. "You really are impressive. You actually withstood an attack like that!"
Hatake Kakashi: "..."
Uchiha Itachi: "..."
Mei Terumi: "..."
Did he really have to make his act so obvious?
He was the man who'd taken out Raiga Kurosuki with a single hammer blow!
The Kirigakure shinobi, meanwhile, went wild, shouting excitedly. "That's Kenichi for you! Keep it up! Kill that guy!"
"Take him down and make his head into a chamber pot!"
Everyone shouted at once!
They might be from the Bloody Mist, and they might treat their fellow villagers with incredible cruelty.
But when facing shinobi from other villages, they were still all in the same boat, united against their common enemy!
"Hahaha! Of course! I'm Koto Kenichi!"
Koto Kenichi laughed smugly. He sneered and formed Hand Seals. "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Thick mist quickly filled the air.
Everything was obscured.
Hyuga Kagami chuckled. He'd been wondering how to lead the battle toward the Mizukage's Office.
And now he had his chance!
Whoosh!
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out!
He shot forward like a gale, swiftly escaping the range of the Hidden Mist Jutsu!
"The Hidden Mist Jutsu is certainly troublesome, and I don't have a way to dispel it. But as long as I don't get caught in it, it's useless against me!"
Hyuga Kagami sneered, looking as if he'd already thought of a way to deal with it.
He fled at full speed!
"What a crafty, troublesome opponent!"
Koto Kenichi gritted his teeth. "I'll cover the entire village in the Hidden Mist Jutsu! Let's see if you can still escape!"
Kirigakure was surrounded by the sea, making it a natural battlefield for Water Release Ninjutsu.
The chakra needed to perform the techniques was also reduced!
That was how he could manage something like this.
Hatake Kakashi couldn't help rubbing his forehead. "I get it now. I get it. Kagami-kun... he's really going to make a huge scene!"
Uchiha Itachi said, "I don't know what he's planning, but Kagami never does anything without a reason. He must have a plan! Be ready to support Kagami-kun at any moment!"
After spending the past month or so together,
the two of them had gained a deep understanding of Hyuga Kagami's personality and way of doing things.
Kagami never did anything without a reason. Every action of his had a purpose, and... he could always see through to the heart of a matter. Perhaps... he'd already figured out what he wanted to do here!
Inside a grand building,
a shinobi hurried in and dropped to one knee. "Master Genji! Koto Kenichi has clashed with Hyuga Kagami!"
"Hyuga Kagami defeated Koto Kenichi with one strike, but strangely, he then seemed to hide his strength and focused only on running away."
The shinobi couldn't make sense of it.
According to the way shinobi operated,
after defeating Koto Kenichi the first time, Hyuga Kagami could have easily finished him off. Yet he hadn't done so.
"It seems Konoha's shinobi have lived in comfort for so long that they've forgotten the laws of the Shinobi World!"
"When it comes to enemies, it's kill or be killed!"
The shinobi's expression was scornful.
He thought Hyuga Kagami's behavior was childish.
But Master Genji's cloudy eyes suddenly opened wide, a flicker of shock in their depths!
"Running away? Where is Hyuga Kagami headed now?"
How could this be?
Could this young man really be so monstrous?
Had he already seen through Genji's plans?
"Reporting to Master Genji, Hyuga Kagami is heading toward the Mizukage's location."
The shinobi continued, "If the Mizukage finds him, he'll be doomed. The Mizukage won't care about his identity. Given her ruthlessness, he has no chance of survival!"
As he said this,
a cold, smug look appeared on his face.
But Master Genji's expression changed drastically. He shakily rose to his feet. "What a monstrous genius!"
"Just because Koto Kenichi provoked him, he saw through my plans? And... he's even deliberately making this whole affair bigger. How clever. What a pity... he isn't a shinobi of Kirigakure!"
Mei Terumi was powerful and talented.
She was an excellent leader.
But she couldn't become a clever strategist. She often struggled to figure out what Genji was thinking.
But this young man called Hyuga Kagami seemed... to be in perfect harmony with him!
He understood all of Genji's thoughts and even cooperated to help the plan go more smoothly!
Genji's gaze turned steely!
He ordered in a low voice, "Immediately summon all the clan shinobi. Have the heads of the other major clans go to the Mizukage Building together!"
"Today, this matter must be settled!"
The shinobi was dumbfounded!
He froze in place!
What was going on?
Wasn't that shinobi called Hyuga Kagami indecisive and a coward?
How had he become a monstrous genius in Master Genji's eyes?
He didn't dare ask any questions and hurried off to notify the clan leaders!
The Mizukage Building.
It was a dead end.
There was nowhere to retreat.
Koto Kenichi burst into laughter, his face full of smug satisfaction. "You detestable fool! Now you have nowhere left to run!"
"Where can you run now?"
"Today, you'll die by my hand and become a vengeful spirit. And I'll become the true man of Mei Terumi!"
He roared and rapidly formed Hand Seals. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Boom!
A monstrous water dragon twisted its body. Its scales looked almost real, and its scarlet eyes blazed with murderous intent as it roared toward Hyuga Kagami!
It seemed ready to destroy everything!
But suddenly, his face stiffened. He saw that Hyuga Kagami was... smiling!
"I've been waiting all this time for you to use your technique."
Hyuga Kagami chuckled!
He charged straight toward the water dragon, yet it did him no harm. He passed right through it!
Boom!
The water dragon roared!
With unstoppable force, it surged forward and smashed into the Mizukage Building!
Before you continue