Duel of Water Release

The two of them gripped Explosive Tags in their hands, ready to throw them out the moment Muzan gave the order.

But Muzan said nothing. Instead, he used Body Flicker to appear before them and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!"

Two dog-headed walls rose upright before them, one on each side, forming a triangle as rushing water flowed out along both sides.

But the danger had not passed. The muddy ground beneath their feet had been gouged into a deep pit by the water, leaving them nowhere to stand.

"Are you two ready?!"

As soon as the current slowed, Muzan grabbed both of them by the shoulders. They were still wondering what he meant by being ready.

Could he mean the Explosive Tags in their hands?

But then Anko sensed Muzan's intense malice.

Anko and Mari were hurled away by an immense force.

"Aah! Help!"

"Damn it, Muzan! You've gone too far!"

Their landing point was the Stone Forest nearby. They needed to use Substitution Jutsu to land on it, or they would be pierced through by the stone pillars. Anko had no desire to become the first person thrown out by her teammate and smashed to death.

Yun Zhi'anshang watched Muzan, surrounded in the center, and a cruel smile appeared on his face. He did not care about the little brats who had been thrown away. The one who could truly help the war effort was Muzan before him.

"Giving your teammates a chance to live? I wonder whether you're stupid or naive! As long as we capture you alive, that's enough. As for those two little brats, we can be merciful and let them go report what happened!"

One person facing five Chunin would need to be careful even if he were a special Jōnin, let alone Muzan.

"Do you think you've got me cornered?"

Standing atop the wall, Muzan gripped his ninja sword in both hands and dove straight down.

"I just think that with them by my side, I can't display my true strength. Have you ever seen the real Hatake Sword Technique? Now, you're fortunate enough to witness a glimpse of the White Fang of Konoha's brilliance!"

A silvery-white glow covered the ninja sword. At that moment, they felt Muzan's aura change. He became even more dangerous, like a beast prowling through the forest. The blade light that seemed ready to devour people was like the beast's claws and fangs.

"So fast!"

Yun Zhi'anshang's pupils contracted as he stared at Muzan. Faced with Muzan's sudden charge, he made the most rational choice: retreat with the others.

The moment they left their original position, Muzan appeared there again. A stone pillar behind them was severed in one stroke. No effective way had yet been found to resist the Hatake Sword Technique that shook the Shinobi World. Countless experts had died beneath the White Fang of Konoha, or he would never have been judged a Kage Level powerhouse.

"Don't get cocky, brat! Let me show you the strength of a Chunin!"

"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"

The earlier Water Release had formed a river, and using Water Release here gave them a certain advantage.

A ripple appeared beneath Muzan's feet. Noticing the ripples below him, Muzan suddenly sensed danger and immediately leaped away. A water pillar burst up from beneath where he had been standing.

The Cloud Ninja had used this method to temporarily prevent Muzan from getting close.

No matter how strong your Hatake Sword Technique is, it is useless if you cannot get close enough to slash us. Besides, he was only a child. His stamina definitely could not compare to theirs.

Putting aside his identity as an adult, Hidden Cloud Village excelled most at Ninja Body Technique, a special ability combining ninjutsu and taijutsu that could effectively train the body.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!"

The impact of the water forced Muzan to evade. It was not that he was overly afraid of getting hurt, but he worried that if the water pierced his body, it would shred his clothes as well. He had no desire to expose himself to sunlight.

This made the Cloud Ninja think Muzan was afraid and could only dodge their attacks.

"Quick, quick, quick! He can't hold on for much longer! Capture him alive, and we'll become heroes of Hidden Cloud Village!"

Unfortunately, victory had gone to their heads.

They failed to notice that although Muzan was dodging, he was not the slightest bit flustered. Every step landed in a safe position, and even as he leaped, he was calculating the distance between them. What a bunch of idiots. No wonder the people of Konoha see Hidden Cloud Village as a bunch of muscle freaks who only know how to train.

Other than the Hatake Sword Technique, they did not know about Muzan's other method of attack.

A ripple shot diagonally across the water's surface, and in an instant, one Cloud Ninja was struck.

"Aah!"

Bright red blood streamed from his body. In an instant, repeated blows carved several whip marks across him, as though invisible whips were lashing at them from all around.

"What kind of attack is this?!"

Yun Zhi'anshang watched one of his teammates turn into a bloody mess. The crucial thing was that he had not seen how Muzan had attacked. He noticed the ripples on the water being torn apart by some kind of assault and cried out in alarm:

"Careful, it's coming again!"

"Clang! Clang!"

Two consecutive kunai strikes blocked the invisible lashes. In just a single exchange, their team of five had become four.

"What a shame. The lashes still aren't precise enough."

He still could not control them effectively. These invisible lashes could only roughly determine a direction. To hit a specific person, he needed the whips to converge and form an interwoven net.

The person struck earlier had not been targeted because Muzan had some strange preference. He had needed to widen the attack range to hit him.

"Damn little brat! Looks like we can't be merciful with you anymore!"

They had already lost one teammate. If they lost another, Yun Zhi'anshang would be punished even if they managed to capture Muzan alive.

Standing in the shadows, Muzan's hat slowly slipped from his head.

"You think too highly of yourselves, and far too little of me."

When he saw those blood-red eyes, Yun Zhi'anshang briefly lost focus. Not everyone possessed the willpower to resist Muzan's eerie presence. In battle, even a momentary lapse could bring fatal danger.

Muzan's hands formed seals at a speed that left afterimages. In a short time, he had formed forty-four hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Muzan poured a massive amount of chakra into the water, condensing it into the shape of a dragon. The roaring water dragon swept across the area with overwhelming force.

This was his first time using a large-scale ninjutsu. Even with the advantage of the terrain, it placed no small burden on Muzan.

Clinging to the Stone Forest, Anko and Mari saw such a ninjutsu for the first time. A ferocious water dragon roared through the river, nearly transforming the muddy ground around it.

"So this is Muzan's strength?! Why are we the same age when he's already grown into a monster?!"

"Anko, I've realized that we really have become dead weight."

Not to mention anything else, the raging current alone would definitely affect them. If they were swept into it, the consequences would be unimaginable!