But Karatachi Yagura did not panic. The fallen ninja around him were all from his village. Since Chihane had chosen a duel between their champions, and jonin were of little use against ninja at their level anyway, there was no reason to keep them here.
He ordered the jonin who could still move to carry the unconscious ninja away from the battlefield.
Then, with Takei Sōchin and Minazuki Izumi beside him, he charged toward the approaching Chihane.
Clearly, he wanted to keep the fighting within the thousand-odd meters separating the two armies, rather than risk harming the unconscious Mist Ninja behind him.
Karatachi Yagura struck first. Swinging his Iron Staff, he leaped into the air to face Chihane head-on.
"Water Release! Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
A Mizukage was a Mizukage. His opening move was a high-level ninjutsu. An enormous volume of water gushed from his mouth, changing the terrain in an instant like a surging ocean wave.
The water rapidly filled the depression, turning it into a small lake. Chihane, who stood at its lowest point, was swallowed by the flood.
Meanwhile, Takei Sōchin and Minazuki Izumi prepared to strike, waiting for the right opportunity.
But this was hardly enough to trouble Chihane. Who said a watery battlefield only favored the Mist Ninja? Water conducted electricity!
Chihane activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Fiercely crackling electricity instantly spread throughout the lake. Takei Sōchin, who had been about to jump into the water, barely touched its edge before the shock left him convulsing on the spot.
Fortunately, Karatachi Yagura immediately used a Water Bullet to knock Takei Sōchin clear of the water. Otherwise, he would have become the first elite jonin to collapse in the lake without unleashing a single attack.
Sensing the danger in the lake, Karatachi Yagura's expression shifted