"Water Release!"
A young, unbroken voice rang across the battlefield!
Seven spiraling water blades shot out from the direction of the voice, lashing fiercely at seven Kumogakure shinobi!
The attack came so swiftly that the airborne Kumo shinobi had no time to react or evade.
Forged through relentless training, the razor-sharp water blades tore through the white light armor of the Kumo shinobi, slicing into their flesh!
Like living whips, the spiraling water blades extended rapidly, coiling tightly around the seven Kumo shinobi, suspending them midair!
The caster of the jutsu stepped into the Mist shinobi's view.
Recognizing the figure, the Kirigakure jonin exclaimed, "Mizukage-sama!"
The lower-ranked shinobi in their squad had been treated as mere tactical pawns, but now...
Yagura had witnessed this scene while rushing to the battlefield. However, there was no time to dwell on it now.
Halting in front of the Kiri jonin, Yagura raised his palm toward the nearest Kumo shinobi trapped in the air, while his other hand rapidly weaved a one-handed seal.
"Coral Water Cannon!"
A high-pressure stream of water condensed in his palm and, like a laser, blasted through the first Kumo shinobi's vital point—an instant kill!
The water whips twisted, adjusting the suspended shinobi to a 43-degree angle relative to the ground.
With a mere flick of his arm, the high-pressure jet swept across the trapped shinobi.
Its overwhelming penetrative force instantly transformed into a slicing power—
In a flash, seven Kumo shinobi were severed cleanly, their blood spraying through the air like a grotesque fountain.
The sheer brutality of the scene sent shockwaves through both the Kiri and Kumo shinobi watching from the port.
They... weren't dead?
Two Kirigakure genin stared blankly at their still-intact bodies, then at each other with confusion.
This wasn't the afterlife, was it?
The coral that had shielded them from the explosion of explosive tags crumbled away as Yagura lifted his technique.
In a few swift leaps, Yagura landed before the two Kiri genin, scanning them quickly.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
The two were just kids, having only graduated last year—the first batch that didn't have to go through the Blood Mist graduation exam.
Seeing Yagura, they immediately found their pillar of support. "Mizukage-sama!"
"That's me."
There was no time to comfort them further—Yagura needed intel on the ongoing battle.
His gaze moved to the Kirigakure jonin leading these genin, as well as Mei Terumi, Sasori, and the newly arrived Anbu.
Running through his priorities in his mind, Yagura issued orders. "Mei, take these two with you. Gather all the genin and any remaining port workers—make sure they evacuate safely."
Mei's abilities were not suited for combat in friendly territory, especially not in Kirigakure's own port.
"Understood." Mei nodded, signaling for the two genin—who were around her age—to follow. They moved quickly, letting the genin familiar with the battlefield lead the way to find any other survivors.
Yagura had no time to correct the jonin's previous tactical decisions. This was not the moment.
"How many enemy forces are here? How many of our people remain? Give me a quick summary."
The Kirigakure jonin had been utterly shaken by Yagura's earlier display of power.
To think that this Mizukage, who was younger than the genin he led, possessed such overwhelming strength...
Lowering his head respectfully, the jonin relayed all the information he had.
Not far away, the two genin followed Mei, glancing back at Yagura. One whispered, "Mizukage-sama is so small, but he's unbelievably reliable!"
The other was busy reporting to Mei but still snuck a glance back at Yagura, eyes sparkling with admiration.
They had just survived a near-death experience. If they counted the genin graduation exam, Yagura had now saved their lives twice.
Understanding their emotions, Mei offered a small reassurance.
"Once this is over, I'll let you meet Mizukage-sama up close. But for now, let's focus on completing the mission."
"Yes!" "Got it!"
...
The Kirigakure jonin finished his report concisely.
After Kumogakure's large-scale raid on cargo ships two days ago, the port had been paralyzed.
Neither shipping companies nor manufacturing businesses dared risk sending their goods out to sea, fearing Kumo's attacks.
Most Kirigakure shinobi were already occupied with missions. Even high-priority requests from escort companies were left unfulfilled due to a lack of available personnel.
With few ships sailing, the Kumo forces had lost their primary targets. And so, today, they had chosen to invade the port directly with small strike teams.
Yagura let out a cold laugh. "A small strike team?"
"Yes, around a hundred shinobi."
Yagura surveyed the devastated port, littered with the remnants of explosive tags and the aftermath of various jutsu. The cost and time required for repairs were unknown.
The Kirigakure shinobi present numbered barely twenty, including the stranded shinobi unable to leave due to the blockade.
"I see."
Already, more Kumo shinobi were converging toward them.
...
The disturbance caused by Yagura's Water Release had drawn nearly all attention in the port. The brutal execution of seven Kumo shinobi had enraged their comrades.
"Hey, isn't that—?!"
One of the arriving Kumo shinobi recognized Yagura.
It was impossible to mistake him—the young prodigy who had dominated the Chunin Exams two years ago, the boy who had become Mizukage at an unprecedented age.
"That's him!" another Kumo shinobi confirmed.
The information spread quickly, and within moments, nearly a hundred Kumo shinobi had gathered, their expressions hardening.
The Mizukage himself had come.
...
Sasori pulled up his hood. "Need a hand?"
"No. I've got this."
Yagura stepped forward, fully revealing himself to the Kumo forces.
A blade of water formed in his grip, and he spun it playfully, reacquainting himself with its weight.
"Been sitting behind a desk for too long. Time to stretch my muscles."
...
Kumo's commanding officer, Dodai, a trusted aide of the Third Raikage, narrowed his eyes.
"The Mizukage himself... This complicates things."
His orders had been clear—pressure Kirigakure by attacking their ports but avoid outright war.
But now, with Yagura here, Kirigakure's stance was clear: no compromise.
Taking a deep breath, Dodai raised four fingers.
A silent command—probe the enemy.
Retreat was never an option for Kumogakure.
The battle began.
...
The Kumogakure shinobi at the rear quickly followed up with their attacks! A broad, axe-like blade crackling with lightning came crashing down!
Boom!
Yagura flipped mid-air, narrowly dodging the strike. Using the momentum, he hurled a water blade forward, piercing the forehead of the Kumogakure ninja in front of him!
Still airborne, he reached out with his left hand and snatched the sword from the lifeless fingers of his fallen enemy. His nimble body twisted in a graceful half-spin before he brought the blade slashing downward, cutting down the broad-sword-wielding Kumogakure shinobi.
The blade lodged itself deep in flesh and bone.
Without hesitation, Yagura abandoned the temporarily borrowed weapon. As he landed, he pushed off a shipping container with one hand and propelled himself high into the air.
The moment his palm touched the metal surface—
A dense mass of coral erupted, growing at an alarming rate and spreading wildly in all directions!
Yagura's gaze darkened as a stream of water gathered in his hand.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three water blades formed instantly and were hurled with deadly precision, striking the foreheads of three immobilized Kumogakure shinobi trapped in the coral. Like motionless training dummies, they never had a chance to react.
In a matter of seconds, five Kumogakure Chūnin had been slain in close combat.
This was already the third wave of small assault squads that had been wiped out.
Yagura quickly noticed something—the Kumogakure shinobi engaging him were gradually increasing their distance.
Not only that, but they were moving in a coordinated fashion, steadily leading him toward an open area. Through successive skirmishes, they were subtly maneuvering him into a more exposed battlefield.
As a Kage, his taijutsu and combat abilities were on par with Kumogakure's elite fighters, but his speed and strength far exceeded their Jōnin.
For the Chūnin and Genin, facing him in close quarters was nothing short of suicide.
After analyzing the battle situation and gathering intelligence, Dodai came to a conclusion:
If they continued fighting Yagura in the shipping container zone, it would only result in the pointless sacrifice of their comrades.
He immediately adjusted their strategy.
...
Following Kumogakure's lead, Yagura leaped out of the last section of the shipping containers.
Landing lightly on the ground, he looked up coldly at the seventy-plus Kumogakure shinobi surrounding him.
Since they couldn't win a skirmish, they had now switched tactics to large-scale group combat.
Kumogakure's shinobi used Wind Release to disperse the Hidden Mist Technique.
A few shinobi rushed forward, forming hand seals as blinding white light radiated from their bodies.
"Lightning Illusion: Thunder Pillars!"
Two shinobi with Kekkei Genkai followed closely behind.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
With their hands extended forward, they unleashed beams of dazzling white lightning!
Boom!!
The intense light overwhelmed the senses, the genjutsu slowed movements, and the Storm Release lasers struck with blinding speed.
This was one of Kumogakure's most reliable and time-tested combination attacks!
"You don't actually believe that techniques like these can take down a Kage, do you?"
"Your Raikage would weep from embarrassment."
"Or… do you just underestimate me?"
Yagura's voice echoed from four directions at once, ringing in the ears of the Kumogakure shinobi.
Their hearts skipped a beat in unison!
Turning in all directions, they saw Yagura—his real body and three Water Clones—positioned at the four corners of their formation.
The Mizukage's hands blurred as he formed seals at incredible speed. Beneath him, ripples surged violently—
A massive wave, over fifty meters tall, erupted from the four corners, engulfing the Kumogakure shinobi caught in between!
The sheer scale of the attack made it impossible for them to escape in time, no matter how fast they were.
"If you're so eager to visit Kirigakure…"
"Then you might as well stay."
Yagura's hatred for these Kumogakure shinobi ran deep.
Unlike the Iwagakure and Sunagakure shinobi, who merely engaged in verbal posturing, these Kumogakure shinobi had actually launched an assault on his forces and his village.
"You lot seem to think I'm an easy target."
Yagura's hands slammed onto the ground.
Chakra surged, sending tremors through the battlefield as the towering waves curled inward—
A colossal water cube, over thirty meters on each side, rose into the air!
Within it, seventy-seven Kumogakure shinobi were trapped. The sheer volume of water and the crushing pressure left them no room to escape.
"Let's see what happens when you squeeze a real 'soft target'."
Before them, four towering water columns surged upward, continuously pouring into the massive water prison.
Yet, instead of expanding, the water mass began to shrink.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
As the water pressure increased exponentially, the suffocating force robbed the Kumogakure shinobi of all movement. A fatal combination of crushing pressure and oxygen deprivation paralyzed their bodies.
Only now did they finally grasp the true nature of this technique.
Too late.
Under the immense force of the all-encompassing water pressure, they couldn't even manage to scream.
Yagura clenched his fist.
"Phantom Water Domain."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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