"Orochimaru, you dare to invade the Land of Water again?" The Third Mizukage's face was ashen, his voice weak but resolute.
Orochimaru sneered. "Strike while the iron is hot—no viper lets a wounded prey escape. Third Mizukage, your end is near."
Indeed, the Third Mizukage's failing health was an open secret among Kirigakure ninjas. Their faces contorted with grief, yet their leader still stood at the frontline, fighting to protect their homeland and village.
Yagura Kajiki bellowed, "Hold your heads high! The Mizukage-sama has fought for us and our village until now. What excuse do we have to not fight? Kill the Konoha ninjas! Avenge our fallen comrades!"
"Kill them!"
"Drive Konoha out of our land!"
"For Kirigakure!!"
The tide of morale surged. Yagura nodded to the Third Mizukage, who exhaled deeply. "I will drive you out, Orochimaru. You shall not set foot in the Land of Water."
Orochimaru's sneer deepened. "Noble words from the Third Mizukage. But let's recall: it was Kirigakure who first attacked Konoha. Why can't Konoha strike back? Don't twist the truth." He despised Kirigakure's hypocrisy—they had started the war, yet now painted Konoha as the aggressor.
"Cough... Enough talk!" The Third Mizukage led the charge without further debate. Orochimaru waved his hand, and Konoha's forces surged forward in response. The clash between Konoha and Kirigakure erupted in a brutal storm of steel and chakra.
Seisuke locked eyes with Mei Terumī. "You came."
"Yes, I did."
"You shouldn't have."
"But I'm here now."
"You're no match for me anymore, Mei."
As he spoke, Seisuke found himself surrounded by Kirigakure ninjas: members of the Hyūga, Hozuki, and Mizuki clans, alongside Mei—all wielding Kekkei Genkai, a deliberate attempt to counter his own bloodline abilities with theirs.
"Ice Release: Swallow Snowstorm!"
"Flying Bone Needles!"
"Water Release: Water Iron Cannon!"
"Lava Release: Melting Monster!"
Facing the barrage of jutsu, Seisuke's expression remained impassive. He formed hand seals in the unique style of the Second Hokage. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" A spiraling wall of water rose around him, blocking the onslaught.
"Seisuke, I will kill you here today!" Mei's voice was ice-cold.
Seisuke paused, then smiled. "Is that so? Well, we belong to different villages. If we were from the same village, I'd definitely chase you—after all, with looks like mine, my date schedule is booked until eight years later."
Mei: "..." Any trace of sadness vanished, replaced by the urge to throttle this arrogant fool.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" A roaring water dragon lunged at him. Seisuke exhaled a stream of fire, neutralizing the dragon. "Backstabbing isn't nice, you know. True infiltration lies in overwhelming presence!" He formed a flame spear in his hand and hurled it, piercing a ninja's chest before the man could utter a scream.
"Kill him!" A shout triggered a concentrated assault. Jutsu and weapons rained down on Seisuke, who deftly evaded. Yet the surrounding mist thickened, muffling the sounds of battle—Kirigakure's silent assassination technique, using fog to obscure vision and locate enemies by sound.
Seisuke's thermal vision registered a chaotic blend of heat signatures, making it hard to distinguish friend from foe. "Wind Release: Divine Gale!" "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" "Wind Release: Wind Blow Snow!" Konoha's wind specialists formed a squad, summoning gales to disperse the mist.
Deprived of their shroud, Kirigakure ninjas were exposed. You have your tactics, I have mine. Without the fog, their surprise attacks failed, forcing them into open combat.
Orochimaru and the Third Mizukage clashed again, their jutsu transforming the forest into a flooded wasteland. The battle of powerful ninjas reshaped the terrain with ease.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Seisuke and Mei dueled with kunai, each strike a lethal intent. After his Ryūchi Cave training, Seisuke's base strength had grown, creating a gap between him and Mei, who had once been his equal.
But Mei was not alone. "Water Release: Water Iron Cannon!" Her comrade Gengetsu Hozuki supported her, forcing Seisuke to dodge—one hit could cripple him.
"Corpse Bone Pulse: Willow Dance!" Takeki Hyūga sprouted sharp bones from his palms, elbows, shoulders, and knees, launching a fluid, unpredictable taijutsu assault. Yet his attacks passed through Seisuke's elementally transformed body, useless.
"Get back, Takeki!" Mei shouted, and Takeki retreated swiftly.
"Why the hurry? I don't bite." Seisuke chuckled as a shower of acidic liquid rained down. Flames erupted from his body, evaporating the liquid instantly. "More sneak attacks? There are more of you now. It seems you're determined to kill me."
His senses registered over twenty Kirigakure ninjas encircling him. He looked at Mei. "You're leading this?"
"Yes."
"Then remember today, Mei. This is the biggest mistake of your life. Let me show you my newest power."
He formed hand seals, triggering the natural energy left by the White Snake Sage. The energy surged, circulating his chakra and absorbing natural energy from the environment. Purple sage patterns appeared around his eyes, and his pupils transformed into icy snake slits.
"Sennjutsu: Inorganic Reincarnation!"