Shigure lifted his head, his right hand gripping the hilt of Zangetsu slung across his back.
"Mizukage-sama… you sent me flying here on purpose, didn't you?"
Terumī Mei gently brushed back a strand of hair, her expression calm.
"There were too many people in the arena. Here is more suitable. Otherwise, their interruptions would only annoy me."
So she didn't want Konoha's shinobi interfering.
Shigure gave a small nod. "That makes sense." He had no desire for distractions either.
"From your look," Mei said with a sigh, "I take it you still refuse to come to Kirigakure with me. Staying in Konoha will not be easy for you."
Shigure's eyes hardened. Not easy? At most, Danzō might try something in the shadows, but that was hardly worth worrying about.
He drew his blade in one smooth motion. "Don't trouble yourself over that, Mizukage-sama."
Swish!
The moment Zangetsu left its sheath, Shigure unleashed a flowing wave of chakra.
"Ninjutsu: Flowing Blade!"
The sword cut a crescent of energy through the air, slashing forward like a tidal wave.
Mei evaded gracefully, but before she could counter, Shigure's form shimmered—two shadowy streams burst from his body and solidified into clones.
Both doppelgängers rushed her at once.
Hands forming seals, Mei raised an eyebrow. "So, you intend to compete with a Kage in ninjutsu?"
"Exactly!" Shigure answered firmly. "That's what I want to test—whether your strength as Mizukage surpasses mine."
His confidence burned. When it came to molding and altering chakra natures, Shigure believed no one in the shinobi world could match him.
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
A spiraling jet of water shot from Mei's lips, splitting midair into twin torrents. Each stream swept into a clone with explosive force—Bang! Bang!—scattering them in an instant.
Pivoting smoothly, Mei redirected her assault, the spiraling torrent now aimed straight at Shigure.
He raised Zangetsu across his chest and flipped backwards just as the jutsu reached him.
Breath Style — Second Form: Flowing Wheel!
The sword rotated, cutting through the raging torrent as Shigure redirected its momentum.
Then, pointing his blade at Mei's distant figure, he inhaled deeply.
Breath Style — Seventh Form: Ripple Strike!
In a flash, Shigure blurred forward, his thrust like lightning, the tip of his sword streaking toward Mei's abdomen.
Her eyes widened slightly. So fast!
But she was a Kage. Prepared and composed.
Bang!
The "Mei" he struck dissolved into smoke.
"A shadow clone…?" Shigure realized, too late.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive dragon surged from behind him, roaring as it crashed forward with even greater speed and force than before.
Shigure spun, one hand forming a seal. His eyes sharpened as chakra flared violently.
"Ninjutsu: Array Wall!"
Water surged from beneath his feet, rising into a vast circular barrier that spun rapidly around him. The air filled with the roar of churning currents.
The Water Dragon slammed into the wall—Boom!—its force detonating outward in a violent spray. Torrents of liquid exploded across the battlefield, surging in every direction.
At the gates of Konoha, the shinobi who had rushed over to investigate froze at the sight.
"What incredible power!"
"Who on earth is fighting here?"
The squad immediately pressed forward toward the source of the chaos.
Meanwhile, from below, countless streams of chakra surged into the air. They twisted and condensed beside Mei, taking shape in an instant—
—Shigure, blade raised, his sword slashing across in a sweeping arc.
As Mei Terumī bent low to evade Shigure's blade, her cheeks swelled with chakra.
"Water Style: Water Bullet Technique!"
Puff!
A dense, fist-sized projectile shot from her mouth, countering immediately after Shigure's slash passed harmlessly through the air.
At such close range, Mei was certain he couldn't dodge.
She was right. The bullet slammed into Shigure's arm and shoulder, blasting him backward through the air.
But even as his body reeled, Shigure thrust out a hand.
"Ninjutsu: Surging Wave!"
A violent torrent erupted from his palm, engulfing Mei in a rushing current. The force dragged her through the rapids, battering her balance.
Even for the Mizukage, the power behind it was surprising.
This brat… he's as skilled with water-style ninjutsu as I am!
Though Water Release wasn't Mei's specialty, as a Kage her mastery was formidable. Yet Shigure's control seemed to stand on equal ground.
Plop!
Mei vaulted from the torrent and landed gracefully on a rooftop. Across from her, Shigure landed on another, blood already soaking his arm and shoulder.
He pressed his palm to his wounds. Chakra surged, and before the Konoha shinobi watching from below, his injuries began to close at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His eyes blazed with resolve.
Finally… someone who can rival me in ninjutsu.
Shigure's strength lay in his mastery of nature transformation, yet he knew technique was just as vital. Nature change refined inner power; ninjutsu itself refined external force. Each path had its own strengths—and only by combining them could one dominate the battlefield.
Determined, he formed a seal with one hand.
This time, he wouldn't evade. He would face her head-on.
Mei mirrored him, her own hands weaving rapidly.
Their voices rang out together:
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Twin dragons surged into existence, coiling in the air. Shigure's construct gleamed faintly with crystalline light, sharp and pure. Mei's dragon lacked that glow, but its form was massive, heavy, and overwhelming in momentum.
One radiated spiritual sharpness. The other radiated raw power.
The two dragons collided midair—
BOOM!
A detonation split the skies, water exploding outward like a blooming flower.
The Konoha shinobi who had just arrived froze in shock.
"That's… the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist!"
"And the other one—he looks like Gekkō Shigure, that genin from Team 7!"
"Why in the world is he fighting the Mizukage?"
As the mist cleared, Mei regarded Shigure with narrowed eyes.
"I didn't expect your ninjutsu to be this strong. Even if it is—"
Before she could finish, Shigure raised his hand, chakra spiraling at his fingertips.
"Water Style: Water Bullet!"
This was the very technique he had analyzed and adapted from Mei only moments ago. He no longer concealed his ability—he would wield it openly.
The bullet roared forward, moving faster than hers had.
"So fast!" Mei's eyes widened as she barely twisted aside.
Each projectile exploded with the force of a cannonball, tearing gouges into the stone where they struck.
From below, the Konoha shinobi could only watch in disbelief.
"Those attacks… are those really Water Release jutsu?"
"From a genin?!"
...
TN:
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