Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 513 Two Old Rivals

"Watch out and dodge!"

When a Kage-level ninja charges into a crowd, the damage he causes becomes unpredictable. The Mizukage happens to be a ninja capable of causing widespread destruction. He possesses the characteristics of the Hozuki clan and can also use the now almost lost Oil Transformation Technique. He can blow up a single bubble and send the Allied Forces reeling.

The bubbles burst, creating a large cloud of mist that obscured the vision of most people. Hozuki Gengetsu, who was now serious, seized this opportunity and quickly unleashed his ultimate move, Steam Explosion.

The principle behind this technique is quite simple. This special clone has a thin outer shell of oil, while the interior is water. The oil's hydrophobicity ensures a seal, and the heat generated during attacks and movement heats the water, causing it to gradually turn into steam. During this process, the clone, initially the size of a child, gradually grows larger until the oil can no longer contain the water, at which point it releases all the accumulated energy. Then, the steam quickly condenses, the clone shrinks again, and the cycle begins again.

The only weakness of this technique is that when Hozuki Gengetsu uses a clone, the main body becomes extremely weak.

That's why he didn't use it directly in public.

The Allied Forces were able to obtain such detailed intelligence largely thanks to Onoki, who had lived a long time. His teacher, Muta, was Hozuki Gengetsu's nemesis; they had clashed several times and he had long since figured out each other's weaknesses. Now that they had identified the enemy they were facing, the best course of action was to promptly gather intelligence and discuss countermeasures.

With just a suggestion, Onoki shared all the information he knew. So the clam became the first target, and the second target was the main body, which had become weak after using the clone.

A small clone resembling a chubby version of the Mizukage appeared, taking advantage of its size and weight. This thing was incredibly fast, catching the Allied Forces completely off guard as soon as it appeared. However, they quickly adjusted their formation. The speed-type ninjas cleared a space, while the Earth Release ninjas worked together to build a circular wall about two people high, leaving an opening for the Allied Forces to drive their target inside. The Water Release ninjas climbed the high wall, ready to flood the small clone with a massive amount of water the moment it rushed in.

Doesn't this clone need to absorb heat to explode? Then let's submerge it entirely in water, using a huge amount of water to absorb the heat energy absorbed by the clone. This should at least delay the explosion, right? Even if it explodes, water has a shock-absorbing effect, which can at least reduce the impact on the allied forces.

Fortunately, Hozuki Gengetsu had slipped into a stone forest to hide, and the rocks concealed the huge commotion. Mizukage was busy diverting everyone's attention, manipulating his clones to dodge left and right and run wildly, only to actually stumble into the trap prepared for him.

"Huh? What's going on?" Hozuki Gengetsu was shocked to realize something was wrong. It was the first time he'd ever seen the temperature of a steam explosion actually drop. These kids actually know the principles of ninjutsu? It must have been Onoki who told them; Mu even explained it to him so clearly!

He was just about to manipulate the clone to escape the artificial pond when a piercing crackling sound of electricity rang out behind him. The Hozuki clan detests lightning release techniques, so he was exceptionally sensitive to that sound. He tried to move, but his weakened body couldn't keep up with his thoughts.

A bolt of lightning pierced through the rock pillar where he was hiding, and even as it tore open his chest, it retained the shape of a "sword" and remained there.

"A combination of chakra form transformation and attribute transformation? I was really careless." Hozuki Gengetsu's sigh came from the bottom of his heart. He thought he wouldn't be exposed so quickly, but he didn't expect the sensory type on the other side to be so powerful.

Hozuki's condition couldn't be overcome even after being resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation. As long as the lightning was still inside him, he would be paralyzed in all four limbs and unable to move for a short time. He could only watch helplessly as a golden figure descended from the sky, holding a blue chakra ball and slapping it against his chest.

"He's quite capable... It seems like we really don't need the Kage's help anymore... Are all ninjas this powerful these days?" Even with his chest cavity shattered into pieces, Hozuki Gengetsu still had the mood to chat for a bit.

The golden-haired ninja first affixed the sealing runes to the Mizukage to confirm that the seal was functioning properly before replying, "I forgot to introduce myself, I am the Sixth Hokage."

The Mizukage was a little surprised, but considering that this guy had crushed his clam right from the start, quickly set up a trap to effectively counter him, and finally delivered a fatal blow while he was distracted, his overall performance truly lived up to the title of Mizukage. It was just a pity that they hadn't been able to fight each other head-on; it was a bit of a shame.

I didn't expect this Hokage to use his brain in battle, just like the Second Hokage. If only he were like the First Hokage...

The Water Shadow closed his eyes in regret, accepting the consequence of being sealed away. But the person behind him curled his lips into a very amused smile.

That's right, the lightning that just appeared was Chidori Sharp Cry, a ninjutsu Sasuke developed himself, and only he in the entire ninja world can use it. Even though he maintained Naruto's appearance at the end and used Naruto's ninjutsu to deliver the final blow to the Mizukage, his identity is beyond doubt.

The losses on the fourth battlefield were greater than he had anticipated. Facing several Kage whose intelligence was completely revealed, the Allied Forces displayed extremely strong coordinated combat capabilities, eliminating two of them in the blink of an eye. As for the only remaining one, Mu, he was on the verge of being sealed away. Gaara did not go to provide support alone; he didn't have many ninjutsu capable of long-range attacks with sufficient speed. The Wind Release technique was left for the Raikage, so they could only use Lightning Release on their side.

Dust Release is a ninjutsu that requires time to charge up, so as long as they can disrupt the charging process, they have a chance to take down their opponent. Although Onoki's back gave him a slight setback during the battle, the Cloud Village's Lightning Release ninjas coordinated very well. The shuriken and kunai, accelerated to their maximum speed by Lightning Release, were almost uninterrupted, and many even launched direct lightning attacks.

With so many fearless supporters, the difficulty of Gaara releasing Dust Release has greatly increased, requiring him to dodge left and right from time to time. Even more troublesome is Gaara's sand. He cannot land on the ground, nor can he hide anywhere. The fine sand constantly lingers in this area, precisely pinpointing his location.

Finally, Onoki seized an opportunity to use Dust Release to sever Mu's left arm. This pause caused Mu to be immediately struck head-on by Lightning Release, crashing through a stone pillar and tumbling to the ground. The sand that had been prepared beforehand immediately enveloped Mu's body, fearing that this golden opportunity would be missed.

"Oonoki, watch out...!"

Wu was actually very anxious, but the sand didn't give him a chance to finish speaking, and he eventually became a pile of sand on the battlefield.

This time, the fighting in the fourth front seems to have come to an end.