"So weak?" Kitazawa couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
He had originally wanted to learn two more Earth Release Ninjutsu, but now he could only temporarily give up.
But it didn't matter; he didn't know how long this war would last, and he would have many opportunities to copy and learn Ninjutsu, so there was no need to rush.
Kitazawa's gaze suddenly sharpened. He saw a Hidden Mist Village Chunin not far away, forming hand seals and exhaling a large amount of mist. This was Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique.
Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique!
Kitazawa flashed in front of him, striking him with a Rasengan, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
Wind Release: Gale Palm! Kitazawa clapped his hands, and a violent wind blew, dispersing the mist.
"Captain Kitazawa, well done!" Uchiha Yashiro shouted from a distance.
Kitazawa felt a subtle sensation. Hearing a Uchiha Ninja flattering him, he was still very unaccustomed to it. But he could also understand the reason.
Besides Uchiha Fugaku's instructions, it was also due to his current strength and status.
Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken! Kitazawa turned around and threw a kunai.
The kunai, enveloped in Wind Release Chakra, easily pierced the heart of the Hidden Mist Village Ninja who was trying to ambush him. He fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
Kitazawa looked around and saw a Konoha Village Jonin being besieged.
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Without a word, he formed hand seals and threw another kunai. The kunai trembled violently in the air, transforming into countless kunai.
"Quick, dodge!"
A Hidden Mist Village Ninja discovered the sky full of kunai and shouted with a trembling voice. But it was already too late. The kunai rained down like a storm.
More than a dozen Hidden Mist Village Chunin surrounding the Konoha Village Jonin were killed on the spot. The splattering blood left the Konoha Village Jonin stunned. He looked at the corpses strewn across the ground, his face filled with shock.
"Captain Kitazawa is indeed Lady Tsunade's student," the Konoha Village Jonin couldn't help but exclaim.
Meanwhile, the nearby Hidden Mist Village Ninja all widened their eyes, fear on their faces.
"Everyone, attack me!" a Mist Jonin shouted. "Hold on for two more minutes, and Lord Kisame and their reinforcements will arrive!"
Hoshigaki Kisame? Kitazawa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
In the original work, Kisame had a significant role, but always within the Akatsuki Organization. He was Itachi Uchiha's teammate, wielding the Greatsword Samehada, known as the Tailless Tailed Beast, possessing astonishing Chakra within his body.
His proficient Water Release was jokingly called 'Ocean Release' by the fanfic fans in his previous life; in terms of Water Release, throughout the entire Ninja World, he was second only to Senju Tobirama.
But now, he didn't have the Greatsword Samehada, nor had he joined the Akatsuki Organization.
Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!
Kitazawa formed hand seals, and his Wind Release Chakra transformed into a huge high-pressure wind sphere.
The Mist Jonin's expression changed slightly, and he quickly formed hand seals. A water wall rose in front of him. But it was fleeting, directly broken through by the wind sphere.
Water Release: Water Fang Blade!
The Mist Jonin condensed water flow in his hands, forming a water blade. He cut through the wind sphere and charged towards Kitazawa.
Kitazawa glanced at his water blade. He formed hand seals, and a water blade also appeared in his hand.
"How can you use Water Release: Water Fang Blade?" The Mist Jonin couldn't help but ask when he saw this.
Water Release: Water Fang Blade was a Water Release Ninjutsu unique to Hidden Mist Village.
Kitazawa suddenly accelerated and raised his water blade. The two blades collided.
The Mist Jonin's body trembled, and the immense force made him retreat several steps. Looking at the unmoving Kitazawa, his face showed shock.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
The Mist Jonin immediately dropped his water blade and spewed out a huge water sphere like a waterfall.
Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique!
Kitazawa transformed into a leaf and disappeared from his spot. The water sphere burst, affecting the nearby Hidden Mist Village Ninja.
"Damn it!" Seeing this, the Mist Jonin immediately formed hand seals.
Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu! A giant water dragon soared into the sky, crashing towards Kitazawa, who had turned into a leaf.
Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!
Kitazawa immediately reappeared and clapped his hands. Above his head, a water dragon descended from the sky and collided fiercely with the water dragon that was charging upwards.
Instantly, water splashed everywhere, blooming like fireworks in mid-air.
"How is that possible?" The Mist Jonin looked incredulous. "Why is your hand seal speed so fast?"
"Want to know why?" Kitazawa's body landed on the ground. The Mist Jonin was about to speak when he suddenly realized the problem.
An invisible wave spread out. A blank expression appeared on his face.
Kitazawa took a quick step forward, and a kunai slashed across his neck.
"Szz…"
The Mist Jonin covered his neck and fell down. He never expected Kitazawa to also know Genjutsu, and a Genjutsu that didn't require hand seals.
Only upon death did he realize it was the Sharingan. But why would a Ninja from the Uchiha Clan wear sunglasses? This simply didn't fit their character.
With the death of this Mist Jonin, all seven Jonin at this stronghold were now dead.
"Retreat!" Kitazawa scanned the area and shouted.
After their disturbance, most of the Ninja in the Hidden Mist Village stronghold were dead, with only a few still resisting. From start to finish, it had been almost exactly two minutes.
In short, the surprise attack mission was successfully completed.
"Captain Kitazawa!" Hizashi Hyuga suddenly exclaimed, "Eight Mist Jonin are approaching from two thousand meters to the front left at an extremely fast speed."
"These are Mist Jonin from the other two strongholds!"
Kitazawa immediately said, "Let's go quickly. If they entangle us, the main Hidden Mist Village forces will probably arrive very soon."
Tsunade had estimated three minutes. Three minutes referred to the main Hidden Mist Village reinforcements.
But for Jonin, it wouldn't take three minutes, which is why the eight Mist Jonin appeared earlier.
"Yes!" Upon hearing this, everyone quickly disengaged from combat and ran outwards.
Boom! Just then, a dull sound of water echoed.
Everyone subconsciously looked back and saw giant waves several meters high rising outside the island. The giant waves approached from a distance, carrying a terrifying momentum, rushing towards them.
"What kind of Water Release Ninjutsu is this?" Hizashi Hyuga's eyes widened. "It's only slightly inferior to Captain Kitazawa's Water Release?"
"Are there other Hidden Mist Village Ninja on this island? Isn't he afraid of killing them?" Akimichi Choza couldn't help but frown and ask.
"Ninjas from Hidden Mist Village often kill each other." Kitazawa shook his head and said, "You all keep running."
This was the Bloody Mist Village; they didn't care about the lives of their comrades at all.
For example, Zabuza, upon graduating from the Ninja Academy, directly killed all his classmates from the same period.
Kitazawa already knew who was performing Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave. Most likely, it was Kisame.
But judging from the performance of this Water Release, his current self was significantly weaker than when he joined the Akatsuki Organization.
"Captain Kitazawa, be careful!"
Upon hearing this, everyone stepped onto the sea surface and returned the way they came. Because Kitazawa had previously demonstrated powerful Water Release Ninjutsu, they all chose to trust him at this moment.
When they were halfway, they looked back and saw a sight they would never forget in their lives.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
Kitazawa knew that the opponent was Kisame, so he once again went all out. Senju Chakra Mode operated rapidly. All the Chakras in his body surged out.
More than three cards of Chakra caused Chakra currents to swirl around him. The nearby sea surface immediately became turbulent, as if a behemoth beneath the sea was about to burst forth.
When the seawater shook to its extreme, it transformed into an endless tsunami.
"What?" Kisame's pupils couldn't help but contract. Having lived this long, it was his first time seeing a Konoha Village Ninja whose Water Release could rival his own.
"How is this possible?" The remaining Mist Jonin all felt as if they were dreaming.
Most of them were skilled in Water Release, so they understood the true power of Kitazawa's Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique.
"Quick, help me!" Kisame's expression changed drastically, and he once again increased his Chakra.
The other Mist Jonin immediately helped. With the island as the center, giant waves over ten meters high rose on both sides.
Under the shocked gazes of others, the giant waves collided like two massive landmasses.
Instantly, there was an earth-shattering downpour on the sea. Seawater poured down like pillars in all directions. The nearest island cracked with a snap, breaking directly in half.
The surviving Hidden Mist Village Ninja looked blankly, despair on their faces. They had escaped the surprise attack of nine Konoha Village Jonin, but they never expected this world-destroying tsunami to arrive.
"Stop him! Letting such a powerful enemy escape will only cause greater trouble for Hidden Mist Village!" Kisame said, and then headed straight for Kitazawa. The other Hidden Mist Village Ninja quickly followed.
"May I ask who you are, sir? With such strength, why not show yourself?" Kisame stood amidst the chaotic waves and spoke loudly.
"Konoha Village's Kitazawa!" A sudden voice rang out.
"Found you!" Kisame used the Body Flicker Technique to arrive at the source of the voice. But to his surprise, Kitazawa's figure was not there.
"Is it a special escape Ninjutsu? What a pity." Kisame could only give up after searching for a while without success.
Kitazawa used Water Release: Water Transformation Technique to merge with the sea. He only reformed his body and leaped out of the water after catching up with Uchiha Yashiro and the others.
"Let's go!" Kitazawa didn't give them a chance to speak before running into the distance.
Because in three minutes, his Chakra was already at its limit. If Kisame and the others caught up, they would be in trouble.
After running for half an hour, Kitazawa stopped. He had already exited Senju Chakra Mode and was now panting heavily.
Although he now had three and a half cards of Chakra, this battle still made him feel that he had too little Chakra. Fortunately, he had a cheat; doing more missions meant breaking through his Chakra limit was not a dream.
Uchiha Yashiro and Shibi Aburame looked at him, feeling shocked. If they had previously thought Kitazawa was relying on Lady Tsunade's backing, that idea had now completely vanished without a trace.
After all, even Tsunade had never displayed such powerful Water Release.
"How is it?" Kitazawa looked at Shibi Aburame.
"No one followed us." Shibi Aburame chuckled and said, "I guess they're busy saving people."
"I noticed that the island has been torn apart by the seawater," Hizashi Hyuga exclaimed in surprise.
"Who was that Hidden Mist Village Ninja on the other side? How could he block Captain Kitazawa's Water Release?" Uchiha Yashiro asked, puzzled.
Kitazawa's Water Release had greatly shocked him; Kisame, though an enemy, was also very powerful.
"He is Hoshigaki Kisame." Kitazawa replied, "He's a rising genius from the Hidden Mist Village."
At this time, Kisame was still working under Suikazan Fuguki and had not yet become one of the Second Generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Furthermore, it wasn't during a Great Ninja War, so he wasn't well-known enough, which is why Uchiha Yashiro and the others had no impression of him.
"Kisame? I've seen his profile, but I didn't expect his Water Release to be so terrifying."
Shibi Aburame said in a deep voice, "After we go back, we need to inform Lady Tsunade and warn others to be more careful of him."
"Understood." Kitazawa had also seen Kisame's profile from Tsunade.
However, the content was scarce, merely stating that he had recently become a Jonin. Mei Terumī was similar to Kisame, not yet famous.
Zabuza, however, was quite famous for killing all his classmates upon graduation.
"Rest in place for ten minutes." Kitazawa ordered, "Clan Head Shibi will be responsible for vigilance."
"Alright." Shibi Aburame immediately deployed Kikaichu all around. The others, disregarding their image, sat on the ground and began to recover Chakra.
Although the battle lasted only two minutes, to maximize destruction, they had used many powerful Ninjutsu.
Kitazawa, meanwhile, canceled the summoning jutsu and sent Katsuyu back.
[Current Mission: Achieve the first victory for Konoha Village.]
[Mission Reward: Lightning Release: Super Vibrato Lightning Blades.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
As soon as Kitazawa sat down, the system's reward arrived promptly. A large amount of information flooded into his mind.
How to put it? It was more useful than he had anticipated.
No wonder Killer Bee could surpass Sasuke Uchiha in swordsmanship in the original work.
After the rest period ended, everyone continued on their journey. As dawn broke, they successfully returned to the temporary camp of Konoha Village.
"Are you alright?" Kurenai suddenly appeared in front of Kitazawa.
Last night, due to time constraints, he hadn't said goodbye to Kurenai, nor had he brought her and Kabuto with him.
"Not a single scratch," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
"That's good." Kurenai scanned him up and down, and after confirming he was fine, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She had worried all night and barely slept. After all, a mission to raid a Hidden Mist Village stronghold was simply too dangerous.
"How are things?" Tsunade glanced at Kurenai and walked to the front of the group.
"Mission accomplished perfectly." Kitazawa replied, "That Hidden Mist Village stronghold has been destroyed by us, and all seven Jonin and most Chunin are dead."
"Very good." Tsunade smiled and said, "In this way, the casualties of Hidden Mist Village will be much higher than ours."
"It's all Captain Kitazawa's credit." Uchiha Yashiro quickly said.
"Indeed." Shibi Aburame, Akimichi Choza, and Hizashi Hyuga also nodded in agreement.
"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, feeling surprised.
In her opinion, although Kitazawa was very strong, he wasn't strong enough to steal the spotlight in front of Konoha Village's eight Jonin.
Especially since the team also included Uchiha Yashiro, Akimichi Choza, and Shibi Aburame.
They were all elites among the Jonin. Apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hyuga Hiashi, and Uchiha Fugaku, and a few others, they were the strongest in Konoha Village.
"It's a long story." Kitazawa cleared his throat and said, "Let's go into the tent and talk."
"The rest of you go and rest." Tsunade looked at Akimichi Choza and the others and said, "We'll depart after two hours of rest."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Akimichi Choza, Uchiha Yashiro, and the others turned and returned to their own tents.
Kitazawa and Kurenai Yuhi, meanwhile, walked into Tsunade's tent.
"Kitazawa, have a cup of water." Shizune brought a cup of plain water.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Shizune."
After taking a sip, Kitazawa began to recount the detailed events of the raid on the Hidden Mist Village stronghold.
He didn't hide anything except for the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. After all, at this point, the more power he revealed, the more he would be valued.
"Your Water Release ability has actually reached such a level?"
Tsunade couldn't help but be astonished when she heard about the waves over ten meters high. She had only seen such Water Release power in two people: Hiruzen Sarutobi and Second Hokage Senju Tobirama.
Shizune and Kurenai had the same expression. Although they had seen Kitazawa use Water Release Ninjutsu, they hadn't expected him to be so terrifying at full power.
"From your description, Kisame's strength is probably even above Suikazan Fuguki and the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist," Tsunade said thoughtfully.
"Kisame put more pressure on me than Kurosuki Raiga; I estimate not many on our side can defeat him." Kitazawa nodded and said.
Although Kisame didn't have Samehada yet, he had too much Chakra. Furthermore, being by the sea, the power of his Water Release was naturally greater.
In the original work, he even killed Suikazan Fuguki, who possessed Samehada. However, it wouldn't be difficult for Kitazawa to defeat him after activating Senju Chakra Mode.
The reason he didn't fight earlier was that Senju Chakra Mode had already been active for two minutes, and Kisame also had teammates.
"Shizune, have the Anbu Ninja spread the news of today's victory, and also make sure to specifically warn about Kisame." Tsunade thought for a moment and ordered.
"Yes." Shizune turned and left the tent.
"You should have told me you had such power earlier." Tsunade glared at Kitazawa and said.
"Mainly, you didn't ask me either," Kitazawa said, blinking.
"Never mind, it's good that we won. You worked hard tonight, go and rest." Tsunade, realizing Kurenai was still there, refrained from kicking Kitazawa.
"Alright." Kitazawa pulled Kurenai back to his tent.
Two hours later, dawn fully broke.
Konoha Village's main force set off. They would likely arrive at the southeastern border of the Land of Fire and rendezvous with the vanguard before noon.
---
The main force of Hidden Mist Village, however, had arrived at their destination even earlier. But they did not come ashore; they were stationed on a nearby island.
"Kitazawa?" Ao, after hearing Kisame's report, exclaimed, "Such strength, he truly lives up to being Tsunade's student."
"Tsunade is not skilled in Water Release." Suikazan Fuguki shook his head and said, "Kitazawa must be using the Water Release of Second Hokage Senju Tobirama."
At these words, Terumī Mei and Zabuza Momochi both had a glint of sharpness flash in their eyes. They were the geniuses of this generation in Hidden Mist Village, proud and arrogant.
Second Hokage Senju Tobirama was a Ninja who had single-handedly snatched the reputation of Water Release from Hidden Mist Village.
When the Ninja World mentioned the strongest Water Release Ninja, they often thought of him, not the Mizukage of Hidden Mist Village.
Second Hokage Senju Tobirama was dead, so there was no way to find him.
Now that Kitazawa, an inheritor of Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's Water Release, had appeared, they naturally all wanted to meet him.
Only Kisame, who had personally experienced Kitazawa's strength, understood that he was indeed worthy of being the inheritor of Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's Water Release.
Fortunately, on the battlefield, opportunities for one-on-one combat were rare.