"Got it!"
Haku and Zabuza exchanged a glance, smirking knowingly. Their expressions instantly changed—now filled with deep sorrow—and even the air around them felt heavier.
Hayate Gekko shivered slightly. These two medics were terrifyingly good actors. They looked like they'd just lost a loved one, when in reality, they were practically bursting with excitement. He, being a decent guy at heart, decided to keep his distance from them.
With grim faces, Haku and Zabuza carried Yingqiao toward the hospital for treatment, leaving behind a battlefield that had taken quite a beating.
"Cough… Uchiha Sasuke from Konoha and Yogetsu Hozuki from Mist, please step into the arena for your match."
The tireless Anbu quickly restored the arena to its original condition. Hayate, who was officially here as an examiner but really only there to call out names and announce results, glanced at the electronic screen again. Good, it was Mist's turn this time.
"Hozuki Yogetsu? One of the Hozuki clan!"
Nobody was surprised anymore when another Kekkei Genkai user showed up. At this point, nearly everyone left standing probably had one, so gaining or losing one wasn't particularly significant. Still, the surname Hozuki made Sakura thoughtful.
"The Hozuki clan… I remember their bloodline limit is the Hydrification Technique, right?" Kakashi mused. "They can turn their bodies into liquid, though it's naturally weak against Lightning Release. Sasuke has the advantage here."
"But still," Sakura reminded Sasuke, "even if you're sure to win, try not to go overboard. After all, the current Fifth Mizukage is Brother Shisui's girlfriend. We're practically family now, so don't hit too hard!"
"I understand." Sasuke opened his eyes, adjusted his clothing, then leapt down from the spectator stands.
Meanwhile, Yagura, hiding inside his Inner Space and watching through the link between Naruto and Nine-Tails (Kurama), was furious enough to stamp his foot.
"That damned Uchiha Shisui! I shouldn't have allowed him into the Land of Water back then."
He had worked hard to choose this gifted genius—the Fifth Mizukage with dual Kekkei Genkai—but Shisui came in and took her from him. Now, every time Yagura heard mention of the couple, he couldn't help but get angry.
*Beep.*
Everyone simultaneously chose to ignore the raging individual and focused their attention on the upcoming battle.
White short hair, pale purple eyes, sharp teeth lining his mouth, and a small water gourd hanging at his waist—if it weren't for knowing that his name was Yogetsu Hozuki, Sakura would've sworn it was Suigetsu Hozuki stepping onto the field for the Chunin Exams.
"By the way… does everyone from your village have fang-like teeth?"
After a long pause, Sakura finally asked Yagura. From her memory, whether it was Kisame Hoshigaki, Suigetsu Hozuki, Zabuza, or Biwa Juzo, they all seemed to have unusually pointed teeth.
"Well, not all of them. They're just a minority," Yagura murmured slightly before speaking again. "This kind of sharp teeth appearance is generally a feature of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. It rarely appears among others."
"So you mean this appearance is actually a curse attached to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?"
Sakura carefully thought about it and indeed, seemed to be the case. Like Terumi Mei, her teeth were perfectly normal. But Ameyuri Ringo, who was also a female and one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, had sharp teeth just like Kisame Hoshigaki. This really looked like some kind of curse.
Yagura fell silent. Who the hell knew what exactly was going on? Every single member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had razor-sharp teeth—it was just plain ridiculous.
At this moment, in the arena, Yogetsu Hozuki looked at Sasuke with an expression of curiosity.
"You are the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan?" Yogetsu asked curiously. "I've heard about you. I heard you were the top graduate among Konoha's new Genin this year?"
"No," Sasuke immediately replied without hesitation. "The top one is Sakura up there, not me."
"Eh? That little girl is the top student?" Following Sasuke's pointing finger, Yogetsu looked toward Sakura, who was sitting with her hands supporting her chin, wearing an innocent expression. Instinctively, he felt Sasuke was lying to him. "That can't be possible! If she ranked first in academic classes, I could understand, but how could she possibly be top in practical combat training at the Ninja Academy? Just looking at her face, she clearly isn't someone good at direct confrontations!"
Sasuke stared at Yogetsu for quite a while without expression. Deep down, he couldn't help but pity Yogetsu—another unfortunate soul deceived by appearances. Poor him—the sole enlightened soul among drunks—had no choice but to sink into corruption alongside demons; how unfair of Heaven!
Of course, Yogetsu wasn't aware of Sasuke's thoughts. Right now, his eyes were shining brightly as he stared at the White Fang Tanto behind Sasuke's back.
"The quality of your sword is really excellent!"
"Can you tell just by looking?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even unsheathed it yet—how could this guy tell just by looking?
"My dream is to become one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, so naturally I must know a lot about different blades," Yogetsu explained. "Although your sword hasn't been unsheathed, I can sense the sword aura coming from you."
After examining Sasuke carefully, Yogetsu added while stroking his chin.
Chapter 222: The Mythical Titanium-Eyed Beast [Part Two]
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Sasuke shot Yogetsu a strange look. Why hadn't he noticed any sword aura from himself?
"What are you looking at me like that for? I'm telling you the truth!" Yogetsu became annoyed under Sasuke's suspicious gaze. "Sword aura is a kind of pressure, a spiritual presence. Only those who've trained in sword techniques for years can cultivate it."
"Oh."
Sasuke simply looked at him. Though he wasn't exactly sure what Yogetsu meant by sword aura, he figured it was probably something like the focused will unique to sword masters.
"Tch, I can see we won't get anywhere trying to talk about this!" Yogetsu felt as if there was a huge stone stuck in his chest. How come Sasuke had this very sword aura—one he'd always dreamed of mastering—and didn't even seem to realize it?
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