Chapter 69: The Assassin Seeking Answers
On the battlefield, as Hōzuki Mangetsu's words fell,
Mei Terumi's heart tightened.
She glanced at Tsukasa, bit her lip, and immediately shouted, "He has nothing to do with this!"
"Whether he has anything to do with it or not—does it even matter?" Hōzuki Mangetsu shook his head, his eyes—numbed by countless kills—glaring coldly at her.
"You should know what the duties of Hunter-nin entail."
Mei Terumi took a deep breath, frowned, and looked at Hōzuki Mangetsu.
The Hunter-nin were Kirigakure's most brutal unit, dedicated to eliminating rogue ninja, and currently the most formidable faction in the Land of Hot Water.
Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at the two calmly and said,
"I don't know why the Sandaime ordered Yagura's elimination—the leader of the reform faction."
"But that's how Kirigakure shinobi are."
"We are merely tools and pawns of those above us, simply following orders."
"That's the meaning of our existence."
Hearing this, Mei Terumi clenched her fists, shook her head, and her gaze grew cold.
"No!"
"That's just the Sandaime's propaganda to justify his tyranny."
"The bloody graduation system of the Academy, the terrifying political climate where one wrong word leads to execution, the tool doctrine that coldly abandons teammates in pursuit of mission efficiency, and the ruthless Hunter-nin teams..."
"All of this is unreasonable. Kirigakure shinobi deserve a better path forward!"
Mangetsu raised his eyebrows, stared at Mei Terumi, frowned and asked:
"Then—what is that path?"
"You who claim to hold 'righteousness'—how well have you actually done?"
Mangetsu sneered dismissively and said coldly:
"All the unjust systems you experience now were established under the Sandaime Mizukage's direct orders."
"That's right—he's the one who pushed Kirigakure to the edge of the abyss with his own hands."
Mangetsu narrowed his purple eyes and pressed:
"But what will you do?"
"In this village where people fight desperately for a single mission bounty, where assignments are scarce and funds are tight—what will you do once you have power?"
Under Mangetsu's questioning, Mei Terumi fell silent.
She couldn't offer an answer.
Ever since the Second Mizukage risked everything in a devastating war with Iwagakure during the previous Shinobi World War, resulting in mutual destruction,
Kirigakure's decline had already begun.
The Daimyo of the Land of Water simply didn't trust the Third Mizukage.
Since Gengetsu's death, the Sandaime had become paranoid and indecisive. Fearing a Kirigakure rebellion, he steadily reduced funding and secretly cultivated his own loyalist forces within the village.
The reform faction led by Yagura, and most of the bloodline limit clans within Kirigakure's elder council,
Were only able to survive in this difficult situation thanks to covert Daimyo support.
While the Third Mizukage's methods were extreme,
They had forcibly unified the village.
It could even be argued that
He'd done a remarkably effective job given the limited resources available.
"What a pity."
"Any drastic action will cause this rotting village to collapse completely."
"All you can ultimately do is perpetuate this system, silence everyone's voices, turn a blind eye, and let it decay."
Mei Terumi clenched her fists, her trembling hands betraying her inner turmoil.
Hōzuki Mangetsu glanced at her coldly, then slowly drew the ninja sword from his waist.
"It seems you don't have the answer either."
"You're also just a tool—a communication channel between the Elders and Yagura."
"Tools never need their own ideas."
"As tools, both of us have our roles: you won't tell me Yagura's whereabouts."
"And I won't stop hunting him down to claim his head."
Hōzuki Mangetsu's numb pupils grew even colder.
He always asked this question before eliminating his targets.
But unfortunately, no one could ever give him a satisfactory answer.
In return, another shinobi from the village would die by his hand.
After all, this was a village beyond saving.
So why did he keep asking such a foolish question?
Mei Terumi watched Hōzuki Mangetsu slowly draw his blade, her pupils contracting, her whole body trembling involuntarily.
As someone from the same village, she'd witnessed Mangetsu's strength firsthand.
This was definitely not an opponent she could face right now.
Compared to her, he was a true genius—a genuine "child prodigy."
However, she still felt unwilling to have her convictions denied like this.
She clenched her fists, her eyes filled with determination, and argued:
"There must be a way to make Kirigakure better."
Mei Terumi couldn't help but recall what Tsukasa had said beneath the moonlight, and gritted her teeth:
"If you don't act, there will be no future!"
"The Elders must have good reasons for placing their hopes in Yagura!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu shook his head. Such words obviously couldn't shake his resolve.
"Unfortunately, what I need right now isn't this kind of empty comfort."
As soon as he finished speaking,
Hōzuki Mangetsu transformed into liquid and melted into a puddle on the floor.
The next moment,
He mysteriously emerged behind Mei Terumi, leaping from the water and slashing his blade toward the girl's neck!
Mei Terumi's eyes widened as the blade approached, completely unable to react.
"How is this possible?! So fast?!"
She hadn't seen Hōzuki Mangetsu use any Body Flicker Technique!
At that moment—
CLANG!
Sparks flew, and
A pair of crimson Sharingan blazed to life.
Tsukasa, who'd been observing silently from the side, immediately drew his blade to intercept the strike.
"You idiot!"
"The one standing before you was a Water Clone all along. His real body was lurking at your feet, hidden in the rain."
Tsukasa cursed and kicked Mei Terumi's rear, sending her flying to safety.
Then,
Twisting his blade, he locked eyes with the masked Hōzuki Mangetsu, a fierce grin on his face.
"I saw every move you made with these eyes!"
"What child prodigy?! You're nothing but a dirty assassin!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu remained silent.
This tactic was indeed effective.
First, use psychological warfare to break down the opponent's mental defenses, then strike suddenly.
As a shinobi, he was precisely that kind of assassin.
Hōzuki Mangetsu gripped his sword with one hand while his other arm expanded like a balloon, instantly becoming massive and muscular—seven or eight times larger, covered in bulging veins. He
Suddenly unleashed his Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!
He launched a devastating punch directly at Tsukasa's grinning face!
WHAM!
Tsukasa
Was sent flying backward. But Hōzuki Mangetsu frowned, feeling that the boy's face was as hard as diamond.
"Tsukasa!" Mei Terumi felt the sharp kick to her backside, stumbling and nearly falling face-first. She couldn't help but glare back.
Before she could even blush,
She saw a dark figure sent hurtling through the air.
Fortunately, Tsukasa—skilled in acrobatics—spun mid-air and landed safely.
However, the blow from the Great Water Arm left a massive swelling on his face.
"Ptui!"
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Tsukasa raised his chin, looked across at Hōzuki Mangetsu, and sneered,
"Don't you want an answer?"
"Then I'll tell you!"
"How can we save Kirigakure?!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu assumed his punch had scrambled the other's brain into mush. He scoffed,
"What a joke! I need an Uchiha to teach me about my own village?!"
He stomped forward, his foot splashing water, and launched another devastating punch!
However, before the fist could connect,
It stopped mere inches from Tsukasa's face.
The wind pressure alone was strong enough to lift his hair.
Tsukasa sneered at Hōzuki Mangetsu, who was now so close, and slowly said with a smile:
"You said all that just to lure her into giving you an answer that satisfies your heart—waiting for someone to tell you—"
"That you can finally begin!"
Then, he stared directly at Hōzuki Mangetsu with his crimson Sharingan eyes, and
The black tomoe rotated. These breathtakingly eerie eyes reflected Mangetsu's gaze beneath his mask,
As if penetrating the disguise hidden behind that emotionless Hunter-nin facade,
Peering into his heart, attempting to unearth his hidden, radical convictions!
"Hōzuki Mangetsu,"
Tsukasa said, his lips curling up, tempting like a devil.
"Aren't you the one who most desires to take the tyrant's head—yet serves him as a tool?"
"Then why not follow your deepest desire?"
"Take the first step."
"Launch a coup and assassinate the Sandaime Mizukage!"
"To reach the future you truly desire—"
"That ideal Kirigakure that exists only in your imagination!"
The next moment,
A system notification appeared before Tsukasa.
[Hōzuki Mangetsu is shocked, feeling like your brain has been eaten by dogs.]
In the shadows of the hall,
An elderly man and a pale creature wearing a pitcher plant-like exterior stood watching the battle with expressions like an old man checking his phone on the subway.
They fell into stunned silence.
After hearing Tsukasa loudly advocate assassinating the Mizukage directly in front of a Hunter-nin loyal to the Sandaime Mizukage,
Uchiha Madara's cane nearly tilted sideways.
He raised an eyebrow, remained silent for a long moment, then glanced sideways at the Third Mizukage, who stood behind him like a mindless puppet.
"Well... this is quite interesting indeed."
End of Chapter 69
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