Might Duy's desperate roar echoed in Leo's ears.
No one had eEXPected the backlash from the Eight Inner Gates to come so quickly—
and now, the result was that Leo stood alone… facing a jonin!
"Shut up!"
The Mist Village jonin stomped hard on Duy's back, grinding his heel down as if to vent all the rage and frustration bottled inside him.
If his younger brother hadn't taken the brunt of their attacks earlier, he wouldn't have been so badly wounded—nor would he have been killed by that boy's sudden counterattack.
The jonin himself was in rough shape, but now that the tide had shifted in his favor, he could finally avenge his fallen comrades from Kirigakure.
"Argh!"
Duy coughed up blood, his body half-buried in the dirt, unable to move.
Leo's eEXPression remained calm. After killing seven elite chūnin in succession, most of his stamina was gone. He didn't know if he could win this fight—but he spoke evenly nonetheless:
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste time threatening us. I'd retreat while I still can."
"Retreat? Impossible." The Mist jonin of the Hōzuki Clan sneered, his lips curling in mockery.
"Look behind me," Leo said coldly. "Those bodies—seven of your men. I killed them all myself. That already puts me at the level of a special jonin. You may be stronger than me, but after such a long battle, your chakra must be running low. If I choose to fight to the death, neither of us will walk away unscathed."
The jonin's pupils contracted. He followed Leo's gaze—and sure enough, the ground was littered with corpses.
They were his own men, the entire assassination squad he'd brought with him. All dead. Some pierced through, others mangled beyond recognition.
One boy—barely ten years old—had killed them all.
Such monstrous talent… and from Konoha, no less.
If this child was allowed to grow, he could one day become another White Fang of the Leaf.
A chill ran down his spine—then twisted into killing intent.
This one cannot be allowed to live.
If he survived today, he would become the Hidden Mist's doom.
Leo's Observation Haki instantly picked up on that murderous intent. His eEXPression hardened.
So… negotiations had failed.
"You're right," the Hōzuki jonin said slowly, his tone dark. "My chakra is running low. But you—you've slaughtered my men. Your stamina must be worse. A child with talent like yours is a threat to the Land of Water. Even if it costs me my life, I'll end you here and now."
"Leo, run!" Duy shouted hoarsely. He knew all too well—there was no way Leo could defeat a jonin head-on.
He himself was just a failed ninja, a "waste" who could never master ninjutsu, but Leo was different. He was the future of Konoha. He couldn't die here!
With the last of his strength, Duy lunged forward and grabbed the jonin's legs. "Go!"
"Get off me!"
"Die later, trash!"
The Hōzuki jonin kicked Duy away, unwilling to risk giving his opponent an opening. He glared at Leo, face twisted with fury.
"Your turn, brat."
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique!"
He weaved hand seals at blinding speed. A fine layer of mist began to rise throughout the forest, thickening with each passing second until it became an impenetrable fog.
When it came to assassination techniques, the Hidden Mist Village was second to none—
even Konoha's ANBU couldn't fully compare.
Unlike the other four great nations, the Land of Water was surrounded by sea, shrouded in mist all year round. Its ninja were born and trained in this environment, able to move within it as naturally as fish in the ocean.
But outsiders? Within the fog, they might as well be blind beasts, lost and panicking in the dark.
It was this technique that had made the Silent Killing art of Kirigakure feared throughout the entire ninja world.
The forest fell deathly silent. Not a single sound remained. The fog was so thick that even one's own outstretched hand was invisible.
Leo spread his Observation Haki, extending his awareness through the haze.
For others, this situation would be a nightmare—but not for him. All he needed to do was stay alert and wait for the right moment.
After all, this was a jonin of the Hōzuki Clan—his strength was formidable, and his Water Transformation bloodline limit made him even more dangerous.
Shff!Shff!
Dark shapes flickered within the mist. The jonin's grin gleamed faintly in the fog as he moved, silent as death. Then—without warning—a kunai thrust straight toward the back of Leo's head.
"Got you!" the Mist ninja hissed, eyes glinting.
But just as the blade was about to connect, Leo's head tilted slightly to the side—
and the kunai sliced through empty air.
"Impossible!" The jonin froze. He was sure he'd made no sound, no chakra fluctuation—nothing that could have given him away.
But Leo didn't give him a chance to recover. His right arm turned jet-black as Armament Haki coated it completely.
Using his Haki's precision to pinpoint the jonin's position, he launched a devastating punch, muscles coiling with compressed power.
"Boom!"
Invisible force eEXPloded outward. Spiraling air currents tore through the fog like a hurricane, the sheer pressure ripping it apart.
In seconds, the mist was gone—dispersed by raw power.
The Hidden Mist Technique wasn't a high-level jutsu, just a means of concealment. Against overwhelming strength, it was useless.
"Haah…"
Leo exhaled heavily, his breathing ragged.
Steam rose from his arm—the backlash of overusing Armament Haki. The black coating faded, his stamina nearly spent.
He wasn't limitless. Even he had his limits.
"How… how is this possible?" The Hōzuki jonin stared in disbelief. The boy had shattered his Hidden Mist with a single punch.
At this point, there was no way to perform another Silent Killing.
He had already consumed too much chakra earlier—when he'd used his Water Transformation to turn into a giant of liquid form against Duy. He didn't have enough left to maintain both forms at once.
"Soru!"
Leo didn't give him time to breathe. He pushed his body to its limit and vanished in a blur of speed—
appearing right in front of the jonin and driving his fist forward!
The Hōzuki's pupils contracted. The speed was insane—he couldn't dodge in time.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest to block—
BOOM!
The impact sent a shockwave blasting through the forest. Air rippled outward, tearing through a massive tree behind the jonin.
"Gah—!"
Blood burst from his mouth as he was sent flying. His arms shimmered—and his whole body liquefied into a puddle of water, splashing to the ground.
"A water clone, huh?" Leo muttered.
In another pool nearby, the real Hōzuki jonin reformed, his face pale and his breathing ragged.
He'd barely escaped that strike—had it landed on his true body, his organs would have been pulverized.
Not bad, Leo thought grimly. That's what makes a jonin so dangerous.
His eyes glinted.
This battle was far from over—but in his mind, countless tactics were already taking shape.
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