Chapter 45: Suikazan Fuguki's Escape Route
Like a mountain flood erupting, vast waves cascaded down Stone Drum Mountain, sweeping away layer upon layer of forest. Suikazan Fuguki's Exploding Water Colliding Wave had created a turbid, sediment-laden lake at the mountain's base.
On the gentle slope below the summit, the water receded.
But this was precisely when Suikazan Fuguki prepared to unleash his full power. The sea-like chakra within his body stirred as he prepared to deploy high-level jutsu attacks.
"Water Style: Severing Wave!"
"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!"
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Suikazan Fuguki's assault was relentless, showing no concern for chakra consumption. Like a cannon turret, he continuously released jutsu, outputting firepower without pause.
However—
The results were minimal.
No matter what scale of offensive he mounted, no matter what novel tricks he employed, Hyuga Ritsu withstood them all. A single Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation wore down Suikazan Fuguki until he had no temper left.
From initial confidence to his current grim expression, Suikazan Fuguki's mood had taken a steep nosedive. Honestly, it felt faster than jumping off a cliff.
At that moment, he heard shouting that made him even more distressed.
"Shisui, join forces!"
Hyuga Ritsu called out loudly.
Playing the lone hero also depended on the situation.
The targets he'd previously boasted about handling were only those ordinary Mist shinobi. Famous experts like Suikazan Fuguki definitely weren't included in that promise.
Moreover, this series of intense battles had already given him a fairly clear understanding of his current capabilities, achieving the purpose behind his bold declaration.
His current self could indeed be counted among a village's top-tier experts, but he was a "lame" one—a top-tier expert who stood at the pinnacle in defense.
The Byakugan's perceptive power and the Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation's absolute defense could handle nearly all physical attacks. The combination of Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku had greatly enhanced his improvisational response capabilities, allowing him to easily counter sneak attacks from any angle.
However—
If defense was his good leg, then offense was his "lame leg."
Whether Gentle Fist or Shikotsumyaku, both ultimately possessed sufficient offensive power and lethality only in close combat. Moreover, the former excelled only at single-target attacks at medium and long range, with a complete blank in large-scale attacks.
In his memories, the Shikotsumyaku's Dance of the Seedling Fern was a large-scale attack technique. But this move was clearly similar to the Gentle Fist style's Rotation—a finishing technique requiring both talent and sweat to potentially master. He felt no shortage of talent, but hadn't had time to invest the sweat, so he hadn't even touched the basics of this technique yet.
Against those nobodies not even qualified to announce their names, he could easily take their lives with Gentle Fist and Shikotsumyaku.
But facing an expert like Suikazan Fuguki—whose chakra was bottomless, who excelled at numerous Water Style techniques, complete in both offense and defense with virtually no weaknesses—he deeply experienced the flaws of his monotonous attack methods and insufficient offensive power.
In Ritsu's view, the best methods for dealing with such experts without obvious weaknesses were threefold: first, use unconventional tactics outside their response range to win; second, rely on devastatingly powerful finishing moves to break through by force.
Ritsu currently possessed neither of these methods.
Therefore, only the third method remained—seek assistance from others capable of solving the problem. Commonly known as calling for backup!
In any case, there was no need to continue playing the lone hero. The solo performance time had ended. Now came the time for team coordination, united cooperation, and displaying the power of bonds!
"Shisui, stop playing with the Hozuki prodigy! Let's join forces and take down Suikazan Fuguki first!" Ritsu called out loudly.
Hearing the shout, Uchiha Shisui decisively abandoned Hozuki Mangetsu, who was as difficult to kill as sticky candy. Deploying the Body Flicker Technique that made him famous, he didn't move toward Ritsu but instead flashed directly toward Suikazan Fuguki.
In the next second, the Great Sword Samehada in Suikazan Fuguki's hand seemed to come alive. Its barb-covered body writhed, circling behind to force back the approaching Uchiha Shisui.
But Shisui instantly appeared at Suikazan Fuguki's left side. His hands completed seals and he delivered a Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu directly at Fuguki. The latter's reaction wasn't slow either—the Great Sword Samehada's blade instantly unfurled, blocking the clusters of flames like a flat shield.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
Ritsu sprinted forward, seizing the opportunity Shisui had created. He directly sent an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm toward Fuguki, whose body was turned sideways, striking Suikazan Fuguki's form with precision.
With a "bang," Suikazan Fuguki transformed into a cloud of milky-white chakra smoke that dissipated.
It was a shadow clone.
At this, Uchiha Shisui raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ritsu's gaze shifted.
When had that bastard Suikazan Fuguki used a shadow clone? Where was his real body hiding? Ritsu pushed his Byakugan's ocular power to its limit, his vision penetrating five meters underground, but he simply couldn't find Suikazan Fuguki.
"Ritsu-senpai, can't find him?"
Uchiha Shisui asked.
"No sign of him whatsoever."
Ritsu answered.
Looking around, the only thing nearby with chakra fluctuations was the Great Sword Samehada lying on the ground. Wait—the Great Sword Samehada?
"Shisui, that sword..."
But before Ritsu could say more, the Great Sword Samehada transformed into smoke and disappeared. However, that wasn't the disturbance of a clone dissipating, but rather the fluctuation of a summoning technique activating.
Ritsu instantly extended his vision, seeing Hozuki Mangetsu unfurl a scroll at a position roughly one kilometer away. On the scroll, wrapped in suppressed chakra, was the Great Sword Samehada.
Immediately after, Hozuki Mangetsu moved with practiced efficiency, rolling up the scroll. Shouldering the Great Sword Samehada, he sprinted toward the position where Mist shinobi were gathered at the mountain's base.
"Ritsu-senpai, what's happening?"
Uchiha Shisui walked over, holding his short sword.
"He's already escaped."
"Escaped? How did he escape?"
"Suikazan Fuguki most likely hid inside the Great Sword Samehada. Now Hozuki Mangetsu used a summoning technique to call Samehada over to him. He's currently heading down the mountain—we can't catch up anymore."
"Hide inside a sword? That's possible?"
Uchiha Shisui was shocked.
This was new intelligence the village hadn't obtained.
"The Great Sword Samehada—that blade is quite extraordinary... What a shame. I thought with the two of us working together, we could eliminate Suikazan Fuguki today. As expected, these top-tier experts aren't easy to kill."
Ritsu stared at the fleeing Hozuki Mangetsu, his thoughts already drifting. In his mind, he desperately recalled that technique—the one the Kaguya clan's descendant youth had nearly used to kill the future Fifth Kazekage just before his death.