Why is the Mist Hidden Village called the Mist Hidden Village? Isn't it because it's perpetually shrouded in thick fog?
Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique—this was the signature technique of the Kirigakure ninja. Yet now, Kazuyama Gekkō was the one to use it first.
Having slain the Third Mizukage years ago, he had gained all of the Third's Water Release techniques. Combined with his later Ninjutsu Amplification, his mastery of Water Release had long surpassed that of the Third Mizukage himself.
A torrent of dense mist spewed from his mouth, and within moments, the sea surface was covered in a thick gray haze.
"Hah... hahaha... Hiding in Mist Technique, is it?"
"These Kumo Hidden ninja... how dare they! Using the Hiding in Mist Technique against us, the Mist Hidden ninja???"
"They must die."
Karatachi Yagura burst into a fit of furious laughter as he watched the thick fog drift over the sea. For so many years, only the Mist Hidden ninja had used mist against others—never had anyone dared use mist against them.
How absurd! How utterly laughable!
"Speed up! Charge straight in!"
"I'll see what tricks these Kumo bastards can pull!"
It wasn't that Karatachi Yagura was overconfident—it was simply that the Mist Hidden ninja understood the Hiding in Mist Technique better than anyone. They weren't the least bit concerned that anything dangerous might be lurking within the fog.
Even if there was, they were certain they could handle it.
At his command, the ship accelerated once more, plunging into the dense mist.
The moment they entered, Kazuyama Gekkō's attack began.
"Hey! You Mist brats—go to hell!"
A Water Clone burst from beneath the waves, charging straight toward the ship carrying the Mist ninja.
"Enemy attack!"
"Just one? Take him down!"
Indeed, there was only a single Water Clone, recklessly charging forward. The result was predictable.
Kunai and shuriken flew through the air, piercing the clone until it looked like a sieve.
"Splash..."
In the next instant, the clone dissolved into a puddle. But the moment that water appeared, every Mist ninja felt something was wrong.
Because at the center of that puddle lay a cluster of explosive tags.
"Boom!"
The chakra-protected tags hadn't been soaked through—if anything, they detonated even more violently as the clone vanished.
The blast sent tremors through the ship's hull.
A flicker of impatience crossed Karatachi Yagura's eyes. To him, such attacks were meaningless—whether clone or not, they posed no threat.
But his confidence proved premature.
"Continue the assault!"
With that roar, the sea around the ship erupted as one Water Clone after another surged upward.
"Don't let them near the hull!"
"Counterattack!"
Karatachi Yagura crossed his arms, his expression grave as he issued his orders.
The ship carried no small number of ninja—eighty in total. Judging by his observations, there were barely over a hundred attackers surrounding them. They could handle this.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Water Release: Water Whip!"
"Water Release: Water Shrapnel Technique!"
A barrage of Water Release ninjutsu filled the air, interspersed with flying shuriken and kunai.
In an instant, a fierce and chaotic battle erupted around the ship's hull.
Each clone struck triggered another explosion.
"Boom!"
The chain of blasts rocked the massive ship beneath the Mist ninja, sending it lurching violently from side to side.
Karatachi Yagura's face darkened. He understood the enemy's intent perfectly—to sink the ship, cut off their means of travel, and force them to move on foot.
That would slow their advance and drain their strength.
"Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!"
Seeing the explosions continue, Karatachi Yagura no longer hesitated and took action himself.
A massive surge of chakra unleashed a defensive Water Release technique far beyond the Water Formation Wall. Enormous water pillars rose up around the ship, forming a shield that not even the crashing clones could disturb.
"Heh, I thought you wouldn't make a move."
"So you couldn't hold back after all."
"Since that's the case—Water Release: Water Raging Tide!"
Kazuyama Gekkō's sinister voice echoed eerily through the mist before Karatachi Yagura could even react.
A tremendous force erupted beneath the ship, lifting the entire vessel upward.
"Not good!"
"He's targeting the hull!"
The sudden surge of power beneath the ship caught Yagura off guard.
But by then, it was too late—Kazuyama's jutsu had already been unleashed.
The Water Raging Tide Technique harnessed the force of water to create a massive upward cyclone. Though only a B-rank jutsu, its concentrated power made its destructive impact rival that of many A-rank techniques.
Despite the ship's size, it was no match for the technique of Super Kage Kazuyama Gekkō.
"Boom!"
"Crack!"
The sounds of impact and splintering wood rang out together.
Every Mist ninja aboard the ship went pale—Karatachi Yagura included.
"Damn those Kumo ninja!"
"Everyone, abandon ship!"
"Stay alert for ambushes!"
With the hull shattered, the ship's sinking was inevitable. Better to abandon it now than go down with it.
It could be said that the worst-case scenario Yagura had feared had now come true.
"Heh heh heh, we're not done yet..."
"Water Release: Water Spear!"
The relentless waves of Water Release gave the Mist ninja no time to breathe. Streams of water hardened into countless spears, thrusting toward them in a deadly rain.
There were so many that they blotted out the view, engulfing every Mist ninja in sight.
"Sensor ninja, find the enemy! Everyone else, defend and counterattack!"
Yagura issued his commands methodically, but when the sensor ninja spread their chakra to scan the surroundings, their faces froze.
There were too many chakra signatures. While many belonged to Water Clones, the sheer number made no sense.
"Lord Mizukage, we're surrounded..."
"There are over a hundred enemies around us..."
Karatachi Yagura blinked in disbelief. "What? Say that again???"
Yes—Kazuyama Gekkō had come prepared. He knew the weakness of Water Clones: they only possessed a tenth of the original's power and were useful only for feints.
So, he used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to create a hundred fully capable clones.
"Pfft, someone who didn't know better might think you're planning to take out the Mizukage himself."
"A hundred clones? That's more than their entire force! Kazuyama, what are you even thinking?"
Chōmei munched on his takoyaki, staring speechlessly at Kazuyama Gekkō hiding safely in the distance.
Indeed, Kazuyama's real body hadn't moved at all. Every single attack was being handled by his clones.
He was playing it safe—and he was perfectly fine with that.