Facing Karatachi Yagura's Water Release technique, Kazuyama Gekkō grinned.
Bringing his hands together sharply without forming any seals, the sea beneath his feet began to churn like boiling water.
"Water Release: Raging Tide Technique."
Another wave of violent force crashed forward, colliding with Yagura's jutsu and sending sprays of seawater flying in all directions.
Meanwhile, the battle between the clones and the Mist ninja had reached its peak.
With the ocean as their battlefield, both sides clashed fiercely—ninjutsu, taijutsu, and ninja tools turning the sea into a chaotic warzone.
"Heh heh, Lord Fourth Mizukage."
"Looks like advancing isn't an option for you anymore."
"Maybe my comrades have already finished the looting."
"Hahahaha!"
As he fought, Kazuyama mocked relentlessly, his transformed voice dripping with infuriating smugness.
Those words ignited the Fourth Mizukage's fury.
"Bastard!"
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Karatachi Yagura's eyes flared red, his rage so intense that even his hand seals sped up.
To Kazuyama, it looked like a blur of motion—and then, the jutsu took form.
A mirror far larger than before materialized before Yagura, followed by water dragons soaring into the air.
But then, something strange happened.
According to Kazuyama's understanding, the Water Mirror Technique created a water-based mirror that reflected an exact duplicate of the opponent—capable of using the same techniques with equal power.
He had always been cautious of this jutsu, using a thin layer of mist as a faint wall before himself—not for protection, but to obscure his form.
However, Yagura had used the Water Mirror Technique to replicate the Water Dragon Bullets themselves, multiplying their numbers in an instant.
"Well, well. A mass-produced Water Dragon Bullet, huh? Combination ninjutsu—heh heh heh."
"Too bad for you, I can do that too!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Dance Technique!"
While Yagura's water dragons were duplicated through the Water Mirror Technique, Kazuyama's were genuine—real Water Dragon Bullets.
It was a technique once used by the Third Mizukage, now mastered by him.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"You damned Kumo bastards!"
"I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
As the two sides clashed, casualties began to mount among the Mist troops. Even his elite ANBU weren't spared.
The scent of blood began to spread across the sea, driving Yagura to the brink of losing control.
Crimson chakra flared around his body, and Kazuyama's grin widened.
"Chōmei, look at that! Perfect, isn't it?"
"I actually forced out the Tailed Beast's chakra. Tell me, can you believe this guy's mental fortitude? Hah, can't even compare to me."
Chōmei was just about to respond, but Kazuyama's words left him speechless.
What did he mean, "can't compare"?
Wait—on second thought, he really couldn't argue with that.
It all came down to mentality. Kazuyama was a trickster through and through—his composure had always been solid. Even if he lost control, it never lasted long.
He lived by playing the rogue, so the usual flaws of a Jinchūriki never showed in him.
Of course, it also helped that he was a perfect Jinchūriki, able to merge seamlessly with Chōmei.
The Fourth Mizukage before him, on the other hand, clearly hadn't been one for long. The usual instability of a new Jinchūriki was written all over him.
Once emotions ran too high, the Tailed Beast chakra began to leak uncontrollably.
Look at him now—the tailed beast cloak had formed, and even his eyes were crimson.
"I'll kill you!"
Yagura, cloaked in the Tailed Beast's chakra, abandoned ninjutsu entirely and charged like a rocket.
Behind him, the Mist ninja saw their Mizukage losing control—and immediately made the right choice.
"Stop fighting! Fall back!"
"Move!"
"Stay out of Lord Mizukage's attack range!!!"
Led by the ANBU, the entire force began retreating frantically across the sea, terrified of being caught in the rampage.
After all, this was a Tailed Beast.
Even though Yagura had done well suppressing the Three-Tails' power since becoming a Jinchūriki, they had all witnessed what a rampage looked like before.
Retreating was the only sane option—and surely, their Mizukage wouldn't blame them for it.
"Whoa, looks like your subordinates just ditched you."
"Jinchūriki, huh? Heh, it's not like I haven't seen one before."
"Come on then, let's see what you're made of!"
Kazuyama readied himself for battle. He knew the Fourth Mizukage had potential as a Jinchūriki—he was one of only two perfect hosts in the original timeline, not counting the Yellow Prince, who was a monster of his own.
But clearly, Yagura was still new to it and far from mastering the Tailed Beast's power.
"I'll kill you!"
The crimson figure lunged forward, appearing before Kazuyama in an instant with blinding speed.
"Back into the sea with you."
"Water Release: Whirlpool Technique!"
Before Yagura could reach him, Kazuyama crouched low and slammed a hand onto the surface of the water.
In the next second, the sea in front of him twisted violently, forming a massive vortex that swallowed the charging Yagura whole.
"Hmph!"
"Don't underestimate me, you bastard!"
The chakra of a Tailed Beast was immense—just the outer cloak alone couldn't be drowned by seawater.
But Kazuyama, being a Jinchūriki himself, knew that perfectly well.
So the instant Yagura fell into the vortex, Kazuyama acted—gathering seawater into his hands and shaping it into a gigantic hammer.
A hammer—no, a colossal hammer, as massive as a whale.
"Take this! Hammer Eighty!"
He swung the enormous weapon down, slamming it into Yagura with crushing force.
"Splash!"
A huge wave exploded upward as Kazuyama grinned, watching Yagura get driven straight into the depths of the sea.
"Tsk tsk, keep raging, my friend."
"Best if you turn into a giant turtle—then I can send you north."
"I wonder if the Kumo ninja will still be smiling when they realize their opponent has turned into the Three-Tails."
The vortex kept spinning. That single hammer strike had left Yagura dazed, his thoughts muddled.
For a moment, he couldn't even react.
By the time he regained focus, the massive whirlpool had him spinning in dizzying circles.
That only stoked his fury further.
"Damn it!"
"I'll kill you!"
"Stop this!"
The tailed beast cloak flared again—another tail formed, his power surging to even more terrifying levels.
The raw force of the Tailed Beast chakra alone was enough to break apart the whirlpool entirely.