Kazuyama Gekkō watched the situation beneath the waves through his insect-eye vision.
The chakra of two tails was far beyond that of one—it was a qualitative leap.
"Tsk tsk, it's almost there."
"Two tails already, Kazuyama. Keep pushing him."
"He might lose control any second now."
"Isobu, that bastard—hahaha, long time no see!"
Chōmei was even more excited than Kazuyama. Ever since he'd been sealed into Kazuyama Gekkō, his status had skyrocketed.
These days, being strong yourself didn't mean much—it was your partner's strength that truly mattered.
Look at this: even though the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki was the Fourth Mizukage, he was still getting beaten senseless by Kazuyama!
And this wasn't even Kazuyama's full power.
Has he used Crystal Release yet? Sage Techniques? Tsk tsk… Isobu, your Jinchūriki is pitiful!
"Calm down, Chōmei, calm down. You'll see your old friend soon enough."
"For now, though, I'll just keep stoking his rage."
Kazuyama knew that Water Release techniques at this level couldn't seriously harm his opponent anymore.
So he decided to switch tactics.
"Water Release: Water Syrup Capture Field!"
Kazuyama grinned and pressed one hand against the sea's surface once more. Streams of water surged downward—but this time, they looked different.
Their color was off.
Normally, the water would be blue, but now it carried a faint white hue.
That was because this wasn't ordinary water—it was thickened with sticky, mucus-like fluid.
He'd seen this jutsu in his previous life and thought it was amusing enough to remember. It came from Kamizuki Izumo of Konohagakure.
As the viscous currents flowed downward, the frenzied Karatachi Yagura suddenly felt a growing resistance around him.
"Damn it, you bastard!"
"Glue, huh?"
"Aaaaagh!"
Yagura was losing his mind. First came the vortex, then the massive hammer, and now—glue. Not even an attack, just maddening restraint.
These damned Kumo bastards had gone too far.
"BOOM!"
Driven completely insane, Yagura's chakra erupted outward, blasting the surrounding seawater away and creating a vacuum zone centered on him.
"Oh? Half-tailed form already?"
"Looks like he's just one step away from full rampage."
"But this next part's going to be tricky."
Through his insect vision, Kazuyama saw that Yagura had entered a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
At the same time, he broke through the seawater and lunged straight toward him.
Kazuyama couldn't reveal all his trump cards, which made what came next even harder—he had to lead the rampaging Fourth Mizukage northward.
"Tsk tsk, Jinchūriki really are terrifying."
"Kowai ne~"
"Well then…"
"This great one's outta here!"
Having made up his mind, Kazuyama didn't hesitate. He turned and ran.
Chakra flared beneath his feet, propelling him forward as he sprinted across the waves.
Yagura, now half-transformed and teetering on the edge of complete loss of control, saw his enemy trying to escape. That was the last straw.
He accelerated instantly, charging after Kazuyama.
The sea surface was completely torn apart by their chase.
"Chōmei, lend me some chakra—he's a bit too fast."
"Got it!"
"Tsk tsk, keep running!"
Chōmei's chakra surged beneath Kazuyama's feet, boosting his speed even further.
...
Northern Three Islands—northernmost island.
"Hahahaha! You Mist ninjas are useless!"
"Men, hurry it up!"
The Kumo pirates were in high spirits. Even though Mist reinforcements had arrived, their looting was nearly complete.
Many of the raiders had already returned, arms full of bags and loot. The Kumo captain was grinning ear to ear.
"Bastards! You damned bastards!"
"I'll kill you! I'll kill every last one of you!"
Biwa Jūzō's eyes were bloodshot with rage. To him, all that wealth belonged to the Land of Water—there was no way he'd let it be stolen.
But he was being completely overwhelmed. His body was charred black from the enemy's Lightning Release.
Even his hand, gripping the Kubikiribōchō, trembled violently—proof of how fierce the battle had been.
Behind him, the Mist forces were regrouping, including another of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Fuguki Suikazan.
"Hmph! Enough talk—kill them!"
But just as Fuguki roared, something changed.
A wave of overwhelming chakra swept through the air, freezing everyone in place. They all turned toward the sea.
Two figures were speeding toward them—and behind them, that crimson glow filled every heart with dread.
"Damn it! It's a Tailed Beast!"
"You Mist idiots actually deployed a Jinchūriki?!"
"Don't you care if your own island gets destroyed?!"
The Kumo pirate leader was completely stunned. They had prepared thoroughly for this raid.
But no amount of preparation could have predicted that Kirigakure would unleash a Tailed Beast just to deal with pirates.
On the Mist side, eyes widened as well.
"Fuguki, tell me the truth. Other than you, who else came for support?"
"The Six-Tails' Jinchūriki? Impossible. That kid's locked up, isn't he?"
Jūzō already had a sinking suspicion, but he didn't want to believe it. That person shouldn't be on the front lines—let alone entering a Tailed Beast state.
Fuguki swallowed hard and voiced the thought both men dreaded.
"It's Lord Mizukage. He led a team to another island."
"The Kumo pirates didn't just attack here—they hit another island too."
Damn it. The worst-case scenario.
But when the two men locked eyes, they both saw the same doubt reflected there.
The Fourth Mizukage? What kind of enemy could force him into Tailed Beast transformation???
"Retreat!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
"Forget the ships—unless you want to die!"
While the Mist shinobi were still trying to make sense of the situation, the Kumo pirates had already started retreating.
They had no intention of tangling with a Tailed Beast. If that thing got close, there'd be no loot—only death.
"Damn it, what do we do?"
"Retreat, or keep fighting?"
Jūzō felt his head spinning.
But soon enough, their Fourth Mizukage made the decision for them.
"ROAR!!!"
A furious bellow erupted across the sea.
A massive shell covered in spikes broke through the waves, its sheer presence sending the ocean into violent turmoil.
The Three-Tails had appeared!