Seeing that Mizuki Hidero and Hōzuki Mangetsu had settled who would fight first, Boss Nekoma said nothing.
His massive frame barely made a sound as he leaped into the ring, towering over the battlefield. His golden eyes locked onto Mizuki Hidero, and in a deep, resonant voice, he stated:
"Come."
A silent but overwhelming sense of oppression radiated from Boss Nekoma's enormous body.
Mizuki Hidero tried to hold his composure, but standing under that gaze, he felt his heart involuntarily tighten.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, landing in the center of the ring.
The battle was about to begin.
Intrigue, calculations, hesitation, hesitation— all of these things had no place in Boss Nekoma's world.
The only thing he believed in was fighting with his fists.
A Beast Awakens
"Puchi!!"
A deep sound echoed as Boss Nekoma's tightly-stretched garments burst apart. His already muscular frame expanded rapidly, veins bulging like coiled steel cables.
"GRAAAAH!!"
The deafening roar shook the arena, echoing through the very bones of those present.
Five meters… eight meters… ten meters…
Fifteen meters.
Compared to the towering behemoth before them, Elder Lynx's previous five-meter form looked like a mere house cat before a lion.
"Come!" Boss Nekoma bellowed. "Fight me!"
A terrifying aura of battle lust radiated from his body.
Under the ring, Nekonosuke watched in awe, eyes wide with admiration.
"It's here… Master's ultimate form!!"
His tail flicked excitedly, but his gaze held a hint of pity as he looked at Mizuki Hidero.
At that moment, Mizuki Hidero's face had turned deathly pale.
Even without thinking, it was obvious that this battle was beyond reason.
But the arrow was already nocked—there was no turning back now.
Mizuki Hidero gritted his teeth and went all out.
Five Minutes of Futility
Five minutes later.
Mizuki Hidero stood still, body trembling, hands numb from exertion.
Across from him, Boss Nekoma hadn't moved an inch.
His fifteen-meter frame stood like an unshakable bronze statue, golden eyes gazing down at Mizuki Hidero in silence.
Disappointment.
For five minutes, the cat boss had done nothing—he had merely stood there, allowing Mizuki Hidero to attack freely.
And yet, Mizuki's Ice Release hadn't left a single scratch.
The sharpest ice spears shattered upon impact, unable to pierce Boss Nekoma's granite-like muscles.
The frigid, penetrating cold of the Ice Release, which had frozen countless foes in battle, barely caused a shiver.
Mizuki's attacks had been meaningless.
The only thought in Mizuki Hidero's mind was:
"This… this isn't a cat… It's a monster!"
For Boss Nekoma, the only thought in his mind was:
"How disappointing."
In truth, this result was due to Mizuki Ryosuke.
When Elvis assigned the two elder feline warriors as examiners, he had secretly instructed them to go easy on the challengers.
But Boss Nekoma had never agreed to that.
Back in the underground caverns, he had seen fragments of memories from Nekotaro's mind—glimpses of Ryosuke's terrifying power.
Then, after observing Ryosuke's battle against Elder Lynx, he had confirmed it.
In Boss Nekoma's mind, Mizuki Hidero—someone competing for the same Mizukage candidacy as Ryosuke—should be of similar strength.
He had expected a battle worth fighting.
Instead, Mizuki Hidero couldn't even break his defense.
The disappointment in Boss Nekoma's eyes deepened.
But since he had already transformed into his strongest form, he couldn't withdraw without finishing it.
"I Only Punch Once"
After a long silence, Boss Nekoma spoke.
"One punch."
His deep voice rumbled through the air.
"I only need one punch."
The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.
Mizuki Hidero froze.
Then, rage twisted his face.
Even if he was weak, his pride was indomitable.
This? This he could not accept.
Fury surged through his veins. He gritted his teeth and prepared to retort—
But Boss Nekoma was already moving.
With a controlled exhale, he lowered his massive frame into a squat.
Then, in a single fluid motion, he pulled his fists back to his abdomen, coiling every fiber of his muscle like a compressed spring.
BOOM!
The entire ring trembled.
Boss Nekoma threw his punch.
A deafening sonic boom tore through the air.
No one could track the speed of the strike—not even Ryosuke, who narrowed his eyes in shock.
"So fast…!"
Ryosuke murmured.
Mizuki Hidero barely had time to react.
Desperately, he erected a barrier.
"Ice Release: Ice Crystal Wall!"
A fortified wall of gleaming blue ice surged upwards—a powerful defensive jutsu, highly regarded among Mist Shinobi.
But—
CRACK!
The ice shattered like brittle glass upon impact.
Mizuki Hidero was already airborne.
His body was flung out of the ring, smashing into the far wall.
BOOM!!!
Dust and debris exploded upon impact.
When the dust settled—
Mizuki Hidero lay limp on the ground, barely breathing.
Boss Nekoma stood still, lowering his fist, his massive form gradually shrinking back to normal size.
Without a word, Nekonosuke draped a cloak over his master's shoulders.
The battle was over.
A Crushing Defeat
Three Mizuki Jōnin rushed forward, examining Hidero's condition.
After a tense moment, they confirmed:
"He's alive, but gravely injured."
At the last moment, Boss Nekoma had pulled his punch slightly, ensuring Hidero would survive.
On the other side, the Mist Shinobi Jōnin were left in stunned silence.
The gap… was too overwhelming.
Comparing Mizuki Hidero's utter defeat to Mizuki Ryosuke's effortless victory made the contrast all the more humiliating.
The Mizuki clan Jōnin couldn't hide their grim expressions.
They knew it now.
Hidero had lost his chance to become Mizukage.
And the question lingered in their minds—
"How could two members of the Mizuki clan be so vastly different?"
But deep down, they already knew the answer.
It wasn't that Mizuki Hidero was too weak.
It was that Mizuki Ryosuke was far too strong.
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