Chapter 59: Hidden Mist Jutsu Against Hidden Mist Jutsu
"Ice Style?"
Kakashi couldn't spare time to finish off Kuronusa with another strike. He hurriedly withdrew to dodge those sharp, keen ice pillars that seemed capable of easily piercing flesh and blood. Trading life for life wasn't impossible, but one had to select the right opponent for that.
Moreover, he wasn't fighting alone.
While he dodged the ice pillars, Pakkun, perched on his head, leaped forward and bit down on Kuronusa's throat. Though Pakkun wasn't a combat-type summon, that didn't mean his combat ability was zero.
He possessed all the basic abilities a ninja dog should have.
This bite cleanly severed Kuronusa's throat.
"Damn it!"
An angry curse came from within the dense fog.
With Kuronusa's death, the Hidden Mist Jutsu lost its caster's chakra support. The white, hazy fog began dissipating at tremendous speed. Silver moonlight poured down like flowing water once more, illuminating the battlefield situation.
Kuronusa had paid with his life for underestimating Chidori's speed and lethality. Gyokko learned from his companion's fatal lesson and used the Water Clone Technique. Dozens of water clones hid his true body, entangling with Kakashi without giving him an opportunity for a lethal strike.
This move truly disgusted Kakashi.
What he wanted now was a quick battle and decisive victory, not to waste time in entanglement.
But unfortunately, Gyokko wasn't an ordinary jonin. He came from a very special family in the Land of Water—the Yuki clan. This clan, which inherited the Ice Style bloodline limit, didn't live together as a unified clan like other shinobi families. Due to certain historical reasons, they were scattered throughout the Land of Water like pearls spilled on the ground.
Gyokko was such a case. He was born in a small village in the Land of Water. He awakened the Ice Style bloodline limit at a young age, then was discovered by a passing Kirishima clan jonin who brought Gyokko back to the Hidden Mist Village for education. He naturally became a Mist shinobi, and he was more loyal to the Kirishima clan who'd changed his fate than to the Hidden Mist Village itself.
It was precisely because of this loyalty that even with Kuronusa killed by Kakashi, he still didn't retreat. He continued executing Kirishima Shinya's orders, entangling with this son of the White Fang. His Ice Style bloodline limit also gave him the capital to face off against Kakashi.
"Damn it!"
As time passed, Kakashi's emotions inevitably became agitated.
He couldn't help cursing.
He'd launched attacks repeatedly, trying every method and using all his abilities, but still couldn't take down Gyokko. His opponent, relying on the Ice Style bloodline limit, had blocked all his attacks. Ice Style's lethality wasn't strong, but it excelled at control and defense, leaving Kakashi quite embarrassed, like a mouse trying to drag a turtle.
'I'm still too weak!'
This thought surfaced uncontrollably in his mind. Kakashi deeply hated his weak self.
Of course, what he didn't know was that Gyokko was inwardly sighing at his strength. Truly worthy of being the White Fang's son—at such a young age, he already possessed such formidable ability. In a few more years, he'd probably truly be another White Fang of Konoha.
"Pakkun, let's try that!"
Kakashi said in a low voice.
"The Fang Pursuit Technique? I'm afraid it won't work. The ground here has been frozen hard. Trying to emerge from underground would be too difficult."
"Then... hmm?"
Kakashi had just started to speak when he suddenly noticed mist rapidly expanding toward them.
"What's going on? More Mist shinobi?"
Kakashi didn't dare be careless. He instantly pulled back from Gyokko, observing in all directions and listening on all sides, staying alert for possible attacks at any moment. He asked, "Pakkun, how many people came? What directions are they in?"
"I don't know."
Pakkun shook his head.
"Don't know? How can you not know?"
"The mist is rising from underground. The caster is hidden below ground. The scent is covered—I can't smell anything."
"Underground?"
Kakashi frowned, looking down at his feet.
At the same time, Gyokko was also vigilantly observing his surroundings. Though the Hidden Mist Jutsu was the Mist shinobi's signature technique, this didn't mean only Mist shinobi could use it. It was just that Mist shinobi were most proficient at it—after several generations and decades of research, they'd developed many compatible jutsu and tactics based on the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
"Splat!"
One of Gyokko's water clones was shattered.
This startled Gyokko.
An enemy!
He immediately formed seals and also released the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
The Hidden Mist Jutsu was the Mist shinobi's signature technique. Using it, they'd made Konoha, Cloud, and Sand shinobi all suffer considerably. Even the Mist shinobi themselves weren't immune.
However, it was precisely through the Mist shinobi's internal conflicts that they'd discovered a method to counter the Hidden Mist Jutsu—that was to also deploy the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
Here, let me explain the principle of the Hidden Mist Jutsu. The mist created using the Hidden Mist Jutsu contained the caster's chakra. Though the caster's own vision would also be obscured by the mist, relying on the chakra-infused fog, they could accurately pinpoint the situation within the mist.
But if a second caster simultaneously used the Hidden Mist Jutsu, the equally chakra-laden mists would blend together. The resulting effect was that both sides' perception would become dull and malfunction—neither could accurately sense the situation in the fog.
Earlier, when he and Kuronusa had worked together, only Kuronusa used the Hidden Mist Jutsu for precisely this reason.
At this moment, when he discovered the mist was released by an enemy, he immediately used the Hidden Mist Jutsu to counter it.
However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he discovered another water clone had been eliminated.
This made his heart sink involuntarily, though he still harbored some hope. Perhaps the attacker had approached his water clone before his Hidden Mist Jutsu was released.
However, to his disappointment, his water clones continued shattering one after another in rapid succession, as if the opponent wasn't affected by his Hidden Mist Jutsu at all and could still move freely within this mist.
Worse still, water clones, unlike shadow clones, didn't possess the ability to transmit information. In other words, he only knew his water clones were being destroyed, but had no idea who was doing it or what methods they were using to eliminate his water clones.
"Who exactly is it?"
Gyokko gritted his teeth.
You must know that because the mist released by the Hidden Mist Jutsu contained chakra, it not only obscured vision but could also interfere with most sensory jutsu. Logically, at this time, both casters should have no way to accurately sense the situation in the fog, right?
Was it sound? Or smell?
Or perhaps some other special sensory jutsu that determined the positions of his constantly moving water clones?
He had no answer in his mind, and the intent to retreat sprouted.
Though he was utterly loyal to the Kirishima clan, that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of death.
More than half his water clones had been eliminated.
Gyokko didn't dare continue moving gently. He took off running at full speed, preparing to charge with everything he had. The methods to counter the Hidden Mist Jutsu, besides deploying it oneself, included one crude approach—rushing out of the mist's coverage area.
He opened his legs and moved at maximum speed in the direction completely opposite to where the mist had come from. But before he'd gone more than a few steps, he heard the noise of a thousand birds chirping in unison rising from within the fog.
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