The unexpected words caught everyone off guard.
Mangetsu and Zabuza froze, momentarily speechless.
Kaede frowned in thought before asking, "Are you serious?"
Zabuza immediately erupted. "How the hell could that be?! Use your damn brain, idiot!"
"That's terrifying," Mangetsu shuddered, breaking into goosebumps like he had seen a ghost. "I'd sooner believe that Zabuza sleeps with his sword than with a woman."
"Hah?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Exactly what I said."
"You damn—"
"Enough," Yagura cut in, smiling warningly. "Keep going, and it's going to get dangerous. This world is beautiful, yet you're so aggressive. Not good."
"Tch!" Giving Yagura some face, Zabuza decided not to argue with the "rotten jellyfish" Mangetsu.
"Less talking, more fighting. If words aren't enough, settle it with your blades," Yagura suggested, eager to see how much they had improved from training together.
Mangetsu, Zabuza, and Kaede—while not the type to defy limits like true prodigies—were undoubtedly geniuses compared to ordinary shinobi.
...
In the training grounds, Mangetsu and Zabuza clashed midair once again, their blades grazing each other in a blur.
Landing and quickly turning, Mangetsu fixed his gaze on Zabuza. A thin line of water trickled down his face from a fresh cut.
In contrast, his own attack had failed to land.
Adjusting his grip on his sword, Mangetsu cursed internally.
That bastard Zabuza... It's not just brute force—his technique has improved too.
He wasn't sure if scars made a man look cool.
But one thing was clear—among the three of them, Zabuza was improving the fastest.
...
Mangetsu hesitated before lunging again.
But Zabuza didn't move. Instead, he shot him a meaningful glance.
Mangetsu smirked. Now that was an interesting idea.
Yagura, watching their sudden pause and unusual cooperation, instinctively sensed something was off.
At that moment, Kaede—who had silently moved behind Yagura—struck.
"Fire Release: Flame Jet!"
They had all been holding back a grudge.
This was the perfect opportunity to test the gap between them!
"You bastards! No honor at all!"
Realizing it a second too late, Yagura quickly leaped back and formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Barrier!"
A wall of water surged up, blocking the flames.
Using Fire Release against Water Release wasn't the best idea. Seeing his flames fizzle, Kaede clicked his tongue and stopped, his pupils contracting in surprise.
"Damn, your hand seals are fast."
Yagura grinned. "Of course! Hand seals are a fundamental skill I train every day!"
...
A sudden mist rolled in from behind, shrouding the entire battlefield in white.
As Yagura landed, his surroundings vanished into an eerie fog.
"Could this be..."
Zabuza's deep voice echoed from all directions. "Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique."
This...
Yagura scanned the dense mist, excited.
Zabuza's Silent Killing Technique... He's already developing it?!
"Not the best time to lose focus!"
Mangetsu appeared above him in a flash, laughing as he brought his sword down with full force.
Yagura dodged, flipping midair and kicking the blade away—only to realize something was off.
"A water blade?!"
The sword shattered on impact, reforming into liquid before Mangetsu conjured another short water blade with his free hand, slashing sideways.
Zzzzt—
A crackling sound filled the air.
Forced into Lightning Release mode, Yagura boosted his speed to narrowly evade the strike.
Grinning, he called out, "Damn, you guys were holding back!"
Despite his failed sneak attack, Mangetsu wasn't discouraged. Spinning his water blade, he smirked.
"I picked this up from you. How does it feel to be hit with your own move?"
Yagura raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So that's why it looked familiar!"
Copying techniques?
Even so, perfecting it within a week?
Genuinely impressed, he praised, "Not bad, Mangetsu."
...
A gust of wind cut through the mist.
"Haaah!"
Zabuza dropped from above, his sword arcing down.
Yagura glanced up and swiftly sidestepped.
"Sorry, Zabuza. You need to work on your speed."
"Damn it! I can see it!"
Thanks to Kaede's shared vision, Zabuza could track Yagura's movements, predicting his every step.
But even though his eyes followed, his body couldn't keep up.
"Zabuza! Don't rush—attack together!" Mangetsu called.
"Worry about yourself first, Mangetsu!"
Once the fight truly began, Yagura prioritized taking out the strongest opponent with the clearest weakness—Mangetsu.
In a flash, his Lightning Release enhanced speed propelled him forward, palm crackling with energy.
Mangetsu anticipated the attack, his vision allowing him to react the moment Yagura moved. He used Water Step to retreat just in time.
Seizing the opening, Zabuza struck while Yagura's attack was still in motion.
"Now this timing..."
...
Yagura dodged Zabuza's relentless strikes, attempting to counter, but every move was predicted and blocked with precision.
"Damn, fighting against Kaede's eyes is annoying."
It felt like facing a mind-reader.
Zabuza, however, had it even worse.
To keep up with Yagura's insane speed, he was pushing himself beyond his physical limits, forcing his body to match what his eyes saw.
But Lightning Release-enhanced speed wasn't something that could be overcome by sheer will alone.
Barely managing to keep up for a few steps, he reached Yagura's position—only for his strength to falter mid-swing, causing his attack to slow just a fraction.
"Got you!"
Yagura capitalized on the delay, jumping and delivering a powerful double kick to Zabuza's chest.
Though Zabuza blocked with his arms, the force sent him flying back.
While still airborne, he hurled shuriken to slow Yagura's pursuit.
...
A sharp Biu! cut through the air.
A water bullet shot from the side, forcing Yagura to halt and dodge.
The bullet struck a rock, leaving a small crater.
"Water Release: Water Gun!"
Mangetsu formed finger guns, firing rapid water bullets.
"Round two!"
Providing cover fire for Zabuza to recover.
Zabuza couldn't match Yagura in close combat—getting pinned would be his loss.
"Water Release: Water Barrier!"
Twin water walls rose to block both the bullets and Zabuza's renewed charge.
Before Zabuza could react, Yagura burst through the water, his foot crackling with lightning as he sent another powerful kick straight at him.
A blade flashed—Yagura, wasting no time, leaned in to finish him off.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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