Taodi Zaibuzhu's face remained hidden—his scarred visage a reminder of the brutal graduation exam. Back then, he had dared challenge Wayne and was soundly defeated; his entire face had been shaved off as punishment.
"Looking for more abuse?" Wayne drawled, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "By the way, you've joined Anbu now?"
(Anbu operations were strictly under Mizukage's jurisdiction.) Wayne's eyes narrowed. Had the Fourth Mizukage really sent this disgraceful fighter along?
"Wayne, I'm not the man I used to be—years have passed, and I've grown stronger!" Taodi countered.
"Don't speak to me like you're addressing trash!" Wayne snapped, the old wounds flaring up with every word. He almost regretted that he hadn't shaved off that disfigured face again.
"Then tell me your purpose, mighty one, so I won't have to kill you again." A wicked grin tugged at Wayne's lips.
With a cold snort, Taodi spat, "During our battle with Konoha, the village suffered terrible losses. Lord Mizukage has started a new round of conscription—and you're on the list. In five days, you're heading to the front lines."
"Fight the Konoha Shinobi?!" Wayne's frown deepened. He had no desire for another war, yet deep inside, the urge to push past his limits still burned.
"Fighting for the village is everyone's duty, Mist Shinobi. You wouldn't be so eager to cling to life if you refused, would you?" Taodi warned. "Remember what happened to those who said no—they were arrested."
"I'm not feeling well enough for that," Wayne murmured, feigning weakness. Before he could protest further, a figure appeared only a few feet away.
"If you refuse, I'll have no choice but to arrest you!" In an instant, Bu Zhan Kuwu lunged forward and plunged a blade into Wayne's throat with a merciless glare.
A flash of icy resolve sparked in Wayne's eyes—it was no arrest at all but a deliberate strike to kill. With a violent "puff!" his throat was slit. Instead of blood, a jet of freezing water burst forth, drenching Zaibuzhu's stunned face. In a thunderous "bang," what should have been a lifeless body dissolved into a swirling pool of water.
"Water separation?!" Taodi's pupils widened in disbelief. When had this begun?
"Now it's my turn," came a voice from behind. Taodi whipped around just in time to see a kunai slicing cleanly across another foe's neck—yet, once again, the victim's body transformed into a roaring stream of water.
"Is that... another water body?" Wayne murmured, his expression darkening.
"Back in the graduation exam, you underestimated me—did you really think your feeble tricks would still fool me?" Wayne bellowed. "Water Style—Water Dragon Bomb Technique!!"
From elsewhere, a commanding voice declared, "You're finished, Wayne!" At that moment, the ground beneath Wayne erupted. A colossal water dragon burst from the earth, hurling him skyward. The beast's gaping maw then unleashed a torrent of condensed water.
"This is the Water Dragon Bomb?" Wayne sneered, clenching his fists. "That's right—the Water Dragon Bomb Technique!!"
A low, buzzing hum filled the air as the surrounding earth—within a hundred meters—trembled violently. Cracks snaked across the ground as if heralding an earthquake. A deafening roar, akin to that of an enraged dragon, shattered the night's calm. A gigantic water dragon surged from the soil and ascended into the sky. With a swift claw swipe, a water projectile aimed at Wayne was shattered into droplets.
Taodi's eyes went wide. "This… this is the Water Dragon Bomb?!" Even as Bu Zhan wiped water from his eyes in disbelief—wondering if this was mere ninjutsu or an actual dragon—Wayne stepped firmly onto the dragon's head. With a sharp snap of his fingers, a massive water ball began to form in his mouth.
"Damn it—how did his 'Water Dragon Bomb' turn out like this?!" It was undeniable: this was the S-level Water Dragon Bomb Technique, its power and scale far beyond anything seen before.
With a ferocious yell, the water ball blasted forth, and Taodi barely managed to retreat. The explosion resembled a Tailed Beast Bomb, blasting a pit 10–20 meters wide into the earth. Though Taodi sprinted to avoid the full brunt of the attack, his body was still blasted away.
"Honestly, it's almost flattering that I had to use this trick to deal with you—I won't kill you again," Wayne taunted, a mischievous smile playing at the corner of his lips. His body, infused with an endless reserve of water—the very essence of a Pacific Ocean—allowed him to channel the technique without limit.
"Don't forget who sent me here!" Taodi roared, struggling to rise. Wayne's tone grew cool and indifferent. "You've made a mistake. I no longer belong to this village. I'm done with Kirigakure."
"You dare become a traitor?!" Taodi spat, his face now fully revealed, his expression filled with contempt.
Wayne couldn't help but smirk. "The gap between us is too vast—you are not my equal." He paused, eyes glinting with challenge. "What you call Water Style… I call Haidun!"
…