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"Hahahahahaha—" Senju Mineshi laughed loudly. "Mizuno! You're the one who doesn't understand the situation!"
"You think you can escape my grasp with your Flying Thunder God? Get this straight, I have the initiative! I'm in control!"
As he shouted, he channeled a massive amount of chakra towards Ryūkotsu.
In a flash, Mizuno reacted instantly. His body rushed forward.
That's right, Senju Mineshi didn't need to bother with Mizuno's Flying Thunder God. He attacked towards Ryūkotsu, and Mizuno had to go to the rescue.
But he was ultimately a step too late. There was no Flying Thunder God mark near Ryūkotsu, and Senju Mineshi was the first to attack. His movements were slower than Mizuno's, but he still reached Ryūkotsu first.
Bang!
He landed a powerful blow. Ryūkotsu, with his hands clasped together, couldn't form hand seals, but his body reacted quickly. He dodged the attack.
"Watch out for poison!" Uchiha Kagami shouted loudly.
Ryūkotsu finally reacted, but it was too late. He felt a blur in front of him, and his body started to go limp.
Senju Mineshi's attack struck the stone wall behind Ryūkotsu. He wanted to raise his hand for a second attack, but Mizuno had already reached him.
Mizuno didn't care about the poison all over him. Anger filled his heart.
"You get out of my way!"
Mizuno slashed out with a hand chop. Senju Mineshi barely dodged, avoiding a fatal blow, but he was still hit.
Pshh—
Blood splattered. Senju Mineshi's arm flew off. His body was also knocked back hard. Mizuno's single blow had severed his arm!
However, the close contact still infected Mizuno with Senju Mineshi's Backstroke Scatter. He felt his head spin, and his strength noticeably dissipated.
This poison was truly extraordinary!
Mizuno looked over. Ryūkotsu was even worse. His already pale face was now completely devoid of any color.
"Ryūkotsu, are you alright... hold on!" Mizuno quickly supported him.
Ryūkotsu reached out a hand and placed it on Mizuno's shoulder.
"Mizuno... don't... don't worry about me... hurry, hurry inside..."
Mizuno finally saw that the runes behind them had opened. The gate to the Ryūchi Cave was right in front of them.
"Ryūkotsu!" Mizuno supported him, a wave of sadness rising in his heart.
The White Snake Lady, who had just forced back Uzumaki Ryūzan, also jumped over and quickly hugged Ryūkotsu.
"Ryūkotsu... Ryūkotsu!"
Uchiha Kagami also rushed over and frantically searched for an antidote.
"Ryūkotsu, take some of this first. You made these. They should be able to temporarily suppress the poison..."
Ryūkotsu shook his head. "I used all the medicine that could revitalize the body on you at the beginning. My condition... I know..."
Ryūkotsu's face was still green. He trembled and pointed towards the Ryūchi Cave.
"Mizuno... you won't last much longer than me. Behind the gate... there's an antidote... the Third Hokage... the future of Konoha... it all depends on you... and Orochimaru..."
His voice grew weaker. Clearly, the poison was taking effect very quickly.
"We'll go together. We'll go in together and find it!" Mizuno pulled Ryūkotsu and was about to go in.
The White Snake Lady suddenly lowered her head. Her face was still stained with tears, but her voice was very calm.
"It's no use, Mizuno... Ryūkotsu... has been seriously ill for a long time. This poison... is just the trigger."
Having been away for so many years, no one knew Ryūkotsu's body better than the White Snake Lady.
"The sacred land gate won't stay open for long. The poison in your body will soon spread. Go in quickly. Don't waste time. An ordinary person would die if they went in!" The White Snake Lady said to Mizuno.
Mizuno looked at Ryūkotsu's face, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Go quickly!" The White Snake Lady shouted.
Mizuno turned around and jumped into the Ryūchi Cave.
A white light flashed.
Mizuno felt his body become exceptionally light, but the poison in his body was also spreading.
This poison called Backstroke Scatter was truly extraordinary. Mizuno's vision gradually began to blur. Vaguely, he seemed to see a woman's figure and hear her voice.
"Oh? After all these years, a ninja has actually made it here."
Mizuno's consciousness faded, and he passed out.
...
...
When he woke up again, he was lying next to a cliff.
The cliff face was like a dark abyss, invisible at the bottom. There were rustling sounds coming from below. The air around him was cold, clearly a cold and damp place.
"It really suits the atmosphere here." Mizuno thought secretly.
He suddenly realized that his body wasn't as heavy as before. He felt very light after a few breaths.
"Is the poison in my body gone?"
Mizuno stood up. Then he saw a woman in white clothes lying in mid-air at the edge of the cliff abyss—no, she was floating in mid-air. She was lying on her side, lazy and noble. Her two legs were bare, and her sash fluttered in the air.
"After your body was revitalized, the so-called poison in your body is gone, of course. And from now on, you'll be immune to all poisons." The woman said, looking at Mizuno.
Mizuno bowed. "Thank you very much. I have two friends who were also poisoned. Do you have any antidotes?"
The woman covered her mouth and laughed. "You don't even know who I am, and you're asking me for an antidote?"
Mizuno felt that he had indeed been abrupt. "I'm truly sorry. It's very urgent. My friends are waiting to be saved. May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Ichikishimahime. I've met your friends before. They're the ones who opened the door for you, right?"
Mizuno quickly nodded. "Yes, I hope you can save him."
Ichikishimahime smiled. "He's no good. He was going to die anyway. I tried before. Neither he nor his wife are suitable for learning the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art."
As she said this, Ichikishimahime suddenly stuck out her long tongue and licked it. "Oh, I almost couldn't resist eating them."
Mizuno felt that this person was inscrutable and elusive, but he really didn't have much time to ponder. "Since that's the case, I'll go back and save them. Farewell."
He was very worried about the situation outside and was about to leave immediately.
"You're very talented." Ichikishimahime said. "After all these years, you're the most suitable person to learn the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art. Are you really not willing to try?"
Before Mizuno could answer, a white light instantly enveloped him.
"This... this is!"
Mizuno felt his body clearly changing. Scales began to appear on his skin, and his body underwent a drastic transformation. He could clearly sense everything around him, including the trees, grass, mosquitoes, black snakes. Unlike what he saw with his eyes, everything seemed to be directly engraved in his mind.
This is... the Sage's sensory technique!
Ichikishimahime smiled slightly. "Transformation... it's just beginning."
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