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The third-floor dormitory was converted from classrooms. Besides the two beds placed on opposite sides, there were desks and chairs for each.
Other than that, the remaining space was mostly kept empty.
The entire room looked bare, definitely not giving the feeling of a permanent residence.
Several unopened sets of daily necessities were still on the desks, seemingly prepared for the frequent departure of teachers.
The Land of Water had a humid climate, perpetually shrouded in dense, misty fog.
Although the dormitory was kept as clean as possible, mushrooms had inevitably sprouted in the corners.
Hatake Kuroshi gave it a cursory glance; it was about what one would expect.
School dormitories, after all, couldn't have excessively high standards.
Shisui had even fewer requirements for accommodation; he could sleep anywhere he was given a spot.
Rather than considering this place home, he felt more like he was out on a long-term mission with Hatake Kuroshi.
"So energetic, this kid~"
Hatake Kuroshi leaned over the balcony, looking down. Mangetsu Hozuki was staring up at his position with shining eyes.
"The others besides him don't look so good."
Shisui looked at the rooms beside theirs; some students were timidly observing them.
More accurately, it couldn't be called timid; it was the wariness and restraint of beasts towards a stronger predator.
And observation.
Although temporarily submissive, if they showed any flaw or accident, the others would attack en masse.
This feeling of being constantly watched was quite uncomfortable for Shisui.
It felt like he couldn't relax for even a moment.
First, intimidate Mangetsu Hozuki, then drag these students out for some education.
Although Hatake Kuroshi had little interest in instructing the incompetent, being constantly watched like prey wasn't ideal either.
Mangetsu Hozuki's arrogance stemmed simply from being a genius for too long, having not tasted defeat in ages, naturally leading to impatience.
His true nature still yearned to pursue and challenge the strong.
Hatake Kuroshi put down the trunk, locked the door from the inside, and directly moved with Shisui from the balcony to stand before Mangetsu Hozuki.
In the center of the school grounds, Hatake Kuroshi stretched his arms and loosened his body.
"First, my name is Hatake Kuroshi. This person here is my assistant, Mochizuki."
"Starting today, I am your class teacher."
Hatake Kuroshi instantly noticed gazes focusing on them from the surroundings. Although no one showed themselves, they were all listening.
Hatake Kuroshi nodded with satisfaction, reached out, and ruffled the head of the bright-eyed Mangetsu Hozuki.
"You can spar with me~ But first, why not try sparring with my assistant?"
"If you can't even beat him, you should really think carefully about whether you want to challenge me."
"But regardless of whether you can defeat him or not, you can still challenge me afterward~"
Shisui, standing aside thinking he had nothing to do with this, paused, looking blankly at Hatake Kuroshi and pointing at his own face.
"??"
Hatake Kuroshi gave him a bright smile, accompanied by a sparkling wink.
Mangetsu Hozuki was clearly dissatisfied with Hatake Kuroshi's arrangement. No matter how you looked at it, Shisui's performance earlier was just that of an ordinary ninja.
Nothing special at all.
Mangetsu Hozuki pouted disdainfully, then rolled his eyes and grinned, revealing his sharp white teeth.
"That's not impossible, but what if your assistant gets killed by me?"
Shisui's face stiffened. This kid really didn't know how to talk.
Why did it feel like ever since getting familiar with Hatake Kuroshi, everyone he met was progressively worse at speaking?
Hatake Kuroshi burst out laughing beside them with a "Pfft."
Although compared to Hatake Kuroshi, Shisui might seem somewhat lacking... dealing with such a small child, Shisui was more than capable.
"Being underestimated, huh?"
Hatake Kuroshi shook his silver hair, grinned, took a step back, and retreated behind.
While Shisui and Mangetsu Hozuki faced off, he needed to keep an eye on the students hiding within the school.
The ten-year-old Mangetsu Hozuki hadn't yet obtained Hiramekarei; the weapon he started with was just a common, unremarkable katana.
Mangetsu Hozuki charged forward, wielding the katana, muscles on his arms bulging in an unbelievable way.
The humid air of the Land of Water, the moisture in the fog, greatly enhanced his movement speed.
The moment Mangetsu Hozuki slashed at Shisui, Shisui vanished abruptly from the spot.
With a flicker of an afterimage, Shisui instantly appeared behind Mangetsu Hozuki using Body Flicker.
Splash! Shisui punched into a mass of cold, wet water.
Mangetsu Hozuki's body, about to be hit, instantly became slippery and soft, forming a liquid, constantly flowing mass of water.
His liquefied neck was no longer stiff; Mangetsu Hozuki directly twisted his face, revealing sharp white teeth, turning back to look at Shisui.
Hatake Kuroshi, watching from the side, nearly choked on his water.
This scene looks just like something out of a horror movie. How can fighting look like a vengeful ghost seeking retribution?
Mangetsu Hozuki unhesitatingly formed his fingers into a gun shape, intending to shoot Shisui in the head.
However, the moment Mangetsu Hozuki prepared to fire, Shisui's figure shattered into the air with a poof, leaving a small crater on the ground.
"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."
Shisui's voice sounded softly from the side.
The tide of battle instantly turned. Mangetsu Hozuki's gun gesture paused, then relaxed.
Even without using the Sharingan to avoid revealing himself, Shisui's application of Genjutsu was effortless.
Especially when the opponent was just such a small child.
Mangetsu Hozuki's chakra instantly fell into chaos; his liquefied body rapidly returned to normal.
Shisui withdrew his hand just in time; otherwise, Mangetsu Hozuki would likely have been punched right through.
Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes went vacant as he fell backward.
A student hidden in the adjacent building quickly formed hand seals and shouted in a low voice.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Before Shisui could land and catch his breath, a torrent of water like a waterfall suddenly rushed out from the building floor beside them.
It seemed they were specifically waiting for the moment the two relaxed, seizing the opportunity to strike.
Shisui quickly extended his thumb against his lip and countered directly with a massive Great Fireball Technique.
The scorching crimson fireball directly pushed back the猛rushing water current.
However, Water Release naturally countered Fire Release. Shisui's Great Fireball merely served as a temporary blockade in the middle.
"People without permission can't intervene midway."
Hatake Kuroshi's light voice sounded out. He then casually drew a kunai from Shisui's tool pouch, and a pale blue aura instantly enveloped the entire kunai.
The dark kunai instantly cut through the air, flying straight towards the building floor.
"Urgh!!"
A scream instantly came from the building floor. The gushing water stream fell to the ground, turning into puddles.
The impact of the Genjutsu had just ended when another scream reached Mangetsu Hozuki's ears.
He sat up behind Hatake Kuroshi and Shisui, looking bewildered and holding his forehead.
"Hiss... What happened?"
Mangetsu Hozuki's mind was jumbled; the sequence of memories was disrupted.
He vaguely remembered being punched through the back by Shisui before the Genjutsu; he should have liquefied to dodge that blow.
Before he could raise his sword again after falling, Shisui grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
Swift movements, cold expression. Mangetsu Hozuki watched wide-eyed as the serious-faced Shisui's kunai slashed across his neck.
Then came the overwhelming crimson color. Shisui and Hatake Kuroshi just watched him coldly amidst the blood.
Although Hatake Kuroshi wore an eye patch, that piercing aura emanated from his entire being.
Mangetsu Hozuki jolted awake from being stared at by the two, his eyes snapping open.
Then came that tragic scream.
Death, being scorned by the strong, losing the power to rise again—these were the things Mangetsu Hozuki feared.
Hatake Kuroshi glanced sideways at the sitting Mangetsu Hozuki. Able to disrupt his own chakra flow and wake up from a non-dojutsu Genjutsu.
Looks like Shisui could fool this kid even without the Sharingan?
Their Genjutsu training really isn't up to par. No wonder the Mizukage was controlled so obediently by Obito.
Shisui looked around; the chakra of the students in the building floors gradually stabilized, showing no further intention to attack.
"Someone wanted to kill you opportunistically."
"You don't need to be so tense! Life and death are common here!"
Although Mangetsu Hozuki was arrogant, he also knew his limits.
After all, quite a few students and teachers had died at his hands.
He knew well that if he showed any weakness, these classmates hiding in the shadows would instantly attack him, aiming to kill.
However, this was the first time Mangetsu Hozuki had been defeated so quickly by someone, a rather strange feeling.
He had been winning here for too long, so long that he almost forgot the last time he lost.
It felt like he had been the top dog here for ages, only to be suddenly kicked down by some outsiders.
Although Mangetsu Hozuki felt unwilling, this was clearly a matter of strength, not something his unwillingness could solve.
Mangetsu Hozuki shifted his gaze to the seemingly harmless face of Shisui, looking him up and down.
Tsk, who would have thought this friendly, cheerful-looking guy would actually specialize in something insidious like Genjutsu!
Hatake Kuroshi stood beside them, seemingly observing the nearby school, silent for a long while.
Shisui vaguely felt this guy was up to no good again.
Hatake Kuroshi hooked his eye patch and flicked it, then clapped his hands together sharply.
"In this school, you should be the only one graduating this term, right?"
Mangetsu Hozuki paused, then grinned proudly, revealing his rows of white shark teeth, pointing confidently at himself.
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