Yagura looked at the sweat-drenched Biwa Jūzō with a blank expression, forming hand seals as if he didn't care at all about their past ties.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique."
With his calm voice, a mirror made of water appeared, and from its surface stepped out another Biwa Jūzō.
Biwa Jūzō's expression grew solemn. He knew this was one of the Fourth Mizukage's signature secret techniques. The Water Mirror creates a clone identical to the enemy, capable of using the same jutsu at undiminished power.
He didn't understand the principle behind it, but he found it downright perverse—nearly unsolvable in a one-on-one fight.
After all, it's hard enough to defeat oneself, and Yagura wouldn't just stand by; he would attack alongside the mirror copy.
Sure enough, as the mirror-Jūzō charged the real Biwa Jūzō, Yagura formed seals again. "Water Release: Iron Cannonball!"
Boom——
A massive jet of water tore through the trees, slamming into Jūzō's position. He dodged in a wretched scramble, only to be wounded by his water mirror duplicate, nearly losing an arm.
Despair filled Jūzō's heart. He wasn't particularly afraid of death, but he found it unbearably suffocating to die at the Mizukage's hands.
He had defected from the Hidden Mist years ago to preserve viable strength for the day he could defeat the Mizukage. But in all these years he not only lost his blade, he also failed to gather enough power in Akatsuki to overturn Kirigakure. In the end, he had accomplished nothing.
As the Mizukage and the mirror clone steadily closed in, he sighed inwardly, feeling that his life as a shinobi had reached its end.
Still, right before dying, he wanted to curse: what a scam of an organization!
Facing the cornered Biwa Jūzō, Yagura had no intention of leaving a survivor. Closing in, he directly entered a half-tailed-beast state, thrusting a Coral Palm to eliminate the Hidden Mist traitor.
Rumble——
Just as his palm was about to strike Jūzō, a sudden change exploded forth. Thunder cracked, blue-green light flickered into a bar, slicing between Yagura and Jūzō.
Worthy of a battle-hardened Mizukage, Yagura immediately halted his attack on Jūzō and rapidly formed seals to unleash a defensive jutsu.
"Water Release: Clear Mirror of Still Water!"
A circular water mirror dome wrapped around him, preventing his body from taking the brunt of that powerful current.
Strangely, Yagura's Clear Mirror of Still Water not only reflected ninjutsu, it even refracted and dispersed the lightning that Gusion was casting which wasn't ninjutsu at all.
Yagura's quick judgment kept him from being stunned and paralyzed by the lightning. Out of caution, he backstepped through the smoke, opening distance from Jūzō, eyes sweeping the surroundings for the attacker.
"Really a sorry sight. In the end I still had to step in."
A voice sounded from behind Biwa Jūzō, making him turn back in surprise and delight.
Yagura followed the sound with a dark expression. "So there's a partner after all? Damn Akatsuki."
He widened his sensory perception—Akatsuki always worked in pairs. He had killed one from Jūzō's duo. Would this new reinforcements be two as well?
Yet within his sensory range, aside from the "Calamity" who had been active in the Third Great War, there were no other shinobi.
"Calamity, you're right on time. I thought I was done for."
Biwa Jūzō spoke gratefully, remembering Gusion's lifesaving grace. He was a man of honor and would find a way to repay him.
"You're badly hurt. I'll take over the battlefield."
Gusion walked to Jūzō's side, thinking to himself how weak this guy really was. As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he was qualified—probably about at Zabuza's level—but within Akatsuki, he was a bit underwhelming.
"Be careful. The Fourth Mizukage is stronger than I remember."
Jūzō offered a friendly warning. He didn't think it was an illusion. He had lost to the Mizukage before, but at least he could exchange a few blows. Today, at first clash, he was crushed.
It was hard to put into words, but if he had to, he'd say the Mizukage felt more smooth now, whereas before he'd been stiff.
"A perfect jinchuriki, and the Mizukage to boot—just the kind of opponent I've been wanting to test."
Gusion smiled, casting his scouting skill toward Yagura.
Unfortunately, he couldn't see Yagura's attributes. Even in Shikai with his Spirit stat up to 70, all he saw was a row of question marks.
That didn't mean the Mizukage was overwhelmingly stronger; it meant his Spirit was too high. As a taijutsu-type shinobi and a jinchuriki, chakra volume correlates with Spirit. His blue bar was bottomless.
Complementing factors raised Yagura's Spirit naturally; Gusion estimated it at 75–80.
From his breath, movements, and tactics, Gusion's biological radar instinctively felt that the Mizukage would be stronger than Killer B, another perfect jinchuriki.
It only showed how terrifying Uchiha Madara was—and advanced ocular jutsu hard-countered jinchuriki, controlling Yagura at the tailed-beast level.
"Did Akatsuki only send you people? Where's Uchiha Madara?"
Yagura's voice hid anger; he clearly thirsted for revenge.
"Uchiha Madara? Interesting. We don't have anyone by that name in our organization. I'm more curious why you'd bring up Konoha's legendary rogue."
Gusion feigned ignorance as the black blade at his waist, Mazuko, slowly drew. Dark purple demonic patterns spread across his skin as violet mist coiled around him.
From afar, he looked like an asura wreathed in purple miasma. As his Conqueror's Haki expanded and dark red lightning intertwined, even Yagura's expression grew grave when Gusion stepped forward.
"Looks like you're just another pitiful tool who doesn't even know Madara is still alive."
As he spoke, Yagura deepened his tailed-beast state. A tail of Isobu thrust out behind him; his body sank, coiling to pounce.
"Whoa, this really is a clash of monsters."
Watching from the side, Jūzō felt a chill. Whether it was Gusion wreathed in dark red lightning or the tailed-beast-empowered Yagura, both felt lethally dangerous.
Although they were both Akatsuki, for a moment Jūzō deeply doubted whether he still belonged.
He didn't dare intervene in Gusion versus the Fourth Mizukage. He quickly retreated, intending to withdraw and regroup, and contact Orochimaru, who might be lurking.
"Kisame, kill him."
Seeing Jūzō try to flee, Yagura coldly ordered. He hadn't come to hunt Akatsuki alone.
"What a cruel order—kill a former colleague and all."
A lazy voice sounded in the thick mist. A man with Samehada slung over his shoulder stepped out from the rear, wearing the Mist's elite jōnin combat garb. Shark-like facial markings and jagged teeth—Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.
"Kisame…"
The moment he saw Kisame, Jūzō's expression turned complicated. He'd rather fight the Mizukage than cross blades with a former comrade.
He was a few years older than Kisame and joined the Seven Swordsmen earlier, technically Kisame's senior—but he knew full well how terrifying his junior was.
He had originally planned to secretly contact Kisame on this trip, hoping to convince him to join Akatsuki. He didn't expect their meeting to be like this.
"Senpai, words are pointless. The Mizukage-sama has given the order. If I defy it, won't I be a defector like you?"
Kisame smiled, though you couldn't see helplessness in him. Clearly, he had resolved to follow the Mizukage again.
He had intended to defect, but now that he knew the truth—that the Mizukage acted under control—he wouldn't direct his hatred at Yagura. He'd transfer it to Uchiha Madara and Akatsuki.
He knew Jūzō had defected to Akatsuki without knowing the truth. But with their positions opposed now, there was nothing to say in the shinobi world.
And so, the two Seven Swordsmen instantly clashed; unsurprisingly, Jūzō was suppressed by Kisame.
Gusion paid no attention to Jūzō's side. He fixed his gaze on the already transformed Yagura. Their killing intents intertwined across the battlefield, tension about to snap.
"Whether Uchiha Madara is alive has nothing to do with me. I'm here to seek out worthwhile strong foes to fight."
Gusion spoke. "Mizukage, rather than die in guilt, wouldn't dying to protect your village be a more fitting end?"
"Hmph. Big talk for a snot-nosed brat who made a bit of a name in the Third War. Don't think I'm like that brat of a Raikage."
Yagura's voice was cold. He might look like a boy, but he was actually quite old—nearly old enough to have grandchildren.
As he spoke, his body coiled. Tailed-beast chakra flared, and the gale it kicked up toppled trees. Those already shattered by Wind Release were wrenched into the air and flung outward.
Boom——
In the instant Yagura pushed off, a shrill sonic boom sounded. He became like a heavy shell fired forward, plowing a deep furrow through the wet forest floor.
Dirt and gravel fanned back. Mist and miasma ringed in his wake. He charged with a black staff adorned with green flower motifs—an unstoppable assault.
On the other side, Gusion moved as well. Overall, his attributes were inferior to Yagura's tailed-beast form—but his speed surpassed Yagura's.
Dark red lightning crackled around him like a thousand birds crying. In the instant the ground collapsed and soil caved in, Gusion's figure vanished.
In almost the same instant, a hundred meters flashed by. Even the sonic boom lagged behind his speed; only dark red lightning was visible in the air.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode paired with Shunpo—so fast even Gusion's dynamic vision couldn't fully track the path ahead.
But his instincts swung the blade. Mazuko met Yagura's black staff with the ring of godly hammers on iron, the sound echoing through the wet forest. A storm of force exploded where they met, the terrain kneaded like clay under their impact.
In that brief stall from the collision, Gusion caught Yagura's motion—he was wielding the staff one-handed, while the other hand formed seals. As their clash peaked, the seals completed.
Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!
To the flank, a mirror unfurled amid the storm. From it stepped someone identical to Gusion, brandishing a pitch-black blade, slashing at him.
Gusion didn't waver. Conqueror's Haki wreathed Mazuko, his explosive power surged; like a batter swinging for the fences, he blasted Yagura away.
He turned, slipped past the fake's slash, then layered Ryuo and Conqueror's coating together and cut.
Worthy of being his copy, its combat instinct was first-rate, its blade flowing back into a timely guard, intercepting Mazuko's path.
But then the unexpected happened for Yagura—Mazuko sliced through the fake's blade like a hot knife through butter, then bisected the fake outright. It dissolved back into water.
With an elegant pivot, Gusion swept his blade and forced back the charging Yagura. "Drop the parlor tricks. What I want to see… is your peak power as a jinchuriki."