The nine Rasengan Orbs had barely manifested when Mitsuki immediately activated four of them.
In an instant, one of the orbs swelled rapidly, transforming into a mass of violent purple lightning. Under Mitsuki's extraordinarily precise chakra control, that raging storm contracted and condensed, finally forming into a lightning spear—its body blazing with light, the tip radiating a lethal gleam that looked capable of piercing anything.
With a flick of Mitsuki's hand, the lightning spear shot backward at blinding speed toward Mangestu.
Two more orbs simultaneously transformed—one became a Rasenshuriken, the other a Great Flame Rasengan—and both streaked toward Jūzō and Jinin from opposite sides.
The last orb received some extra chakra—Mitsuki poured Flame Release energy into it, causing it to morph into a massive, dark-purple flame devastation arrow. Its body shimmered with destructive radiance, the flames along its shaft writhing like living serpents. Upon closer look, it wasn't ordinary fire—it was dense, liquid-like flame release chakra, streaming around it in molten waves, forming a volatile inferno that wrapped the entire arrow.
Controlled by Mitsuki, the arrow blazed through the air, screaming toward Fuguki.
In the ninja world, offense and defense can shift in the blink of an eye.
Jinin had already witnessed the devastating power of Mitsuki's Rasenshuriken; there was no way he could withstand it. He immediately abandoned his attack and leapt backward.
Jūzō was even more cautious. The instant Mitsuki brought his palms together to summon the orbs, he had already started retreating. The last time, that Rasenshuriken had nearly killed him outright—this new technique was clearly even worse. Let someone else test it first.
Mitsuki didn't bother with them; unlike Mangetsu, he couldn't split his focus ten ways. He concentrated on Mangestu and Fuguki, while the others were merely to be pushed back.
Faced with the roaring lightning spear, Mangetsu couldn't rely on his clan's Hydrification Technique for defense, but he wasn't about to give up his chance either. He immediately activated another Hōzuki secret art:
"Demon Wave!"
This was the Hōzuki clan's ultimate defensive ninjutsu—using vast quantities of water to envelop the caster in a durable barrier that could also take monstrous form for offense.
All around them, the water generated earlier by the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave began to surge wildly as if drawn by some invisible force. The vast volume gathered into a single titanic sphere before distorting and twisting, taking on the shape of a giant water beast, its size comparable to a tailed beast.
Though such a water construct was vulnerable to Lightning Release, it fared far better than the Hydrification Technique.
The lightning spear, born from the Rasengan Orb, struck the massive creature directly. Violent arcs of electricity crawled across its surface, accompanied by the sharp cry of a thousand birds.
Feeling secure within his watery fortress, Mangetsu sneered confidently.
"You think Lightning Release alone can stop me? Damn Konoha's Gale—let me show you the true might of the Hōzuki clan!"
The gigantic water monster, ignoring the electricity surging through its body, reared back and smashed forward with a headbutt toward Mitsuki.
Mitsuki, who had still been controlling his arrow chasing Fuguki, was forced to shift focus. Raising his sword, across his chest, he swung outward—
"Full Counter!"
An invisible field burst forth once again. The moment its edge touched the water beast, Mangetsu felt his ninjutsu slip from his control. The massive construct shattered from head to base, collapsing into rain that drenched the battlefield.
Because Mangetsu's body was still in a semi-liquid state, he avoided the backlash damage.
Meanwhile, Fuguki faced crushing pressure.
He'd seen Jūzō and Jinin easily dodge Mitsuki's previous attacks, so he tried to imitate them—retreating to avoid the incoming arrow. But to his horror, Mitsuki could control its trajectory.
With Mangetsu's attack neutralized, Fuguki had no one left to assist him. The seething, dark-purple arrow—saturated with Flame Release chakra—raced straight toward him, tearing a deep groove in the water's surface. Steam erupted violently, leaving behind a blinding white contrail between the two combatants.
Gripping Samehada tightly, Fuguki's muscles bulged, veins throbbing as he roared and swung downward with every ounce of strength.
The monstrous blade came crashing down like a wild beast unleashed, splitting the arrow clean in half. The water beneath erupted skyward, scattering into a shimmering wall of droplets that caught the sunlight and refracted into a dazzling rainbow.
Samehada's chakra-absorbing ability had barely managed to nullify the devastating Kekkei Genkai attack.
But before Fuguki could even breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp buzzing filled the air—growing louder, closer.
He tensed and scanned the steam-choked battlefield, but the thick vapor obscured everything.
"This is bad—!"
Years of battle-honed instinct screamed at him; the attack was coming from directly ahead. He twisted his massive body and swung Samehada again with all his might.
BZZZZZZT!
A spinning blue chakra blade cut through the mist—a Rasenshuriken—slamming head-on into Samehada, only to be devoured just like the previous arrow.
He'd actually predicted it correctly. The Rasenshuriken had been hidden within the steam trail left by the earlier arrow—Mitsuki's trap.
Steam might have obscured the view for others, but for Mitsuki, it made no difference. His chakra sensing saw everything clearly.
He smiled faintly.
"Impressive—no wonder you're the Mist's intelligence chief. All those years of combat experience really do keep you alive."
Mitsuki's gaze sharpened, his hand forming another seal.
"But let's see how you handle the third strike."