A thunderstorm appeared!
Uehara Naraku's lips curved into a slight smile as the Chakra within him rapidly flowed into the thunderstorm, causing it to swell almost instantly.
"Let me see where you are!"
As soon as Uehara Naraku's voice fell, the thunderstorm's area had already covered the massive water sphere, with flashes of lightning darting within...
A bolt of lightning swiftly broke away from the clouds, striking a position in the water, revealing the barely visible face of Hozuki Mangetsu!
Hozuki Mangetsu could only stiffly endure this strike, his head slowly appearing, with a somewhat incredulous expression: "Didn't see any hand sign movements..."
However, Hozuki Mangetsu didn't have the luxury of distraction!
Outside the thunderstorm of the Myriad Thunder Heavens' Prison, a layer of arc lightning was swirling, forming an isolated cage, within which lightning continuously rained down!
One bolt of lightning after another struck Hozuki Mangetsu's body!
"The power of the Ninjutsu isn't particularly strong."
Hozuki Mangetsu passively endured the attack of the lightning, lowering his head and continuing to analyze: "But is this Jutsu continuous? And the attack frequency is very high..."
Within just a few seconds, Hozuki Mangetsu was forced out of his Water Transformation state.
This is the flaw of the Hozuki Family's Water Transformation Jutsu; once it encounters lightning, the body cannot fully transform and will be forced to manifest.
The giant spherical water ball, having completely lost Hozuki Mangetsu's Chakra, turned into waves flowing into the lake, revealing the figures of Uehara Naraku and Hozuki Mangetsu.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
As the giant water ball was about to dissipate, Hozuki Mangetsu quickly formed hand seals to release his Defensive Ninjutsu.
The water that had pooled on the ground surged upwards, forming a hollow Water Prison just big enough to envelop Hozuki Mangetsu, shielding him from the lightning falling from the thunderstorm.
Lightning continuously struck the Water Prison!
Uehara Naraku walked step by step towards Hozuki Mangetsu, watching his expression through the Water Prison, finally deciding to temptingly offer: "Do you want to ensure your brother's life? If you surrender to me now, join our organization, I will spare you and your brother."
"..."
Hozuki Mangetsu looked up at the broad expanse of the thunderstorm above, his emotions gradually settling into a long silence.
If he dies here, his eight-year-old brother, Hozuki Suigetsu, certainly won't be able to survive in this soul-eating Hidden Mist Village.
But he still bears the legacy of reviving the clan!
After a while, Hozuki Mangetsu slowly raised his head, looking at Uehara Naraku: "The Hozuki Family was involved in the founding of the Hidden Mist Village. Our ancestor, Hozuki Gengetsu, even became the Second Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village..."
"Oh, I know him."
Uehara Naraku spread his hands and said: "I've heard that the Second Mizukage led a Hidden Mist squad to attack the Land of Fire but failed, and then turned to attack the Land of Earth, perishing together with the Second Tsuchikage..."
Moreover, their bodies were buried together before their deaths.
Later, they were dug up by a grave robber named Yakushi Kabuto.
Uehara Naraku suddenly chuckled lightly and said softly: "What does your family history have to do with your surrender? We even have members of the Uchiha Clan in our organization, the Hozuki Family doesn't seem particularly noble, right?"
"It's not nobility."
Hozuki Mangetsu frowned, hesitatingly saying: "The Hozuki Family now only has me and Suigetsu left, and I bear the responsibility of rejuvenating the clan. I cannot become a rogue ninja..."
Not only can I not, but I dare not.
If he, as an elder brother, becomes a rogue ninja, how could his brother, Hozuki Suigetsu, survive in the Hidden Mist Village?
He would surely be killed!
As Hozuki Mangetsu spoke, he proposed another solution: "If possible, I'm willing to establish a superior-subordinate cooperative relationship with you, and could even provide some information from the village."
Hozuki Mangetsu was genuinely worried about his brother, even willing to violate his own Ninja Code to become Uehara Naraku's spy within the Hidden Mist Village.
Should Hozuki Mangetsu become Mizukage, Uehara could potentially replace Uchiha Obito as the new hidden controller of the Hidden Mist Village, but Hozuki Mangetsu's fate was to not live past seventeen, would leaving him in the Hidden Mist Village just wait for death?
Furthermore, Uehara Naraku doesn't even know Genjutsu, what could he use to control Hozuki Mangetsu?
This guy has only his brother and the revitalization of the family in his heart; he wouldn't care about anything else!
Wait, brother?
Uehara Naraku suddenly recalled another peculiar pair of siblings in the Ninja World, looking at Hozuki Mangetsu with a light smile: "Do you believe your brother will become stronger than you? I have a method, would you like to hear it?"
"What method?"
Hozuki Mangetsu instinctively raised his head, as an elder brother, naturally believing that his younger brother would certainly surpass him!
"Do you think turning your brother into a ninja who seeks revenge on you..."
Uehara Naraku's face showed a malicious smile: "Would he not perhaps become incredibly strong at an unimaginable speed, becoming the person to revive the Hozuki Family? Maybe even having a chance to become the Fifth Mizukage someday!"
"..."
After a moment of confusion, Hozuki Mangetsu shook his head and said: "If only Suigetsu lives in the Blood Mist Village, he can't survive alone... many in the village are hostile towards the Hozuki Family."
"Then entrust him to someone reliable."
Uehara Naraku recalled the brunette female ninja who had given him cookies, gently suggesting: "Now that I've killed Yagura, the Blood Mist Village will soon come to an end! Find a way to entrust your brother to the Hidden Mist Village's female ninja named Terumi Mei, do you think she would take good care of him?"
That woman Terumi Mei, with rather poor vision, seemed to enjoy taking care of the younger generation in the Hidden Mist Village; even Chojuro, the third successor of the Ninja Blade Hiramekarei, was under her care.
"Senior Terumi Mei?"
Hozuki Mangetsu's eyes suddenly lit up, yet he hesitated: "Senior Terumi Mei does indeed care for the village's younger ones, but she is already twenty-three this year, she should be getting married soon..."
"Oh, only twenty-three?"
Uehara Naraku remembered how youthful and charming Terumi Mei looked when she gave him cookies, but this did not stop Uehara from speaking the following words: "Don't worry about that! Even if she's already twenty-three, even at thirty-two, she won't be getting married!"
To add weight to his persuasion, Uehara continued: "Terumi Mei's Double Kekkeigenkai is extremely deadly, no one in the Hidden Mist Village dares to marry her, right?"
"... You have a point."
Hozuki Mangetsu unconsciously nodded, realizing that many ninjas who admired Terumi Mei gave up their pursuit after seeing her combat style.
Currently, Terumi Mei has no suitors left.
There were some gossiping men in the village who said it was more likely for Terumi Mei to become Mizukage than to get married!
Hozuki Mangetsu didn't spend much time thinking about Terumi Mei; his focus was more on his brother.
Hozuki Mangetsu solemnly looked at Uehara, earnestly requesting: "Now, please tell me how to make Suigetsu stronger! At the moment, his target is even Zabuza senpai, which is rather shortsighted..."
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