Hozuki Umitsuki nodded, took a step forward, and stood at the very front of the group.
He slowly took off the hat on his head, revealing a cold and angularly handsome face.
"Kirigakure, Hozuki Umitsuki."
"Kumogakure, Satsuki!"
Satsuki also announced his name, then let out a wild laugh, declaring the start of the duel.
"Very good!"
Swoosh—!
In the next moment, his figure disappeared.
Without any probing, he wrapped himself in the purest violence and destruction, charging straight at Hozuki Umitsuki's face.
"Good move!"
Facing this thunderous strike capable of shattering mountain rocks, Hozuki Umitsuki's eyes showed no ripples.
A thousandth of a second before the fist arrived, his body turned into a handful of clear, formless water, gently flowing to the side.
Hydrification Technique!
Boom!!!
Satsuki's violent iron fist smashed heavily into empty space. The terrifying fist wind plowed a deep ravine into the ground, sending rubble flying like cannonballs.
"Can you only dodge like a loach?!"
Satsuki snorted coldly, twisted his waist, and turned with a whip kick carrying the momentum of thunder, sweeping towards the puddle of water that was re-converging.
However, just as his leg was about to hit.
Dozens of water lines as solid as steel wires shot out from the puddle, winding towards Satsuki's ankle at tricky angles.
—Water Release: Water Whip
"Heh!"
Satsuki raised an eyebrow. The lightning on his leg surged, and the violent current instantly dispersed the water whips.
But in this moment of obstruction, Hozuki Umitsuki had already reformed his body, drifted back, and appeared ten meters away.
"Interesting."
Satsuki licked his dry lips. The fighting intent in his eyes did not diminish but burned even more fiercely.
"It seems you're not just a rat who knows how to run."
"Clang—"
He grinned, reached behind his back, and drew a large sword.
Before his voice had faded, Satsuki's legs exerted force, and he swung the terrifying giant blade down.
Hozuki Umitsuki's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced.
The slender ninja sword at his waist was instantly unsheathed, drawing a cold arc of light.
He didn't choose to meet it head-on, but at an incredible angle, gently guided and tapped with the side of his blade.
Clang—!!!
An ear-piercing sound of metal friction resounded through the valley.
Satsuki's large sword carried the force of a thousand tons, but was guided astray by the seemingly fragile blade edge, smashing heavily onto the ground beside Hozuki Umitsuki.
Boom!
The ground exploded into a huge crater, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out.
What exquisite deflecting technique!
A flash of approval appeared in Gen's eyes.
Missing his strike, the muscles on Satsuki's arm bulged. He forcefully pulled the large sword out of the ground and followed up with a horizontal sweep. The gale brought up by the blade edge pushed forward like a solid wall.
Swoosh—
Hozuki Umitsuki leaned back, his body almost parallel to the ground, dodging this slash by a hair's breadth.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, only the dense explosions of swords clashing remained in the canyon.
Sparks flew wildly between their blades, quickly extinguished in the howling wind.
"Hah!"
Satsuki suddenly let out a loud shout, infusing Lightning Release chakra into the large sword.
The entire giant blade was instantly covered in blue-white lightning, transforming into a blade of the Thunder God. With eighty percent of his strength, he slashed horizontally again with the momentum of thunder.
This slash was unavoidable!
A cold light flashed in Hozuki Umitsuki's eyes.
He also held his sword with both hands, pouring all his chakra into the blade.
A thin curtain of water covered his sword, flowing at high speed, as if giving life to the blade.
He held the sword vertically in front of him, meeting the giant thunder blade.
Clang—!!!!!!
A violent wave of air exploded with the two at the center, sweeping up all the dust and rubble on the ground, forming a ring-shaped wall of smoke and dust.
In the smoke, two figures flew backward simultaneously.
Satsuki forcibly stabilized his body in the air, his feet plowing two long scratches on the ground before stopping. His arm holding the sword trembled slightly.
Hozuki Umitsuki, borrowing that terrifying recoil force, drifted backward dozens of meters like a weightless feather, landing lightly in front of Gen and the others.
His hand holding the sword was also trembling slightly.
For a moment, only the howling wind remained in the valley.
Satsuki looked at the expressionless Kirigakure ninja in the distance whose breathing was not disordered at all, and the arrogant smile on his face gradually faded.
It was the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
"Brother! Are you okay?"
Hozuki Shio ran over nervously, her face full of worry.
"I'm fine." Umitsuki shook his head, his voice still steady.
"Haha... hahahaha!"
A burst of incredibly hearty laughter broke the momentary silence.
Satsuki put away the lightning on his sword, shouldered it, and gave Hozuki Umitsuki a thumbs up without hesitation.
"Amazing! You guy, you're strong! You're qualified to be my opponent!"
In his loud laughter, there was no longer the previous contempt and provocation, only recognition of the strong.
"Hozuki Umitsuki, right? I'll remember you!"
————————
Kumogakure, Raikage's Office.
Unlike the Mizukage's building in Kirigakure, which was filled with a feminine and secretive atmosphere, the architectural style here highlighted simplicity, roughness, and practicality.
No superfluous decorations, no exquisite carvings.
Hanging on the walls of the office were not calligraphy or paintings, but rows of severely worn ninja tools and several huge military maps filled with various tactical markings.
In the corner of the room, there were even several training dummies smashed to pieces, used for venting emotions.
The entire office was filled with the smell of iron and blood.
At this moment, the Third Raikage, A, was shirtless, sitting cross-legged on the floor in the center of the office.
With one finger, he repeatedly rubbed the shallow scar on his right arm.
That scar was very thin and shallow.
For his battle-hardened, tough body, it was almost negligible.
But this insignificant scar was like a thorn that could never be pulled out, deeply piercing his heart, reminding him every moment of that humiliating defeat.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At the thought of this name, A's eyes became incredibly gloomy.
"Father!"
A voice full of vitality came from the door, interrupting his thoughts.
He had the same dark skin as the Raikage and long golden hair.
Although his figure was not as burly as his father's, the firm muscle lines and the sharpness in his eyes all demonstrated his excellent bloodline.
He was the son of the Third Raikage.
"I have completed all of today's training tasks!"
The young A said to his father with a face full of pride.
"Completed?"
The Third Raikage, A, slowly raised his head, his sharp eyes scrutinizing his son.
"What stage has the activation of your Lightning Release chakra reached?"
"Reporting to Father, it has... it has reached the second stage!" The young A's tone carried a hint of pride.
"Only the second stage?"
The Third Raikage's brow furrowed, his voice filled with dissatisfaction. "Too slow! Too slow!"
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