Hōzuki

Those who possess outstanding strength, no matter where they are, always take on the role of hunters.

It was not only Gen, but also the leaders of the main villages who quickly gathered the necessary amount of badges.

However, the badges required for the test were merely a minimum requirement for these individuals; the hunt was still ongoing.

And Gen was no exception.

Although he was not intentionally looking to hunt, as he wandered, he inevitably encountered people from other villages.

If it was someone who chose to flee, he did not bother chasing them, but if he came across someone who attacked him relentlessly, he killed them mercilessly.

As night fell silently, the number of badges on Gen's chest had increased from two to four, which meant that two more had lost their lives at his hands.

…

Night, for humans, was their time of rest, but for many wild beasts, it was the hour of the hunt, including the ferocious ninja beasts released into this forest by Kumogakure.

Just like during the day, as he passed through the forest, Gen had no intention of concealing his presence. At night, he simply found a place as close to a clearing as possible, lit a campfire, and began roasting a horned deer he had hunted.

Both the fire's light and the aroma of the roasting meat were like a signal flare in the nighttime forest, broadcasting information to everyone.

At the edges of the clearing, among the dense vegetation, pairs of glowing green eyes gradually began to appear, hungrily and madly watching both the roasting deer and Gen.

However, Gen acted as if he hadn't seen them. He sat calmly by the fire, occasionally stirring the flames with a branch and turning the meat when necessary.

Finally, the owners of those eyes could no longer hold back, and one after another, they leapt out from the bushes, rushing directly toward Gen and the fire.

They were gray wolves, but not ordinary ones. They were the size of bulls, and the faint fluctuation of chakra in their bodies made it clear that they were not simple beasts, but true ninja beasts.

"So, they couldn't hold back any longer..."

There were more than ten wolves.

Just as they pounced with astonishing speed, launching their attack, Gen merely glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.

He dropped the branch he had been using to stir the fire and, now with his hands free, formed seals in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Gen created three shadow clones around him.

Swoosh

The three clones not only moved toward the wolves immediately, but they did so with a speed superior to that of the wolves.

Boom

In the blink of an eye, one of the clones confronted a wolf that lunged at him.

Before the wolf could bite down with its mouth full of fierce fangs, the clone, with a cold expression, threw a lightning-fast punch.

The blow landed directly on the wolf's head, shattering its skull in a single strike and scattering its remains across the ground.

Boom

Boom

Boom

The other two clones also met their targets, delivering punches and kicks with a speed and strength the wolves could never have imagined, sending the gray wolves flying and bursting apart as they lunged in attack.

The more than ten ninja wolves, comparable to Genin-level ninjas, were massacred in a matter of seconds.

The difference was overwhelming; it was as if an adult were playing with a child. With just the slightest touch, they became corpses.

In mere seconds, all the wolves had been exterminated, and the shadow clones, having completed their task, dissipated on their own.

Swoosh

Suddenly, the moment the shadow clones vanished and transmitted their experiences to Gen, a whistling sound was heard, as if something was approaching at incredible speed.

From some nearby bushes, a droplet-shaped object shot out at an astonishing velocity, striking precisely at Gen's left temple.

The droplet carried terrifying force, piercing cleanly through Gen's head and exiting through his right temple without losing speed, continuing to puncture several distant trees and leaving holes the size of an eye.

Puff

Any normal person would have died instantly. However, after staggering for a few seconds, Gen's body turned into white smoke and disappeared.

!

Yes, the Gen by the campfire was also just a shadow clone.

"Tch, I fell into the trap…!"

From the same bushes where the shot had come from, Hanyue's eyes narrowed warily. Without wasting a second, he tried to move to change his position.

But just as he took the first step, he felt a strong gust of wind behind him.

Boom

A fist, charged with devastating force, struck his back brutally. The impact was so powerful that his entire body exploded on contact.

However, instead of blood and entrails scattering everywhere, Hanyue's body burst like a water bomb, splashing water in all directions.

Immediately, those droplets began to regroup as if they had a will of their own, and within seconds, they reformed into Hanyue's humanoid shape.

"So this is the famous Hydrification Technique of the Hōzuki Clan…"

The one who had destroyed Hanyue's body was none other than Gen.

As he watched the water converge at a single point and take shape once more, a glimmer appeared in his eyes.

After evolving his [Constitution] four times, his sensitivity to the environment had reached a level beyond imagination.

Even without paying attention to his surroundings, any movement within a hundred-meter radius could not escape his sharp perception, even if someone tried to conceal their presence or suppress their aura.

In reality, he had detected Hanyue's presence long ago, and this was precisely why he had used a clone as bait to lure him out.

But all of this was because he had developed a great interest in the Hydrification Technique of the Hōzuki Clan.

This secret technique of the Hōzuki Clan bore a striking resemblance to the intangibility of Logia users in One Piece. And if he managed to learn and master it, it would undoubtedly be a great asset to his arsenal.

'Water Release: Water Whip'

Although his clan's hereditary secret technique had allowed him to become immune to the blow, the humiliation of having his body explode filled Hanyue with rage.

As soon as his body regenerated, he glared at Gen with intense bloodlust, while in his right hand, a whip formed from a stream of water began to condense.

________

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