Chapter 19: The Wisdom of Adults
Chapter 19: The Wisdom of Adults
Taking on two opponents alone wasn't a reckless move for Mizuki. Objectively, all three Konoha shinobi present were stronger than their adversaries. Even Mizuki, the weakest among them, was at least equal to the current Hozuki Suigetsu. The boy might become incredibly strong in the future, but at only fifteen years old, he was still limited by his body. No matter how skilled his swordsmanship, his overall combat power wasn't insurmountable.
Mizuki was confident that if he fought a battle of endurance while relying on his experimental medicine, he could defeat Suigetsu, albeit at some cost. The real problem had been lack of intelligence—no one had expected the Water Release: Hydrification Technique, which made conventional attacks nearly useless. The battlefield conditions had been unfavorable from the start, and on top of that, Yamashiro Aoba had been taken out by a simple trick. Clearly, being a Hokage guard had made him soft when it came to handling battlefield tactics.
Suigetsu had expended considerable energy in his battle with Hayate. His only remaining teammate, the red-haired shinobi, was already injured and unable to fight at full strength. Mizuki knew that as long as he could endure, the tide of battle would gradually shift in his favor.
"All that's left now is to see how well the green medicine works. It needs to be potent enough to sustain me in this fight, but not so strong that my body mutates or collapses from exhaustion. The battle also can't last too long, or I'll overdraw my life force. This is tricky... first human trials and already it's do-or-die. Not how I planned this."
Making his decision, Mizuki created a Shadow Clone to protect Hayate and Aoba while his main body charged straight at Suigetsu.
There was no need for fancy tactics—Mizuki knew better than to try and outmaneuver a swordmaster. His approach was simple: raw strength and brute force. His attacks weren't elegant, but they forced Suigetsu onto the defensive. Instead of trading skillful blows, Mizuki deliberately took small wounds while swinging his kunai and shuriken in wide arcs, forcing Suigetsu to parry and block rather than counterattack.
"Tch, big bro, you're even worse than that sickly swordsman earlier," Suigetsu taunted, grinning. "Just let me cut you down—it'll hurt less."
"What a brat—nobody taught you respect for your elders? Alright, let me give you a lesson in respecting your seniors."
Mizuki bit his thumb, slammed his palm to the ground, and activated a Summoning Jutsu.
A wave of dark seals spread across the battlefield.
"Captain, watch the water!" The red-haired shinobi shouted.
But it was already too late.
Dozens of transparent tentacles burst from the green algae bloom, latching onto Suigetsu's legs. A surge of crippling pain coursed through his body, causing him to shudder. Mizuki seized the opening, driving a shuriken straight into Suigetsu's chest.
"You talk too big for someone who can't back it up," Mizuki sneered.
However, before he could pull his weapon back, Suigetsu didn't even flinch. Instead, his right hand whipped back, driving his sword toward Mizuki's chest.
"Shit—he's not reacting to pain at all?!"
To make matters worse, the red-haired shinobi had moved in behind him, cutting off his escape.
"Idiot," Suigetsu smirked. "You knew that wouldn't work, so why walk into a trap?"
Mizuki barely managed to twist his body, but not fast enough.
The sword pierced his left shoulder, and a kunai from the red-haired shinobi gouged into his right side. Blood sprayed into the water.
"We won," the red-haired shinobi grinned in relief.
But then his eyes widened in horror.
Mizuki didn't retreat—he lunged forward instead.
"What? I was the target?!"
Before he could react, Mizuki's kunai plunged into his throat.
"Side characters should know their place," Mizuki whispered as he twisted the blade.
The red-haired shinobi choked, unable to speak, before collapsing into the water. The sea swallowed his body.
At the same time, Mizuki put all his remaining strength into one final slash. His shuriken hacked through Suigetsu's chest, severing his right arm in the process. Then, without hesitation, Mizuki grabbed Suigetsu's discarded sword and went berserk, slashing repeatedly until Suigetsu's body was reduced to chunks of water.
However, in that final moment—
A water spear pierced through Mizuki's chest.
"Shit… that's gonna hurt later."
Before he could react, Suigetsu reformed, his wounds closing as if they had never existed.
Then—a heavy boot slammed into Mizuki's ribs, launching him into the air.
"Damn it... Getting hit like a skipping stone is not my idea of fun," Mizuki thought as he crashed into the water. A sharp crack echoed through his body.
"Broken ribs… possibly internal bleeding…"
But before he could catch his breath, Suigetsu appeared again—this time holding a different sword.
"Face it, old man," Suigetsu said, smiling. "You're done."
"Old man? You brat…!" Mizuki clenched his teeth.
Suigetsu moved in for the kill.
But suddenly—
His body froze.
"What the—?" Suigetsu's eyes widened in shock.
"Sealing Jutsu…?"
"Shocked, aren't you?" Mizuki smirked. "Let me teach you what it means to be an adult."
Before Suigetsu could break free, another Mizuki appeared.
It was his Shadow Clone.
"You didn't think I'd let my clone sit idle after killing that red-haired idiot, did you?" The clone sneered before cleaving through Suigetsu's body.
Suigetsu burst into water again.
"Sealing Jutsu—Lock!"
A flood of chakra-infused seals surged from Mizuki's scroll, wrapping around the scattered water droplets, sealing them inside.
"Gotcha." Mizuki rolled up the scroll.
Just as he dodged another water spear.
"You think that'll stop me?" Suigetsu reformed, though visibly weaker.
"You tell me," Mizuki taunted.
Suigetsu's expression twisted. "You took a part of me, didn't you?!"
"Oh? Did I?" Mizuki grinned. "You look a little pale."
Suigetsu's rage exploded.
"You're dead!" He lunged—only to be intercepted.
Three blades flashed in the mist.
"Dance of the Crescent Moon."
Suigetsu fell into four pieces.
"Hayate?" Mizuki blinked.
A second later, a kunai struck Suigetsu's head, shattering it.
"You guys were slow," Mizuki coughed up blood. "This brat ruined my hairstyle."
"Sorry, Mizuki." Aoba smiled. "I'll buy you breakfast for a month."
"Look at yourself," Hayate smirked. "You're soaked in blood."
Mizuki glanced down—his body was completely covered in dried blood.
"I'd say this brat was pretty enthusiastic."
Hayate narrowed his eyes. "Then let's return the favor."
Suigetsu, now desperate, melted into water, trying to escape.
Mizuki chuckled. "Running without saying goodbye? That's rude."
He pulled out a vial and threw it into the water.
"Detonate."
The vial exploded—and a scream echoed through the air.
"AHHHH! WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"