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This was a crucial aspect of practical combat.
"So I need to control the water flow, minimize its area as much as possible, then increase its speed and impact force?"
"And then rotate the water flow to give it stronger penetration?"
C-rank ninjutsu were the most basic; improving from there wasn't a problematic approach.
Mangetsu Hozuki nodded thoughtfully. He could roughly grasp the concept; practice would allow gradual integration.
Hatake Kuroshi gave Mangetsu Hozuki an approving thumbs-up.
"Ah—since it's improved from Wild Water Wave, there's still a bit of difference~"
"So the name of this technique is—Spiral Shadowless Instant Kill Super Speed Line!"
Hatake Kuroshi grinned, spouting a string of stacked adjectives.
If any normal person were here, even if not Shisui, perhaps another student... they would undoubtedly complain about Hatake Kuroshi's almost bizarre naming convention.
But the person standing here listening to Hatake Kuroshi's arrangement was Mangetsu Hozuki.
Mangetsu Hozuki, Kirigakure's notorious prodigy, had killed many, but fundamentally, he was still a child around ten years old.
He had absolutely no resistance to Hatake Kuroshi's adjective-piling, lengthy naming style.
Mangetsu Hozuki's gaze instantly brightened further, a hint of excitement on his face.
"Whoa!! Amazing! As expected of Kuroshi-sensei! I didn't expect your naming sense to be this cool too!"
"I super—love this kind!!!"
Hatake Kuroshi paused for a moment, then immediately showed a satisfied smile, patting Mangetsu Hozuki's shoulder vigorously.
"Oh! As expected of the student I favor! Our souls are even in sync~"
...
Late night, inside the Mizukage Tower.
A few scattered figures knelt on the open ground before Genji's desk, their ANBU masks hanging aside, revealing their full faces.
"Hatake Kuroshi and Shunshin no Shisui have been employed at the Ninja Academy during this period, with no noticeable abnormalities."
"Lord Mizukage has ordered the Kaguya clan to be moved to the village outskirts."
These individuals were spies Genji had painstakingly infiltrated into the ANBU earlier.
It was known that the current Yagura was suspicious and ruthless; the slightest carelessness could lead to ANBU members being executed by him.
It was already quite difficult for these few to remain.
"But this matter was only ordered; the relocation hasn't occurred yet."
"The Kaguya clan has strong objections to this. If nothing unexpected happens, they are likely to make a move against Lord Mizukage soon."
Then, one person's voice dropped slightly, speaking in a low tone.
"Recently, Lord Mizukage has been continuously recalling ANBU members on external missions. We suspect Lord Mizukage is secretly gathering forces, preparing to annihilate the Kaguya clan."
The Kaguya clan members were all war fanatics; they didn't need much reason to start a war.
But at the same time, their reputation within the village was very poor.
If Yagura truly intended to carry out a clan annihilation, likely no one in the village would assist the Kaguya clan.
Yagura relocating the Kaguya clan so openly seemed like preparation to tear face completely and make a big move.
The power balance among the major clans in the village would also be reshuffled due to the loss of the Kaguya clan.
The Kaguya clan possessed a powerful Kekkei Genkai. Once they were dealt with, the Mizukage's position would be elevated even higher.
At that time, the remaining major clans here would likely all feel insecure.
Genji's lips tightened. He remembered what Hatake Kuroshi had told him then.
The Mizukage's major move soon... was this what he meant?
That person... indeed knew something.
Genji sighed deeply. He could already subtly feel that these events were within Hatake Kuroshi's expectations.
But just how much did that Konoha kid know? There was still no definite answer.
Genji picked up the cane beside him and stood up shakily.
"Keep a close eye on Yagura's recent actions. Find the Kaguya clan head; tell him I have important matters to discuss."
"Hai."
The figures kneeling on the ground lowered their heads slightly and quickly departed.
Outside the window was pitch black. Among the vast expanse of buildings, not a single light shone.
Most people in Kirigakure seemed like mice hiding from the world, cowering in concealment, afraid to show themselves.
Behind the bloody mist, impending changes were churning.
Mangetsu Hozuki was completely engrossed in the school training grounds. Hatake Kuroshi hadn't seen him in the classroom for some time.
Hatake Kuroshi didn't mind him messing around in the training grounds below; during class time, he never inquired about his whereabouts.
Besides theoretical lessons, these students had crawled out from the corpses of mutual slaughter.
Things like shuriken and kunai throwing, ninjutsu practice—they could complete these on their own, requiring no guidance from Hatake Kuroshi.
Just as Hatake Kuroshi was preparing to leave the classroom after school, Mangetsu Hozuki, standing on the railing, waved excitedly towards him.
Stepping onto the railing, he rushed over excitedly.
"That thing we talked about last time, the Spiral Shadowless Instant Kill Super Speed Line! I've completely mastered it!"
"Come see, come see!"
Mangetsu Hozuki shouted energetically while pulling Hatake Kuroshi towards the school training grounds.
The size of this training ground was rather perfunctory. Even though the school was practically producing a mass-murdering executioner... this field looked like it couldn't even withstand one of Hatake Kuroshi's 'Aka' (Red).
Moreover, before Hatake Kuroshi arrived, the training ground was practically just for show.
Everyone used people for practice; who needed this thing?
Long-term disuse meant no one maintained or repaired it, so the place was overgrown with weeds, reaching nearly calf-high.
These weeds were now pitted and cratered everywhere from Mangetsu Hozuki's practice.
Mangetsu Hozuki pulled Hatake Kuroshi to the side of a row of thick, human-shaped wooden boards facing him.
"It's basically like this...!"
Mangetsu Hozuki quickly formed several hand seals. The improved ninjutsu didn't adjust the hand seal sequence... rather, it required the user to adjust their own chakra usage.
In reality, they were already accustomed to using Wild Water Wave like a massive waterfall; many likely adopted this fixed usage method from a very young age.
Therefore, this change felt quite uncomfortable after habits had formed.
Although Mangetsu Hozuki was also used to this method, prodigies weren't common as cabbages, available to just anyone.
"Water Release: Spiral Shadowless Instant Kill Super Speed Line!"
In an instant, a swirling stream of water rapidly shot out from Mangetsu Hozuki's mouth.
The water line was about the thickness of a little finger, spinning rapidly, even generating a small gust of wind around it.
The water stream's speed was extremely fast, and combined with the bonus from the rotating water wave, its destructive power rose to another level.
Bang bang bang!
The translucent water line swiftly pierced through the human-shaped thick wooden board about five meters in front of them!
Following three muffled thuds, the three consecutive boards placed behind the thick board also swayed slightly, pierced through the center of the forehead with a finger-thick hole.
Although these boards all swayed, none actually fell, remaining upright.
Mangetsu Hozuki, eyes shining, looked breathlessly at Hatake Kuroshi, his face full of expectation for praise.
This was the first time he had worked so hard, practicing and adjusting a single ninjutsu with such dedication.
A ninjutsu that gave him, the prodigy, such trouble... perhaps others couldn't achieve it at all!
Hatake Kuroshi stroked his chin with one hand, placing the other on Mangetsu Hozuki's smooth silver hair and ruffling it vigorously.
"Oh~ Just practicing for these few days, and you can already reach this level? Very good."
This guy really is a prodigy.
Whether understanding theory or progressing in practice, he far surpassed his peers.
Hatake Kuroshi looked at Mangetsu Hozuki, basically envisioning a bright future where he, like Shisui, became his worker bee.
Though this was just a thought. Mangetsu Hozuki still had other uses and couldn't receive the same treatment as Shisui.
"Right! This is the first time I've worked so hard!"
Mangetsu Hozuki bounced around beside Hatake Kuroshi, looking no different from an ordinary child being praised.
Hatake Kuroshi walked forward and briefly inspected the pierced wooden boards.
Even on the last board, the impact force of the water line remained balanced, showing no signs of decline or deviation.
The rotational marks inside the pierced holes were also clearly visible.
There were basically no issues with killing power and impact force.
"Accuracy and penetration are basically fine now."
"Try to make this water line even thinner. Currently, your position might be detected during use."
"Once the thinness is achieved, assassination or sneak attacks will be no problem at all."
Although Hatake Kuroshi generally used rather arrogant, crushing attacks, when guiding Mangetsu Hozuki, he aimed to maximize the potential of a single ninjutsu.
Whether Mangetsu Hozuki's Hydrification or Kirigakure's pervasive fog, not adding some assassination buffs to this skill would simply be an injustice to Kirigakure's characteristics.
Mangetsu Hozuki nodded seriously, clearly contemplating Hatake Kuroshi's suggestion thoughtfully.
Just as the two fell into a brief silence, a sudden gust of wind swept through the surroundings, causing the weeds to ripple outwards step by step.
"There you are. I was wondering why you weren't in the classroom."
Shisui landed beside Hatake Kuroshi out of thin air, looking unsurprisedly at Mangetsu Hozuki standing nearby.
Although never explicitly stated, since coming here, it was obvious Hatake Kuroshi paid considerable attention to Mangetsu Hozuki.
Witnessing an arrogant executioner being humanely rehabilitated into a normal human...
In a sense, this guy's educational work was truly outstanding.
"Yagura's side made a move? It's been quite a long time—"
Obito doesn't seem like such a patient person. Could it be Akatsuki is busy with something over there?
Hatake Kuroshi tilted his head slightly, looking sideways at Shisui, who had just arrived and was now staring wide-eyed at Mangetsu Hozuki.
Shisui quickly took a step back, came back to his senses, smiled, and said seriously.
"The annihilation time is set for two days later. Yagura will lead most of the ANBU to the Kaguya clan grounds then."
"Because Genji deliberately protected us two before, causing suspicion on Yagura's side, this timing and annihilation activity should have been kept secret from Genji."
"The Kaguya clan hasn't made any moves since relocating. Presumably, Genji and they have already joined forces, preparing to counterattack when Yagura comes to annihilate them."
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