The barrier was shattered!
This barrier, which had protected Whirlpool Village through countless assaults and served as the Uzumaki clan's last line of defense, finally succumbed under the combined might of four Kage-level shinobi.
As the barrier fractured, the faces of the Uzumaki clan's ninjas turned pale. The break was not only physically jarring, but it also struck a deep psychological blow. Their sense of security had vanished.
"It's over!"
"Damn it! What are we supposed to do now?"
"This is bad!"
Panic set in. The Uzumaki ninjas were visibly shaken, their morale crumbling. Even Uzumaki Suihei wore a grim expression as a heavy sense of dread settled in his heart.
In contrast, Ōnoki and his allies exhaled in relief.
Good, the turtle shell was finally broken.
If their combined full-force assault had failed, they would've left Whirlpool Village and returned to their villages with only the supplies they'd seized from the Land of Whirlpools.
"Yes! It's down!"
"These Kage-level masters are incredible, breaking such a powerful barrier!"
"Now, let's raze Whirlpool Village!"
The shinobi from various villages grinned, their faces brimming with bloodlust and excitement at the sight of the broken barrier.
"Konoha's Ghost, come and fight me!"
Ay bellowed, his gaze searching for Mochizuki Hui. Not only Ay, but also Ōnoki was on the lookout, his first thought upon shattering the barrier being to eliminate Mochizuki Hui, their greatest threat.
Unlike them, the Third Mizukage and the Third Kazekage seemed less concerned with Hui. Still, they recognized that this moment was an ideal opportunity to kill the Konoha's Ghost.
"It seems the Konoha's Ghost's rise ends here," remarked the Third Mizukage as he moved, furrowing his brows when he couldn't spot Hui.
At that moment, a voice sounded near him, quiet but unmistakable.
"Is that so?"
At the same instant, a swirling, blue-white chakra sphere appeared just behind the Third Mizukage, speeding toward his back.
It was the Rasengan.
This chakra-intensive technique required no hand seals. Given Hui's thorough understanding of its mechanics, there was no reason he wouldn't have mastered it.
The sudden voice made the Third Mizukage's face contort in shock. The attack was too sudden, leaving him with no time to dodge.
He twisted his body as best as he could, while swinging his arm backward to intercept the blow.
But his fist was intercepted. No—caught.
It was Mochizuki Hui, who had appeared next to the Third Mizukage without warning and launched a direct attack.
Grasping the Mizukage's arm, Hui swiftly activated a sealing technique.
Binding Seal!
The technique took effect immediately, freezing the Mizukage in place.
The Binding Seal might only be a C-rank jutsu, but rank alone didn't decide everything—it depended on who wielded it, and their mastery over the technique.
If Uzumaki Minai had used it, she wouldn't have been able to immobilize the Mizukage, not even for a second. But with Hui, a Kage-level shinobi, the seal's effect was pushed to an entirely new level.
Boom!!!
"Urgh!"
The Rasengan struck the Mizukage's body, forcing a spurt of blood from his mouth.
\Yet, the intense pain jolted him back to awareness, allowing him to break free from the Binding Seal's grip. He leaped forward, desperate to evade another attack.
Hui didn't hesitate and jumped back, vacating his previous position just in time.
Boom!!!
In the spot where Hui and the Mizukage had been standing, a crater opened up as white Dust Release energy, black lightning, and iron sand needles collided in a fierce blast.
"Tsk tsk, you don't even hold back against your own allies. Such ruthlessness," Hui sneered as he glanced at the smoking crater, throwing a playful look at Ōnoki and the others.
His gaze shifted to the Third Mizukage, who was now kneeling and guarded by a group of Mist ninjas. A small, satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.
Three years was more than enough time for Hui to grow stronger.
Although the natural energy within him hadn't yet fully assimilated with his Primordial Qi, his physical abilities and the energy he could wield had reached unprecedented levels.
In terms of pure strength, Hui's physical prowess now surpassed what it had been three years ago by an entire tier.
Hui had sparred with both the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, and could overwhelm them using taijutsu alone.
Over the past three years, his ability to harness chakra and light energy had also grown tremendously. His reserves now matched ten Kakashis—ten "Kaka's" worth of energy, to be precise.
In other words, energy constraints were no longer a pressing issue for Hui.
Of course, it wasn't enough for him to unleash endless jutsu on demand just yet.
His growth in physical ability and energy capacity was the result of natural development, requiring only a bit of practice on Hui's part to adapt.
Because of this, he spent most of the past three years focusing on technique development.
Let's not forget, Hui inherited the creative brilliance of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. And he himself was exceptionally talented.
As a result, in three years, Hui had created numerous new techniques.
During the surprise attack just now, he had used one of these techniques, a light-based jutsu.
He called it Invisible Man.
The principle was simple yet effective. By adjusting how light refracted around him, Hui could redirect incoming light to bypass his body and cast onto the area behind him, effectively making him invisible—like a perfect cloak of invisibility.
Of course, this technique wasn't without its drawbacks.
To achieve true invisibility, he had to remain perfectly still—not only in body but also in breath, preventing any energy fluctuations from revealing his presence to the sharp senses of Kage-level shinobi.
As soon as he started moving, however, the refractions would "blur," making him appear like a ripple in water.
While the four Kage-level shinobi broke through the Whirlpool Village barrier, Hui activated the technique and vanished from sight.
His first target was the Third Mizukage.
As he had noted before, the unknown was the most dangerous element.
Hui already had some knowledge of Ōnoki, Ay, and the Third Kazekage's abilities. The Third Mizukage, however, was an enigma, making him the greatest threat. Naturally, he prioritized him as his first target.
Still, Hui hadn't been entirely certain that the Mizukage would be his target when he launched his ambush. He had to strike at whoever came closest to his position, and he could only guess where the Mizukage would move.
In the end, his luck seemed to hold. The Third Mizukage was indeed the nearest, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike.
And his ambush was a success. The direct hit from the Rasengan had left the Mizukage incapacitated and out of commission for now.
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