Chapter 76: Supreme Power
"Quick! Turn the rudder!"
"It's no use—the ship's being pulled in!"
The sudden appearance of the water tornado left the Cloud ninjas completely disoriented. Although they recognized it as a controlled ninjutsu, understanding its origin was irrelevant against such a calamity-level technique.
Several Cloud ninjas attempted to counter it, but every attempt failed.
Watching the tornado draw closer, the leader of the Cloud forces gritted his teeth and shouted, "Abandon ship! Everyone, get to the island!"
At his command, the Cloud ninjas leapt from the warship, sprinting across the water toward Moon Island.
At the same time, the "mermen" and "half-mermen" were also rushing to the island.
Though they were aquatic by nature, being caught in a technique like this was nearly a death sentence. Even if they survived, they would be severely injured.
Moreover, the Cloud ninjas had released copious amounts of cellular differentiation agents into the ocean. These substances, specifically designed to destabilize and destroy the biological makeup of the "mermen," were another pressing threat.
Once ashore, the "mermen" and "half-mermen" continued their frantic retreat, desperate to avoid even the smallest contact with the tainted waters.
The cellular differentiation agents, harmless to ordinary humans, were devastating to these genetically modified beings. The agents disrupted the delicate balance of their hybrid cells, causing them to collapse from within.
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On the bay, the warships finally succumbed to the immense pressure of the water tornado, shattering into splinters.
As the roaring tornado subsided, torrential rain poured over the coastline of Moon Island.
Some unfortunate "half-mermen" were caught in the rain, their screams of agony echoing as their bodies began to mutate into grotesque forms.
Even Baishi couldn't suppress a shiver at the sight. But after a moment, he dismissed his worries.
After all, he had been drenched in seawater countless times. If there were a problem, it would have shown itself by now.
Just as Baishi was examining his own condition, a booming voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, kid! Was that your doing?"
Looking up, Baishi spotted a towering figure over two meters tall with dark skin approaching.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" the man growled, cracking his neck as he spoke.
"Hmph."
Baishi chuckled softly, his tone laced with provocation. "Yeah, it was me."
"Good. As long as you admit it!"
The man, Daira Kaito, lunged forward, covering the distance between them in an instant.
A deafening boom resounded as Kaito's massive fist struck with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact caused the seawater around Baishi to sink a meter deep.
On the shore, a Cloud chunin sneered. "Bet the kid's paste after one hit from Kaito-sama."
But the seasoned jonin nearby remained silent, their faces grim.
The chunin's mocking grin faded when the water calmed, revealing the scene in stark clarity.
Standing on the surface of the water, completely unscathed, was Baishi. His right hand was raised, his slender fingers catching Kaito's massive fist with ease.
"This... is impossible," the chunin stammered, his face pale.
The scene was surreal: Baishi, a seemingly frail youth, holding back a towering figure's full-force punch as if it were nothing.
To the Cloud ninjas, Kaito's speed and strength were nearly unparalleled. For someone like Baishi, who looked like a scholar rather than a warrior, evading Kaito should have been impossible.
Yet Baishi hadn't evaded—he had countered.
With a slight twist of his wrist, Kaito's fist was deflected to the side. Baishi's calm, indifferent gaze locked onto Kaito's.
"You..." Kaito began, but before he could finish, Baishi's leg lashed out like a whip.
The kick sent Kaito hurtling through the air, crashing into the water over ten meters away. If not for his comrades catching him mid-flight, he would have been launched even further.
"Gah!"
A spray of blood erupted from Kaito's mouth, staining the waves around him.
Even with his resilient physique, the kick had clearly caused severe internal damage.
Baishi turned to follow up, but a slim female Cloud ninja stepped in front of Kaito.
"You're the rogue wood-style user who defected from Konoha, aren't you?" she asked, her voice steady but cautious.
Baishi raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. He wasn't aware of any official declaration of his defection, which made her words seem like an obvious attempt to probe and sow discord.
'A brawny leader backed by a sharp strategist,' he thought, his lips curling into a smirk. 'Classic Cloud tactics.'
When Baishi didn't respond, the woman pressed on. "You have no connection to Konoha's monsters, right? Why attack us?"
Her calculated phrasing made Baishi chuckle inwardly. She was trying to isolate him from Konoha while questioning his motives.
"Oh, don't worry," Baishi finally replied, his tone light. "I've got no ties to those 'monsters.' As for why I attacked you..."
Before he could finish, Kaito, still reeling from his injuries, shoved the woman aside and threw another punch at Baishi.
A loud thud followed by a sharp crack echoed across the battlefield.
Kaito stumbled backward, his right arm now clearly broken.
"Captain!" the remaining Cloud chunin shouted, their voices panicked.
The remaining jonin stepped forward, forming a protective line between Baishi and Kaito.
Baishi rolled his neck lazily, mimicking Kaito's earlier movements. "Your speed's decent," he remarked. "But your strength? Lacking."
The Cloud ninjas stared at him as if he were a monster.
Baishi ignored their stunned gazes and turned back to the female ninja, his tone serious.
"This island," he said, gesturing around them, "is mine."
"What?" she asked, her expression confused.
(End of Chapter)
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