Chapter 244: Ensnarement
Battling in the pouring rain was hardly a novelty for shinobi. Those who survived long enough to become veterans had inevitably endured worse. Rain combat was just one more test of endurance, willpower, and skill.
With two elite jōnin working in tandem, lacking overwhelming power made it nearly impossible for the enemy to gain the upper hand. Thus far, no enemy of note had appeared. Expecting mere disposable pawns to suppress both Mizuki and Kakashi was a fool's errand.
As Kakashi drove a kunai into the chest of a bald, scarred enemy, Mizuki used an invisible hand of natural energy to flatten another foe who'd tried to sneak up from beneath the sea's surface.
"How are you holding up?" Mizuki asked, standing back-to-back with Kakashi as the enemy began to swarm again. "Told you not to waste chakra using Chidori."
Panting, Kakashi swallowed dryly. "Don't belittle them too much. Even if they're all small fry, there's a lot of them. Killing them all is no small task."
"We don't have a choice. These guys clearly aren't normal—they fight like they've lost all sense of self. No fear of death. No hesitation. They're like puppets."
"Even knowing this is just a tactic to drain us, we still have to respond."
"Exactly," Mizuki agreed. "This might be the perfect time to try out that jutsu Lord Jiraiya taught me. Let's see how it performs."
"That A-rank jutsu? Mizuki, that kind of technique isn't something you can just whip out. Don't mess around."
"Relax. This is the perfect chance. Even if you don't trust me, at least trust Sage Mode."
"…Fine. What do you need from me?"
"Cover me." With that, Mizuki sprang backward, breaking out of the encirclement with Kakashi following close behind, intercepting enemy shuriken with practiced ease.
The sudden retreat of the previously dominant duo brought a cheer to the enemy forces.
"They're low on chakra! After them!"
After such a long battle, even the strongest shinobi eventually tire. This was the moment swarming tactics were made for.
Mizuki continued falling back while steadily molding chakra. A-rank Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation was incredibly demanding—not just in fire-nature transformation, but in the sheer volume of chakra required.
If C-rank jutsu were considered standard, then B-rank techniques were the bread-and-butter of a typical jōnin. Many lesser shinobi went their whole lives without ever mastering anything higher. A-rank jutsu were a different beast entirely—often the result of personal invention or legacy techniques, like Kakashi's Chidori or the Sand Village's Blade of Wind, famously used by Baki to one-shot the capable Gekkō Hayate in the original story.
S-rank techniques were reserved for the very pinnacle—"Kage-level" hidden arts, forbidden techniques, and bloodline-limit attacks. These jutsu weren't just powerful; they were often closely guarded secrets, passed only through clan or master-apprentice lines.
As for jutsu bearing names of gods—Izanami, Susanoo, Shinra Tensei—Mizuki personally thought they should just be called divine techniques. They transcended mortal boundaries.
He'd spent several days studying this A-rank fire jutsu, and it wasn't any easier than Chidori. The biggest obstacles were its massive chakra demands and the need for precise control. A small misstep could cause serious burns—not just singed eyebrows like with the Fireball Jutsu.
After holding the front for a while, Kakashi finally heard Mizuki's shout:
"Kakashi, move!"
Hearing the warning, Kakashi leapt ahead, and even before he landed, a stream of blazing fire burst past him. Its brilliance cut through the storm like a dragon of flame, intense enough that even the heavy downpour failed to douse its heat.
He glanced back, just in time to witness Mizuki's Sage-enhanced Great Fire Annihilation. The fire stream expanded under pressure and natural energy, forming into a massive, rolling inferno. Its front compressed into a deadly wall of flame, surging forward like a tide of destruction.
Under normal conditions, such a technique would have been weakened by the sea and rain. But with natural energy fueling the inferno, it could not be so easily extinguished.
The enemy, realizing the danger too late, tried to scatter—but it was hopeless. The path of the fire evaporated the rain and boiled nearby seawater, turning the battlefield into a steaming hellscape. The high temperature caused a massive explosion at the center of impact, vaporizing foes above and below water. The resulting pressure sent out a towering tidal wave in all directions.
"…That's it?" Kakashi asked, stunned by the sheer devastation.
"What more do you want?" Mizuki replied between deep breaths.
He peeled off his scorched gloves to reveal a reddened right hand, burned by the intense chakra output.
"You alright?" Kakashi quickly rushed to check.
"I'll live," Mizuki grunted. "A little rest and some healing ninjutsu, and I'll be fine. Sage Mode's recovery is no joke."
"Beginner mistake?" Kakashi asked.
"Pretty much. Didn't control it well—almost blew it."
"If you still have the energy to joke, you must be fine. Want to head back and rest a bit?"
"No need. Even with one hand down, I won't be a burden."
With that, Mizuki raised his left hand and clenched the air. A hidden enemy lurking beneath the waves was yanked out by an invisible force and had his neck crushed mid-air.
"Sage Mode really is incredible," Kakashi admitted, awed. "No wonder you were able to suppress Shukaku."
"Power like this doesn't come easy," Mizuki muttered. "It's hard to learn, and dangerous to use."
During the brief lull in combat, Kakashi quickly wrapped Mizuki's burned hand in bandages.
The storm still raged, but the tide of battle had begun to turn.
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