Ye Liangnai's battlefield was a shrouded abyss, the air thick with the oppressive weight of his mist. His mind raced as he maneuvered within the fog, his senses sharp despite the chaos. Thank the stars the Kaguya are battle-crazed lunatics with no knack for perception, he thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. This Hidden Mist Jutsu is my trump card against them. If I were up against a sensory-type ninja of Yanagimura's caliber, this fight would be a nightmare.
Without the mist, his strength would barely keep him alive—likely at the cost of severe wounds and drained chakra. The Kaguya's brute force was relentless, their Shikotsumyaku granting them near-invincible defense. But in this fog, Ye Liangnai was the predator, and Kaguya Yanagimura, despite his Special Jonin prowess, was prey.
"Time to end this," Ye Liangnai muttered, his voice low and calculated. "But just to be safe, let's test him with a Water Clone first."
The old adage rang true: a centipede keeps wriggling even after death. Yanagimura was battered, bleeding, and on his last legs, but underestimating a Kaguya's resilience could be fatal. Ye Liangnai wasn't about to gamble his life on overconfidence.
Whoosh!
A Water Clone darted forward, its form a perfect mimic of Ye Liangnai, rushing toward Yanagimura with deceptive intent. The Kaguya, his chest wound oozing blood, snapped to attention, his eyes blazing with defiance. "I won't fall for it again!" he roared, his voice hoarse but fierce. "Your attacks always come from the opposite direction of your voice! I see through your sound-twisting trick!"
To Ye Liangnai's utter disbelief, Yanagimura turned away from the Water Clone, striking wildly in the opposite direction, his bone blade slashing at empty air. Ye Liangnai blinked, momentarily stunned. Is he serious?
Shlck! Shlck!
The Water Clone seized the opening, firing two high-speed water bullets from behind, each piercing Yanagimura's heart with surgical precision. The Kaguya staggered, his knees buckling, his face a mask of shock and fury.
"You… you were supposed to… attack from the opposite… direction!" Yanagimura choked, blood bubbling from his lips as he glared at Ye Liangnai, who stepped calmly into view. "Why… didn't you… follow the pattern?!"
Ye Liangnai scratched his nose, his expression sheepish but tinged with amusement. "Honestly? I didn't expect you to fall for it that hard. My plan was to feint with the clone up front and hit you from behind with the real me. But, well… you made it easy."
He shrugged, almost apologetic, before his katana flashed, slicing Yanagimura's throat in a clean, final stroke. The Kaguya collapsed, his eyes wide with unseeing rage, dead before he hit the ground. Ye Liangnai exhaled, dispersing the Hidden Mist Jutsu with a wave of his hand. Maintaining it was a chakra hog, and he was running low.
The fog cleared, revealing Yanagimura's corpse at Ye Liangnai's feet. The surrounding Mist shinobi froze, their breaths catching as they processed the scene.
"No way… that kid took down Kaguya Yanagimura? A Special Jonin?" a ninja stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Biwa Juzo, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, stared, his mind racing. Is this kid cheating somehow? The thought was half-serious, half-awed. Yanagimura wasn't just any foe—he was a powerhouse, and Ye Liangnai had dismantled him with chilling efficiency.
Zabuza Momochi's gaze was heavier, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Ye Liangnai. "Using Hidden Mist Jutsu to leapfrog ranks and kill a Special Jonin… that's not just talent. When I was his age, I wasn't half this monstrous." A new prodigy had risen, and Zabuza felt the weight of that truth settle in his chest, a mix of respect and unease.
Ringo Ameyuri gripped her blade tighter, her knuckles whitening. "This gap… it's too much. It's frustrating as hell," she muttered, her pride stinging. She'd fought tooth and nail against a single Chunin-level Kaguya, yet Ye Liangnai was mowing through enemies like a reaper.
Suigetsu Hozuki's teeth ground together, his voice low. "I knew he was holding back during the graduation exam. Damn it."
The Kaguya clansmen, however, saw red. "You bastard! You'll pay for that!" Three warriors charged, their bone spikes gleaming with murderous intent. Ye Liangnai's threat level had skyrocketed—he was a priority target.
But they never reached him.
"Water Style: Water Surge Wave!" Terumi Mei's voice cut through the chaos, her hands weaving seals with lethal precision. A torrential flood roared forward, its crushing force sweeping the Kaguya attackers aside like leaves in a storm.
Shlck! Shlck! Shlck!
Ye Liangnai didn't miss a beat, his Water Gun Jutsu firing in rapid succession, each bullet finding a vital point. The Kaguya hit the ground, lifeless. Mercy wasn't an option when survival was on the line, and Ye Liangnai had no illusions about sparing those who'd kill him without hesitation.
Across the battlefield, the Kaguya clan's resistance crumbled. Against Kirigakure's full might—swarms of Jonin and seasoned ANBU—a single clan, no matter how fierce, stood no chance. The Kaguya were pushed back, their lines collapsing, their numbers dwindling under the relentless assault.
"Damn you, Yagura Karatachi! You'll rot for this!" a Kaguya elder's curse echoed, venomous and final, as the clan's last stand fell. The Kaguya were no more, their legacy snuffed out in blood and bone.
Ye Liangnai collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving, each breath a labored gasp. Sweat poured from his brow, dripping onto the blood-soaked earth. His chakra was spent, his body screaming for rest. This… sucks, he thought, the exhaustion hitting like a physical blow.
Mei's teasing voice broke through his haze. "What's this, Mist's genius already tapped out?" She stood nearby, her own face etched with fatigue, her clothes torn and stained. Despite her playful tone, she was barely better off, her strength pushed to its limits.
Ye Liangnai lacked the energy to retort, managing only a weak glare. When Sky Armor issued the dismissal order, he dragged himself to his feet, his limbs heavy as lead, and trudged home alongside Mei. At the house, he peeled off his bloodied ANBU gear with trembling hands and sank into the hot spring, the steaming water enveloping him like a balm. For the first time in hours, he felt a flicker of peace. This… this is bliss.
Elsewhere, the Mist shinobi buzzed with post-battle chatter, their minds fixed on two standout performances: Ye Liangnai's meteoric rise and Terumi Mei's terrifying Water Formation Wall. The jutsu's defense was otherworldly, unbreached even by the Kaguya's monstrous strength.
"I've never seen a Water Formation Wall that solid," a shinobi murmured, awe in his voice. "Not a single Kaguya broke through it."
Biwa Juzo's thoughts echoed the sentiment. As expected of the ANBU commander. Her strength is downright chilling. Mei's display had cemented her as a force to be reckoned with, her name whispered with both fear and respect.
Fuguki Suikazan, his massive frame looming, grinned wickedly. "Terumi Mei, a contender for Fifth Mizukage? Heh, doesn't matter. If she's got the power and the perks, I'd serve a woman like that no problem."
Others nodded, their ambitions aligning. Loyalty in Kirigakure was a currency, traded for influence and reward.
But Zabuza Momochi's focus was narrower, his mind locked on Ye Liangnai's Hidden Mist Jutsu. Most of his kills came from that jutsu. There's something special about it—some trick I'm missing. As Kirigakure's master of the mist and silent killing, Zabuza prided himself on his expertise. Yet Ye Liangnai, a mere Chunin, had outshone him. I need to visit him. If I can learn his secret, it could be a game-changer.
In the Mizukage's office, Yagura Karatachi leaned back, a dangerous smile curling his lips. "Terumi Mei and Ye Liangnai, huh? Quite the sibling duo. Let's give young Ye some… training."
Yuan Long, standing before him, blinked, caught off-guard. "Understood, Lord Mizukage," he said, but his mind raced. Is he out of his mind? Punishing a hero with dangerous missions instead of rewarding him? That's a recipe for resentment.
Yagura's "training" was clear: send Ye Liangnai on the deadliest missions available. The more perilous, the better. But Yuan Long saw the flaw—such a move would only breed discord, alienating a prodigy and his powerful sister. This… this is madness.