"Did you develop this ninjutsu yourself?"
Kosuke Maruboshi stared in amazement at the broken tree trunk. Such a devastating technique had already surpassed the abilities of most Chunin.
It seemed that after recovering from his serious illness, Heiyan had entered a phase of explosive growth after long preparation, and his strength surged dramatically.
"Yes."
Heiyan gave a modest nod.
The teacher and student talked things over before heading back to camp, while Might Duy snored through it all, completely unaware of what had happened.
The next day.
The sky was high and clear, with a gentle breeze blowing.
"One, two, one! One, two, one..."
On the forest trail, Might Duy carried luggage on his back and walked at the front of the team. He shouted slogans while doing high-knee exercises.
Indeed, he was full of energy.
"Heiyan, let's race! Whoever reaches the next village first—what do you say?"
Suddenly turning around, he impulsively challenged Heiyan, then looked anxious as he waited for the latter's reply.
"Sure." Heiyan readily agreed.
"Great!"
Might Duy was thrilled when he heard that. In the last twenty years, no one had ever agreed to train with him—let alone have a friendly match.
"Show me your full power, Duy."
As soon as Heiyan finished speaking, he dashed forward like a gust of wind, taking the lead.
"Ignite the flames of youth!"
Might Duy shouted, eyes ablaze with fiery determination, chasing fiercely with full force.
"Is that all you've got?"
Maintaining his lead, each time Heiyan landed, blue Lightning Release chakra exploded from his legs with a loud "Boom," propelling him forward dozens of meters at once.
It looked like he was teleporting.
Only Heiyan, using Sage Transformation, could perform Chidori Shunshin so straightforwardly and brutally. If ordinary ninja attempted such forceful use, their legs would've been ruined long ago.
"Heiyan, youth refuses to surrender!"
Might Duy clenched his jaw, refusing to fall behind.
"Young people these days sure have great drive."
Watching the two disappear into the distance, Kosuke murmured to himself, thinking back to his younger days.
Smiling faintly, he activated the Shifting Body Technique and chased after them too.
Swoosh!
Heiyan led the way, the first to reach the edge of the woods. Turning here, they would be able to see the next village.
But suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and came to a halt.
"Heiyan, I'm going to overtake you now!"
Thinking Heiyan had run out of steam, Might Duy happily surged forward with renewed vigor.
However, just as he passed Heiyan, he hadn't even begun celebrating when his steps abruptly stopped, shock written across his face.
In the distant village, flames roared and thick smoke rose into the sky. At the same time, a faint smell of blood drifted through the air.
"What happened?"
Kosuke Maruboshi also caught up, immediately lowering his voice gravely upon witnessing the scene, "Prepare for battle!"
Half an hour earlier, a group of bandits from the Land of Rain had crossed the border and begun their invasion of the peaceful village.
At the village center, the shrine had already been reduced to ashes. Valuable items were looted, and villagers who resisted were slaughtered. The remaining elderly, women, and children—now helpless—were herded into the plaza like cattle.
When Kosuke's trio arrived, they realized these bandits were actually rogue ninja from Ame Village.
There were about a dozen of them. Each forehead protector bore a horizontal slash. Most were chunin or genin, with only their leader—a jonin named Mizushima Kenzō—standing out.
Shwip! Shwip! Shwip! Shwip!
The trio's arrival immediately drew the bandits' attention.
"Konoha ninja?"
Mizushima Kenzō sized up Kosuke's team, his mind racing.
He was familiar with most famous Konoha shinobi, but these three looked unfamiliar. They couldn't be well-known figures.
Moreover, all three wore civilian clothes—not a single chunin uniform in sight. Their rank was obvious enough.
"Tch, just three Konoha genin."
Once reaching this conclusion, Mizushima Kenzō casually ordered a few underlings to eliminate them.
In the hierarchy of ninja villages, Ame's shinobi occupied a unique position.
Rain Country lay at the crossroads of Fire, Wind, and Earth nations—constantly embroiled in civil war, making it an ideal breeding ground for ninja. Ame specialized in pushing each ninja's abilities to their absolute limit, developing many unique techniques.
So even though Ame didn't rival major villages in sheer numbers, its ninja generally possessed formidable combat strength.
Besides, in Mizushima Kenzō's eyes, the oldest among Kosuke's group was nearly forty years old and still a genin—how strong could such men be?
"You two back off. I'll handle this."
Kosuke Maruboshi signaled Might Duy and Heiyan to hold back. Both were battlefield rookies. Against these ruthless killers, victory would be difficult.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
At that moment, seven or eight Ame ninja struck together, hurling dozens of shuriken from multiple angles, cutting off all escape routes.
Without hesitation, Kosuke grabbed the large black pot strapped to his back and hurled it forward.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
The spinning pot flew forth, deflecting most incoming shuriken midair.
Then, as it reached beyond the enemy group, Kosuke—who had hidden inside using Turtle-Hide Technique—emerged suddenly and flung several shuriken backward in retaliation.
"Aaaaaaah!"
A series of screams rang out. One by one, the Ame ninjas fell. On their deathbeds, disbelief remained etched on their faces—they never imagined being defeated by mere Konoha genin.
This move from Kosuke stunned both friend and foe alike.
[Was this *Pot Release: Pothole Dash*?]
Heiyan had long noticed that Master Kosuke's black cooking pot wasn't just for meals—it was also an effective weapon. Its defensive capabilities were impressive, capable of blocking kunai, shuriken, and even explosive tags. No one knew what material it was made from.
Maybe he'd just painted the Yata Mirror black.
As these absurd thoughts flashed through Heiyan's mind, Kosuke—buoyed by his initial success—pressed forward, now locking in battle with the enemy leader himself, Mizushima Kenzō.
Mizushima Kenzō, as a Jonin of Ame Village, had mastered both Wind and Water nature transformations, making him extremely formidable.
However, during his battle against Kosuke Maruboshi, he used every trick in the book but still couldn't gain the upper hand. In contrast, while fighting Kenzō, Kosuke even had enough energy left to kill off the last few remaining subordinates.
"Who exactly are you?" Mizushima Kenzō asked in shock and fury during a brief pause in the fight.
"Just an ordinary Genin from Leaf Village."
Kosuke Maruboshi replied indifferently.
Truth be told, having gone over a month without a fight, Kosuke was actually itching for some action. This situation couldn't have come at a better time.
Elsewhere,
Heiyan and Might Duy seized the chance to rescue the villagers who had been taken hostage and led them away from the battlefield.
Within just a few minutes,
this gang of Ame bandits had been completely wiped out by Maruboshi alone, leaving only Mizushima Kenzō alive.
"Die!"
Maruboshi cornered Kenzō and, sensing his momentary exhaustion, slashed fiercely with his ninja blade, nearly ending the latter's life.
But just then, something unexpected happened.
Whoosh!
A kunai tied with an Explosive Tag came whistling from afar, exploded violently, and sent Maruboshi flying backward.
"Aniki! Nisan! You've come!"
Mizushima Kenzō's face lit up with delight as he quickly retreated and regrouped with the reinforcements.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Outside the village, figures emerged in great numbers like a tidal wave, coming from all directions, resembling a highly disciplined army.
There were over a hundred of them altogether. They swiftly organized themselves, forming layers upon layers of encirclement around Kosuke, Heiyan, and Duy.
"You've gotta be kidding me, little brother! Ambushed by three Leaf Genin and left in such a mess?"
Among those who arrived, two Jonin bearing striking resemblances to Mizushima Kenzō mocked their younger brother teasingly.
"Let's deal with them first, then I'll explain," Kenzō gritted his teeth. His icy gaze locked onto Maruboshi. "That one's mine."
Not good.
At this moment, Kosuke's carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by deep concern.
Judging from the clan insignias on their clothes, these people belonged to a prominent family known as Mizushima. Similar to major clans within Leaf Village like Uchiha or Hyūga, they had once been powerful. Their leaders were none other than the Mizushima brothers:
Shin'ichi Mizushima, Hideji Mizushima, and Kenzō Mizushima.
In recent years, internal conflicts within Ame Village had grown increasingly intense. Defeated in the civil war, the entire Mizushima clan defected and fled into the Land of Fire.
Their paths crossed purely by coincidence.
"Heiyan, Might Duy — I'll hold them off. Get out now!"
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