They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 109 Searching for Nagato Uzumaki

During the long year of peaceful training, Hozuki Shingetsu not only learned the Steam Explosion Technique, but also naturally did not slack off in his training in the Water Release Chakra Mode.

At this time, after a long period of training, Hozuki Shingetsu could maintain his Water Release Chakra Mode for a week at low power, a significant improvement compared to his previous ability to only maintain it for tens of minutes.

Although he was still far from achieving his ideal goal of turning the Water Release chakra mode into a passive ninjutsu, he still managed to find a solution to the side effects of the Steam Explosion based on it.

When releasing the explosive vapor, the caster often becomes extremely weak due to the loss of a large amount of water and oil from their body. Even if water and oil are replenished from the outside, the absorption rate will prevent a full recovery in a short time.

However, under Water Release Chakra Mode, Hozuki Shingetsu's metabolic rate increases significantly. As long as he replenishes his water and oil in time, he can fully recover to his original state in a short period of time.

So at this moment, Hozuki Shingetsu had already recovered his state under the cover of the mirage and silently activated his Water Release Chakra Mode to set up a trap for someone to walk into!

With a light swing of his arms, Hozuki Shingetsu used Samehada as a lever to lift the two-meter-tall Suigetsu Hozuki, then slammed him heavily to the ground.

boom!

This land, constantly eroded by sea waves, was blasted into a hollow, and the seawater immediately poured in after a brief retreat.

Just as he had finished off one and was about to deal with the next one, Hozuki Shingetsu, he suddenly felt something stroking his hand. Looking down, he realized it was Samehada.

Since the last battle with Ren and the subsequent rescue of the sword from Ren, Hozuki Shingetsu returned it to Suigetsu Hozuki, since he had no intention of studying swordsmanship. However, he did not expect that after a year apart, Samehada would still be so attached to him.

Tsk, once you've tasted and experienced the real way to use it, you can never go back?

"Stop fooling around, this is a fight!"

Hozuki Crescent gently patted Samehada and tossed it back into the burrow, so that it could stay with its master.

Then it transformed into a crimson flash and arrived in front of the Kusanagi-no-Yaru.

As the wielder of a blunt sword, the Kusa-no-Ya-jin's attacks are powerful and heavy, making him extremely adept at attacking fortified positions.

Conversely, his speed became his weakness, which was immediately apparent when facing Hozuki Shingetsu in his enhanced state.

A scarlet figure darted and weaved around Tongkusano Erito, and moments later, Tongkusano Erito followed in the footsteps of Suigetsu Hobutsuki, falling to his death on the spot.

Just then, Hozuki Shingetsu suddenly felt something strange behind him. The Executioner's Blade arrived behind him so lightly and silently, slashing straight down on his back!

"Long Sword Ninja Art: Earth Spider Sewing!"

At the same time, Kushimaru Agarashi arrived, brandishing his long sword, Sewing Needle, and countless steel wires appeared around Hozuki Shingetsu, blocking all his movement routes.

Not only that, but Jinpachi also arrived here without anyone noticing. He brandished his Exploding Blade: Flying Drops, and splashed explosive tags on the steel wires extending from his Longsword: Sewing Needle as if they were free. It seemed that he wouldn't even spare Juzo Biwa, and was going to take care of him and Shingetsu Hozuki together!

Suppressing the urge to curse, Pipa Juzo quickly released his cleaver and retreated backward.

Surrounded by enemies, Hozuki Shingetsu had no time to escape. In this situation, it seemed that the only way to avoid injury was to transform into a tailed beast.

Despite facing this seemingly inescapable predicament, Hozuki Shingetsu remained unmoved, maintaining a calm and composed smile as he reminded the three opponents.

"If I were alone, it seems I really would need to transform into a tailed beast... But, haven't you all forgotten something?"

Just as the three people present were smiling, a white figure appeared beside Hozuki Shingetsu like a ghost. With lightning speed, it lifted up the explosive tags around Hozuki Shingetsu one by one, and then brought the pile of burning explosive tags to the side of the three people.

boom!

boom!

With the two explosions, Kushimaru Agarashi, Jinpachi Murashi, and Juzo Biwa were eliminated.

"So, it's just the two of us left..."

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at Kurosuki Raiga in the distance with a malicious smile on his face.

At this moment, Raiga Kurosuki already knew his fate, but for the sake of dignity, he still made a final sprint towards Shingetsu Hozuki.

And the ending... is naturally predictable.

-

"It seems the combination of Mirage and Steam Explosion is best suited for dealing with a group of weaklings or a single powerful opponent... It might be risky to backfire against multiple powerful opponents. However, this applies to ordinary users; for me, there aren't so many limitations..."

Based on this battle, Hozuki Shingetsu carefully summarized the techniques for using the combination of Mirage and Steam Explosion.

Dealing with a group of small fry is simple: just use a mirage to confuse their senses, then unleash a barrage of steam, explosives, and blasts.

When dealing with a single expert, even if the opponent has ninjutsu like Sensing Sand, he is not afraid—while he was racking his brains to find the Mirage's true form, the clone formed by Steam Explosion was already silently waiting beside him.

In this situation, even a single expert would be easily outmaneuvered and killed by him.

This combination of ninjutsu is designed to counter multiple skilled opponents, especially when someone uses physical perception ninjutsu to detect the true location of the mirage, someone else defends against the harassment of the steam explosion, and yet another person specifically uses high-powered ninjutsu to attack the mirage's outer shell.

In such a situation, the caster risks having their mirage deciphered and their true form discovered.

He now strongly suspects that the Second Tsuchikage's clone technique was forced out by this move.

Of course, the "experts" here refer to ninjas who can contend with the Steam Explosion Clone.

If you're just a weakling, all the skills you have are useless.

However, this risk also disappears without a trace in Water Release Chakra Mode.

"So, the only thing left to do with this Steam Explosion Technique is to practice it a few more times to improve your proficiency. There's not much room for further development... The key is to continue training the Water Release Chakra Mode as a regular practice."

Unlike ninjutsu like Steam Explosion, which can be mastered simply through experience and memory, the normalization of Water Release Chakra Mode requires maintaining Water Release Chakra Mode for as long as possible in daily life, allowing the body to continuously adapt to this state.

In this process, one gradually improves their endurance, enabling them to break through their limits in actual combat and achieve higher power output.

Therefore, the normalization of Water Release chakra mode training is destined to be a process of gradual accumulation.

Theoretically speaking, Hozuki Shingetsu, who has become a perfect Jinchūriki, has enough chakra to ensure the all-weather operation of the low-power Water Release chakra mode.

However, reality is not a game, and it doesn't have a one-click auto-play function for skills.

Maintaining this state is naturally possible when concentrating in a normal state, but to operate it unconsciously while eating, sleeping, or resting is undoubtedly much more difficult.

Therefore, the current limit of one week that Hozuki Shingetsu can achieve actually refers to the limit that can be reached when a portion of his attention is devoted to maintaining the ninjutsu.

"However, physical experiences like this can't be overpowered with shadow clones... It seems I can only focus on Sage Mode for now, hoping that some new changes will occur after my mind interacts with nature..."

Faced with this situation, Hozuki Shingetsu had no solution for the time being and could only entrust the solution to time.

"Cough cough..."

Just then, Suigetsu Hozuki and his companions tidied themselves up and came to Hozuki Shingetsu's side.

In fact, Hozuki Shingetsu's attack was not enough to seriously injure them. However, they were all shrewd and knew that Hozuki Shingetsu had overcome the side effects of the Steam Explosion, especially after being knocked down for the first time. They knew that their defeat was inevitable.

So we just lay down and pretended to be dead, to save face for each other.

Especially Suigetsu Hozuki, who was lying down below when Samehada was flirting with Hozuki Shingetsu, and heard Samehada's fickle behavior with his own ears.

For a master swordsman, what is this any different from being NTR'd in person?

Even after suffering such humiliation, she remained lying there calmly, oblivious to the outside world, as indifferent as a passenger on a bus or a husband in the living room.

Only Raiga Kurosuki foolishly resisted Shingetsu Hozuki with all his might—and his fate was the most tragic; while the others pretended to be dead, he was the only one who was truly dead.

"Since you failed to force me to transform into a tailed beast, then I'll accept my defeat. As per our previous agreement, you must accept my punishment."

Hozuki Shingetsu waved his hand, dispersing the Steam-Exploding Clone, and continued:

"Yesterday, Kushina cried to me, saying that back in the Land of Whirlpools, one of her close sisters married into the Land of Rain. Now, hearing that the Land of Rain is embroiled in constant war, she's so worried about her sister's safety that she can't eat or sleep..."

Kushina Uzumaki, far away in Kirigakure, sneezed for no apparent reason, and then continued her attack on the food on the Hozuki family's table.

"I couldn't help it; after all, she's my fiancée, so seeing this situation, I naturally wanted to do something. Unfortunately, I have other important matters to attend to and cannot go to the Land of Rain..."

Hozuki Shingetsu ignored the strange expressions on the faces of the people in front of him and succinctly stated his requirements:

"So your mission is simple: take this opportunity to find all the Uzumaki clan members in the Land of Rain, along with their families, and bring them safely back to Kirigakure!"

"Note that we will bring 'all Uzumaki clan members and their families' back to Kirigakure safely," Hozuki Shingetsu emphasized the words "all" and "safely" in case they didn't understand.

It was as if they were being told by name that Nagato Uzumaki had been safely brought back to them.

(End of this chapter)