*Clang, clang!*
In the blink of an eye, the shadow clone had engaged in a fierce battle with Mizuki Zangetsu.
The shadow clone was on the offensive, while Mizuki Zangetsu, wary of Seimei's presence, focused mostly on defense. But whenever he found an opening, he didn't hesitate to counterattack.
Thus, the fight was incredibly intense.
Several times, the shadow clone nearly fell to a single strike, which would have caused it to collapse. Meanwhile, Mizuki Zangetsu was forced to use his hydration technique multiple times.
Time passed, second by second.
Finally, at a certain moment, Seimei made his move.
Instead of rushing toward his opponent, he waited for the right opportunity and performed a jutsu—**Wind Style: Blade of Wind**!
A transparent wind blade, about a meter long, formed in front of him and shot toward Mizuki Zangetsu.
At that exact moment, Mizuki had just released his hydration state.
The next moment, the wind blade was upon him.
However, to Seimei's disappointment, just as the blade was about to land, Mizuki re-entered his hydrated state.
The wind blade passed right through his body, causing no harm whatsoever.
"So, it's a semi-passive ability, huh?"
Before, Seimei had only suspected this, but now he was 100% sure.
That wind blade was an opportunity Seimei created using his Sharingan's powerful insight, along with the **Mind Connection Jutsu** to communicate with his shadow clone. Based on Mizuki Zangetsu's previous reactions during the fight, if the **Hydration Technique** required active control, he wouldn't have been able to react in time.
But he did.
This confirmed that as long as the technique was activated before the fight, it could passively block both lethal and non-lethal attacks to some extent.
Clearly, the **Hydration Technique** was a ridiculously overpowered ability!
Unfortunately, Seimei hadn't developed lightning chakra.
Otherwise, things would be much easier.
This solidified his resolve to master all chakra natures. Only by doing so could he eliminate any weaknesses.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Seimei slowly drew the long sword from his waist and walked toward his opponent.
At first, his pace was slow, but after just a few steps, his figure flickered with a blue light and vanished from sight.
Mizuki Zangetsu, who had been keeping a close eye on him, widened his eyes in shock.
In the next moment, Mizuki ducked under the shadow clone's attack and raised his short sword to defend his right side.
*Clang!*
The crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.
Seimei, having used his **Instant Sword Technique**, struck with his blade, hitting Mizuki Zangetsu's short sword.
The immense force behind the strike caused Mizuki to skid back half a step.
Seeing this, Seimei wasted no time and immediately swung his sword for another strike.
Mizuki, having fought Seimei before, knew that once caught in his rhythm, he'd be overwhelmed.
This time, instead of taking the blow head-on, Mizuki used his chakra to hydrate his body, avoiding the attack.
Not only that, he seized the moment to counter.
As the short sword thrust toward Seimei's throat, Seimei's expression didn't change, as if he had anticipated it. He shifted slightly, dodging the strike.
But Mizuki wasn't about to let this rare chance slip away. In the next instant, his short sword shifted from a thrust to a horizontal slash aimed at Seimei's neck, attempting to sever his carotid artery.
Seimei reacted quickly, pulling back his long sword to block the attack in front of him.
*Zzzzz~*
Both Seimei and Mizuki applied force, their blades grinding against each other, producing an ear-piercing sound.
Seeing Mizuki Zangetsu so close, Seimei's pupils contracted. With a thought, he prepared to cast the **Genjutsu: Sharingan**.
"Hmm?"
Mizuki Zangetsu immediately sensed something was wrong, quickly closed his eyes, and retreated.
Seimei seized the opportunity, stepping forward and slashing diagonally with his sword.
The blade cut across Mizuki's chest, but instead of feeling like it sliced through flesh, it felt like it hit something sticky and resistant.
Seimei focused and saw that Mizuki's body had turned into liquid, trapping his sword inside.
"Damn it."
Seimei's mind raced.
The next moment, he channeled a large amount of chakra, converting it into fire style and injecting it into his sword. With a *boom*, flames erupted along the blade.
The fire burst from within Mizuki's body, engulfing him in flames and forcing him to immediately rehydrate.
Like a blob of jelly, Mizuki was flung backward, putting distance between himself and Seimei.
When Mizuki reformed, Seimei noticed that his chakra reserves had depleted significantly.
'As I thought, every ability has its limits.'
Indeed, the **Hydration Technique** allowed Mizuki Zangetsu to be immune to physical attacks and even resist many jutsu. But all of this required chakra.
Once his chakra ran low, neither his immunity to physical attacks nor his defense against jutsu would hold.
The simplest way to defeat him was to drain his chakra.
With this realization, Seimei dispelled his **Shadow Clone Jutsu**, reclaiming the chakra from the clone.
After adjusting to his peak state, Seimei launched an all-out attack on Mizuki Zangetsu.
This time, he didn't hold back. Aside from a few abilities, like the **Mangekyō Sharingan**, he used everything at his disposal.
Within a short time, Mizuki Zangetsu suffered devastating blows, his chakra reserves visibly depleting.
Moreover, Seimei's relentless assault forced Mizuki to stay hydrated, giving him little chance to fight back.
He was either getting hit or about to get hit.
Mizuki Zangetsu was incredibly frustrated.
But no matter how much frustration he felt, in the face of overwhelming strength, he could only endure it.
Time ticked by.
Seimei's Sharingan rotated slightly as he carefully observed Mizuki Zangetsu's condition.
Once he confirmed that his opponent's chakra had reached its limit and that Mizuki wouldn't be able to fight back, Seimei deliberately slowed his attack, giving his opponent a chance to retaliate.
Mizuki, having been pushed to the edge, didn't have time to wonder if it was a trap. Or rather, he couldn't afford to.
The moment Seimei showed a "flaw," Mizuki struck.
His sword thrust directly toward Seimei's heart.
Seimei sidestepped the attack, forcing Mizuki to retreat and attempt to escape back to the Mist Ninja's ranks, hoping to rely on them for safety.
However, this was all part of Seimei's plan. The hope Mizuki saw was nothing more than an illusion.
Just as Mizuki turned around, Seimei flashed with blue light and appeared behind him. Seimei extended his left hand, pressing it against Mizuki's back.
Despite using the last of his chakra to hydrate once more, Mizuki couldn't escape his fate.
*Zzzzzz~*
A grating sound filled the air.
A fierce wind howled!
The next moment, Mizuki's body was enveloped in a sphere of energy.
Inside, Mizuki's agonized screams could be heard.
If one looked closely, they would see countless tiny chakra needles swirling within the energy sphere.
This wasn't just any jutsu. It was the S-rank forbidden technique—**Wind Style: Rasenshuriken**!
Mizuki Zangetsu's **Hydration Technique** was formidable, allowing him to nullify many forms of damage. But with his chakra exhausted, he had no defense against the cellular-level assault of the **Rasenshuriken**.
Within moments, his chakra was fully depleted, forcing him out of his hydrated state.
The next instant, his life ended.
(End of Chapter)