"Kill them! Bring back the Uzumaki brat!" The Third Mizukage barked out the order.
Behind him, seven or eight Kirigakure ninja nodded in unison and immediately drew their weapons.
The Missing-nin weren't intimidated. At the front, Gohara roared furiously, yanked a ninjatō from his back, and bellowed, "You three, go kill the brat! I'll hold them off!"
Underground, Jiraiya couldn't hold back his rage. Clenching his fists, he charged out.
So what if it was the Third Mizukage? He'd still have the guts to yank out Lord Hiruzen's beard!
Seeing Jiraiya rush forward, Orochimaru, who had originally planned to evacuate the children first, frowned.
That idiot Jiraiya!
There were too many enemies—and that terrifying Third Mizukage. He had to back Jiraiya up!
With that thought, Orochimaru abandoned the plan to move the children, quickly formed hand seals, and burst out from underground.
In an instant, fire dragons roared and water bullets flew in all directions.
When the Kirigakure Missing-nin saw the forehead protectors on Jiraiya and Orochimaru, their expressions lit up.
So that's it! The Konoha ninja are here.
That made the Uzumaki brats even more valuable.
Without a second thought, three of the Missing-nin sped up, dashing toward the deep pit inside the cave.
At that moment, Jiraiya leapt in front of them, bit his thumb, and rapidly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a light pop, white smoke exploded.
From within the smoke, a tongue shot out like lightning, instantly sending one of the Genin flying.
Though the Third Mizukage kept his eyes closed, he saw everything happening inside the cave.
Konoha's ninjas were doing well today—not only eliminating the Missing-nin and getting the Uzumaki brat, but possibly nabbing two Konoha brats as well.
Just as he raised his hands to form hand seals, he froze.
A chilling wave of killing intent engulfed him. Cold sweat broke out across his back.
What terrifying killing intent… He was being targeted!
Gritting his teeth, the Third Mizukage turned his head toward the source.
Outside the cave, Reiji sat cross-legged, wearing a ridiculous dog-headed mask. Beneath his drooping lids, his dull eyes occasionally flickered with a faint red light.
He stared straight at the Third Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage didn't dare let his guard down. Anyone with killing intent that intense was no pushover.
As Reiji and the Mizukage locked eyes, Tsunade stood up, calmly stepped past both of them, and joined the battle.
With Hiruzen's team now assembled, the three instantly became the focal point of the battlefield, working in perfect sync.
Jiraiya was the tank and mid-range attacker.
With his white hair and Senjutsu chakra, he was practically unbreakable.
Plus, his mastery of all five chakra natures gave him an incredibly wide attack range.
Tsunade was far more direct—punching and kicking for close combat, with medical support as needed.
Orochimaru unleashed a dazzling array of snake-related ninjutsu, focusing on crowd control and long-range attacks.
Snakes slithered across the battlefield, frog oil splashed everywhere, and rocks flew through the air.
Together, Tsunade and her teammates held the line, stopping both the Kirigakure ninja and the Missing-nin from getting to the Uzumaki children.
Outside the cave, Reiji kept his gaze locked on the Third Mizukage. No rush—every second he delayed was a win.
It was clear the Third Mizukage had noticed the battlefield's shift. His side hadn't suffered heavy losses yet—just two useless subordinates foaming at the mouth after getting bitten by snakes.
The Missing-nin side was worse off: the Genin had been decapitated, and all three Jōnin were injured.
Meanwhile, the Konoha trio looked completely unfazed, barely winded.
Especially the white-haired brat in the middle—he was practically cheating, throwing around Fire Release jutsu like it was free.
And outside the cave, there was still that masked figure watching, eyes sharp and unblinking.
The Third Mizukage's gaze shifted slightly. He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Any further delay would only lead to more casualties on his side.
With that, he suddenly raised his hands and began forming hand seals at high speed.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
In just a second, five hand seals were completed.
It was obvious—this guy was a master of Water Release. A technique that normally required over a dozen seals, he completed in just a few swift moves.
With his hands pressed together, the Third Mizukage suddenly opened his mouth. A torrent of water, infused with chakra, surged out in all directions, flooding both inside and outside the cave without discrimination.
As long as there was water, the Kirigakure ninja had the upper hand.
Watching the massive wave roar toward him, Reiji slowly stood up and muttered, "You made the first move."
Grumbling, he raised his right hand and clenched his fist.
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode—activate!"
In a flash, crackling blue lightning raced across his body. His eyes sparked with electricity as they pierced through the oncoming wave, locking onto the Third Mizukage.
"Lariat!"
With a low growl, Reiji's figure turned into a streak of lightning, slicing through the massive wall of water.
By the time he reappeared, he was already behind the Third Mizukage. The Mizukage's head, which had just begun to rise, halted mid-motion.
But in that instant, the Mizukage's body suddenly melted into a mass of dark blue water, wrapping tightly around Reiji.
Damn it! A Water Clone and Water Prison Technique?
When did he form the seals?
At that moment, another water mass slowly rose from the ground nearby, morphing into the form of the Third Mizukage. He sneered.
"I thought you were something scary, but turns out you're just a brute from the Land of Lightning.
When did the Land of Lightning start cozying up to Konoha brats?
Or is there some shady deal going on between Konoha and Kumogakure?"
With that, the Third Mizukage formed another seal.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A wall of water surged up in front of him, blocking Jiraiya's Flame Bullet.
Without even sparing Jiraiya a glance, the Third Mizukage kept his gaze fixed on Reiji inside the water prison and said coldly,
"Hey, you from Kumogakure—tell me, what kind of scheme are you and Konoha running?"
"Glub… glub…" Reiji blew a couple of bubbles, then suddenly grinned.
"Found you."
His muffled voice echoed through the water—and then, with a boom, Reiji inside the water prison exploded.
A split second later, a flash of lightning streaked through a shadowy corner of the cave.
"Zzzap!"
Lightning flickered.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the cave.
Everyone immediately stopped fighting, all eyes turning toward the darkened corner.
The scent of blood spread rapidly.
Moments later, a burst of blue lightning lit up the area—everyone gasped.
The Third Mizukage lay face down, both legs severed at the knees, blood gushing from the wounds.
On his back, a man in a dog-headed mask sat casually, legs apart, both feet pinning down the Mizukage's hands.
"Lord Mizukage, you're just pathetic."