Chapter 113: The Mizukage Passed Out
Anyone present could clearly see what was happening right before their eyes: Uchiha Taiga was doing something terrible to their Kage.
Of course, this wasn't just a simple misdeed; it was a matter concerning the very safety of Kirigakure. He was extracting Tailed Beast chakra, which could very well drain Lord Mizukage to death.
The young woman standing beside the old man was the first to react. Seeing Taiga's hand pressed against Yagura Karatachi's abdomen as pale red chakra was slowly drawn from the Mizukage's body, her pupils shrank sharply, and a voice exploded from her throat.
"Stop!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Kirigakure ninjas behind her surged forward.
The group sprinted across the water at breakneck speed, leaving trails of white wakes on the surface.
Some drew their blades, while others wove hand signs, coordinating seamlessly to flank from the sides. Their objective was clear: rescue the Mizukage and take down the boy who dared to lay a hand on him.
Only the old man remained in place, guarded by two others behind him, making no further moves.
His gaze bypassed the crowd and landed on Uchiha Taiga, a complex glint flashing through his cloudy, aged eyes.
Seeing this, Yugito Nii didn't hesitate. She leaned forward, lowering her stance with her arms hanging naturally by her sides, resembling a cheetah ready to pounce.
Her eyes locked onto the charging Kirigakure ninjas, their figures reflecting in her pupils as she calculated their speed and distance.
Uchiha Taiga spoke up at just the right moment.
"I bear no ill will toward you. In fact, I'm the one who saved your Mizukage. I'm just taking a little bit of Tailed Beast chakra from him; it won't cost him his life."
His voice was clear, ensuring everyone heard him perfectly.
Ultimately, his goal in coming to Kirigakure was simply to obtain the chakra of the Three-Tails Isobu. As for freeing Yagura Karatachi from the genjutsu control along the way, that was purely to make things a bit more difficult for Uchiha Obito.
Unfortunately, no one was willing to listen to his explanation.
The Kirigakure ninjas naturally wouldn't take him at his word, especially when all they saw was their Mizukage lying on a broken wooden plank, having Tailed Beast chakra siphoned from his body.
Setting aside the merits of the Blood Mist policy, those who had come here were mostly fiercely loyal to Mizukage Yagura Karatachi. Seeing such a scene, they knew exactly what they had to do.
A kunai flew out from the crowd, aiming straight for Taiga's face.
It was closely followed by a second, then a third, and soon a barrage of shuriken, explosive tags, and finally, ninjutsu.
Water Style, Wind Style, Lightning Style... A myriad of attacks converged on Taiga from all directions, sealing off any room for evasion.
Seeing this, Taiga could only sigh.
He didn't even try to dodge, nor did his hands pause for a single moment. He simply remarked casually, "Yugito, hold them off for a bit. I'll be done here soon."
Yugito Nii didn't waste any words.
She launched herself from the water's surface with astonishing speed, intercepting the frontline before any of the attacks could reach Taiga.
Her hands traced two arcs in the air as a special deep blue Fire Style chakra surged from her body, condensing into a wall of flames before her.
The kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags that struck the barrier were either reduced to ash, melted into molten iron, or instantly detonated.
The water bullets, wind blades, and lightning strikes that hit the barrier exploded into bursts of colorful light, yet the fiery shield remained completely unfazed.
As the barrier dissipated, her figure dashed out from the smoke, meeting the leading Kirigakure ninjas head-on.
Forming her right hand into a claw, her five fingertips coated in pale blue chakra, she swiped at one of their ninja swords.
The man raised his blade to block. The edge clashed against her sharp claws, emitting a piercing screech of grinding metal.
With a twist of her wrist, Yugito's fingers clamped down on the blade and wrenched it violently, snapping the sword cleanly in half.
The man froze for a split second, but Yugito's left palm had already slammed into his chest. The heavy blow sent him flying backward, crashing into the water where he lay motionless.
He wasn't dead; Yugito knew how to hold back.
Having followed Uchiha Taiga for several months, she had come to understand him quite well. She knew his orders didn't mean she should take these people's lives.
Thus, her movements were measured, with every strike avoiding vital spots and carefully controlling the force behind them.
The Kirigakure ninjas, however, were completely unaware of this. Being beaten back step by step, they were naturally furious.
After all, no matter how much she held back, Yugito Nii was still a Jinchuriki, one of the few individuals standing at the very pinnacle of the ninja world. While these Kirigakure ninjas were considered elites, they were still leagues below her.
Fighting dozens of them single-handedly, she handled the situation with ease, like an adult playing a game with children.
Meanwhile, the Kirigakure ninjas were completely at a loss for how to counter her.
The only one who surprised Yugito was the young woman, whose abilities far surpassed the rest of the Kirigakure shinobi.
Without any warning before her strike, the young woman darted out from the crowd with astonishing speed. She crossed her hands in front of her, and a scorching aura surged from her palms.
"Lava Style: Lava Monster Jutsu!"
A glob of bubbling, viscous liquid spewed from her mouth, surging toward Yugito.
The yellowish-white fluid emitted a pungent odor. Wherever it passed, the seawater evaporated with a loud, sizzling hiss.
Yugito's pupils shrank slightly as she dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding a direct hit from the corrosive liquid.
The liquid splashed into the sea, instantly sending up massive plumes of white steam as a small patch of the ocean boiled over.
The young woman didn't stop. Her hands wove another set of signs, this time releasing a completely different chakra fluctuation.
"Boil Style: Skilled Mist Jutsu!"
A cloud of acidic mist erupted from her mouth, spreading rapidly and nearly enveloping the entire space around Yugito.
The mist was a milky white, appearing light and ethereal, yet the small portion that drifted down to the sea corroded the floating wooden planks, eating holes right through them.
Yugito was fast, retreating out of range before the acidic mist could fully engulf her.
She furrowed her brows slightly, looking at the young woman with a hint of surprise.
'Two Kekkei Genkai?'
Lava Style and Boil Style—this was incredibly rare in the ninja world.
Possessing even one Kekkei Genkai already made someone a one-in-a-million genius. To possess two simultaneously was truly exceptional.
Yugito glanced at Uchiha Taiga, wanting to see his reaction.
Watching the scene unfold, Taiga wasn't particularly surprised.
He recognized a few of the newcomers.
The old man leaning on a cane was likely Kirigakure's Grand Elder, a figure of such high standing in the village that even the Mizukage had to show him respect.
The young woman was Terumi Mei, the future Fifth Mizukage and wielder of both the Lava Style and Boil Style Kekkei Genkai.
These were all notable figures whose names carried weight.
Right now, however, he was far more interested in Yagura Karatachi's reaction.
Taiga's hand was still pressed against Yagura's abdomen, slowly extracting the pale red chakra. His movements didn't stop, but his gaze shifted to Yagura's face.
"Aren't you going to say something to stop them?"
Enduring the pain, Yagura was deathly pale, his lips pressed tightly together.
His eyes were open but unfocused, as if he were staring at the sky, or perhaps something else entirely.
Hearing Taiga's words, his lips moved, but no sound came out.
He seemed to snap back to reality, but just as he turned his head and opened his mouth to speak, his face twisted in agony. Then, his head lolled to the side, and he passed out cold.
"Wait a second, are you really this weak? I didn't even use that much force."
Taiga was utterly dumbfounded.