On the surface, in an unknown canyon.
After several hours of trekking, Hōzuki Mangetsu had successfully crossed the entire forested canyon. Now, standing before him was the mountain designated in the mission scroll.
Beside Mangetsu, Tongcao Yebai and Hōzuki Kajō, who had been forced to separate earlier, had regrouped and followed his lead.
Just as they were about to proceed toward the mountain, Mangetsu suddenly frowned.
"Do you sense that the mist has gotten denser?"
His sharp gaze swept over the forest behind them. Just moments ago, they could still vaguely discern the outlines of the trees. Now, everything was obscured in an impenetrable haze.
"The mist thickening has nothing to do with us," Jinin Akebino said nonchalantly, spreading his hands as if unconcerned.
Hearing this, Mangetsu didn't argue further and turned toward the mountain, pressing forward.
Inside the Foggy Space
The big orange cat was just about to start rambling about the abduction of Takeda Yō when Mizuki Ryosuke shot him a piercing glare.
"Cut the nonsense. Stick to what's important."
The frigid killing intent in Ryosuke's voice made Nyutaro tremble violently. He quickly nodded, no longer willing to waste words.
Thus, Nyutaro skipped over irrelevant details and began explaining everything he knew about the mist.
The feline clans referred to this space as the "Foggy Realm." Even among the local snake and feline inhabitants, few truly understood the origin of the mist. Most only knew that the persistent fog was an inherent part of this place, yet none could explain its exact nature.
Nyutaro was no exception.
This region was technically a forbidden zone for the feline tribe. However, due to their highly independent nature, there were no rigid rules enforcing such restrictions.
Additionally, since there had been no major incidents in the Foggy Realm for years, the elders of the feline clan saw no harm in letting younger cats explore the area.
After countless years of study, the feline tribe classified the mist into five distinct levels based on its density:
1. Light Mist – No different from regular fog.
2. Dense Mist – A fog that cannot be dispersed.
3. Deep Mist – Causes sensory interference and has a probability of spawning an entity known as a Mirage.
4. Haze – A highly dangerous state where illusions run rampant, and countless Mirages manifest within the fog.
5. Fog Nightmare – The most extreme state, rumored to bring the mist to life entirely, triggering a catastrophe.
Because the fog constantly accumulates, it eventually reaches hazardous levels. To prevent disasters, the feline clan constructed a special channel that connects the canyon to the Foggy Realm, designed to periodically vent the excess mist.
This system not only regulated the mist concentration but also served as a defensive measure for the feline clan's stronghold at the mountain's peak.
The mist that Mizuki Ryosuke encountered upon entering the forest was actually the discharged remnants from the Foggy Realm.
Due to this, Nyutaro initially miscalculated.
He had assumed that since the mist had already been vented once, the concentration inside the Foggy Realm wouldn't be high enough to generate a Mirage.
However, upon entering, he discovered that the mist was already nearing the threshold of the fourth level—Haze.
This realization terrified Nyutaro.
If even one Mirage manifested, anyone trapped in the fog would become its prey.
These creatures possessed no intelligence—only pure, predatory instinct.
Ryosuke's sharp eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Nyutaro.
"You dragged us into this without considering how to get out?"
"Of course I did!" Nyutaro hastily blurted out. "Before I came in, I arranged for my clanmates to open the mist vent in two hours! That's our only chance to escape!"
His voice was filled with desperation.
Ryosuke's gaze remained locked onto Nyutaro, his expression unreadable. The previous grievances would be dealt with later—survival came first.
"What's happening now, then?" Ryosuke pressed, pointing at the fog outside the ice dome that was thickening at an alarming rate.
"U-uh… Big Brother Human…" Nyutaro stammered nervously. "I… I seem to recall hearing about some kind of 'seal' inside the Foggy Realm…"
"And just now, when you unleashed that huge jutsu… you might have, uh… broken it."
Nyutaro carefully chose his words, trying his best not to provoke the terrifying human before him.
By this point, Nyutaro deeply regretted everything.
Originally, he had seen Takeda Yō as an easy target, a soft persimmon to squeeze. But he had never expected such a terrifying existence to be lurking behind him.
Had he known earlier, he wouldn't have dared to touch Ryosuke's team even with ten times his courage.
But it was too late for regrets. The situation had already spiraled out of control.
Ryosuke rubbed his temples.
His earlier large-scale ice jutsu had indeed exterminated numerous Mirages, but it had also triggered unforeseen consequences.
Annoyance wouldn't solve anything now.
Instead, Ryosuke needed to focus on finding a solution.
Countless fragmented clues flashed through his mind, gradually assembling into a complete picture.
Nyutaro's appearance had provided the final missing piece, allowing Ryosuke to grasp the truth.
For a long time, he had heard rumors about the First Mizukage's Summoning Beast. Unlike typical shinobi contracts with fierce creatures, the First Mizukage had formed an alliance with an ordinary-looking species—cats.
Yet, despite their unassuming nature, it was with the support of these ninja cats that the First Mizukage had laid the foundations of Kirigakure.
Clearly, these cats were far from ordinary.
Nyutaro's existence confirmed the deep connection between the feline clan and Kirigakure.
It was evident now—these were the very same ninja cats who had once forged a summoning contract with the First Mizukage.
This meant that the so-called S-rank mission Ryosuke had undertaken was likely an elaborate test orchestrated between the village and the feline tribe—a trial to select the next Mizukage.
The so-called Secret Scroll of the Mizukage likely never existed.
If Ryosuke's suspicions were correct, the higher-ups of Kirigakure were monitoring the entire process through some special means.
The true mission… was the Mizukage Selection Exam itself.
Then, there was the matter of the ancient murals found in the haze-covered caves.
From these murals, Ryosuke deduced something astonishing:
The feline clan living in this valley had some connection to the Sage of Six Paths—Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
According to legend, after sealing Kaguya, the Sage had wandered the world alone, witnessing the suffering of humanity.
In response, he founded the Ninja Sect and shared the knowledge of elemental ninjutsu.
But the murals hinted at something more—before establishing the Ninja Sect, the Sage had once entered this valley and discovered the Yin-Yang Spring within the cave.
Inspired by this phenomenon, he comprehended the power of Yin-Yang Release.
The murals depicted a Yin-Yang Stone Plate—an abstract representation of the Sage's realization.
If Ryosuke's deductions were correct, the Yin-Yang Stone Plate wasn't just a relic.
It was the birthplace of Yin-Yang Release itself.
The Sage had taken the Yang portion with him and sealed the Yin portion within the cave.
And now, that very seal had been broken.
This overwhelming Yin energy was the true source of the endless mist.
Apart from the Sage of Six Paths himself, Ryosuke couldn't imagine anyone else in history capable of generating such a massive-scale Yin-Yang Release.
Even Nyutaro—cowardly as he seemed—had displayed traces of Yin-Yang Release mastery.
It was clear now.
The feline ancestors had once interacted with the Sage and inherited knowledge of Yin-Yang Release.
Understanding this, Ryosuke's gaze sharpened.
This wasn't just a crisis.
It was an opportunity.
Yin-Yang Release had always been his weakness.
Now, standing at the very site where the Sage first comprehended it…
This was a turning point.
And Ryosuke intended to seize it.
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