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The List of The "ANBU" Member:
-ar4ngel
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-Cain
-Ryan biggins
-Kreios
-Sabo
-Goha21
-Cherudim
-Splendid
-Jacob Mooe
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Armed with his weapon, Katsumaru seemed completely reborn. The wind blowing in from the sea intertwined with the spinning scythe, generating a massive airflow that forced everyone to instinctively step back.
Akizuki attempted to gather momentum several times, but each effort was disrupted by the powerful gusts.
With a fierce shout, Katsumaru unleashed a ring-shaped shockwave that exploded outward in all directions.
Midorima was flung back two or three meters. After steadying himself, he looked ahead—the scattered debris and broken wood had been swept clean. In the next instant, Katsumaru charged at him once more, wielding his massive scythe.
Midorima cursed inwardly. 'What the hell is wrong with this guy? Picking on the weakest one, huh? All that nonsense he spouted earlier—was it just an act for my benefit?'
Though frustrated, Midorima had to admit that if he were in Katsumaru's position, he might have made the same choice. The logic was simple: eliminate the weakest opponent first to reduce pressure and avoid distractions.
If successful, it was the optimal strategy. The risk, however, was failing to kill in one strike or getting bogged down in haste—either would be disastrous.
Midorima had no intention of letting Katsumaru have his way.
Seeing the wind blades coming his way, Midorima didn't care about grace—he immediately rolled aside while forming hand seals.
High-offensive water-style techniques were difficult to execute quickly and demanded substantial chakra. Yet, if the attack wasn't strong enough, it wouldn't deal a fatal blow to Katsumaru.
Thus, Midorima opted for a defensive ninjutsu.
"Ninjutsu: Water Wall!"
A wall of water surged from the ground.
Katsumaru burst through the water barrier and spotted Midorima staring dumbly at him. His gaze then shifted to the distance—another Midorima was sprinting away.
"The same trick won't work on me twice!" he sneered.
He flung a kunai at the water clone before him and, with a few leaps, caught up to the fleeing Midorima. Swinging his scythe, he beheaded him—only for the body to dissolve into a puddle of water.
'He'd been tricked!'
Katsumaru whirled around. The Midorima he had mistaken for a water clone had already retreated twenty or thirty meters away and was pocketing the kunai he had thrown.
"Heard the same trick doesn't work twice?" Midorima patted his pouch. "Thanks for the free kunai."
'This damn brat… How infuriating!'
Katsumaru realized he had wasted too much time on Midorima, disrupting his battle plan. He needed to end this quickly.
At that moment, a longsword appeared behind him.
"Katsumaru, your head is mine!"
"You? You're just here to die!"
The trajectories of the scythe and the sword crossed midair—yet instead of clashing, they aimed straight for each other's vitals.
If neither retreated, at least one of them would die in this exchange.
However, at the last moment, Akizuki took a step back. The scythe grazed his abdomen, slicing through his clothes and leaving a ten-centimeter gash.
Katsumaru wasn't unscathed either—his chest was cut by the sword.
Midorima inwardly cursed.
'If that sword had been poisoned, even if it didn't kill Katsumaru, it would've at least incapacitated him.'
Still, wielding such a long blade carried the risk of self-injury. From a cautious standpoint, Midorima understood why Akizuki hadn't used poison.
"What's wrong, brat? Scared?" Katsumaru's mocking laughter dripped with disdain. "How did a weakling like you even make it into the Anbu?"
"Valuing my life doesn't mean I fear death. I still have more important things to do!" Akizuki flicked the blood off his blade and charged again.
Mei, seizing the opportunity, unleashed a water-style technique, flanking Katsumaru alongside Akizuki.
Midorima took the chance to catch his breath.
Every time Katsumaru saw him, he lunged like a rabid dog, ignoring everyone else—giving Akizuki openings to strike.
'Are you stupid or what?' Midorima wanted to ask. 'I'm alive, not a corpse. Did you really think I'd just lie down and let you hack at me?'
Of course, he understood Katsumaru's reasoning. But Katsumaru wasn't a wooden dummy—couldn't he at least 'think' before acting?
He needed to conserve his energy for the next time the "mad dog" pounced.
Akizuki's earlier injuries hadn't been light, and his wounds had been healed using "[Activation]".
Though his body was fine, his chakra reserves had taken a significant hit.
Akizuki might have attributed his fatigue to his recent recovery, but Midorima knew—he was simply missing a chunk of his chakra.
In a short skirmish, it might not be noticeable, but prolonged combat could leave Akizuki drained.
The sword and scythe clashed again. This time, Akizuki didn't dodge or retreat—yet in the contest of strength, he was clearly outmatched.
Mei closed in, forming hand seals before unleashing a fiery dragon straight at Katsumaru.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Katsumaru retreated, evading the flames—only for Akizuki to follow up, summoning a twisting water dragon.
"Wind Wall!"
A cyclone of wind enveloped Katsumaru. The water dragon crashed against it, tearing a gap in the barrier.
Before Akizuki could press the attack, the scythe ripped through the water dragon and struck his abdomen.
"Is that all you've got?" Katsumaru jeered. "If the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were here, I'd already be dead. But you? Pathetic."
Akizuki dropped to his knees, coughing up blood.
Midorima moved to heal him, but a barrage of wind blades forced him back.
"Don't move! They might be strong, but you—you're the most annoying one. After I kill him, you're next. No more hiding."
Mei glanced at Midorima. She knew he was the least experienced of the three, especially in the intensity of his techniques.
Knowing 'when' to use a jutsu and 'how' to maximize its effect required countless life-or-death battles—experience Midorima lacked.
"Akizuki, I still have a killing move—but I only get one shot," Mei whispered.
"Midorima, cover us! Mei, you take the lead—I'll create an opening!" Akizuki ordered in a low voice.
Midorima nodded.
At some point, mist had begun to gather in the air. It had been faint earlier, but now, visibility was dropping rapidly—and the fog was thickening.
For Anbu operatives, darkness and heavy mist were ideal conditions. The only concern was whether Katsumaru, with his wind-style prowess, could disperse it.
The last time Midorima and Mei had faced Katsumaru, they had used the "Hiding in Mist Technique", only for him to counter it.
But Akizuki wasn't Midorima. Whether in combat experience or chakra control, Akizuki had the upper hand.
If the mist expanded enough, even Katsumaru might struggle to dispel it.
And with the ocean nearby, the technique's potency would only increase.
In this situation, Midorima's best role wasn't direct assault—it was support.
He quickly formed seals and unleashed "Water Gunshots."
Globules of water rained down on Katsumaru.
Rather than dodging, Katsumaru accelerated the airflow around him, deflecting the projectiles off-course.
Akizuki, however, used the mist as cover, lunging from the front with his sword aimed at Katsumaru's throat.
"You think I don't know the Anbu's sneaky tricks?" Katsumaru snarled.
The two exchanged a flurry of blows, blood spraying from their wounds—yet neither retreated.
They both knew: the moment one faltered, death would follow.
Then, a water bullet grazed Katsumaru's shoulder. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the injury.
"Mei, now!" Akizuki roared, channeling every ounce of his remaining chakra into a final slash.
From behind Akizuki, Mei emerged from the mist without warning, puffing her cheeks before spewing a viscous liquid at Katsumaru.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
"Typhoon Surge!" Katsumaru leaped back, forming seals.
A gale erupted, sending stones and debris flying.
Midorima shielded his face from the storm.
Peering through his fingers, he saw the aftermath.
Half of Katsumaru's body had been struck by the corrosive mist—but the true killing blow was Akizuki's sword, which had pierced 'through' Mei's abdomen before impaling Katsumaru's heart.
At that sight, Midorima's mind went blank.