Kotone rapidly formed hand seals, perfectly combining the Chakra within her body with the Flame-Flame Fruit!

A massive fire dragon, several times larger than a normal Great Fireball Jutsu, roared as it broke through all the illusions, heading straight for Hōzuki Gengetsu’s true body!

“What?! My genjutsu actually…”

Hōzuki Gengetsu was greatly alarmed!

His proud, large-scale genjutsu had been seen through by the opponent with just one glance?!

But Hōzuki Gengetsu, being experienced, immediately used his Water Transformation Jutsu, turning his body into liquid, attempting to evade the fire dragon’s attack!

“Don’t even think about running!”

Another cold voice rang out! It was Hyuga Suzuka!

She had appeared at Hōzuki Gengetsu’s side at some unknown point, her right hand, adorned with the Dark-Dark Fruit knuckle duster, pointed at him from a distance!

An invisible darkness instantly enveloped Hōzuki Gengetsu’s body, which was in the process of liquefying!

“Ugh! What is this?!”

Hōzuki Gengetsu was horrified to find that his Water Transformation Jutsu was forcibly interrupted by this strange dark power!

His body, uncontrollably, solidified again from its liquid state!

And what awaited him was Uchiha Kotone’s flames, already close at hand!

Boom—!!!

Hōzuki Gengetsu only had time for a hasty arm block before he was violently blasted away by the explosion’s flames, slamming heavily into the wall!

“Pfft—!”

He violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!

The searing pain of the flames and the internal organ damage from the shock almost made him pass out!

“It’s not over yet!”

Hōzuki Gengetsu endured his injuries and formed hand seals again!

“Water Style: Great Water Arm Technique!”

He forcibly drew out the moisture from the surrounding air, condensing it into a thick armor of water on his body. At the same time, the ground beneath his feet began to become damp!

“Here, I am the master of water!”

He roared, unleashing a punch, and a massive water-stream fist smashed towards Kotone and Suzuka, who had just landed!

The two immediately dodged!

Rumble!

The huge water fist slammed into the ground, directly creating a large crater in the hard surface, with water splashing everywhere!

The surroundings began to be covered by more and more standing water!

The terrain was changing in a way that favored Hōzuki Gengetsu!

“This is troublesome!”

Kotone looked at the constantly spreading water beneath her feet and frowned.

Her fire abilities would be greatly limited in water!

“Yeahahaha! In the water, your flames are useless!”

Hōzuki Gengetsu laughed triumphantly, his body slowly merging into the standing water beneath his feet, disappearing from sight!

This was the Hōzuki clan’s most proficient Water Transformation secret technique; in a watery environment, they were almost invincible!

“Be careful! He could attack from anywhere!”

Suzuka immediately activated her Byakugan, vigilantly observing the water’s surface around them!

Suddenly, her expression changed:

“Kotone! Beneath your feet!”

Swoosh!

A sharp water spear, formed by high-pressure water flow, suddenly shot out from the standing water beneath Kotone’s feet without warning!

Kotone reacted extremely quickly, immediately leaping back to dodge!

But more water spears, water whips, water bullets… began to attack the two from all directions!

Hōzuki Gengetsu was like a ghost hidden in the water, constantly launching deadly sneak attacks using his Water Transformation Jutsu!

For a time, Kotone and Suzuka were forced into a chaotic scramble, only able to continuously dodge, looking rather disheveled!

Yechuan watched Hōzuki Gengetsu constantly moving and dodging in the water, a cold smile playing on his lips.

As expected of the strongest Second Mizukage in history; his methods were indeed tricky.

But he didn’t make a move; instead, he loudly reminded Suzuka in the arena:

“Suzuka! Your knuckle duster’s ability isn’t just to pull people in!”

“Suck up this annoying water for me too!”

“!”

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Suzuka felt as if she had been enlightened! She slapped her head suddenly!

That’s right! The Dark-Dark Fruit knuckle duster’s ability was gravity! It devoured everything!

“Thanks for the reminder!”

She looked at the vast expanse of water beneath her feet, a glint in her eyes!

Suzuka no longer paid attention to the attacks coming from the water; instead, she slammed her right hand, adorned with the Dark-Dark Fruit knuckle duster, onto the water’s surface!

Buzz—!!!!!!!

A terrifying gravitational force, like a black hole, instantly erupted from the knuckle duster!

Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash—!!!!!!!

The standing water throughout the office, as if finding an outlet, transformed into a massive whirlpool, being frantically sucked into Suzuka’s small palm!

“No—! My water!”

Hōzuki Gengetsu, hidden in the water, let out a stunned scream!

He felt as if he had been caught in an out-of-control drainage system, his body uncontrollably being forcibly stripped from his liquefied state along with the water flow!

Just as his form was exposed, and he fell to the ground in a disheveled state.

Uchiha Kotone, who had been poised and ready on the side, seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Her Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto Hōzuki Gengetsu, pushing the power of her Flame-Flame Fruit to its limit!

A terrifying flame, even hotter than the earlier Great Dragon Fire Jutsu, erupted from her body!

A fireball like a small sun instantly formed, carrying an aura that could incinerate all things, completely engulfing the Second Mizukage, who had just had his shield sucked dry!

“Ugh ah ah ah ah—!!!”

Hōzuki Gengetsu let out his final scream, but still tried to make a last struggle!

“Water Style: Steam Imp!”

Even in the sea of fire, he used his last strength to create the oil clone that could self-destruct infinitely!

However, Hyuga Suzuka activated the Dark-Dark Fruit knuckle duster’s ability again!

Invisible gravity directly acted upon the Steam Imp clone, which had just formed and was still expanding!

Puff!

The clone, composed of oil and water and extremely unstable in structure, instantly disintegrated like a punctured balloon the moment it was touched by the Dark-Dark Fruit’s ability, turning into a harmless puddle of oily water, which was then completely evaporated by the surrounding flames!

Hōzuki Gengetsu’s last trump card failed.

When the firelight dissipated, only a charred corpse remained on the ground, along with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist next to it, who couldn't even hold their weapons steady.

Yechuan looked at the scene before him, calmly retracting his right hand, which was ready to activate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit at any moment, and nodded.

“Not bad.”

“It seems you have initially mastered the use of your new powers.”

He walked to the window, looking down at the Hidden Mist Village, which had completely fallen into chaos and panic, and declared a fact.

“From today on, this village belongs to the Senju.”

With Yechuan’s declaration, the entire Mizukage’s office fell into a dead silence, with only the crackling sound of half the village burning, destroyed by the Raigo outside the window.

Uchiha Kotone and Hyuga Suzuka slowly walked from opposite ends of the battlefield to stand behind Yechuan.

Both of them knew better than anyone that following this man was the best decision they had ever made in their lives.

Following this man, standing at the pinnacle of this world together, looking down upon the Kage they once looked up to but could never reach!

This feeling… was simply too thrilling, and too captivating.