Chapter 403: Ninja Master on par with Hanzo

Ikechou ultimately didn’t run away due to a guilty conscience; he told Kuroda to wait in place, instructing him to run if there was any movement, then went to Muzuki’s temporary residence.

“Ninja Master Sōsuke, perhaps you should avoid the limelight. Some people have exaggerated your reputation too much, placing you on the same level as Lord Hanzo the Demigod. Now, not only Ninja Organization Ninja are coming, but even Ninja from Hidden Rain Village are here.”

Ikechou spoke to Muzuki with a serious expression, which also held a hint of regret, as if he was saddened by not being able to attend Muzuki’s lessons anymore.

“Is that so? Then, who do you think exaggerated the most?” Muzuki looked at Ikechou with a smile.

Muzuki’s seemingly all-knowing gaze made Ikechou feel a bit guilty, but his expression remained unchanged; he still looked like he was thinking of Muzuki’s well-being.

“Write down your thoughts on war and peace. You can give it to me before I leave.” Muzuki said, then walked towards the village entrance.

Regardless of Ikechou’s intentions, from the outcome, he had more than completed Muzuki’s task.

Knowing he had blown things up, he still informed Muzuki to run, which showed he still had some conscience.

Therefore, Muzuki was willing to give Ikechou a chance, a chance that could significantly impact his life’s trajectory.

Muzuki had sensed the Ninja’s presence before they even approached Oz Village, and he had already used his Byakugan to observe their strength.

Most of the rogue Ninja were Genin who posed no threat to him. Then there were some Chunin from Ninja Organization and Hidden Rain Village, and even fewer Jonin. Besides the Yahiko trio, there was only one Jonin from Hidden Rain Village who met the qualification standard.

“Are you really not considering avoiding the limelight? Some of those Ninja look like they’re here to cause trouble,” Ikechou reminded him.

“Actually, your propaganda wasn’t exaggerated,” Muzuki gave Ikechou a meaningful smile.

With Muzuki’s current strength, being on par with Lord Hanzo was not false advertising.

This left Ikechou, who was preparing to run, somewhat indecisive.

Muzuki seemed very confident, but Ikechou worried that Muzuki was blindly overestimating his own strength.

“Forget it, I’ll wait and see.” Ikechou pondered for a moment and decided to stay.

Anyway, given Muzuki’s current demeanor, he definitely wouldn’t settle scores with him. If something went wrong, he and his good brother could just run away together.

“Where is Ninja Master Sōsuke? Didn’t he say he teaches Ninjutsu? Is this a scam?” This was from an ambitious rogue Ninja.

“How dare he put himself on par with Lord Hanzo! I’d like to see how capable he is.” This was from a fervent fan of Lord Hanzo.

Due to the large number of Ninja gathered, the scene was very noisy, and the Ninja who had attended the lessons earlier were unable to maintain order due to their insufficient strength.

Nagato frowned; he didn’t like such noisy environments.

Yahiko, however, was in his element, even introducing the great goals of the Akatsuki Organization to a stranger next to him, “Brother, have you heard of the Akatsuki Organization?”

“I have, but I don’t want to know more,” the Ninja next to him politely declined.

“Don’t be in a hurry. Once I tell you about the dream of our Akatsuki Organization, you’ll see us in a new light,” Yahiko’s enthusiasm didn’t wane.

“Yahiko, aren’t you supposed to recruit that Sōsuke?” Konan said, seeing that the rogue Ninja was starting to lose his composure.

“The main target is Uncle Sōsuke, but with so many Ninja here, it’s a great opportunity for the Akatsuki Organization to increase its strength,” Yahiko turned and said to Konan.

Just as Yahiko was about to continue promoting the Akatsuki Organization’s great ideals to the rogue Ninja, Yahiko realized that in the brief moment he turned his head, the other person had disappeared.

“Hello everyone, I heard someone was looking for me. I am Sōsuke.” Muzuki walked to the open space where the crowd gathered and introduced himself.

Instantly, everyone’s gaze focused on Muzuki, curiously scrutinizing this audacious Ninja Master.

They could only describe him as audacious. To compare oneself to Lord Hanzo in the Land of Rain was like saying one was evenly matched with Senju Hashirama in the Land of Fire.

“Are you the Sōsuke who calls himself a Ninja Master and compares himself to Lord Hanzo?” A Ninja with orange hair stepped forward with an unfriendly expression and asked.

“I am indeed Sōsuke, but ‘Ninja Master’ is not a title I gave myself,” Muzuki nodded.

“The point is that you actually think you can be compared to Lord Hanzo!” The orange-haired Ninja said with an extremely displeased look, then burst out Chakra and stomped the ground, the powerful force instantly cracking the earth.

Ninja near the orange-haired Ninja all showed surprise and kept a certain distance from him. This was clearly someone looking for trouble, and his strength was not weak.

Seeing this, Ikechou pulled Kuroda back a certain distance, shielding the other Ninja in front of him.

“It’s your freedom to think that way.” To everyone’s surprise, Muzuki didn’t rush to explain or refute; instead, he seemed to agree with the orange-haired Ninja’s statement.

The Hidden Rain Village Ninja in the crowd frowned. This was too arrogant. Their Lord Hanzo was a recognized powerhouse throughout the Ninja World.

If it weren’t for the orange-haired Ninja’s impressive display of strength, the Hidden Rain Village Jonin would have surely stepped forward to test Muzuki’s abilities.

Since someone was willing to do the work, the Hidden Rain Village Jonin was happy to watch the show.

“Let me, Kurosaki Ichigo, see how strong you are, to dare compare yourself to Lord Hanzo!” Kurosaki Ichigo snorted coldly and unleashed his Chakra, his aura spreading outwards.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin felt the oppressive force from Kurosaki Ichigo and showed a surprised expression. This was much stronger than him.

“As expected of Lord Hanzo, to have such strong admirers even outside of Hidden Rain Village.” The Hidden Rain Village Jonin admired Lord Hanzo even more in his heart.

“It’s almost class time anyway, so let’s have a practical combat lesson,” Muzuki calmly accepted the invitation.

This Kurosaki Ichigo was not the Ninja who shared a name with a certain manga protagonist; he was Muzuki’s Shadow Clone.

Muzuki wanted to display his strength, and the best way was for a brainless villain to jump out of the crowd and get beaten up by him, which would both demonstrate his strength and establish his authority.

But in the real world, where would he find so many thoughtless people? So Muzuki simply had his Shadow Clone perform.

To prevent Nagato’s Rinnegan from seeing through it, Muzuki’s Shadow Clone also used a Transformation to alter his appearance.

Because Transformations with information about Ninja consume a lot of Chakra and require Chakra to maintain, the Shadow Clone couldn’t sustain such consumption. Otherwise, choosing a Ninja from the Land of Rain to transform into would have been more effective.

“That guy seems pretty strong. Shouldn’t we help?” Konan asked softly.

Konan wasn’t present when Muzuki met Nagato, so she didn’t know Nagato’s assessment of Muzuki.

“I believe in Uncle Sōsuke’s strength. Since he admitted it, then he must truly be no worse than Lord Hanzo!” Yahiko chose to believe Muzuki could handle this matter.

To avoid affecting the villagers of Oz Village, Muzuki moved the battlefield to a large open area outside the village.

“If you’re ready, we’ll start in three, two, one.” Kurosaki Ichigo took a fighting stance.

Muzuki nodded, indicating he had no objections.

“Three, two, one!”

The moment they counted to one, both moved.

“Earth Release: Earth Pillar Spear!”

Kurosaki Ichigo quickly formed hand seals, and numerous thick, sharp rock spikes immediately shot out from the originally flat ground. Each spike was taller than an ordinary person and incredibly sharp.

Most of the rogue Ninja had never seen such a terrifyingly powerful Ninjutsu and instinctively retreated further, to avoid being caught in the crossfire of their battle.

But Muzuki seemed to have anticipated it, swiftly using the Body Flicker Technique to dodge the wide-ranging rock spike attack.

“So fast.” The Hidden Rain Village Jonin realized that this Sōsuke seemed genuinely impressive.

He hadn’t reacted to how Muzuki dodged Kurosaki Ichigo’s Earth Release attack just now.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin was glad that Kurosaki Ichigo had stepped up first. If he had disgraced Hidden Rain Village, Lord Hanzo would surely punish him.

“Sharp lightning can penetrate the hardness of earth. Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation counters Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation, so it’s best to use Lightning Release against Earth Release.” Muzuki said while forming hand seals.

“Lightning Release: False Darkness!”

Muzuki condensed a large amount of Chakra in his mouth and spat out an incredibly sharp, powerful bolt of lightning that swept across the area.

Boom!!

The terrifying lightning spear instantly destroyed all the rock spikes on the ground, sending shattered rock flying everywhere, and its residual power continued to shoot towards Kurosaki Ichigo.

Kurosaki Ichigo seemed not to have expected Muzuki’s Lightning Release to be so powerful and responded in a very disheveled manner.

“It’s actually this powerful, which means the rumors are true.” A rogue Ninja clenched his fist, showing an excited expression.

If he could learn such powerful Ninjutsu, he wouldn’t have to hide and rob ordinary people to sustain his training; he could get rich by taking bounty missions from the black market.

He wasn’t the only one with this thought; many Ninja felt that their trip hadn’t been in vain.

“What if you counter my Earth Release? I don’t just use Earth Release Ninjutsu!” Kurosaki Ichigo, unwilling to give up, formed hand seals again.

This time he used Fire Release. Kurosaki Ichigo spat out a large amount of flames, which quickly formed a giant fireball and smashed towards Muzuki.

“The best choice against Fire Release is water; water can extinguish fire,” Muzuki continued to explain.

“Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!”

Muzuki condensed Chakra and spat out a giant water ball, which not only extinguished the incoming fireball but also thoroughly drenched Kurosaki Ichigo.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can use Water Release.” Kurosaki Ichigo’s face turned red, as if he felt humiliated.

“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”

Using the remaining water from Muzuki’s Great Waterfall Technique, Kurosaki Ichigo quickly condensed an incredibly thick water dragon.

Looking at the super water dragon, which was far larger in both length and thickness than an ordinary Water Dragon Bullet, many of the surrounding Ninja retreated further.

Many of them were not necessarily much stronger than a freshly graduated Genin from Konoha. Their survival in the chaotic Land of Rain depended entirely on their caution; they knew well to keep a safe distance when watching a spectacle.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin was already thinking about whether to recommend Kurosaki Ichigo to Lord Hanzo. Although he was an outsider, his strength was indeed good; he had mastered three Nature Transformations, and they all seemed to be at a certain level of proficiency.

“Of course, in battle, nature counters are not absolute. If there’s too much of a strength difference, it won’t work. If the flames are strong enough, they can also dry up water.” This time, Muzuki didn’t choose to counter but instead chose to be countered.

“Fire Release: Head Hardship!”

Muzuki spat out a small, extremely compressed fireball towards the charging water dragon.

Initially, the fireball was only fist-sized, but upon colliding with the Water Dragon Bullet, the compressed flames instantly erupted, forming a sea of fire. Under the scorching heat of the high-temperature fire sea, the massive water dragon rapidly disappeared.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin’s pupils suddenly constricted. This Ninjutsu clash had a completely different meaning from the previous ones.

To be able to counter-suppress an opponent while being at a disadvantage in terms of elemental nature can only mean a vast difference in strength, and Kurosaki Ichigo’s performance was already much stronger than that of an average Jonin.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin was surprised to find that, apart from Lord Hanzo, there really seemed to be no one else in Hidden Rain Village who could be a match for this Sōsuke.

“No wonder he dared to put himself on par with Lord Hanzo.” The Hidden Rain Village Jonin instantly no longer found Muzuki arrogant.

This was reality, this was the Ninja World; a Ninja’s strength was the foundation of everything.

Although the Hidden Rain Village Jonin felt that this level of strength couldn’t defeat their Hidden Rain Demigod Lord Hanzo, it was certainly enough to be considered the second strongest in the Land of Rain.

Considering that Muzuki hadn’t fought Lord Hanzo, it was normal for him to misjudge, so he didn’t think it was arrogant.

“As expected of Uncle Sōsuke,” Yahiko couldn’t help but exclaim, feeling the heat wave coming towards him.

He was a Ninja specializing in Water Release, and he understood better than ordinary Ninja how impressive Muzuki’s Fire Release just now was.

“Could what he said earlier actually be true?” Ikechou was also a bit stunned, watching Muzuki effortlessly educate a powerful Jonin.

A terrifying thought formed in his mind: Muzuki wasn’t boasting earlier, but truly possessed seven Chakra Nature Transformations.

Thinking this, Ikechou’s heart pounded. He remembered what Muzuki had told him a few minutes ago. Although it was still about writing reflections, this time it was clearly different from the ordinary ones.

Next, Muzuki further demonstrated his powerful Taijutsu skills to the onlookers, even pointing out Kurosaki Ichigo’s weaknesses and offering suggestions for improvement while fighting.

Not only were the newly arrived Ninja surprised by this, but even the veterans who had been following Muzuki for some time hadn’t realized Muzuki was so strong.

In their minds, Muzuki having the level of a Jonin from the Five Great Nations was the absolute peak, as this was already a level of strength they couldn’t reach.

“Your strength is indeed very great. I am no match, but this does not mean your strength can compare to Lord Hanzo!” Kurosaki Ichigo, unable to bear the humiliation, conceded defeat but continued to speak up for Lord Hanzo.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin was even a little moved. To find such a Ninja in this day and age, he absolutely had to recommend him to Lord Hanzo now.

The other onlookers also looked on with respect, believing that Kurosaki Ichigo had lost but was worthy of respect.

Having said that, Kurosaki Ichigo left without looking back.

The Hidden Rain Village Jonin silently noted down the name. Muzuki’s displayed strength was too great; he needed to continue investigating and couldn’t leave for now.

“Ninja Master, please teach me Ninjutsu!” A Ninja immediately called out respectfully.

This cry instantly caused a chain reaction, and others who realized also began to flatter Muzuki and adopt a student-like posture.