120. Duel with the Mizukage: Battle for Supremacy (3)

120. Duel with the Mizukage: Battle for Supremacy (3)

As the confrontation intensified, the Third Mizukage's emotions surged with a palpable, dark energy. His voice, laced with venom, echoed across the battlefield, articulating a fierce resolve, his old face contorting,

"I would rather be shredded to pieces now than allow those two cursed clans to usurp my longstanding rule. I will kill you, Hikari Hyuga, and all your invading kin...",

"Be sure of that now...", He snarled, his wrinkled expression twisted in disdain, "And in doing so, I will be doing Konoha a massive favor by ridding them of your meddlesome presence.",

His words were not just threats; they were a declaration of his deep-seated animosity, "You think you can just march into Kirigakure and dictate the future? You and your ilk are nothing but a blight on the shinobi world—a plague that needs to be eradicated...", He spat out, each word dripping with hatred.

The Mizukage's prejudice against kekkei genkai holders wasn't a mere political stance; it was a deeply ingrained loathing that had shaped his entire leadership philosophy, "Your bloodlines, your cursed powers...",

"They've done nothing but bring chaos and destruction wherever they exist. My life has taught me that much. And now, you dare to bring that curse to my doorstep? I will bury you and your ambitions beneath the very waters of this village!"

However, at that time, Hikari's response finally came as a cold, calculated rebuke, his voice cutting through the tense air with precision.

"Huh, a sparrow, wanting to kill a swan? Some things are fixed from the moment you are born, there are certain limits to everything you might try and do.",

"As you also probably understand deep inside, and that's why you hate us, out of sheer jealousy. Your entire life has been a futile cope.",

"There were some limits that you cannot cross no matter how hard you try. Just how you didn't manage to deal with Kaguya and others in all these decades, collectively with your faction, no matter how despicable methods you used.",

His gaze hardened, reflecting a deep-seated pride in his heritage, "Let me show you the superiority of the kekkei genkai right now in a personal battle too.",

"Although I commend your 50+ years of constant, day-and-night, almost passive, as often as breathing, probably, training to pass your natural limits, I will show you it was all useless.",

"You will also regret insulting me and my clan. There are some limits that ordinary 'average shinobi mortals' like you can't cross... And don't worry about our place in Konoha, the rest of Konoha will learn that too over time.",

Hikari's words were not just a defense of his abilities but an assertion of his disdain for the Mizukage's life-long vendetta against people like him.

It was a declaration of his intent to demonstrate the inherent power of his bloodline, not to avenge past wrongs inflicted on kekkei genkai holders, at the hands of this Mizukage, but to assert his dominance and put the Mizukage in his place simply because he felt it was necessary—because he felt like it at that moment.

However, as the battle raged on, Hikari couldn't help but acknowledge the Mizukage's formidable mastery of natural energy techniques,

'He is at least a Middle Kage level shinobi just like me now. However, he is much more experienced in using those natural energy external application techniques above all else.",

"In fact, had he been younger biologically, this would've probably been over for me relatively quickly. But now I still have a chance...', Hikari thought, reassessing his opponent's strengths and vulnerabilities.

The realization that the Mizukage's age might be his Achilles' heel spurred Hikari to adapt his strategy. Despite the Mizukage's impressive skill set, his older physique couldn't possibly sustain high-intensity combat indefinitely.

'I need to exploit that to my advantage. If I manage to hold on for long enough, then my way superior and younger body stats due to biological age would help me win. I also learned more and more about those natural energy applications through his moves inadvertently, so I think I can also quite progress during this battle itself, which is a very beneficial development for me unexpectedly as I lack the most experience in that uncharted territory that natural energy is in this shinobi world during this time...', He analyzed, thinking several moves ahead.

With each exchange, Hikari absorbed crucial insights into the application of natural energy, inadvertently gaining a crash course in advanced techniques from one of the most skilled practitioners he had ever faced specializing and having spent decades researching that area. This would also be very useful to him later in life if he managed to live through this ordeal.

'I need to try to also bring this battle closer into Kirigakure, to use this to my advantage, to have him put in tough spots more there, have him more 'between a rock and hard place, in a way, and use his allies against him... I'm already almost there, he didn't expect me to get past the swordsmen group so fast so he intercepted me relatively late...', He planned additionally.

Therefore, with this set of new tactics in mind, Hikari began subtly steering the direction of their combat, aiming to push their battle toward the heart of the Kirigakure more and more.

Meanwhile, as Hikari and the Third Mizukage continued their ferocious duel, moving closer to the heart of Kirigakure, Hikari's keen Byakugan picked up the chaotic scenes of intense fighting throughout the village itself as well as obviously caused by the Kaguya and Yuki planned intrusion in the village from the other direction.

Despite the ferocity elsewhere, he noticed how the entire battle inside Kirigakure seemed to pause for a second when he and the Mizukage clashed anew, their surges of chakra emitting waves of power that could be felt across the battlefield.

The combatants and bystanders alike were momentarily transfixed by the magnitude of their confrontation Hikari barely caught on in one pause between his clashes with the Mizukage.

'Hold on, hold on, just push a little bit first with my larger chakra reservoir, use it up a little bit, to force him inside... Lose something first to gain something and win in the end...',

Hikari mentally strategized, recognizing the need to leverage his younger, more resilient body and larger chakra capacity to his advantage.

With each calculated strike and maneuver, Hikari sought not only to physically overpower the Mizukage but also to drive him back, step by step, into the village. He was burning through his chakra like crazy, but he knew that it was the tactic that made the most sense overall.

The fight continued a blur of motion and energy, with Hikari constantly pushing, always with the goal of drawing the Mizukage deeper into a tactical trap within the heart of Kirigakure.