Chapter 166: Mizukage's Successor!

Before Soma could speak, Kakuzu interrupted.

"Alright, this time I will only teach you one Lightning Release Ninjutsu, just one."

"I'll leave after I teach it to you."

"I absolutely won't teach a second one."

Soma shrugged.

"Fine."

With an excellent level of Lightning Release talent, Soma didn't need to learn two Lightning Release Ninjutsu.

One is already enough.

"Alright."

Kakuzu sighed in relief, his expression softening.

"I'll explain it to you first, then I'll demonstrate it."

"Okay."

Kakuzu's explanation was, as always, meticulous.

Expensive, but worth the price.

For Soma, who wasn't short on money, the fear wasn't the cost, but the other party taking the money and not doing the job.

Half a day passed, and Kakuzu's explanation was almost done.

"Next, the Lightning Release Ninjutsu I'm going to teach you is called Lightning Release: Lightning Hand."

Soma: "???"

Lightning Hand?

Kakuzu continued, "This Ninjutsu is one I stole from Hidden Cloud Village. It condenses Lightning Release Chakra in the palm and then releases it."

"Like a rope, yet also like a snake."

"It wraps around the opponent on its own."

"Once it hits, it causes paralysis."

"If you use enough Chakra and the opponent is weak enough, it can cause more damage."

"This Ninjutsu's name is something I came up with myself."

"I don't remember what it's called in Hidden Cloud Village."

Soma thought to himself—no wonder it sounds so casual considering you call earth spear a jutsu that simply hardens the body...

"Watch carefully!"

With that, Kakuzu began to demonstrate.

Chakra condensed.

Then, a Chakra rope appeared from Kakuzu's hand.

Under Kakuzu's control, it attacked the wooden dummy opposite him.

Even though wood is an insulator, when the voltage of the lightning is high enough, it can still cause damage.

The wooden dummy is not an absolute insulator; it just has a relatively high resistance.

"Snap!"

The dummy instantly shattered.

"Got it?"

Kakuzu withdrew his gaze and looked at Soma.

Soma closed his eyes.

Kakuzu sat to the side.

Based on past experience, Kakuzu thought it would take Soma at least ten days to learn this Ninjutsu, if not more. He could wait patiently.

But soon, Soma opened his eyes.

"Lightning Release, Lightning Hand!"

Soma felt that the name wasn't quite appropriate, but for now, he would stick with the one provided by Kakuzu.

In the next moment, something surprising happened to Kakuzu.

Because Kakuzu saw that Soma had successfully condensed Lightning Release Chakra in his hand. The Lightning Release Chakra had successfully turned into a bundle of lightning, forming a shape similar to a rope.

"Snap!"

The dummy in front of Soma was attacked and shattered.

Kakuzu's eyes widened.

He looked at the dummy, then at Soma, and then back at the dummy...

Kakuzu displayed an incredulous expression.

—Was this really the same person from last time?

He listened and watched once and learned it?

Why was learning Fire Release so difficult last time?

Could it be twins?

Or was it intentional last time?

Or maybe, he just has a high talent for Lightning Release and not for Fire Release?

But if you have a high talent for Lightning Release, why learn Fire Release at all?

Wouldn't it be better to just learn Lightning Release?

Kakuzu couldn't figure it out.

"Kakuzu-san, have I mastered it?"

Hearing Soma's voice, Kakuzu snapped back to reality, his expression somewhat complicated.

"You've mastered it."

"Thank you for your guidance."

Kakuzu nodded, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Kakuzu-san, is there something else you want to say?"

Kakuzu hesitated for a moment.

"Well, do you want to learn another Lightning Release Ninjutsu? The price is negotiable."

Soma raised his eyebrow slightly.

With his excellent level of talent, one Lightning Release Ninjutsu was enough for him. However, if Kakuzu was willing to teach more, Soma wouldn't mind.

Soma remembered that Kakuzu had a rather powerful Lightning Release Ninjutsu. Even if he couldn't use it himself, teaching it to Ameyuri Ringo could help improve her strength.

"Alright, Kakuzu-san, what other Lightning Release Ninjutsu do you have?"

"A high-level Lightning Release Ninjutsu, False Darkness, but the price will be higher."

Teaching Fire Release for money made Kakuzu feel tormented. But this time, teaching Lightning Release was completely different.

Kakuzu didn't want to miss this easy money-making opportunity.

Soma began to negotiate. Although Soma wasn't short on money, he wouldn't just accept any price Kakuzu proposed. Doing so would not only result in a greater loss but also make him seem less respectable.

Before long, they agreed on a price, and Kakuzu began to explain.

"False Darkness condenses Lightning Release Chakra into the shape of a spear. It sweeps from near to far, requiring highly concentrated Lightning Release Chakra, making it very destructive."

"If mastered well, it can even penetrate rocks."

"And its speed is extremely fast, making it hard for opponents to dodge."

After explaining, Kakuzu demonstrated.

Hand seals.

Mouth opened.

A burst of lightning shot out from Kakuzu's mouth.

"Boom!"

It was like a laser.

That was Soma's first thought.

The speed of the lightning is extremely fast; it can hit the target in an instant. It doesn't disappear upon impact but continues to exist as long as Chakra is continuously supplied.

In appearance, it's no different from the laser of a laser pointer. However, its power is countless times greater than that of a laser pointer.

After using it, it can also be wielded like a long-bladed Ninjato, useful for slashing.

"Give it a try."

Like before, Soma closed his eyes first, carefully recalling and mentally rehearsing the technique.

Once he had rehearsed enough, he opened his eyes.

Hand seals.

Mouth opened.

A burst of lightning shot out.

However, after only a few meters, it dispersed.

As a high-level Lightning Release Ninjutsu, learning False Darkness was significantly more difficult than the previous Lightning Release technique.

Nevertheless, Kakuzu was somewhat surprised. He was well aware of the difficulty of False Darkness.

Soma failed this time, but it was evident that he had already reached a novice level.

In other words, with a little practice and familiarization, identifying and correcting his shortcomings, he would soon be able to fully master this high-level Lightning Release Ninjutsu.

Kakuzu shook his head and muttered to himself.

"With such strong Lightning Release talent, I really don't understand why he bothered learning Fire Release before."

"Compared to his Lightning Release talent, his Fire Release talent is like garbage."

Soma learned quickly, making it easy money for Kakuzu. Teaching him wasn't difficult, it took little time, and didn't affect his mood.

However, Kakuzu only knew two Lightning Release Ninjutsu, which he found regrettable.

Soma noticed this and asked, "Kakuzu-san, shall we continue?"

"Continue?"

"If Kakuzu-san has other Ninjutsu, I am willing to pay to learn them."

Soma remembered that Kakuzu had several good Ninjutsu. If there was a chance to learn them from Kakuzu, he couldn't miss it.

After all, in the ninja world, there was no one else like Kakuzu who loved money to such an extent.

"There are no more Lightning Release techniques," Kakuzu shook his head.

"But I do have Water Release, Earth Release, Fire Release, and Wind Release."

"But not Fire Release."

Kakuzu absolutely did not want to teach Soma Fire Release again. One painful experience was enough.

"What is the Water Release Ninjutsu?"

"It's called Water Release: Water Curtain. It ejects a high-speed jet of water with strong impact."

"Like a water cannon?"

"Exactly."

Soma thought for a moment.

"I'll learn it."

This Ninjutsu was somewhat similar to the Hozuki Clan's Water Gun Jutsu. Soma figured that if he ever used the Water Gun Jutsu in front of others, he could claim it was this Water Release: Water Curtain Jutsu.

"Alright."

This time, Soma learned even faster. In Kakuzu's eyes, the difficulty of learning Water Release: Water Curtain was on par with Lightning Release: False Darkness. However, Soma learned it quicker than he had learned Lightning Release: False Darkness.

Soma's talent for Lightning Release had already surprised Kakuzu.

Kakuzu was once again surprised.

A thought floated up in Kakuzu's mind: had Soma's talent suddenly become stronger?

It didn't make sense for his Water Release talent and Lightning Release talent to be so good, yet he struggled so much with learning Fire Release.

This was quite illogical.

Even if his Fire Release talent was lacking, the gap shouldn't be this large under normal circumstances.

Unless he had no fire attribute talent at all.

But without fire attribute talent, he wouldn't have been able to learn Fire Release.

"Kakuzu-san, shall we continue?"

"Continue."

"Then I'll learn an Earth Release technique."

Soma remembered that among Kakuzu's Ninjutsu, the Fire Release technique was Intelligent Hard Work Jutsu, Wind Release was Pressure Damage Jutsu, and Earth Release was Earth Spear Jutsu.

Among Wind Release and Earth Release, both will be needed for Soma's Chakra Smelting Technique in the future. Both have value.

However, Pressure Damage Jutsu is a long-range attack Ninjutsu and overlaps somewhat with Soma's Water Release in functionality.

On the other hand, Earth Spear Jutsu, despite its name, does not actually create an Earth Spear. It is a defensive type of Ninjutsu that enhances the user's body, providing body hardening.

After hardening, the body's defensive and offensive capabilities are greatly strengthened, similar to Armament Haki from the neighboring realm. It can even withstand the explosion power of a close-range Explosive Tag.

Of course, the extent to which one can withstand Explosive Tags depends on the user. An ordinary Jonin who has mastered Earth Spear Jutsu would find it unrealistic to withstand Konan's sea of Explosive Tags.

For Earth Release, Wind Release, and Fire Release, Soma did not gain any additional talent. The situation is likely to be similar to his previous experience with learning Fire Release.

Given Kakuzu's personality, he would surely leave immediately after teaching this.

Therefore, Soma prioritized learning Earth Release and Earth Spear Jutsu.

"For Earth Release, I can teach you Earth Spear Jutsu, which can harden the body. Are you interested?"

Soma nodded.

"Yes."

"Alright."

Kakuzu agreed.

However, Kakuzu did not expect that Soma's talent for Earth Release was comparable to his previous talent for Fire Release.

Soon, Kakuzu became quite frustrated.

"My head hurts, it really hurts."

"I can't breathe."

Kakuzu looked at Soma's learning progress and couldn't understand it.

But the deal was already made, and Kakuzu was unwilling to return the money that was "already in his pocket."

Teaching Soma Earth Release was extremely uncomfortable, but returning the money would be even worse.

In this dilemma, Kakuzu could only grit his teeth and finish teaching the Ninjutsu.

"I'm going outside for some fresh air."

After Kakuzu spoke, he vanished from the courtyard.

Before long, Soma heard a series of intense crashing sounds.

Soma shrugged and continued his study of Earth Release.

To Soma, Earth Spear Jutsu was a valuable Ninjutsu, especially in terms of its defensive capabilities.

As a Blacksmith, Soma placed more emphasis on his ability to protect himself.

To put it bluntly, attacking was something that the Shinigami Squad members could handle.

If Hidden Mist Village needed Soma to handle attacks, it would mean that Hidden Mist Village was failing and Soma as a Blacksmith was also failing.

Survival skills were more important to Soma.

And even if he were ever required to attack, Soma's Water Release would be sufficient.

Soma maintained a good attitude, steadily making progress even though it was slow. This was in sharp contrast to Kakuzu, who was deeply troubled.

Kakuzu felt like he had lost a lot of hair. His eyes had lost their shine and he appeared haggard, like a young man who had been overworking for a month straight.

...

...

"Great!"

Upon hearing the news of a big victory, Yagura suddenly stood up, unable to contain his excitement.

Unlike the Third Mizukage, Yagura's emotional display was much more pronounced.

"First, he easily defeated the combination of Kurenai and Mitarashi Anko."

"Then, he severed Sarutobi Shinnosuke's arm."

"He even managed to defeat that old fellow Shimura Danzo."

"Kisame's strength has now fully reached the level of a top Ninja."

"At this age, having achieved such strength, it is inevitable that he will become a Kage in the future."

"I have a successor!"

The phrase was a bit ambiguous, but Yagura meant that he had successors in the sense of having capable successor as the next Hokage not as a child.

The ANBU Ninja below muttered to himself. However, after Yagura took office, the ANBU Ninja had been working with him for a long time and had grown accustomed to Yagura's "nonsense" in his speech.

But the significance of having a successor for Hidden Mist Village was indeed the same as it is for a kingdom.

Yagura wasn't worried about Hoshigaki Kisame becoming too powerful too quickly. One reason was that Yagura himself was still in his prime. Another reason was that the Hoshigaki Clan and Karatachi Clan were in a marriage alliance. Hoshigaki Kisame's fiancée was a woman from the Karatachi Clan.

The biggest difference was that when the Third Kazekage went missing, Rasa and Pakura were not capable of immediately succeeding him as Kazekage. But when the Third Mizukage went missing, Yagura could step in.

A Ninja village with a prepared successor could make everyone in the village feel more secure.

"And the Sword of Wisdom."

"It's truly impressive that Soma can forge such a weapon!"

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