Naruto rebirth! Born again with a system.

Chapter 34: Hōzuki Liquid Terror!

The clearing erupted into chaos as the battle lines solidified. The tattooed woman—Mizuki Hōzuki—stood across from Team 15 with predatory confidence, her chakra signature radiating the controlled aggression of someone who had survived countless battles through skill and ruthlessness.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Tatsuma called out, his hands forming the familiar seals with practiced efficiency. Three identical copies materialized around him, each one moving to surround their opponent with tactical precision they had drilled through training.

"Now!" Aotaka shouted, his hand moving to his weapon pouch with fluid motion. A handful of shuriken flew through the air in a calculated spread pattern, designed to limit the enemy's movement options while Tatsuma's assault commenced, swarming her from all sides.

The original Tatsuma charged forward with his clones, their coordinated attack creating multiple angles of assault that should have overwhelmed any single opponent. His movement carried the confidence of someone who had learned to trust in teamwork and tactical superiority.

But Mizuki's laugh cut through the air like a blade, cold and utterly without fear.

"Physical attacks?" she said, her voice carrying the cruel amusement of someone about to demonstrate a lesson in power. "How adorable."

Her body began to shift and flow, the solid form dissolving into liquid as the shuriken passed harmlessly through her transformed state. Tatsuma's charge met nothing but water, his kunai slicing through the liquid form without causing any damage or resistance.

The Hōzuki clan's signature technique was as terrifying as it was effective—complete immunity to physical attacks through liquid transformation. The three genin watched in horror as their coordinated assault proved completely ineffective against an opponent who could simply become intangible at will.

"Impossible," Tatsuma breathed, his clones stumbling as they realized their attacks had accomplished nothing. The tactical advantage they had counted on had evaporated in seconds.

"The Hōzuki clan," Kōzaru said grimly, his enhanced senses detecting the unnatural chakra flow that allowed such transformation. "They can turn their bodies into water." He said, already knowing about the clan from his own knowledge of the Naruto world and the many clans that lived in it.

Mizuki's liquid form began to solidify again, her body reassembling with fluid grace that spoke of complete mastery over her bloodline ability. The tattoos on her arms glowed brighter as she prepared her counterattack.

"You'll have to try harder than that if you don't want to die here you brats."

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" she called out, her hands forming seals with practiced speed that demonstrated high-level battlefield application.

Thick mist began to pour from her position, spreading through the clearing with unnatural speed and density. Within moments, the entire battlefield was shrouded in a fog so thick that visibility dropped to mere inches. The world became a grey void where enemies could be anywhere, striking from any direction.

"This technique," Aotaka said, his voice tight with recognition and fear. "It's the same one Zabuza used against Kakashi."

"The silent killing technique," Kōzaru confirmed, his memories of the anime flooding back with horrifying clarity. "She's going to try to pick us off one by one."

"Back to back formation!" Tatsuma ordered, his training taking over despite the fear. "Don't let her separate us!"

The three genin moved into a defensive triangle, each one covering the others' blind spots while their senses strained to detect any sign of their opponent's approach. The mist seemed to muffle all sound, creating an oppressive silence that made every heartbeat feel thunderous.

"So young," Mizuki's voice drifted through the mist from multiple directions, her location impossible to pinpoint. "So inexperienced. Do you know how many genin I've killed in mist like this?"

"Dozens," her voice continued, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. "Their screams always sound the same when they realize they're about to die."

"Don't listen to her," Kōzaru said quietly, his bond with Yuki and Riku providing some comfort in the oppressive fog as both hounds stood by his side on high alert. "She's trying to break our formation with psychological warfare."

"The liver," Mizuki's voice taunted, closer now. "The lungs. The subclavian artery. The kidney. The heart. All vital points—which one should I target first?" She said in a sinister almost seductive kind of way.

The psychological pressure was intense, designed to break down their coordination and create panic that would make them vulnerable to assassination. But their recent training had prepared them for this level of combat.

"Stay calm," Aotaka whispered, his hand gripping his sword hilt. "Trust in our formation."

The attack came without warning—a shadow moving through the mist with deadly precision. Mizuki materialized behind Kōzaru, twin kunai in her hands, her movements carrying the fluid grace of someone who had perfected the art of silent killing.

But Kōzaru's enhanced senses detected her approach at the crucial moment.

"Behind me!" he shouted, spinning around with his father's kunai—the weapon his mother had given him—raised in a defensive block.

The clash of metal rang through the clearing as Kōzaru's desperate parry deflected Mizuki's assassination attempt. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through his arms, but the kunai held firm, its quality craftsmanship proving its worth in the most crucial moment.

"Impressive reflexes," Mizuki acknowledged, her voice carrying a hint of surprise. "But reflexes won't save you."

Tatsuma launched himself forward, his kunai aimed at her exposed back. But once again, his attack passed harmlessly through her liquid form as she dissolved into water, reforming several feet away with that same cruel smile.

"Useless," she said, her voice carrying the confident certainty of someone who had never been defeated by physical attacks. "All of your techniques are useless against me."

That's when Aotaka made his move.

His blade sang as it cleared its sheath, the steel gleaming even in the thick mist. But more importantly, lightning-style chakra began to flow through the weapon, crackling along its edge with electric intensity that cut through the oppressive atmosphere.

"Lightning Style: Charged Blade!" he called out, his attack coming from Mizuki's blind spot with the precision of someone who had trained extensively in swordsmanship.

Mizuki's eyes widened as she detected the electrical energy, her body immediately retreating with enhanced speed that spoke of genuine alarm. The confident smile disappeared, replaced by the focused attention of someone who had just encountered a real threat.

"Lightning style," she said, her voice carrying a new edge of respect and wariness. "You actually know my weakness."

"Physical attacks don't work," Aotaka said, his blade still crackling with electrical energy. "But lightning disrupts water. Your liquid form won't protect you from this."

The tactical balance had shifted dramatically. Mizuki's overwhelming advantage had been reduced to a more manageable threat—she was still dangerous, but no longer invincible giving them a chance.

Meanwhile, across the clearing, Shibi was engaged in his own desperate battle against the two stronger Mist ninja. His insects swarmed through the air in complex patterns, but the enemy's water-style techniques created barriers that disrupted their coordination.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" the level 19 ninja called out, his hands forming seals with practiced efficiency.

A massive dragon of churning water materialized and charged toward Shibi, its size and power speaking of advanced ninjutsu training. The technique scattered his insects and forced him into evasive manoeuvres that prevented him from providing support to his students.

"Their coordination is too good," Shibi thought grimly, his analytical mind recognizing the tactical problem. "Every time I try to end this quickly, they counter with water techniques that neutralize my insects."

The two Mist ninja were working together with the seamless coordination of experienced partners, their water techniques creating a defensive barrier that kept Shibi's deadliest attacks at bay. Without his insects, he was fighting at a significant disadvantage.

"Sensei can't help us," Kōzaru observed, his enhanced senses detecting the intensity of the battle nearby. "We're on our own."

"Then we need to work together," Tatsuma said, his determination overcoming his fear. "All of us, coordinated attack."

"The mist is too thick," Aotaka replied, his lightning-charged blade providing the only source of light in the grey void. "We can't see her to coordinate properly."

That's when inspiration struck Kōzaru like a bolt of lightning.

"I have an idea," he said, his voice carrying the excitement of someone who had just realized a solution to their tactical problem. "But you'll have to trust me completely."

He knelt down beside Yuki and Riku, his hands moving to their collars with gentle familiarity. The ninja hounds looked up at him with intelligent eyes, understanding that something important was about to happen.

"Yuki, go with Tatsuma," Kōzaru said, his voice carrying the authority of their pack leader. "Riku, stay with Aotaka. Guide them through the mist with your noses."

"What about you?" Tatsuma asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I'll be the distraction," Kōzaru replied, his plan forming with desperate clarity. "My enhanced senses can track her even in this mist, but I need you two to attack from angles she won't expect."

"Can they understand what we need?" Aotaka asked, looking down at Riku with uncertainty.

"They're ninja hounds," Kōzaru said with confidence. "They understand. Just trust them—they'll guide you to the perfect striking positions through the mist."

The plan was desperate and required complete trust in abilities they had never tested before. But it was also their best chance of overcoming an opponent who had proven immune to conventional attacks.

"You sure about this?" Tatsuma asked, his hand moving to rest on Yuki's head.

"It's our only chance," Kōzaru replied, his enhanced senses already tracking Mizuki's movement through the mist. "She's preparing for another attack. We need to move now."

The mist swirled around them as they prepared to implement their desperate plan, the battle's outcome hanging in the balance. In the distance, the sounds of Shibi's fight with the two stronger enemies continued, water clashing against insects in a deadly dance of advanced techniques.

Everything would depend on whether three genin and two ninja hounds could overcome the liquid terror of the Hōzuki clan through coordination, trust, and the bonds they had forged through training and combat.

The real test of their teamwork was about to begin now.