Naruto: The Clanless Prince

Sora formally summoned Susanoo for the first time on the battlefield.

Facing Sora's massive Susanoo, many Mist Shinobi felt the urge to retreat.

Sora controlled the ethereal warrior as a string of magatama beads materialized in Susanoo's massive hands.

With precise movements, Susanoo began hurling the magatama in all directions.

Each magatama that struck the ground created a deep crater, killing numerous Mist Shinobi in the process.

Meanwhile, the ninjutsu, shuriken, and kunai launched by the Mist Shinobi couldn't penetrate the formidable defense of Sora's Susanoo.

The Third Mizukage quickly formed complex hand seals.

"Ice Release Secret Technique: Absolute Zero Beam!"

The air around Sora dropped in temperature rapidly.

In the next moment, Sora's Susanoo was completely frozen into a massive ice sculpture.

Seeing that he had successfully encased Sora's Susanoo in ice, the Third Mizukage maintained the jutsu, increasing its power to further solidify the ice around Susanoo, preventing Sora from breaking free.

However, the ideal is rarely matched by reality.

Within the solid ice, Susanoo's arm suddenly shattered through the frozen prison, grasped one of the Three Sacred Swords, and slashed at the ice encasing its body.

The Third Mizukage roared in frustration, attempting to freeze Susanoo's ice-breaking arm.

A layer of ice crystals clearly formed on Susanoo's arm, but it was too late.

The Datonglian sword slashed across Susanoo's body, creating cracks throughout the condensed ice. The frozen prison shattered into powder.

After breaking free, Sora directed Susanoo to slash directly at the Third Mizukage.

The Third Mizukage leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding Susanoo's devastating attack.

"Hold him back!" the Third Mizukage shouted to the surrounding Mist Shinobi. "Don't let him enter the village!"

All the Mist Shinobi unleashed their ninjutsu, desperately trying to attack Sora.

But these attacks couldn't even dent Sora's Susanoo.

The Third Mizukage was clearly trying to buy time.

Maintaining such a powerful technique must consume enormous amounts of chakra, so the Mizukage's strategy was to delay until Sora's chakra could no longer sustain Susanoo.

Sora recognized the Mizukage's plan and smiled contemptuously.

He activated his right eye's Mangekyō Sharingan technique, Fumi-dake, and began recording all the ninjutsu directed toward him.

While continuing to attack the surrounding Mist Shinobi, Sora advanced steadily toward Kirigakure.

The Third Mizukage kept releasing Ice Release techniques, trying to halt Sora's progress, but with minimal effect.

However, the Mizukage's assessment was correct. Sustaining Susanoo required massive chakra reserves, and in a short period of time, Sora had consumed a large portion of his chakra.

About five hundred meters from Kirigakure's borders, Sora's Susanoo began to degenerate, reverting to its skeletal form.

Seeing Sora's Susanoo weakening, the Third Mizukage and Mist Shinobi grew excited, believing they glimpsed the possibility of victory.

From the edge of the battlefield, Kakashi observed this development and snorted coldly. "Is it done, Sora-sensei?"

Sora's Shadow Clone smiled. "Yes, it's done."

Once Sora's Susanoo had degenerated to its skeletal form, sufficiently powerful attacks could breach its defense.

Under the relentless assault from the Mist Shinobi and the Third Mizukage, Sora's Susanoo was finally penetrated and dissipated completely.

Believing Sora to be at his limit, the Mist Shinobi and the Third Mizukage rushed toward him simultaneously.

What made the Third Mizukage's hair stand on end was seeing Sora display an unsettling smile.

This expression sent chills down the Mizukage's spine, triggering a powerful sense of foreboding.

Trusting his instincts, the Third Mizukage shouted, "Fall back! Everyone fall back!"

The Mist Shinobi couldn't understand why they were being ordered to retreat when their opponent appeared to be at the end of his strength.

But they would understand a moment later.

"Ocular Technique: Fumi-dake - Return All!"

With Sora as the epicenter, an extraordinarily violent explosion radiated outward in all directions.

Every object and living being in its path was obliterated by the blast.

Because the Mist Shinobi had unleashed countless techniques against Sora, the power recorded by Fumi-dake had grown immensely.

The explosion directly affected nearly half of Kirigakure.

When the devastation finally ceased, almost half of Kirigakure had been reduced to rubble.

Sora's Shadow Clone protecting Kakashi had dissipated after shielding him from the explosion.

Staring at the flattened landscape ahead, Kakashi was stunned.

"Is this Sora-sensei's true power? How can anyone be this strong?"

After unleashing Fumi-dake Return All, blood trickled from Sora's right eye, and he covered it against the stinging pain.

Sora looked forward, narrowing his left eye.

Ahead of him stood a massive ice block, most of it shattered with only a small portion remaining intact.

Within that surviving fragment of ice lay the Third Mizukage.

The ice began to crack as the Third Mizukage emerged, falling to one knee and coughing up blood.

The explosion had left the Third Mizukage gravely injured.

Sora lowered the hand covering his right eye and looked at the Mizukage with a smile. "Impressive. Even in such a dire situation, you managed to use a jutsu to protect yourself. You truly deserve your title as Mizukage."

The Third Mizukage looked behind him to find half of Kirigakure destroyed. He forced himself to stand and glared at Sora with hatred-filled eyes. "I will kill you for this!"

Sora placed his hand on his ninja sword and replied with a smile, "Why speak of impossible things? You've reached your limit, while I'm far from reaching mine."

He paused before continuing, "You know, throughout this battle, I haven't killed a single important person yet. The Third Mizukage of Kirigakure would make a worthy first. After all, you lead one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages."

Sora gazed at the devastated portion of Kirigakure. Along the division line stood ninjas and civilians, all watching silently with terror in their eyes.

Sora sighed. "You've failed quite spectacularly as Mizukage. Look at this mess—not one of those people wishes to help you. Your shadow policies, including the Blood Mist era, were truly a failure."

The Third Mizukage wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and roared, "I need no help from others! What do you know? Compared to Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konoha, we in Kirigakure have no natural advantages, isolated on this island. To survive in this cruel ninja world, we had to be cruel to ourselves!"

Sora replied slowly, "Perhaps you're right..."

The Third Mizukage began forming hand seals, but before he could complete them, a flash of lightning streaked through the air. The Mizukage's eyes widened, then went blank as his head fell to the ground.

Sora looked at the Third Mizukage's body and murmured softly, "But your journey ends here."

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