Ao stayed in Marley to preside over the general situation, along with the majority of ninjas who had come on the expedition.
Terumi Mei only brought one Jonin and two Chunin, as well as the sailors responsible for operating the ship, setting sail with Tao Yu on their voyage.
Rather than choosing the Marley ironclad warships that had already started burning coal, they still opted for the sailboats from the Land of Water.
In terms of speed, the sailboats, which could be considered Yuan Force items boasting Ninja World high-tech, were even faster, and the sailors were more accustomed to them...
...
The sea was serene under the clear sky, but beneath the gentle breeze, the waves still surged over two meters high, continuously lapping against the hull.
"It’s hard to believe that some ninjutsu, which we can only complete with the nature transformation of our chakra, Mr. Tao can use at will, and he can even use Kekkei Genkai..."
Standing at the edge of the deck, Terumi Mei watched in awe as Tao Yu deployed the Scorch Release: Incinerating Flare Technique directly against the sea, its acid-like impact causing the water to hiss and bubble.
But Tao Yu felt even more odd than her.
"Scorch Release and Boil Release are both changes in the nature of fire and water, but even when I use them, the clash between the two True Yuan elements only results in a forceful impact. Without adding the Yin-Yang transformation to induce annihilation, the power would actually decrease. Yet by imitating Terumi Mei’s chakra operation, I can achieve such an effect..."
Tao Yu felt the normally incompatible True Yuan elements of water and fire merge in a bizarre fashion.
Depending on the ratios, it led to either the fluid-like Scorch Release, or the gaseous Boil Release, both primarily corrosive in function.
And Tao Yu felt this corrosion, though akin to strong acid, was more like two clashing powers going berserk upon contacting a ’third-party’ and breaking the equilibrium.
It was an intriguing sensation, enriching Tao Yu’s understanding of the Yin-Yang Five Elements Divine Thunder’s application.
"I must thank Miss Terumi Mei for her generous teachings, or else I wouldn’t have been able to grasp it so quickly."
Tao Yu sincerely expressed his gratitude, as Terumi Mei allowed him to inject his True Yuan into her body to observe her chakra changes, enabling him to quickly learn and use his own version of True Yuan.
"It’s all due to your talent and ability. Where your limits lie is simply unfathomable."
Terumi Mei was somewhat moved, envy showing on her lovely face.
This was the disparity in talent!
Pioneers, truly enviable.
By now they had been at sea for half a month, passed most of the journey, and were about to reach the Land of Water.
In this time, Tao Yu had hastily grasped many ninjutsu taught by Terumi Mei, forming his own understanding of them.
Most of the ninjutsu were actually of no practical use to Tao Yu, they only made it more convenient for him to manipulate some powers, expanded the scope of their application, and improved his hand Seal proficiency.
He could perform nearly all ninjutsu with an abbreviated hand Seal; the Water Dragon Bullet, a ninjutsu normally requiring forty-four signs, was shortened to three, and some techniques could even be cast without any signs.
However, the most practical for Tao Yu were just five of them.
"By rights, Mangetsu Ho?zuki should just be starting to make a name for himself, Haku’s parents should still be alive, and the Kaguya clan hasn’t met their demise yet.
"But with the unstable keg that is the Fourth Mizukage, I wonder what the real strength of the Tailed Beasts is..."
Tao Yu pondered incessantly.
Based on the current situation, if Mito Uzumaki is considered the benchmark for Kage Level, then even after returning to the Land of Water where his chakra could be more vibrant, Tao Yu was confident that he could seize an opportunity to eliminate her in an instant.
He had always had a strong advantage over humanoid creatures.
However, it cannot be denied that even relying on 70% Demonization-enhanced Phase Shift to withstand a direct attack from Mito Uzumaki would be unsustainable.
Ninja attacks are about speed, ruthlessness, and precision and likewise have an advantage against humanoid targets.
If several Shadow-level powerhouses were to gang up on me, I’d have no choice but to spend Yuan Force recklessly to eliminate them quickly; otherwise, if I let them attack in unison, repairing my injuries would cost me more.
If they coordinated well with each other, I might have to flee.
"Haha, the young lady Mito has returned! I’ve seen your message; you’ve occupied a fertile piece of land, which is quite impressive. I was really worried that every direction would be desolate, but you’re indeed suited to be the Fifth Mizukage,"
Tao Yu was somewhat baffled at the sight of Hozuki Gengetsu approaching. Who was this blond pompadour uncle?
A Grandmaster?
But a Grandmaster wouldn’t be this young, right?
It definitely wasn’t Kankitsu Yagura; that guy had a child’s face, while this one with the pompadour and a high-collared coat...
Tao Yu raced through his thoughts, harnessing his powerful spiritual force from the Meditation Technique to search his own related memories, which were on the verge of being forgotten, and managed to match the identity.
Hozuki Gengetsu?
The Second Mizukage?
WTF!
Wasn’t it supposed to be during the Third War?
And Tao Yu had also spotted seven other distinct figures behind Hozuki Gengetsu.
The unique appearance of the likes of Suika Kabuto, the pufferfish spirit, also made it clear who these seven were.
I haven’t stumbled upon the complete happy family of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist with Might Dai?
"This is our Second Mizukage, Lord Hozuki Gengetsu. In fact, the Second Mizukage isn’t from our era, but he has appeared due to some unknown reason, and I’m not sure how to explain this,"
Mito Uzumaki briefly explained the situation, prompting Tao Yu to nod dumbfoundedly.
No need to explain, it’s so Abyss...