The Mizukage Is Strong But Overly Cautious

Facing the rampaging tailed beast, Mizuki Ryosuke knew that even a moment of carelessness could lead to disaster. Drawing on his experience and mastery of advanced Ice Release, he swiftly formed hand seals, his chakra molding into a formidable defensive jutsu.

"Ice Release: Hyōtō Yanmu!" (Ice Release: Glacier Flame Dance!)

A series of thick, transparent ice barriers formed before him, each layer reinforced with a freezing aura reminiscent of Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

"Boom!"

The moment the acidic bubbles from Six Tails made contact, violent explosions shook the battlefield. Though the devastating detonation shattered most of the ice, the Hyōtō Yanmu had done its job—absorbing the brunt of the blast and shielding Ryosuke from harm.

Without hesitation, he initiated his next secret technique.

"Ice Release: Celestial Phenomenon - Second Stage! Ice Dragon King Form!"

From the thick storm clouds above, an enormous ice dragon as large as the Great Toad Gamabunta materialized, its translucent form reflecting the eerie glow of the battlefield.

"ROOOAAR!!!"

With a deafening cry, the Ice Dragon King surged forward, engaging in fierce melee combat with the Six Tails. Though slightly smaller, its body—composed of razor-sharp ice—was more than capable of slashing through the tailed beast's gelatinous skin. Its powerful tail, lined with menacing barbs, cracked like a whip, repeatedly striking the Six Tails' vulnerable spots.

This mirrored the battle from the manga when Naruto summoned Gamabunta against Shukaku, and the toad chief noted his natural disadvantage against a creature with sharp claws. However, unlike Gamabunta, the Ice Dragon King was designed for direct confrontation.

Among the nine tailed beasts, Six Tails Saiken had the weakest close-combat capabilities due to its slug-like nature. Unlike the Two-Tails Matatabi, whose feline body granted agility, or Four-Tails Son Gokū, whose gorilla-like form gave it overwhelming strength, Saiken relied on corrosive attacks rather than physical prowess.

With every exchange, Ryosuke's Ice Dragon King tore through the beast's thick, mucous-covered flesh, leaving deep gashes from which transparent liquid oozed instead of blood.

Furious, Six Tails let out a childish yet wrathful shriek.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

Its entire body trembled as it unleashed one of its deadliest techniques—

"Shōka no Rō!" (Corrosive Mist Prison!)

A concentrated mass of acidic vapor spewed from its maw, instantly dissolving everything in its path. The lethal mist rivaled the Hidden Mist Technique, except instead of obscuring vision, it melted everything it touched.

The Ice Dragon King had no time to escape.

A horrid sizzling sound echoed across the lake as the corrosive mist engulfed the massive ice construct. Its formidable body resisted for a moment, but the overwhelming acidity soon began melting through its core.

Ryosuke's eyes narrowed. Before his creation was entirely consumed, he executed his final contingency plan.

"Detonate!"

With a single hand seal, the Ice Dragon King shattered into countless razor-sharp ice fragments, unleashing a wave of subzero destruction.

"KYYYYAAAAH!"

The explosion sent shards of ice deep into Six Tails' flesh, the extreme cold momentarily freezing its corrosive attack solid. The tailed beast howled in agony, its body convulsing under the unexpected assault.

As Ryosuke exhaled, his breath materialized into mist. The temperature had plummeted drastically—an unnatural occurrence in Kirigakure's normally humid environment.

He whispered to himself:

"It's almost time…"

Above, heavy snow continued to fall, the air growing colder with each passing second. He could feel the strain of his chakra reserves, knowing he couldn't afford to prolong the battle any further.

It was time to activate his strongest technique.

"Ice Release: Celestial Phenomenon - Final Stage!"

Unlike traditional Ice Release jutsu like Haku's Ice Mirrors or Kaguya's Ice World, this technique wasn't about direct destruction. Instead, it manipulated the laws of nature itself.

As the snowfall intensified, the ambient temperature continued dropping—an effect that could theoretically persist forever, provided Ryosuke had the chakra to sustain it.

In this third stage, his ice techniques required significantly less chakra while exponentially increasing in power. It was an ability that made prolonged battles incredibly dangerous for his opponents.

Meanwhile, Six Tails, still reeling from the explosion, had reached its limit. In desperation, it prepared its ultimate attack.

A swirling mass of dark energy formed between its jaws—a sinister, growing sphere.

"Tailed Beast Bomb!"

The very same technique that Three Tails Isobu had used earlier against Third Mizukage, and the most devastating weapon of any tailed beast.

Yet Ryosuke remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the rampaging beast.

He didn't need to dodge.

Because his attack would land first.

He raised his hand, the temperature dropping to a level where even Kakashi's Sharingan would have struggled to track movement.

"Ice Release: Eternal Sin Realm!"

A massive hexagram ice formation, larger than the Six Tails itself, materialized beneath the beast.

Before the tailed beast could unleash its devastating blast—

FWOOOOOOOOSH!!!

A surge of absolute zero cold erupted from the formation, instantly encasing Six Tails in an enormous ice prison. Its hulking body froze in place, locked in an eternal moment of defeat.

The Tailed Beast Bomb dissipated harmlessly within its frozen core.

Silence fell.

The snowfall ceased. The sky, once darkened by storm clouds, cleared, revealing the afternoon sun.

Mizuki Ryosuke turned away from the ice-entombed Six Tails, unconcerned about its fate. He knew that tailed beasts couldn't be killed—only sealed or temporarily incapacitated.

This truth had been stated clearly in the manga: A tailed beast is a chakra entity born from the Ten Tails. As long as chakra exists, they will always reform.

For now, the threat was neutralized.

At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield—

Under the command of Hozuki Mangetsū, the battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had finally concluded.

The casualties were severe:

• Fuguki Suikazan, wielder of Samehada, had been slain.

• Kurisame Kushimaru, master of the Nuibari, had also fallen in battle.

• Jūzō Biwa, wielder of the Kubikiribōchō, had managed to escape.

• Jinin Akebino (Kabutowari) and Raiga Kurosuki (Kiba) were gravely injured.

• Jinpachi Munashi (Shibuki) and Ameyuri Ringo (Kiba) were unable to continue fighting.

Though victory was achieved, their forces were nearly spent.

But there was no time to rest.

Mizuki Ryosuke and Hozuki Mangetsū exchanged a glance before sprinting toward the distant Mist Lake Factory, where a final battle was still unfolding—

A battle between Mizuki Taki and the unleashed Three Tails.

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