Why did he want to kill the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Juzo Biwa had pondered this when he infiltrated the secret prison. The reason was simple: it was all for the sake of the village! Even though he was forced to betray the Hidden Mist after failing to assassinate the Mizukage, his original intent had always been for the village, to give the Hidden Mist a better future.
Upon learning that the Leaf Village was going to war with the Hidden Mist,
Juzo planned to assassinate the deposed Third Hokage. By acting as an ally of the Uchiha clan, he could provoke Konoha's internal conflicts, knowing well that the Uchiha had been ostracized for a long time. Whether he succeeded or not, his actions would stir up the infighting that Konoha was known for.
His logic seemed flawless, perfectly smooth.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, once I kill you, I can return to my village as a hero, wielding Samehada." Juzo's elusive voice echoed through the dense fog, heard not only by Hiruzen but also by Kakashi and Asuma Sarutobi, who were engaged in battle.
Samehada? Chapters first released on novel·fıre·net
The name sparked a memory in Asuma's mind. After returning to Konoha, he had done some homework and knew what had transpired recently. The Hidden Mist's envoys had originally used Samehada as an excuse to threaten Konoha, which eventually led to his father's downfall!
"Is this Uchiha's doing?"
In the mist, Hiruzen's voice was deep.
"Isn't it obvious? Who else but Uchiha?" Juzo, wielding his beheading blade, silently approached Hiruzen from behind. Seizing the moment when Hiruzen was distracted by speaking to his distant water clone, Juzo swung his sword at Hiruzen's neck.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not so easy to kill!
**Earth Style: Earth Spear!**
The sword did not sever Hiruzen's seemingly fragile neck but instead struck something as hard as diamond, chipping Juzo's beheading blade. Juzo's eye twitched—was this the power of a true ninja hero?
What kind of earth style was this? Was he fighting a Hokage or a Tsuchikage?
At some point, Hiruzen had grabbed a piece of iron railing from the prison gate and, with a breath, infused it with wind-style chakra, transforming it into a sharp blade.
**Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!**
Just as Juzo moved to retreat, Hiruzen, already prepared with his wind-imbued blade, turned and slashed. The swift and precise strike left a deep gash on Juzo's arm, blood splattering.
If not for Juzo's quick reaction, using the length of his blade to force Hiruzen back, he might have lost his arm.
Juzo retreated, cold sweat running down his back.
Hiding again in the mist, Juzo could feel his heart racing. The brief exchange had shown him a power different from the Fourth Mizukage, who had mastered the power of the tailed beast. His limited vocabulary couldn't fully describe how terrifying Hiruzen was, but words like "sharp," "precise," and "unfathomable" came to mind.
"Mist concealment… what a troublesome technique!"
Hiruzen, now holding his ethereal wind blade, scanned the surroundings. The thick fog rendered his eyes useless, and his ears couldn't detect Juzo's movements, though the clangs of Kakashi and Asuma's battle echoed nearby.
"Mist concealment combined with silent killing… It seems I learned that move back in the day."
Hiruzen formed a single hand seal, softly muttering:
"Mist Concealment Technique!"
To Juzo's disbelief, the already dense mist became even thicker, swirling like ocean waves. Visibility dropped to zero; it was as if they were engulfed in a sea of clouds. Without touching his eyes, Juzo could see nothing.
But that wasn't the only issue.
The mist now carried strange chakra, severely disrupting Juzo's ability to sense Hiruzen's position.
The sound of water splashing.
Juzo realized his water clone had been destroyed. Unfortunately, water clones didn't bring back information like shadow clones, so Juzo had no idea how it had been defeated. However, one thing was clear: Hiruzen was as strong as a monster!
This sixty-year-old ninja hero might be old, but he hadn't grown weak enough for anyone to underestimate him!
Barrier techniques, fire style, earth style, wind style, water style… The sheer variety of skills left Juzo in awe, making him realize just how terrifying and formidable the "ninja hero" truly was. It was now clear that this assassination attempt was doomed to fail.
He was unwilling to retreat!
A strange obsession drove him forward, making him refuse to flee even knowing he couldn't win.
Juzo didn't feel anything strange about this, instead steeling himself. He resolved that even if he died here, he would take a piece of Hiruzen with him. He canceled the mist concealment technique and leaped onto the rock ceiling above.
With a sharp "clang," Juzo thrust his beheading blade into the rock wall,
Forming hand seals, he shouted:
Hiruzen's wind blade parted the fog as he charged at Juzo, aiming straight for his chest.
Two Juzo clones appeared, swinging their massive blades to slash Hiruzen in half.
Hiruzen's sword shifted swiftly, deflecting the beheading blades. His rotating sword light entwined itself around the two water clones, slicing them into puddles.
Hiruzen's swordsmanship was also extraordinary!
His mastery of the Leaf-style swordsmanship had few equals in Konoha today!
The few seconds the water clones bought were enough. Juzo had completed his hand seals and shouted:
**Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!**
This A-rank water style was a trump card for nearly every Mist ninja, including Juzo. Though he was one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, his beheading blade's only special ability was absorbing blood to regenerate itself, offering no other combat enhancement.
This Great Waterfall Technique was one of his best moves!
His chest swelled and contracted as he released a flood of water like a collapsed dam, a massive wave crashing down. This technique relied on the sheer weight of water to crush the enemy, capable of toppling buildings.
Hiruzen, who had just destroyed the two water clones, couldn't dodge in time and was hit head-on by the water surge.
The impassive face of Hiruzen dissolved into a pool of water, merging with the torrent.
Water clones weren't exclusive to the Mist!