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The Third Mizukage was indeed injured, but some of his wounds had already healed, while others had become chronic ailments.
After patient negotiations, Midorima finally obtained the Third Mizukage's permission to treat his lingering injuries. However, during the treatment, the Mizukage's emotions erupted once again, forcing Midorima to halt the procedure.
The Mizukage's fierce assault left Midorima almost breathless. His Water Dragon Bullet technique was terrifying—a boulder several meters tall was instantly shattered.
Fortunately, before crossing into this world, Midorima had enjoyed playing high-difficulty games and was accustomed to kiting bosses. If he couldn't win, he would simply flee and wait for an opportunity to counterattack. This tactic infuriated the Mizukage, who unleashed a barrage of water-based techniques—Water Dragon Bullet, Water Fang Bullet, Great Waterfall Technique, Five Feeding Sharks—one after another. On top of that, he even employed Lightning Release, a skill Midorima rarely encountered.
For the first time, the [Cell Laboratory] was operating at full capacity.
The [Catalysis Chamber], [Power Chamber], and [Conversion Chamber] were pushed to their limits almost daily, while the [Analysis Laboratory] worked tirelessly to decipher the remnants of the Third Mizukage's ninjutsu left on Midorima's body.
The success rate for cracking C-rank and B-rank techniques was relatively high, but for A-rank techniques, it was visibly lower—at most, one success out of ten attempts.
Midorima's goal, however, was not A-rank techniques. His ultimate target was S-rank ninjutsu. Yet, given his current strength, he was completely incapable of forcing the Third Mizukage to use such high-level techniques.
Still, Midorima was in no hurry.
On one hand, the [Analysis Laboratory] had not yet unlocked the function to decipher S-rank techniques. On the other, even if he could perform them, his chakra reserves were insufficient to sustain such powerful jutsu.
"Activate—[Last Line of Defense]..."
Clutching his stomach, Midorima mustered all his strength to flee through the underbrush. Only when he could no longer sense the Mizukage's chakra did he allow himself a brief moment to catch his breath.
The [Catalysis Chamber] worked at full throttle, desperately repairing his injuries.
After just one week of interacting with the Third Mizukage, the [Catalysis Chamber]'s proficiency had already reached 100%, while the [Conversion Chamber] had risen from 80% to 95%.
His attack speed, hand-seal speed, counterattack timing, taijutsu, chakra reserves—nearly every aspect of his abilities had improved. Yet, at the same time, the danger the Mizukage posed to him had also escalated.
What should have been a perfect opportunity for a counterattack had backfired. Midorima had readied his kunai for a sneak attack, only for the Mizukage to unleash a Great Waterfall Technique followed by Lightning Release: Lightning Ball.
The sheer agony—his entire body went numb, rendering him instantly powerless. Seizing the moment, the Mizukage launched a Water Dragon Bullet.
Had Midorima not fled fast enough, the technique would have pierced straight through his abdomen. Even so, the attack triggered his [Last Line of Defense], barely saving his life.
"...Decryption of 'Lightning Release: Lightning Ball' successful..."
A voice echoed in Midorima's mind, and he managed a weak smile.
Trading half his life for this technique didn't feel worth it.
Yet, the near-death experience undeniably sharpened his spiritual energy.
With [Last Line of Defense] activated, Midorima's combat effectiveness would remain severely diminished for at least the next few hours. He used this time to organize his recent power gains.
As long as the Mizukage retained his rationality, Midorima could employ medical ninjutsu and [Activation] to treat the Third's injuries. This allowed [Activation] to finally reach 100% proficiency, while the [Conversion Chamber] was now just 5% away from full mastery. It seemed these three functional chambers were already well within his grasp.
The [Analysis Laboratory], however, was the area Midorima currently focused on the most. It determined how many techniques he could utilize and was the shortcut to elevating his power ceiling. But staying in Kirigakure limited his exposure to new jutsu. Leaving the village would require waiting for the right opportunity.
Additionally, the last functional chamber remained stubbornly locked, which gave Midorima a headache.
After a week of battling the Third Mizukage, his understanding of chakra had deepened significantly.
In truth, the execution of ninjutsu was simply the process of utilizing chakra.
The same water-based technique, when used by the Mizukage versus Midorima, produced entirely different results.
Take the Water Dragon Bullet, for example—Midorima focused solely on raw destructive power, aiming to shatter boulders in a single strike. The Mizukage, however, prioritized versatility—sometimes the dragon shattered stone, other times it cleaved through trees.
Analyzing the Mizukage's chakra composition, Midorima realized that the same technique could vary depending on the situation.
Upon reflection, this made sense. Even Mei Terumi and Tobirama Senju used different hand seals for the Water Dragon Bullet, proving that true masters adapted their techniques to the circumstances.
Reaching that level of mastery would take time.
But it wasn't an insurmountable gap.
After all, almost all prodigies had created their own techniques at a young age. As for some of them being "cheat characters"...
Cough—well, in this world, if you didn't have some kind of advantage, you'd be too embarrassed to even step outside.
His wounds healed rapidly, yet it still took nearly ten hours for his body to fully recover.
During that time, Midorima replayed every battle with the Mizukage in his mind, recognizing many avoidable mistakes. With a little more precision, the outcomes of certain fights could have been different.
Perhaps he could even have seized the initiative...
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that a successful ambush was possible. Once his injuries healed, he prepared to strike first.
As the sky lightened to a dull gray, Midorima checked the wound on his abdomen. Confirming it had fully closed, he adjusted his ninjato and headed toward the cave where the Mizukage resided...
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Meanwhile...
After obtaining the match-up chart, Igawa focused entirely on the listed pairings.
The selection process was divided into three stages—the first two stages consisted of two rounds each, while the final stage had only one.
The chart only displayed the first stage. After two rounds, 25 contestants would remain.
Among them, the competitor with the longest total battle time would be eliminated, leaving 24 to proceed to a redraw.
In other words, advancing to the next round required not only defeating one's opponent but also minimizing battle duration.
Of course, Igawa never concerned himself with time.
Ever since learning that Midorima Asachi was participating in the selection, only one thought occupied his mind—kill Midorima Asachi.
Naturally, he also wanted to kill Mei Terumī, but her strength made her a far more difficult target.
Midorima's opponents in the first two rounds were no pushovers either.
To ensure Midorima's death, Takeshi even considered training Midorima's first-round opponent to enhance their skills. But then, a piece of news brought his plans to a screeching halt—Midorima had disappeared.