Chapter 44: His Strength Doesn’t Match His Ambition

Mangetsu’s biggest problem with his younger brother Suigetsu was that Suigetsu actually aimed to surpass Zabuza.

Mangetsu believed that, as long as Suigetsu inherits a ninja sword, his strength should be able to surpass Zabuza.

So his goal was simply embarrassing.

Although this was the truth, it was a bit inappropriate to say it on this occasion since the other party was nearby.

Zabuza was still busy entangling Kisame. After hearing what Mangetsu said, he finally couldn’t help saying, “Hey, Hohzuki Mangetsu, what do you mean!”

“I’ve caught you!”

Before Mangetsu managed to respond, Kisame’s mouth grinned, and the Samehada Greatsword in his hand swiped at the fog, “Samehada ·Flying Chain Slash!”

“Asshole!”

Zabuza didn’t have the Kubikiribocho, so he was smashed out from the fog by the Samehada Greatsword and fell into a difficult situation. On the ground, he spouted a mouthful of blood!

There was an awkward aura in the air.

When Mangetsu looked at this scene, he reluctantly stalled and said, “Sorry, Senior Zabuza, I have no intention of offending you, but your strength is indeed a bit worse.”

“…”

Zabuza glared at him fiercely, then looked towards Kubikiribocho that only had the sword handle lying on the ground, and cursed coldly, “If it weren’t for you, little demon, you borrowed my Kubikiribocho!”

Mangetsu retorted, “Even if senior Zabuza had the Kubikiribocho, his chance of defeating senior Kisame is not more than 30%, right?”

“Damn you!”

“I’m just stating facts.”

“Little kid, do you really think I can’t kill you!”

“Even if I don’t have the Hiramekarei, the odds of senior Zabuza’s victory are very low!”

With a few words, the fragile alliance and friendship between Mangetsu and Zabuza broke down, and the two began quarreling.

“Stop it!”

Uehara interrupted them impatiently and looked at everyone present, focusing on Mangetsu and Zabuza, “You two have already lost. Would you rather join the Akatsuki with me or join the corpses in your hometown…”

Everyone here understood that Zabuza and Mangetsu had lost the right to choose. The only thing they could do was surrender with grace.

Zabuza wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He coldly snorted and said, “My goal was to kill Yagura and end the blood mist. Now that my goal has been achieved, I’ll go to the Akatsuki with you!”

He was really euphemistic.

Mangetsu was not like Zabuza. He directly put forth his request, “If you can fulfill your promise and make Suigetsu revitalize the Hozuki clan, no matter what you ask me to do, I will do it!”

“…Yes.”

Uehara’s smile spread across his face, he could hardly restrain himself, but he acted like it wasn’t a big deal, “If your younger brother is a loser, there’s nothing I can do to help…”

“Suigetsu’s innate talent is stronger than mine.”

Mangetsu was confident, so he opened his mouth and promised, “As long as you guide him, Suigetsu will surpass the ancestors of the past and become the strongest ninja in the history of the Hohzuki clan!”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough.

Even as Mangetsu spoke, Uehara felt a little lost.

Because Uehara knew that the Hohzuki Clan did not have a powerful Kekkei Genkai, most of the Ninja World strongly valued one’s ​​bloodline… except for Konoha.

Uehara sighed, looked at Mangetsu, and said, “Then we’ll try my method first. The rest is up to fate… At least you can set an ambitious goal for your brother and force him to go after his big brother!”

“…I know.”

Mangetsu clenched his teeth, and he seemed to have made up his mind.

This year, his younger brother Hohzuki Suigetsu was eight years old. He had performed well in the Academy of Kirigakure, and he could even apply for graduation early.

Mangetsu had always been very worried. If he couldn’t guide Suigetsu well, he knew that he would walk the crooked path Momochi Zabuza took.

He couldn’t say this now, otherwise, he was afraid that someone would be killed.

Uehara stood up and sat on a tree trunk, “Since you’ve sincerely surrendered to me, I will accept it with compassion!”

Hearing Uehara’s words, the eyes of Zabuza and Mangetsu visibly darkened. The strength of the guy they were going to depend on was strong to the point of being terrifying… but his IQ was also terrifyingly low!

At this moment, Uehara’s face was not so good. He glanced at Mangetsu somewhat helplessly since it was one of the worst rewards he’s ever received.

[Side Mission: Defeat Hozuki Mangetsu (1/1)]

[Reward: 100 Gold Coins]

Obviously, Mangetsu was strong. Uehara thought that he was stronger than the Fourth Mizukage!

Perhaps, since Mangetsu died an untimely death and didn’t appear much in the Ninja World, not many people paid attention to him. Thus, the system gave the minimum reward.

Was he a beggar?

However, aside from the 100 Gold Coins he got for defeating Mangetsu, he also completed part of his other mission.

[Side Mission: Defeat Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist (6/7)]

[Reward: Unknown]

Uehara didn’t expect to have completed so much of the mission to defeat the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. The system must have treated Mangetsu, who held four swords as four victories.

The last Seven Swordsmen of the Mist that he needed to defeat should be the wielder of Kiba that Kisame mentioned earlier. The first generation Seven Swordsmen who defected, Kurosuki Raiga of the Mist.

Uehara looked at another mission, causing his eyelids to tremble as his expression turned a little unsightly.

[Side Mission: Has three subordinates (2/3)]

[Reward: Unknown.]

Now, three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were nominally Uehara’s subordinates. Kisame was the first ninja who chose to be loyal to him, so who was the second?

No, rather, of Zabuza and Mangetsu in front of him, who didn’t really want to take his side?

Uehara was not particularly concerned about who the second subordinate who truly surrendered to him was. The one he really cared about was the one who refused to surrender sincerely…

It wasn’t too difficult to figure it out due to the next mission Uehara looked at.

[Side Mission: Recruit a subordinate with Kage-level Chakra (1/1)]

[Reward: 1000 gold coins]

This mission proved that the second person who chose to join Uehara was a ninja with Kage Level Chakra.

Was it really that hard to figure who it was?

Who was the weakest here?

Uehara glanced over Mangetsu, and he couldn’t help but admire him. As expected, he was someone who even Kisame couldn’t see through…

Hozuki Mangetsu had a Kage Level Chakra at the age of thirteen!

No wonder he died so early. He must have been too arrogant to live!

Uehara Naraku’s gaze slowly turned to Momochi Zabuza. Momochi Zabuza had always had his own ambitions.

But his strength did not match his ambition.

Uehara tilted his head to look at Zabuza. Now, should he take him back or dig a hole on the spot and bury him?