"No wonder Lord Hanzo has admirers of such strength even beyond Rain Village." The Jonin of Rain Village felt even more respect for Hanzo.
"It's almost time for class anyway, so let's have a live battle demonstration." Mokgetsu calmly accepted the invitation.
This Kurosaki Ichigo isn't a ninja who shares a name with some labor manga protagonist; he's Mokgetsu's Shadow Clone.
Mokgetsu wanted to showcase his strength, and the best way was for a mindless villain to jump out from the crowd and get beaten up, thus demonstrating his power and establishing authority.
But in the real world, there aren't that many brainless people, so Mokgetsu had his Shadow Clone start the show directly.
To prevent Nagato's Rinnegan from being identified, Mokgetsu's Shadow Clone transformed its face.
Because Transformation consumes a lot of Chakra from informed ninjas, and maintaining it requires Chakra, the Shadow Clone couldn't withstand such consumption; otherwise, choosing a ninja from the Land of Rain for transformation would have been more effective.
"That guy looks strong, shouldn't we help?" Konan asked softly.
Konan wasn't around when Mokgetsu met Nagato, so she didn't know Nagato's evaluation of Mokgetsu.
"I believe in Uncle Sosuke's strength. Since he has acknowledged Mokgetsu, he surely isn't inferior to Hanzo!" Yahiko chose to trust Mokgetsu to handle the matter.
To avoid impacting the villagers of Xiaozhen Village, Mokgetsu moved the battlefield to the large open field outside the village.
"If you're ready, we'll start counting down from three." Kurosaki Ichigo took a combat stance.
Mokgetsu nodded, indicating no objections.
"Three, two, one!"
At the moment both counted to one, they began to move.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"
Kurosaki Ichigo swiftly formed hand signs, and the flat ground immediately burst with numerous thick rock spikes, each taller and sharper than an ordinary person.
Most Wandering Ninjas had never seen such a terrifyingly powerful Ninjutsu and instinctively retreated to avoid being affected by the battle between the two.
It was as if Mokgetsu had anticipated it, and with a swoosh, he evaded the wide range of rock spike attacks using Instant Body Jutsu.
"Such speed!" The Jonin of Rain Village realized this Sosuke really wasn't simple.
He hadn't been able to react to how Mokgetsu dodged Kurosaki Ichigo's Earth Release attack.
The Jonin of Rain Village was grateful to Kurosaki Ichigo for stepping up; if he had shamed Rain Village, Hanzo would surely have punished him.
"Sharp lightning can penetrate the hardness of earth, Lightning Attribute Chakra Nature Changes counter Earth Attribute Chakra Nature Changes, so using Lighting Release is best to counter Earth Release." Mokgetsu explained while forming hand signs.
"Lighting Release: Pseudo-Darkness!"
Mokgetsu gathered enormous Chakra in his mouth, unleashing incredibly sharp lightning in a powerful sweep.
BOOM!!
The terrifying lightning spear instantly demolished all the rock spikes on the ground, sending debris flying and relentlessly continued to shoot towards Kurosaki Ichigo.
Kurosaki Ichigo seemed to not have expected Mokgetsu's Lighting Release to be so formidable, responding in a very flustered manner.
"So strong, which means the rumors are true." A Wandering Ninja clenched his fist, an excited expression on his face.
If he could learn such powerful Ninjutsu, he wouldn't need to hide and rob ordinary people to maintain cultivation anymore; he could take bounty missions in the black market and get rich.
This wasn't a thought he had alone; many ninjas felt it was worth coming after all.
"So what if you counter my Earth Release, I can do more than just Earth Release Ninjutsu!" Kurosaki Ichigo stubbornly formed hand signs again.
This time, he used Fire Release, spewing a large amount of flame that quickly formed a massive fireball shooting towards Mokgetsu.
"The best choice against Fire Release is water, which can extinguish fire." Mokgetsu continued his explanations.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Mokgetsu gathered Chakra and spewed out a massive water ball, not only extinguishing the incoming fireball but also drenching Kurosaki Ichigo thoroughly.
"Don't think you're the only one who can use Water Release!" Kurosaki Ichigo seemed to feel humiliated, his face flushed.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bomb Jutsu!"
Utilizing the residual water flow from Mokgetsu's Great Waterfall Jutsu, Kurosaki Ichigo quickly formed a huge water dragon.
Facing this super water dragon, far larger in length and thickness than an ordinary Water Dragon Bomb, many of the surrounding ninjas stepped back again.
Many of them aren't necessarily stronger than the Genin who just graduated from Konoha; living in the chaotic Land of Rain relies entirely on caution, they know well to keep a safe distance when watching the spectacle.
The Jonin of Rain Village was already contemplating whether to recommend Kurosaki Ichigo to Hanzo, even though he was from another village, his strength is undeniable, not only mastering three nature changes but also showing a certain proficiency.
"Of course, in battle nature restraints aren't absolute; if the power difference is too significant, it doesn't apply, strong fire can evaporate water flows." Mokgetsu opted out of using restraint this time, choosing to be countered instead.
"Fire Release: Headache!"
Mokgetsu spat a miniature fireball, compressed to the limit, towards the charging water dragon.
At first, the fireball was only the size of a fist, but upon colliding with the Water Dragon Bomb, the compressed flames instantly erupted, forming a sea of fire; under the heat, the bulky water dragon rapidly vanished.
The Jonin of Rain Village's pupils shrunk sharply, the significance of this Ninjutsu clash was completely different from before.
To counter pressure an opponent under being restrained can only mean a vast disparity in strength, and Kurosaki Ichigo's performance was already far surpassing ordinary Jonin.
The Jonin of Rain Village was startled to realize it seemed there really was no one but Hanzo in Rain Village who could confront this Sosuke.
"No wonder he dared align himself with Lord Hanzo." The Jonin of Rain Village instantly stopped seeing Mokgetsu as arrogant.
This is reality, this is the Ninja World, a ninja's strength is the foundation of everything.
Though the Jonin of Rain Village thought this level couldn't possibly defeat their half-god Hanzo, saying he's the second strongest in the Land of Rain is no problem.
Considering Mokgetsu hadn't fought with Hanzo, misjudging is normal, so he didn't find it arrogant.
"Uncle Sosuke is truly remarkable." Yahiko couldn't help but praise as he felt the heat waves coming.
Specialized in Water Release, Yahiko was more aware than ordinary ninjas of how formidable Mokgetsu's Fire Release was.
"Could he have been truthful before?" Ike found himself slightly stunned watching Mokgetsu giving commanding corrections to a strong Jonin.
He had a frightening guess, Mokgetsu hadn't been bragging earlier but had truly mastered seven Chakra nature changes.
Thinking of this made Ike's heart race; he recalled Mokgetsu's words from a few minutes ago, though still writing thoughts, this time was evidently different from the ordinary.
Next, Mokgetsu demonstrated powerful Taijutsu skills to the observing ninjas, pointing out Kurosaki Ichigo's flaws and suggesting improvements while fighting.
Not only newcomers were surprised, even those who had been with Mokgetsu for some time hadn't expected him to be so strong.
In their minds, having the strength of a Jonin from the Five Great Countries was already top-tier, after all, these were beings they couldn't come into contact with.
"Your strength is indeed great, I'm not your match, but this doesn't mean your power surpasses Lord Hanzo." Unwilling to be humiliated, Kurosaki Ichigo conceded defeat yet still spoke for Hanzo.
The Jonin of Rain Village felt a bit moved, in these times such ninjas still exist; now he had no choice but to recommend him to Hanzo.
The other observing ninjas also stood with respect, considering Kurosaki Ichigo worthy of admiration despite his loss.
After speaking, Kurosaki Ichigo walked away without turning back.
The Jonin of Rain Village silently remembered the name; Mokgetsu's displayed strength was too formidable, requiring further investigation with no room to leave.
"Ninja Master, please teach me Ninjutsu!" A ninja respectfully shouted immediately.
This shout set off a chain reaction, prompting others who realized it to also praise Mokgetsu and adopt a student posture.