Battles between ninjas rarely last for a long time, unless one side is good at protracted battles and deliberately delays the time. Generally, the result is a quick victory.

The reason for this situation lies in the tradition of the origin of ninjas. They are very different from ordinary swordsmen and samurai. There are almost no performance battles of ninjas. Arena duels like the Chunin Exams, where distinguished guests are invited to watch, are only possible when one is a Genin. When it comes to elite Jonin like Mizuki, the damage caused by the battles is too great. After all, ninjas also have human bodies and can die if they make the slightest mistake.

Therefore, the intensity of ninja battles has always been very high. Energy, physical strength and chakra are consumed very quickly. After a few rounds of evenly matched battles, the ninjas are almost exhausted.

The fight between Shuimu and Yanliu was relatively restrained. Although the fight was lively, neither of them used any moves that were too desperate. Of course, if the other party was killed, it would not be anyone else's fault. One could only blame oneself for not being good enough in martial arts.

Judging from the current situation, the offense and defense have changed, and the initiative has been seized by ninjas like Mizuki who have extremely strong control abilities, making it difficult to turn the situation around.

Yan Liu knew that the situation was critical and he was most likely to lose, but he would not give up easily until the last moment. Years of kendo training had enabled him to develop a heart that could remain calm in the face of adversity, and he would not give up hope no matter how bad the situation was.

However, seeing no hope, Yan Liu waved his sword in vain to resist the real and fake attacks. He also felt that the sword in his hand was becoming heavier and heavier, and his steps were gradually unable to keep up with the fighting consciousness.

"Struggle as hard as you can. Let me see if you have any tricks that can impress me."

The situation was already decided. Although there was no plan to kill Yan Liu, Shuimu didn't want to be frightened again. Until the very end, he did not reveal his true form to give Yan Liu a chance to counterattack. Who knows if that staggering and tired look was just an act!

"You are a coward hiding in the dark, you don't have the courage to face a strong enemy! I won't accept being defeated like this!"

Yan Liu cursed loudly while panting.

"Mana? With such a simple provocation, it seems that you don't have any trump cards left. How disappointing."

Mizuki said without being disturbed at all.

"As for whether you accept it or not, what does it have to do with me? Talking too much nonsense only makes it seem like you can't afford to lose."

The non-stop attacks continued to put tremendous pressure on Yan Liu.

Taking advantage of his opponent's lack of concentration due to fatigue, Mizuki increased the intensity of his attack again.

"It's bad!" Yan Liu, whose speed and reaction ability had greatly decreased, could no longer dodge the rain of shurikens. After knocking away most of them with his sword, he was powerless to stop the remaining ones. He could only put his hands in front of his body to protect his vital parts. Then, his arms, shoulders and back were hit mercilessly.

"You've held out longer than I thought. You're a really tenacious enemy."

"It's still early. This little injury won't have any impact at all!"

Reaching out and pulling out the shuriken stuck in his body and throwing it away, Yan Liu swung his sword again as he spoke to kill the shadow clone, whether real or fake.

But before he had taken a few steps, he half-knelt on the ground with unsteady steps, holding the sword in one hand and leaning on the ground, barely supporting his shaky body.

"What is this? You used poison?"

Yan Liu covered his mouth with his free hand and started coughing. His tone was filled with indescribable anger towards Shuimu, who had taken advantage of the situation and yet shamefully poisoned him.

"Isn't it normal for ninjas to use poison? The little trick you just taught me can save a lot of effort."

Shuimu himself rarely uses poison. These days, he has been on guard against others using poison against him. In fact, with his own attainments, he might be better at poisoning than Scorpion. With his own knowledge, it is still possible for him to research some special poisons.

It must be said that Mizuki was originally a guy who was good at using poison. Before being traveled through time, Mizuki, who had ordinary abilities, was also a pretty good poison master. It's just that Mizuki has always been dismissive of these little tricks. When a ninja reaches a certain level, his physical fitness is amazing, and no matter how strong the poison is, the effect will be greatly reduced.

Facing Yan Liu, a ninja with superb swordsmanship but ordinary in other aspects, illusion combined with poison seems to be unexpectedly effective.

Shuimu's merciless teasing made Yan Liu extremely ashamed and angry. Before he could even retort, he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Did he fall? You are indeed a strong-willed swordsman. You were able to hold on for so long."

A shadow clone came forward, looked at Yan Liu who had lost the ability to resist, kicked the hilt of the sword, and threw it far away. Then more shadow clones came forward, restrained Yan Liu who was unable to move, and completely sealed his chakra, eliminating his last bit of resistance.

"Okay, the game is over. So, Master Yan Liu, can you tell me now? What is your purpose?"

"It's already this late, and your true form hasn't appeared yet? I really overestimated your courage."

Shuimu smiled and replied: "Although the truth is not what you imagined, I am too lazy to explain it to you. Tell me, why did you do this? Don't tell me you were deceived by an illusion."

If one is caught in an illusion, one would not be so clear-minded, and the combat reaction would not be so agile. When Mizuki had sealed the chakra in his whole body just now, he had already checked and found that except for being blinded by his own illusion, there was no other tricks at all.

"Couldn't he be so eager for revenge that he wanted to start a war between the two villages?"

Yan Liu said with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's not impossible for you to say so, but even your compatriots don't believe that you would be so unwise. With your strength, there is a good chance that a sneak attack on the envoy of the Hidden Rock Village will succeed. But isn't your action too ostentatious? It's not impossible for you to get some information about the diplomatic activities between the villages. However, this is the first time I have seen an assassination activity that has been known to everyone. Do you want to explain it in detail?"

It is no secret that Konoha Village will hold the Chunin Exam soon. There will be a lot of foreseeable exchanges between the major ninja villages, and there will be many opportunities for assassinations. It is not surprising that Yan Liu, who has set his sights on the Hidden Rock Village, has some ideas. The strange thing is that the action has just begun, and Konoha has already received targeted missions. Mizuki does not know what happened in the middle, but it is obvious that all this seems to be a deliberate arrangement. The key lies in what role Yan Liu plays in it!