Loquat Shizang and the others noticed a subtle movement between the pair. Their eyes flickered back and forth—as if they were reading the very air around them.
"Uh… um," began Loquat Shizang, slender and nearly a head taller than Wayne. "It seems the flood began yesterday, and now you're here. Did you see anything suspicious?"
"Not at all," Wayne replied calmly.
"Really? Not a single thing… or are you lying?!" the Watermelon Mountain Puffer shouted fiercely. "If you dare deceive us, the monster will devour you!"
After his outburst, he patted the Samehada strapped to his back. "And who is this fat man causing all the commotion? He deserves to be hacked to pieces by Hoshigaki Kisame later."
Wayne inwardly sneered but maintained an even tone. "If you don't believe me, check for yourself."
"By the way, Anbu's Taodi Zabuzhan paid you a visit last night—but he hasn't returned, and we can't contact him," remarked the Black Hoe Leiya, his gaze implying that Wayne might already be a captive.
"Who knows?" Wayne shrugged. "There was such a massive tsunami last night; maybe he was swept out to sea to feed the fish."
"How can you speak like that!" Terumi Mei snapped, anger flashing in her eyes at the recklessness of a fellow ninja from the village. Yet even in her fury, the small, charming smile on her fair face betrayed a quiet admiration for her younger brother—who handled these villains with a calm that belied his age.
"Stinky brother, it's all because of me that I'm here!" she teased lightly.
"As far as I know, you and Taodi have been at odds since your student days. Did your old conflict come to a head last night?" Loquat Shizang pressed, his eyes suddenly turning icy as he glared at Wayne. Still, Wayne met his gaze without a trace of weakness.
"If I claim nothing happened, then nothing did. If you have evidence, show it—otherwise, you're just spouting nonsense," Wayne retorted with growing irritation.
"Then prepare to meet your end!" Loquat Shizang roared. In a flash, his eyes burned with cold fury as he swung his beheading sword in a swift, deadly arc.
Puff! The strike hit—Wayne's face shattered, and half his cheek was sliced clean away.
"Look for death yourself!" Wayne spat.
Terumi Mei's anger surged, her hands already forming seals, when suddenly an unexpected transformation occurred.
Boom! Wayne's body exploded into a torrent of water.
"Water separation?!" someone cried out in astonishment. When had his ability shifted like this?
"Water Style: Water Blade!" came a commanding voice as five crescent-shaped water jets—reminiscent of the legendary Six Paths half-moon—arced over the battlefield.
With his beheading sword raised in defiance, Loquat Shizang smirked disdainfully. Yet the water jets exploded forth, and his once steadfast sword, as immovable as Mount Tai, buckled under the force.
"Foolish child! How can water cut through steel?" Loquat Shizang jeered.
"You're about to see," replied Wayne coolly. "Turtle, you've never witnessed water tearing through steel, have you? Just wait."
"Boy, you'll regret those words!" Loquat Shizang growled, concealing his mounting frustration. In his eyes, Wayne was nothing more than a pawn—a stubborn one, no doubt empowered by a tenacious Haki that defied expectation.
Undeterred, Wayne formed a familiar seal. Within his core, the spirit of the Pacific roiled as if boiling with fury.
"Hai Dun: Blade of the Sea!" he declared, and a seemingly modest crescent-shaped water jet surged forth once more.
Loquat Shizang braced himself, still holding his beheading sword aloft. "You arrogant fool," he spat.
But then, with a crisp slicing sound, the villain realized his sword had become unnervingly light. Glancing downward, he saw that half the blade had been cleaved away. Another resounding puff later, blood spurted from his left shoulder, and a searing pain spread as his left arm was brutally compromised.
"How… how is this possible?!" Loquat Shizang roared, panic lacing his voice. Not only had his beheading sword been shattered, but his own strength was failing him as the water technique overwhelmed his defenses.