Looking at the blood in her hands, she instead began to laugh.
The ceaseless surge of powerful strength made her smile grow even more pronounced.
The current her wondered just how many of her past selves she could defeat.
She gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
Her brown long hair had turned a shade darker, almost pitch-black.
Her skin had taken on a dark brown hue.
Two fangs protruded from her mouth, and bat-like wings sprouted from her back, making her resemble the vampires from mythological tales.
Her figure hadn't changed much, only growing slightly taller, with the whites of her eyes turning black.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Water currents swirled around Terumi Mei, condensing into a blue water dragon that roared forth, sweeping through the forest ahead with a crashing torrent.
In an instant, it engulfed an area of about three meters, snapping every tree in the vicinity and sending them crashing to the ground amid rising dust.
Boom!
After toppling the large trees, the water dragon didn't slow down; it plunged into the earth, sliding along the ground and carving out deep furrows.
"Ninjutsu... has been enhanced."
Terumi Mei could sense it—a strand of energy dissipating into the air.
The earth, the flowers and plants, the forest...
This energy lingered in all these places.
Terumi Mei didn't know what this energy truly was.
But every time she unleashed a ninjutsu, it would naturally draw in a portion of it.
Activating her current state had also required her body to absorb this energy in advance.
Whoosh!
Terumi Mei's ears twitched slightly; someone was approaching from a kilometer away.
She slowly retracted the power of her curse seal.
As the power receded, her body gradually returned to its original form.
Her brown long hair regained its smooth, lustrous shine, reverting to its former color.
The dark brown skin faded, revealing her fair and delicate complexion.
"What are you doing here, Momochi Zabuza?"
Terumi Mei waited as the figure from a kilometer away drew near, then asked.
Momochi Zabuza's lips curled into a grin as he replied, "Konoha's people are arriving soon. The higher-ups want us to go check it out."
"Konoha..."
Hearing those two words, Terumi Mei suddenly thought of one person.
Uchiha Shimizu—that damn bastard. Would he come?
Terumi Mei hadn't forgotten: they and Konoha's Three-Tails Jinchuriki were suspected to be part of the same team.
If the Three-Tails Jinchuriki was here, then he was almost certainly coming too.
"Fine."
Terumi Mei's beautiful face frosted over with chill.
Momochi Zabuza inexplicably felt the air grow several degrees colder, and Terumi Mei's tone carried a hint of gnashing teeth.
He didn't dwell on it.
The message was delivered; whatever happened next had nothing to do with him.
In the next second, Momochi Zabuza left the area.
Terumi Mei picked up the ninja tool pouch from the ground.
This was a relatively secluded training ground in Kirigakure, where ninjas would come to practice and train.
"Uchiha... Shimizu, you'll regret giving me this power."
Terumi Mei murmured softly, her eyes overflowing with hatred.
The life energy within her body was slowly ebbing away.
Her lifespan had shortened by about ten years.
That didn't matter—as long as she could gain strength and find Shimizu to exact revenge.
It would all be worth it.
At the entrance to Kirigakure.
As Shimizu and the others approached Kirigakure, he spotted several figures from afar.
The most eye-catching was Terumi Mei, whom he hadn't seen in a long while.
Her well-proportioned, slender figure was clad in a ninja combat outfit that accentuated her curvaceous form, exuding an alluring charm.
Standing beside Terumi Mei was a tall young man.
Shimizu had never met him face-to-face, yet he recognized his identity at a glance.
Momochi Zabuza.
In his prime with the Decapitating Carving Knife, his strength was probably between Jonin and Elite Jonin.
Shimizu lost interest.
In the future, Momochi Zabuza would take in a young boy named Haku.
A member of the Yuki Clan, possessing the Kekkei Genkai: Ice Release.
"Hmph, Uchiha Shimizu, so you really came."
Terumi Mei stared fixedly at Shimizu.
Shimizu stared back at Terumi Mei in kind.
Women in their developmental years were truly something—one change after another in such a short time.
Terumi Mei's plump thighs pressed against the black fishnet stockings, squeezing the flesh into diamond-shaped patterns that were utterly tempting.
"Miss Terumi Mei, it seems you've recovered quite well."
Shimizu smiled faintly.
Terumi Mei's expression shifted slightly.
This guy was mocking her for trying to take her own life before!
"Step back, Terumi Mei."
As the tension between the two sides grew thicker with gunpowder.
An old man with a wrinkled face emerged from Kirigakure.
Terumi Mei had participated in that operation, and both sides had forged a grudge.
But Kirigakure couldn't claim the moral high ground in this matter.
Even though the Three-Tails Jinchuriki had arrived in Kirigakure, it hadn't been returned yet.
They had already decided on the candidate for the next Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
Moreover, peace was indeed urgently needed.
Kirigakure didn't have many usable forces left.
Terumi Mei retreated reluctantly, still glaring at Shimizu.
Namikaze Minato's expression wasn't great either.
Kirigakure had started this whole mess—how dare they act so arrogantly?
But remembering Sarutobi Hiruzen's instructions, Namikaze Minato felt a deep sense of helplessness.
If he ever became the Fourth Hokage, he would change all this—protect everyone in the village and prevent such incidents from happening again.
"Are all Kirigakure people this unreasonable?"
Hatake Kakashi said indifferently.
"Enough, Kakashi."
Before Terumi Mei could respond, Namikaze Minato held Kakashi back and whispered a few comforting words in his ear. For now, the bigger picture came first.
Kakashi clenched his fists, his expression unreadable beneath the black mask.
Shortly after, the group entered Kirigakure.
Upon reaching the Mizukage Building, a young man approached.
Yagura Karatachi.
With green hair, purple pupils, a scar under his left eye resembling a suture mark, and a staff slung across his back—topped with a hook and adorned with green fireworks.
He looked youthful, like a child of just a few years old.
But in reality, he was about the same age as Namikaze Minato.
"The ceremony requires one day of preparation. Everyone from Konoha, please stay here for the night."
Yagura Karatachi spoke up. "Zabuza, show them around Kirigakure's scenery."
Then he departed.
The old man left with him.
Only some young ninjas remained to accompany Shimizu and the others.
Zabuza led them to the nearby streets.
The surveilling gazes didn't decrease; if anything, they increased.
Shimizu's expression remained unchanged.
As an Uchiha, he was already used to surveillance from the Root and ANBU back in the village.
His own courtyard was rigged with numerous anti-surveillance sealing formulas.
They could mislead the eyes of watchers.
"I hear the Decapitating Carving Knife is in your possession."
Momochi Zabuza drew closer to Shimizu.
If he could get the Decapitating Carving Knife, he would be the next generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
"You heard wrong. It's just a rumor."
Shimizu replied casually while taking in Kirigakure's scenery.
The stone-paved roads on the ground were somewhat damp, likely due to the humid climate here.
With every step Shimizu took, he splashed up tiny water droplets.
The moment they entered the village, numerous surveilling gazes fell upon them.
This was their first time in Kirigakure.
Kirigakure was situated on a large island, surrounded by many smaller ones.
The village and islands were connected by bridges and boats.
They had spent several days on a boat just to get here.
"No wonder it becomes a breeding ground for the Akatsuki."
Shimizu thought to himself.
Soon, Obito would control the newly appointed Fourth Mizukage, turning Kirigakure completely into the Village of the Bloody Mist.
The ninjas here would undergo brutal selections.
Some of the Akatsuki's secret activities would also take place here.
Kirigakure's geography was isolated from the mainland, naturally shrouded in thick fog, making it hard for outside ninjas to infiltrate.
Unlike Shimizu's many thoughts, Kakashi and the others kept it simpler.
They observed the architecture, utterly different from Konoha's—houses here were mostly wooden and stone structures, shaped like cylinders.
Along the way, a woman suddenly ran over.
Her appearance was quite plain; from afar, she looked like an ordinary woman.
Not particularly beautiful, but not ugly either—just a very typical face, perhaps the enduring kind.
"I'm Shibayako. I'll show everyone around the village."
Shibayako briefly introduced herself.
Both Terumi Mei and Momochi Zabuza greeted her, clearly indicating her status wasn't low.
"So this is Shibayako."
Namikaze Minato smiled.
Shibayako didn't have the arrogance of those noble children; with that, Kakashi's married life wouldn't be too hard.
"By the way, Kakashi, go over to Shibayako's side. We'll split up."
"..."
Kakashi glanced at Namikaze Minato, unsure what he was planning.
"Fine."
Kakashi answered curtly.
He didn't want to think about anything right now—just empty his mind.
Escape from the mundane world.
"Kakashi..."
Shibayako softly said Kakashi's name.
She felt a spark of joy inside.
Though she was a high-ranking official's daughter, based on looks alone, she could never match someone as handsome as Kakashi.
She immediately grabbed Kakashi's hand and pulled him away.
Kakashi frowned slightly, finding it a bit abrupt.
Then he thought it might be a Kirigakure tradition and didn't stop her.
Nohara Rin's gaze dimmed, especially seeing Shibayako dragging Kakashi off.
She had never even done something like that!
"They look like a good match."
Namikaze Minato laughed.
Momochi Zabuza and Terumi Mei merely nodded slightly.
It was just a political marriage—whether they matched or not didn't matter.
Talk of "matching" was just to make the scene look better.
"Miss Terumi Mei, please continue showing us Kirigakure's cuisine."
Shimizu spoke up.
Terumi Mei glared at Shimizu, and only after a long pause did she silently head in a direction.
Momochi Zabuza couldn't understand what was wrong with this woman. This was crucial diplomacy involving whether the two villages could cease hostilities.
Any ninja who went to the battlefield day after day, fighting for their lives, rarely wanted anything but peace.
They often didn't reap the benefits, but they were always the first to taste war's pain.
"It's that way."
Momochi Zabuza forced a smile.
He wasn't good at this, but for Kirigakure, he had to try.
...
Nightfall.
Kakashi returned to the group.
After a hearty meal, Hozuki Mangetsu led everyone to the guest rooms.
"Please rest here for the night, everyone."
Hozuki Mangetsu gestured invitingly to Shimizu and the others.
"Are you from the Hozuki Clan?"
At that moment, Hōki, who had been silent, spoke faintly.
His eyes burned as he stared at Hozuki Mangetsu.
He too had a head of white hair, tied in vertical braids, revealing sharp teeth when he spoke, with fluffy bandages wrapped around his neck.
The Hozuki Clan could use a special secret technique: "Hydrification Technique."
It allowed their bodies to turn into liquid, rendering them immune to all physical attacks.
The only weakness was lightning; they were countered by Lightning Release ninjutsu, as the paralyzing effect prevented full liquefaction.
Aside from that, it was practically an immortal body.
"If... I used the Ghost Sprout Technique on him too..."
Hōki felt a surge of desire.
He hadn't had a chance to encounter the Hozuki Clan before, but now it was a gift from the heavens.
Immunity to physical attacks—it was exactly the ability of his dreams.
He had considered seizing something like Steel Release Kekkei Genkai.
But now, hydrification seemed even better.
Hozuki Mangetsu turned back, opening his mouth to say, "That's right, I'm from the Hozuki Clan."
"I see."
Hōki nodded, licking his lips, but made no further moves.
Hozuki Mangetsu felt a chill; his features were somewhat androgynous, sometimes mistaken for a woman's.
Occasionally, some weird men would approach him.
This Konoha ninja wasn't one of those, was he?
"I'll be going now. Rest well."
With that, Hozuki Mangetsu vanished in a flash.
"Minato-sensei, I'll go rest first."
Nohara Rin turned and entered her private room.
"Rin!"
Namikaze Minato started to reach for her, wanting to spend her final day with her, but seeing her lonely silhouette, he stopped.
What right did he have to dictate Nohara Rin's life?
Extracting a tailed beast was a death sentence.
This saying had circulated for ages, as every generation of Jinchuriki passed the beast to the next while still alive.
After the transfer, they often died within minutes or seconds.
Escorting Nohara Rin here was, in fact, a silent acceptance.
Kakashi remained silent.
Hōki felt nothing in particular.
He wasn't close with the others.
His interest in Kakashi stemmed from someone without a Kekkei Genkai becoming one who had it.
A rare experimental subject.
He hadn't seen others transplant Sharingan—was it something anyone could do, or was Kakashi's Sharingan special, or was Kakashi himself unique?
"Minato-sensei, I'll go check on Rin."
Shimizu slipped into Nohara Rin's room just before she locked the door.
"Please, Shimizu."
Namikaze Minato nodded.
He was actually puzzled why Kakashi wasn't comforting Rin.
Nohara Rin seemed to have feelings for Kakashi, but it was unrequited—one-sided affection.
"I'm going to sleep."
"Kakashi, I need to talk to you."
As Kakashi prepared to enter his room, Namikaze Minato pulled him aside.
Now, only the two of them remained in the hallway outside the rooms.
The others had gone inside.
"It's like this—the village has decided..."
Namikaze Minato recounted the marriage alliance to Kakashi, explaining that Kakashi was the chosen one.
"Me?"
Kakashi pointed at himself, his face full of confusion.
He knew Shimizu had proposed the marriage alliance, but he never imagined...
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