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Chapter 39: Fighting or Flirting? Konan Gets Jealous!
The instant Mei's long, fair leg struck Oborotsuki's body and passed straight through—
Splash—
Oborotsuki's form exploded apart into countless streams of water.
"Tch… Hydrification Technique?"
Mei frowned, immediately switching tactics.
Her hands blurred through seals at incredible speed—completing them in less than two seconds.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
She opened her mouth toward the liquefied Oborotsuki and unleashed her unique kekkei genkai.
A massive cloud of highly corrosive, sticky yellow mist spread out like a net, enveloping him from above.
Facing the attack, Oborotsuki flickered aside at the last moment.
He glanced back—the ground where the mist had landed was already corroding into a deep pit.
Even worse—the acidic liquid continued spreading outward in all directions.
It looked intent on turning a hundred-meter radius into a deadly corrosive zone.
Mei's goal was obvious.
She wanted to leave Oborotsuki with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
"…Another kekkei genkai?"
"Big sis, you really don't hold back at all!"
Oborotsuki's expression grew slightly more serious as he looked at Mei.
"Damn it!"
"Still running your mouth!"
Mei gritted her teeth, drew a kunai, and charged straight at Oborotsuki.
At the same time, she was already gathering chakra for her next big move.
But this time, Oborotsuki didn't give her the chance.
He formed a single hand seal and opened his mouth, unleashing a colossal torrent:
"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!!"
His chakra surged like an endless flood.
The summoned water roared forth like a raging river—limitless and unstoppable.
In the blink of an eye, the entire battlefield was swallowed by water. The surrounding forest turned into a vast ocean.
Even Mei's earlier Boil Release attack was buried beneath the deluge, rendered completely ineffective.
Seeing this, Mei halted her charge. She stared in disbelief at the newly formed sea:
"This kid's Water Style… how can it be this powerful?"
"What insane chakra reserves! It seems his strength has grown even further since leaving Kirigakure. The village intel… is completely outdated. It's useless!"
Mei pulled out the document on Hōzuki Oborotsuki, gave it a quick scan, then tore it to shreds with gritted teeth.
Then she lifted her head again, staring at Oborotsuki in the distance with unprecedented seriousness.
From their brief exchange, she had basically confirmed: Oborotsuki's strength was at least on par with hers.
A shinobi this powerful—if allowed to leave Kirigakure—would be an enormous loss and an unpredictable future threat…
So today, no matter what, she had to bring Hōzuki Oborotsuki back into the fold!
With that resolve, Mei's expression suddenly relaxed.
She placed one hand on her hip, smiled at Oborotsuki, and asked:
"Kid, what conditions would it take for you to rejoin Kirigakure?"
Hearing this, Oborotsuki also relaxed his stance.
"Conditions, huh?"
"How about you marry me first?"
"I'll tell you the rest later."
Oborotsuki replied almost without thinking, looking at Mei with a teasing smile.
High above, Konan—who had been watching the fight with paper wings spread—saw her expression shift slightly.
But she remained silent.
Down on the water's surface, Mei frowned deeply:
"What nonsense!"
"Looks like I'll have to show you some color!"
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Mei attacked again without hesitation. She charged forward and exhaled another massive cloud of mist.
This mist was completely different from ordinary fog—pale yellow in color, and the moment it appeared, the air filled with a sharp, acrid smell.
At the same time, the water surface began to boil violently. The air itself hissed and sizzled.
"Another kekkei genkai?"
Oborotsuki feigned surprise.
In truth, he knew exactly how powerful this technique was. Boil Release's corrosiveness far surpassed Lava Release—one was more for support and restriction, while this was the real killing move!
"Hey, why so serious all of a sudden? Weren't you the one who told me to name my conditions?"
"Don't tell me—you think I'm not good enough for you?"
Oborotsuki kept grinning and dodging effortlessly, completely unaffected by Mei's unique kekkei genkai.
"Hmph! You sure talk a big game!"
"If you want to marry me, you'll have to beat me first!"
After being dodged repeatedly, Mei felt her pride take a hit.
She had originally come here with full confidence—thinking that even if she couldn't convince Oborotsuki to return, she could at least subdue and bring him back by force.
Now it looked like that possibility was basically zero.
But Mei wasn't willing to leave empty-handed.
Her stubborn streak flared up. She decided to go all out—fight with everything she had, defeat him, and drag him back.
Then she'd slowly work on changing his mind.
"Hahaha?"
Hearing Mei's angry challenge, Oborotsuki's eyes lit up with excitement.
"You're serious?"
He asked eagerly.
"Take this!"
Mei suddenly accelerated—becoming a blur as she rushed toward Oborotsuki.
But just as she closed in, preparing her next big attack—
A massive swarm of white paper sheets suddenly flew toward her from the front.
"!!"
Mei's heart jolted. She immediately stopped and retreated rapidly.
Only after creating distance did she realize—paper was coming from all directions.
The countless sheets converged in an instant, detonating violently in a storm of explosions and soaring flames.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM…
Even the water surface boiled under the blasts.
The shockwaves swept away every trace of Mei's acidic mist.
Seeing this, Mei's expression changed slightly.
She instinctively looked up—toward the sky, where Konan hovered with wings of paper spread wide, like an angel descending.
Without question—the one who had just intervened was Konan.
"Hōzuki Oborotsuki… so you're colluding with a ninja from another village…"
Mei withdrew her gaze from the sky, looking back at Oborotsuki with lingering wariness.
If she had been half a second slower just now… the consequences would have been unthinkable!
Hearing Mei's accusation, Oborotsuki looked up at Konan—and saw a face filled with extreme displeasure, even a hint of anger.
"She's jealous…"
Just from that expression, Oborotsuki knew without needing to ask.
When a woman gets jealous, it can be terrifying.
But to Oborotsuki—this was actually a perfect opportunity.
His gaze shifted, and in the next instant—he vanished.
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