A kiss that melts?
Shinji's expression darkened.
He was quite interested in kisses that didn't melt, but as for Terumi Mei's Melting Release… he'd rather pass.
"You're ninjas from Kirigakure, especially you, Ao."
Shinji's gaze locked directly onto him as he spoke with interest:
"The Hyūga clan has placed a hefty bounty on your head."
To be honest, he was seriously short on money lately.
If the opportunity arose, he wouldn't mind capturing Ao and handing him over to the Hyūga clan for the reward.
Sensing the faint killing intent emanating from Shinji, Ao's expression instantly turned grim.
He knew better than anyone that he had long been on the Hyūga clan's "kill list."
The Hyūga were a top-tier clan in Konohagakure, with numerous powerful members, and were said to be distant relatives of Kirigakure's Kaguya clan.
He had always been careful to avoid trouble, but now that it had come to this, he naturally wouldn't just sit back and wait for death.
A kunai quietly gripped in his palm, Ao lowered his stance, adopting a combat posture ready to strike at any moment.
Terumi Mei stepped forward, gently extending a hand to stop him.
"Senior Ao, take the five Anbu and leave first. I'll catch up shortly."
"No, it's too dangerous!" Ao immediately objected sternly.
"The mission comes first. Besides, I have confidence."
Terumi Mei gave him a slight nod, a calm and confident smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Even if it's an Uchiha, they might not be able to defeat me. Don't forget, I possess two Kekkei Genkai."
She was the most dazzling rising star of Kirigakure's generation, highly valued by Gengetsu, and bore the rare dual Kekkei Genkai, harboring a pride in her bones that matched her strength.
Influenced by Terumi Mei's composure and confidence, Ao ultimately let out a bitter sigh.
"I understand. I'll keep watch from a distance. If anything unexpected happens, I'll provide support immediately."
He pressed a hand to his right eye and whispered a warning: "Be careful."
This was the best option under the circumstances. Tailed Beasts were strategic resources for the village, and they absolutely couldn't afford to waste any more time here.
The five Kirigakure Anbu had already broken free from the Genjutsu and quickly retreated, following closely behind Ao.
Shinji simply stood there, quietly watching it all unfold, without the slightest intention of stopping them.
"Just you alone? You can't win against me."
"Hmph, how would you know without fighting?"
No more words were exchanged.
Shinji drew the short sword from his back in a reverse grip, his body leaping forward like an arrow released from its bow, charging fiercely toward Terumi Mei.
Terumi Mei's expression remained unchanged as her hands swiftly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
She puffed her cheeks and spat a sharp, rapid stream of water toward Shinji.
Shinji merely sidestepped lightly, easily dodging the attack without slowing his momentum. In a flash, he closed the distance, appearing right in front of Terumi Mei.
With a flick of his wrist, the short sword came slashing down toward her head.
Terumi Mei hooked two kunai in her hands, raising her arms sharply to block.
"Clang—!"
The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed on the spot, forcefully parrying the strike.
Shinji immediately followed up with a knee strike, aiming straight for Terumi Mei's abdomen.
Terumi Mei hastily retreated, barely avoiding it.
Shinji's blade traced an eerie arc through the air, launching a relentless, storm-like assault on the vital points all over her body.
Sparks flew continuously between the short sword and kunai, the clashing of metal ringing out without end.
Terumi Mei gritted her teeth, finding herself completely suppressed for the moment, forced into a desperate defense.
Just then, the sharp whistle of a short sword tearing through the air suddenly came from behind her.
Alarm bells blared in her mind. Her figure abruptly flipped, swiftly dodging to the right.
Once she regained her footing, she saw two figures simultaneously attacking her.
And those two figures kept splitting apart.
Four, eight, sixteen...
Shinji had used Phantom Body Flicker again.
"This won't do. If this continues, I'll be completely suppressed."
"I can't keep competing with him in Taijutsu."
She had never fought an Uchiha before, only seen related records in the village's archives. This was her first time truly experiencing the power of the Uchiha.
Her every move had been seen through by the Sharingan.
Terumi Mei didn't lose heart, because the Sharingan wasn't omnipotent.
She abruptly pulled back, her hands flying through a series of hand seals in front of her chest. Her red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a hint of cold allure.
"Boil Release: Skillful Mist Technique!"
In an instant, scorching, thick mist with a pungent acidic odor surged violently from her mouth.
Wherever the white mist passed, vegetation rapidly withered, and even the ground sizzled with a dissolving sound.
Shinji's heart tightened, his offensive forced to a sudden, hard stop.
Terumi Mei let out a light laugh within the mist, her voice elusive and drifting.
"In my Skillful Mist, no matter how miraculous your clones are, the real body will be dissolved completely."
Killing intent surged within the mist, offense and defense instantly reversed.
Shinji stood outside the thick mist, his brow tightly furrowed.
His Sharingan could not see through the Boil Release Kekkei Genkai.
Kekkei Genkai were either special ninjutsu formed from composite chakra natures or exclusive abilities passed down through bloodlines.
The mist before him wasn't simple fog either, but a corrosive mist born from the fusion of water and fire natures, its acidity controllable at will. Even Madara Uchiha's Susanoo could be eroded by it.
This was undoubtedly a nightmare for close combat.
In the Sharingan's vision, the chakra within Terumi Mei's body was immense.
Possessing two Kekkei Genkai, her chakra reserves far exceeded those of an ordinary ninja by more than tenfold.
Engaging her in a battle of attrition held no chance of victory.
Shinji lightly spun the short sword in his hand, then reversed his grip and slowly drove the blade into his own back.
He stared at the faintly discernible, graceful figure within the mist, his hands forming hand seals as fast as lightning, his chest suddenly swelling.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
An orange-red fireball five or six meters in diameter erupted with a roar, carrying scorching heat waves as it crashed toward the thick mist, plowing a deep furrow in the ground.
"Hehe, Fire Release?"
"You haven't forgotten, have you, that I'm a Kirigakure ninja?"
Terumi Mei chuckled alluringly, her hands swiftly forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
Torrential water surged up from the ground, solidifying into a broad, curved water wall in front of her, firmly shielding her figure behind it.
The Great Fireball pierced through the white mist, slamming hard into the water wall.
The fireball exploded violently, flames madly licking at the water curtain. Water and fire engaged in a fierce struggle, momentarily locked in a stalemate.
Terumi Mei dared to stay and face Shinji alone precisely because she relied on Water Release's natural advantage against the Uchiha Clan's Fire Release.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
She formed hand seals again. The surrounding moisture gathered frantically, a massive amount of water taking shape in front of her, instantly transforming into a water dragon with overwhelming momentum.
The dragon's head reared back and roared, stirring up an immense presence as it fiercely pounced toward Shinji.
The dense mist was instantly dispersed. Shinji swiftly retreated, channeling a torrent of Chakra toward his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Flames roared from his mouth, transforming in an instant into a fiery dragon covered in blazing scales, surging forward.
One water, one fire—two colossal dragons collided violently in mid-air, tearing and roaring.
"Boom—!"
Flames exploded, water shattered. Scorching heat and icy cold intertwined madly, sending plumes of steam soaring into the sky, completely shrouding the entire battlefield.
"With visibility completely obscured, even his powerful Sharingan is useless now."
"This is the perfect opportunity."
"As long as I keep wearing him down with Ninjutsu, victory will be mine."
The moment this thought crossed Terumi Mei's mind, a chill touched her neck.
A Kunai silently extended from behind her, pressing steadily against her throat.
"Don't move."
Shinji's figure had appeared behind her at some unknown moment.
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