"How did you appear behind me?"
Terumi Mei froze in place, her voice filled with disbelief.
A Shadow Clone?
She immediately looked toward where Shinji had been standing, but the spot was already empty.
Not a clone!
Then it must be Space-Time Ninjutsu!
Terumi Mei's heart sank, and she clenched her fists tightly.
This man behind her actually mastered Space-Time Ninjutsu!
In the pupil of Shinji's right eye, three swirling patterns faintly appeared, clearly reflecting Terumi Mei's back.
Heavenly Stone Gate!
The entire battlefield had already been marked within the range of his right eye's Dōjutsu. He could open a portal at any time and teleport anywhere.
Just now, the moment the steam obscured her vision, he had activated the ability of his right eye.
Shinji did not answer her question, instead speaking with amusement:
"Tell me, how should I deal with you?"
"Don't get too cocky!"
A Kunai slid out from Terumi Mei's left sleeve, firmly grasped in her hand. Her right hand shot toward Shinji's wrist as she twisted her body sharply, ready to counterattack.
But the next second, her right hand suddenly grasped empty air.
The presence behind her had vanished into thin air.
Gone.
It really was Space-Time Ninjutsu!
Terumi Mei hastily retreated and dodged, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily, frantically searching for Shinji's position.
Shinji appeared out of thin air behind her and kicked her.
A dull thud.
Her body suddenly jolted as a tremendous force struck from behind, sending her stumbling forward. Losing her balance, she fell face-first to the ground.
Shinji appeared behind her again, his hands locking her wrists behind her back, firmly pinning her down.
"This won't do," he said, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Damn it! How dare you kick me there!"
A sharp pain shot through her buttocks. Terumi Mei felt both humiliated and furious. In all her life, no one had ever dared to treat her like this.
"I'll kill you!"
She struggled desperately but couldn't break free from his firm grip.
Shinji locked both her wrists with one hand, curled his knuckles, and lightly flicked her forehead.
"I told you not to move, yet you still moved."
"I told you to leave, but you insisted on staying to stop me."
"Aren't you just wasting my time?"
With each sentence, Shinji flicked her forehead lightly.
Terumi Mei grew increasingly embarrassed and flustered. Her struggles gradually weakened, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.
"Stop... stop flicking me!"
"I... I won't move anymore."
Her voice grew softer and softer, her entire body going limp.
Ten minutes later.
Shinji gave an awkward smile, wondering if he had taken the joke too far.
Looking at Terumi Mei, whose fighting spirit had long vanished and who had gone completely limp, he cleared his throat, stood up from her, and spoke seriously:
"I actually didn't intend to harm you. You can go."
"Just don't interfere with me again."
The restraint suddenly disappeared. Terumi Mei pushed herself up, quickly putting distance between them, glaring at him with a mix of shame and anger:
"You bastard!"
She instinctively touched her burning forehead, then secretly rubbed her buttocks. An inexplicable, complex allure flickered in her eyes.
Aren't the members of the Uchiha Clan supposed to be aloof and cold?
How did such a shameless and powerful guy appear?
She glared fiercely at Shinji, wishing her gaze could pierce right through him.
Shinji shrugged helplessly. "What, do you want to come back to Konohagakure with me? You're no match for me."
Terumi Mei was taken aback, then fell silent.
She knew very well that the moment she was subdued, her life and death were in the other's hands. Given the value of her two Kekkei Genkai, if she were taken back to Konohagakure, it could be exchanged for immense benefits.
So why did he let her go?
Could it be that he has... feelings for her?
A strange emotion quietly rose in her heart. Two blushes crept onto her cheeks, and her gaze toward Shinji softened considerably without her realizing it.
"Hmph, trying to get my attention this way? You've miscalculated."
"But... you really are quite a decent man."
"Huh?"
Shinji froze on the spot, completely unprepared for Terumi Mei to say such a thing, and utterly unaware of the elaborate scenario she had already constructed in her own mind.
He was a good man?
Well, yes, he was.
He gave Terumi Mei a strange look, barely holding back a laugh, and mentally summoned the System. He tossed a [Character Detector] at her.
He genuinely wanted to see what kind of stats this future Mizukage had.
[Character: Terumi Mei]
[Skills: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Lv3, Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique Lv2, Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique Lv2...]
[Estimated Conquest Rewards: Ambiguous Relationship / 7000 Points, True Love Relationship / 320,000 Points...]
[Note: Conquest Difficulty: High. Strength is excessive, almost no men dare approach. Deeply desires marriage internally, has an extreme preference for men stronger than herself. Recommendation for Host: Dominate and take control.]
Desires marriage?
Shinji abruptly covered his mouth, struggling mightily to suppress his laughter.
Come to think of it, Terumi Mei had indeed remained unmarried, and was particularly sensitive to words related to "marriage."
Conquer Terumi Mei?
He shook his head slightly. After all, they weren't from the same village and their positions differed. Such matters were better left to fate.
"Hey."
Terumi Mei suddenly called out to him. "What's your name?"
"Uchiha Shinji."
"Shinji... Shinji..."
Terumi Mei softly repeated the name, as if etching it firmly into her heart.
She secretly glanced up at Shinji and realized, to her surprise, that he was quite handsome, fitting her aesthetic perfectly. Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened a few beats.
This feeling of being moved!
Had she already fallen under Shinji's Genjutsu?
"My name is Terumi Mei. You remember that."
She turned her face away, her cheeks already tinged with crimson.
Shinji smiled faintly. "Terumi Mei... Mei. That's a good name. I'll remember it."
He waved at Terumi Mei.
"Maybe we'll meet again."
Shinji checked his direction, then moved, quickly disappearing into the distance.
Terumi Mei stared blankly at his retreating figure, a strange sense of reluctance inexplicably arising in her heart.
She hurriedly patted her flushed cheeks.
"No, what was I just thinking!"
Not long after, Ao rushed back.
"Terumi Mei, are you alright?"
Using his Byakugan from afar earlier, he had seen Terumi Mei pinned to the ground by that Uchiha ninja and immediately turned back in a panic.
But now the two had separated, the other party had left, and the battlefield was eerily calm.
"What exactly happened between you two just now?"
"N-nothing."
Terumi Mei lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Ao's gaze.
Ao frowned, but still advised solemnly:
"Stay away from that person from now on. His strength reminds me of Uchiha Shisui."
Stay away?
Terumi Mei fell silent for a moment, suppressing the strange feeling deep in her heart, and nodded gently.
Yes, after all, they weren't from the same village.
"Let's go."
"Alright!"
The two soon left the grassy field as well.
Not far away, the body of a fallen Mist Anbu suddenly began to writhe slowly.
The next moment, the corpse transformed into a mass of white substance. Beside it, White Zetsu slowly crawled out from beneath the ground.
He glanced at the now-empty battlefield, dragged the white mass, and sank into the ground, disappearing completely.