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Mei Terumi noticed Kirito's gaze.
She continued speaking with a slight smile on her lips.
"Brother Kirito, why do you look so intimidating? Are you trying to scare me?"
"My little request isn't too much."
"Since you're being so fierce, I suppose I'll have to fight you."
Her soft voice gradually grew colder.
Kirito remained silent, his eyes locked onto the woman with a calm, unflinching gaze.
Naruto, confused, spoke up.
"Jinchūriki? What Jinchūriki? Is this old woman out of her mind?"
Seeing that Mei Terumi was clearly an enemy, Naruto and the others immediately readied themselves for battle.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Sasuke's eyes suddenly sharpened, and without hesitation, a massive fireball shot from his mouth.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet."
Mei Terumi gathered chakra behind her throat, spitting out a water ball that fell like a meteorite, spreading out as it hit the ground. The fire was instantly extinguished, but the water continued rolling downhill without signs of evaporating.
The disparity between the two was clear—Sasuke's fire technique and Mei Terumi's water jutsu weren't even close in power or chakra volume. The water dragon had overwhelmed Sasuke's attack effortlessly.
"Multiple Kage-level..."
Before Naruto could finish, the three were blown back by the force of the water ball.
Bang!
The three slammed against the wall hard.
"Is this woman... a jonin?" Naruto groaned, trying to rise.
Sasuke, blood trickling from his mouth, coughed.
"No... She's more than a jonin. She's at least at the Kage level..."
Sasuke's Sharingan, which had just been activated, flickered before closing again.
Seeing Sasuke in pain, Sakura's face turned pale.
"Sasuke, are you okay?"
Sasuke, struggling to speak, managed a response.
"She held back... if she didn't, I would be dead."
Naruto, still clueless, glanced between Sasuke and Mei Terumi.
"You think this woman's a Kage-level ninja?" He was clearly bewildered.
Mei Terumi chuckled, her eyes glowing with amusement.
"You're not wrong. And as for you, little one," she teased, "If I wanted to catch a living Jinchūriki, you'd already be dead."
With a mocking laugh, Mei Terumi shifted her gaze to Kirito.
"Brother Kirito, aren't you going to step in? I've already injured all your disciples. They're barely able to fight."
She beckoned with her finger, a challenge.
Naruto, furious at her disrespect, drew a kunai from his pouch.
"You're not allowed to insult our teacher!"
"You're not even worthy of asking him to step in."
"Defeat me first!"
With that, Naruto charged forward.
Kirito raised his hand slowly, and his voice, calm and controlled, stopped Naruto in his tracks.
"Stay back, Naruto. Let me handle this."
Naruto, now calmer, nodded obediently and stepped aside.
Mei Terumi blinked, surprised that Kirito wasn't bothered by her taunts. She was certain he was about to fight her.
Then, two figures appeared before them.
Zabuza and Haku, who had been subdued by Kirito, stood side by side.
Mei Terumi's expression shifted as she spotted Zabuza holding his large sword and the masked boy by his side.
"Interesting," she mused. "I didn't expect Zabuza Momochi to show up. I didn't even go looking for you, and yet here you are, seeking me out."
Zabuza didn't respond. Instead, he simply held his sword in front of Mei Terumi and glanced at Kirito, who nodded in acknowledgment.
Mei Terumi raised an eyebrow.
"I'm curious, Kirito. How did you manage this? How is Zabuza working with you? The rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi actually helping you?"
But Kirito remained silent, his calm eyes betraying nothing.
The sight of Zabuza and Haku stunned Naruto and the others.
"Isn't that guy dead?"
"Is there another enemy we don't know about?"
"Teacher Kirito, is everything okay?"
Naruto's confusion and worry were clear in his eyes.
"Is this some sort of trick?"
Sakura stared at Naruto, disbelief clear on her face.
"You're such a fool. Didn't you see that Zabuza blocked the woman's way with his sword? It looks like he's helping us."
Sasuke, recovering from his injuries, opened his eyes and explained.
"Zabuza didn't die. He faked it."
"They were putting on an act for us earlier."
"Remember when Kirito left us suddenly? It was probably at that moment that he—"
Before Sasuke could finish, the battle resumed.
Mei Terumi sneered at Zabuza.
"You think you can defeat me with a mere Chunin?"
"Even if you're one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, to me, you're nothing special."
She began forming seals with her jade hands.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet."
A water dragon, powered by Mei Terumi's chakra, burst forth, rushing toward Zabuza.
Zabuza, too slow to counterattack, raised his sword in defense, but his injuries from his previous battle with Kirito were still fresh, leaving him vulnerable. The water dragon slammed into him, sending him sliding backward.
Just as Zabuza seemed on the verge of defeat, Haku stepped forward.
"Ice Release: Ice Rock Hall!"
Haku cast a stream of freezing air, creating a barrier of ice around Zabuza, stopping the water dragon in its tracks.
Mei Terumi's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Bloodline Limit?"
She mused aloud, impressed.
"But it's nothing special."
Then, with a sinister smile, Mei Terumi spoke again.
"You're showing off in front of an expert. But, I have more than one bloodline."
"Liquid Style: Dissolution of Monsters!"
A purple liquid sprayed from Mei Terumi's mouth, hissing as it splashed against the ice wall. The acidic substance began to dissolve the ice, and within moments, the wall collapsed, exposing Zabuza and Haku.
Bai, still reeling from the attack, looked at Zabuza.
"It's an honor to fight with you, sir."
Zabuza nodded solemnly, realizing there was no way they could win.
Naruto, desperate, shouted.
"Zabuza's lost?"
"Zabuza's getting weaker?"
Sasuke, narrowing his eyes, observed the situation carefully.
"It's not that Zabuza's weaker... It's that their opponent is too strong."
"We're going to lose here."
"No! I haven't even finished my instant noodles! I don't want to die!"
Sakura, shaking her head, muttered, "Death might actually be a relief."
But just as the situation looked grim, Mei Terumi's voice cut through the tension.
"Hmph! I've had enough fun."
"I have more than one bloodline technique, you know."
Kirito's frown deepened as he understood what she meant.
"Two types of bloodlines," he thought. "One is her dissolution ninjutsu, and the other is her boiling ninjutsu..."
The boiling technique was a combination of fire and water chakra that allowed Mei Terumi to exhale steaming, hot mist, capable of evaporating objects in its path. Kirito knew just how devastating this technique was—it had even melted the bones of Uchiha's Susanoo. No one present would be able to survive if she unleashed it.
Just as Mei Terumi prepared to unleash her boiling technique, Kirito acted swiftly.
"Excuse me, but I have my own technique."
"Yashakani no Magatama!"
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