Thinking of Obito… I wonder how that idiot is doing.
Looks like I'll have to make a trip to the battlefield near Iwagakure. I need to make sure that idiot doesn't end up as Madara's puppet. At the very least, I have to save Rin.
Obito only fell to the dark side because of Rin's death. If she survives, he won't change. As long as I keep them safe, everything should be fine.
Even if I tell Konoha's higher-ups that Uchiha Madara is still alive, it's pointless.
First, whether they believe it or not is another matter entirely.
Second, even if they do, there's no way to find him. That guy's way too good at hiding.
And third, there's still that loyal lapdog Black Zetsu guarding him. He'll protect Madara no matter what—after all, Madara is the only tool he has left to revive his "mother."
So before all that, I need to bring Obito back. That guy's better off staying dumb for the rest of his life.
"Do you think you'll become Hokage?" Terumi Mei asked suddenly, glancing at Kiyosuke.
"Me? Hokage? Don't be ridiculous. There's no way I'd ever become Hokage." He shook his head.
"After this war, the Fourth Hokage will take over. That's almost guaranteed. Like I said before, unless something unexpected happens, the Fourth will lead the village for a long, long time. I won't get the chance."
If Obito doesn't die, then Minato won't die either. That means he'll remain the Fourth Hokage and spend his days… approving paperwork.
Terumi Mei smirked. "What makes you so sure the Fourth won't drop dead all of a sudden?"
"..."
Kiyosuke could feel the malice radiating from her. He cleared his throat.
"Even if that happens, it has nothing to do with me. Becoming Hokage would mean being chained to the village. I'm not someone who can sit in one place for long."
"Is that so?"
"Anyway, forget Hokage. But as for the future Mizukage…" He looked at Terumi Mei and suddenly froze.
Wait—if I save Obito, then the Fourth Mizukage won't die. That means... there won't be a Fifth Mizukage position for her either.
Whatever. Let's pretend I never said that. I'll think about it after I get to the Iwagakure battlefield.
...
The two rested through the night. Once Terumi Mei had recovered, she said to Kiyosuke,
"If I remember right, we drifted over here from that direction. If we head that way, we should be able to get back."
The Land of Waves was roughly southeast of the island. As long as they ran straight across the ocean, they'd get there.
"Alright then, let's go!"
Although their chakra hadn't fully recovered and their natural regeneration was slow, it was enough to get them back.
"Let's move."
They dashed across the water, side by side, neither willing to fall behind the other.
Partway through, Kiyosuke suddenly asked, "Last time, you said that if you didn't capture me, Kirigakure would punish you, right?"
"Mm."
"Then let me help you out."
"You're going to Kirigakure? If you hand over all the intel you know, I'll guarantee your safety."
"What are you thinking? I'll just send a shadow clone with you to put on a show. I'm not dumb enough to walk into Kirigakure and get myself killed. That way, we're even."
"Even…"
Terumi Mei glanced at Kiyosuke, snorted, and sped up, leaving him behind.
He had no idea why she was mad. Women's thoughts are like genjutsu—don't bother guessing; you'll never figure them out.
...
After running across the sea for two hours, they finally spotted land. They stopped a passing fisherman to confirm—it was indeed the Land of Waves.
Kiyosuke stretched with a yawn.
"Finally back. That's great. Well then, see you around. I'm off. Oh, right, shadow clone—"
Just as he was about to form the hand signs, something unexpected happened. A kunai flew out from a nearby thicket. Luckily, Kiyosuke reacted quickly and dodged.
Still, he was just a tad slow—his forehead protector was knocked off.
"What the hell?!"
He turned toward the bushes. Two Kirigakure ninja stepped out, grinning.
"A Konoha brat... and the eldest daughter of the Terumi Clan."
"What's the meaning of this?!"
Terumi Mei narrowed her eyes at them.
One of the Mist ninja sneered, "The Terumi Clan's heiress caught consorting with a Konoha shinobi. That's treason. Come quietly."
"Yeah, such a shame. A pretty girl like you, wasted on this Konoha punk."
Terumi Mei's face turned red with fury. These two were from one of the Terumi Clan's rival families. From the moment they showed up, they were throwing mud. Just her luck to run into them first thing.
"You bastards! Are you looking to die?! You really think I won't erase you right here and now?!"
Even the calmest person has their limits. Kirigakure wasn't exactly united to begin with—and with the killing intent these two were giving off, there was no way Terumi Mei would let them go.
She hadn't gotten proper rest in days—her temper was running hot.
"You're the ones who are going to die!"
Kiyosuke was already seething. He didn't even bother picking up his forehead protector. He just charged in, fists blazing.
Twin spears of fire shot out and pierced one of the Mist ninja, burning through his organs. The man screamed in agony.
"You… I knew it! Terumi Mei, you really are colluding with a Konoha shinobi!"
The injured man pointed at her, shouting.
They'd only wanted to stir up trouble, but now it looked like it was actually true.
"Shut up!"
Terumi Mei lost her temper too. She joined Kiyosuke and turned on the other one.
A wave of corrosive acid spewed from her mouth, blanketing the Mist ninja's head like a sheet.
The acid ate through his flesh immediately. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even scream—when he opened his mouth, acid poured in and melted his tongue along with everything else.
Within seconds, his body was reduced to a bubbling heap.
...
"I'm outta here. You can pin the whole mess on those two idiots. See ya."
Kiyosuke vanished into the forest.
"Hey, wait...!"
There were still things she wanted to ask him, but he was already gone, not even a trace left behind.
"What's he running for? It's not like I'm going to eat him." She shook her head and returned to the beach.
The Mist ninja Kiyosuke had attacked was already dead.
"Huh? That's... his forehead protector."
She picked it up and noticed the scratch running through the metal.
After a moment's thought, she tucked it away.
"Oh well. I'll return it next time I see him."
...
Meanwhile, Kiyosuke scratched his head as he jogged down a trail.
He'd just realized—his forehead protector was still back on the beach.
"Whatever. I'll just get another one from the camp. It's not like it's some precious treasure or anything."
Right now, his top priority was getting back to camp and getting some rest. He didn't want to think about anything else.
...Though come to think of it, which way was the Konoha camp again?
Kiyosuke realized, once again… he was lost.
"Man, there aren't many people left out here. My luck really is something."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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