Whoosh—
The sky suddenly began to drizzle.
Mei Terumi looked up thoughtfully. "Wow, it even comes with its own weather effects, huh?"
Makoto felt a bit regretful; the Blue Stone hadn't absorbed enough Natural Energy yet.
Otherwise, he'd really like to see if there was an "Origin Ocean" effect (like Primal Kyogre) that could completely nullify all Fire Release techniques in the area!
"Mizukage-sama! Come on!"
Ameyuri Ringo had already leaped onto the lake surface, dual blades crackling, waiting eagerly to battle her leader.
"Wait a moment. I need to test the power of a few techniques first."
Mei Terumi was very calm at this moment, keeping in mind Makoto's earlier warning—she couldn't use a jutsu that might accidentally one-shot her valuable subordinate.
"Lava Release..."
"Boil Release..."
"Water Release..."
Mei Terumi proceeded to test her three proficient nature transformations one by one on empty areas of the lake.
In the original timeline, Mei Terumi notoriously underperformed during the battle against Madara.
As the Mizukage, it was her job to counter Madara's Fire Release.
But when the Great Fire Annihilation roasted the battlefield, she fainted from exhaustion before she could even do much, requiring Onoki to save everyone.
However, if Mei Terumi actually gets to use her techniques properly, their range and power are quite decent.
Splash! Hiss!
Those surging waves of acid and lava were so intense, one might mistakenly think Mei Terumi's mouth was a portal connected directly to Kaguya's Acid Dimension.
Mei Terumi can use Lava and Water Release without hand seals, or with just one seal.
Hand seals were created by Indra Otsutsuki to help ordinary people with low talent concentrate their minds.
It's like drawing a black dot on a blank piece of paper to help you focus.
The Sage of Six Paths and his family didn't need that crutch.
Mei Terumi's ability to simplify hand seals while maintaining maximum power represents maxed-out proficiency.
In an era before everyone had god-tier eyeballs, she would have undoubtedly reached the level of a demigod like Hanzo the Salamander.
It's just a pity she was born in the wrong power-creep era.
But now, Mei Terumi was astonished to discover that whether she used her Bloodline Limit or ordinary Water Release, everything flowed far more smoothly than ever before.
It felt effortless.
Normally, she would still use hand seals out of habit.
Yet just moments ago, she hadn't felt the slightest need for them.
Her will was enough.
As Mei Terumi was savoring the sensation, a thoughtful voice came from behind.
"Huh? That attack looks somewhat familiar..."
The speaker was Hashirama Senju, wearing an expression of deep concentration, racking his brains to recall where he had seen such acidic spit before.
Hearing this, Mei Terumi didn't think much of it.
Then suddenly, Hashirama's intelligence burst forth as he figured it out.
"I've got it! Spitting filthy mucus! Massive water spray attacks! Aren't these the signature moves of the Toads from Mount Myoboku? Haha! You fight just like those toads!"
Hashirama laughed delightfully, proud of his memory.
"..."
"T-Toads?!"
Mei Terumi's expression froze, her mouth twitching violently.
She suddenly felt a strong, burning urge to switch opponents to Hashirama Senju!
Did he just compare the Mizukage to a slimy toad?!
But then Mei Terumi reconsidered—leaving aside whether she could defeat him, Hashirama was currently an Edo Tensei.
Even if she beat him to a pulp, he wouldn't feel any pain.
As for making him lose face? Could someone who would openly kowtow in public even care about losing face?
Sigh...
Mei Terumi suddenly understood the meaning of "Shameless people are invincible."
Alas, she could only abandon that thought.
Mei Terumi turned her gaze back to Ameyuri Ringo. "Ameyuri! Come on, I'll soon..."
'Huh?'
'Where did she go?'
"Mizukage-sama, when are we heading back?"
Ameyuri Ringo had somehow already returned to the sidelines and was casually packing her gear, urging Mei Terumi to prepare for departure.
"...Aren't you going to fight anymore?" Mei Terumi asked after a moment of stunned silence.
"Mizukage-sama, I haven't lived long enough yet. Look at what you just sprayed—how am I supposed to block that acid tsunami?"
Ameyuri pointed at the Lava Release mucus still sizzling on the lake surface, and the massive trench carved through the opposite shore by the Water Release laser.
Then she shook the two Lightning Blades in her hands, making weak sizzling sounds.
While Lightning Release users do have an elemental advantage against Water, that logic falls apart when the "Water" user is firing an ocean of acid.
She only wanted to challenge strong opponents, not commit suicide.
Otherwise, why hadn't she challenged the God of Shinobi, Hashirama, earlier? Because she knew her limits.
"Haven't lived long enough?"
Hearing Ameyuri's half-joking words, Mei Terumi's eyes showed a trace of genuine pity.
She slowly floated from the lakeside to stand before Ameyuri, touching her face gently.
"Ameyuri... to be honest with you... you're suffering from a serious illness and don't have many years left to live."
"Ah?"
The smile froze on Ameyuri Ringo's face.
She didn't even notice that the Mizukage was floating.
"Mizukage-sama... you're not saying this just because I forfeited, right? This isn't something to joke about casually!" Ameyuri looked anxious.
Huh?
Nearby, Raiga Kurosuki was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
'There's such a good thing in this world?!'
Could it be that he hadn't permanently lost the Kiba blades, but merely leased them out for a few years?
"But it's alright. This time you'll go with Makoto. He has people who can treat your condition. Once you've recovered, you can return to the Hidden Mist Village."
Mei Terumi didn't keep Ameyuri in suspense any longer.
Seeing the girl panicking, she immediately offered the solution.
"My illness can still be cured?"
Ameyuri seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline, turning to look at Makoto with hopeful eyes.
Though she didn't even know what illness she had yet.
"Let's go back for examination first," Makoto nodded.
"Okay!"
Ameyuri immediately ran over to Makoto's team and stood at attention like a loyal soldier.
"Huh?"
Having finished her HR business, Mei Terumi finally noticed she was floating in mid-air.
"This feeling... it's like swimming in the air."
Mei Terumi drifted through the air a couple of times, doing a little spin.
Not only did it feel natural, but she could move quite quickly too.
"What a pity, there's no opponent to fight. Guess we'll leave it at this for now."
Mei Terumi descended to the ground, preparing to dispel her form.
"Wait!"
Hashirama Senju urgently called out, rushing before Mei Terumi.
"Wouldn't it be such a waste to end like this? How about I be your opponent? To confront the Otsutsuki clan, we need to accumulate combat experience as soon as possible!"
After painful reflection on the boat ride, Hashirama Senju had finally discovered his purpose beyond just being a battery of Hashirama Cells: Becoming the Ultimate Sandbag!
"Hmm?"
Mei Terumi was somewhat surprised.
She had considered fighting him earlier out of anger, but she never expected the First Hokage to offer himself as a punching bag.
Mei Terumi suddenly grew alert.
Remembering how the First Hokage had earlier insulted her by comparing her to a toad, and now he was pretending to be kind by offering to spar...
'Could this be a trap? Is he trying to beat me up under the guise of 'training' to regain the dignity he lost when he kowtowed?'
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