The figures of Kiyoshi and Raiga Kurosuki blurred as they darted through the forest. Before long, the surrounding trees were transformed into charred husks, either incinerated by Fire Style or blasted by Lightning Style.
'How can he have so much chakra?' Raiga Kurosuki frowned deeply.
Kiyoshi would unleash a ninjutsu at regular intervals. It was unclear whether he possessed a massive chakra pool or an incredibly fast recovery rate. Regardless of which it was, it made Kiyoshi an exceptionally difficult opponent to deal with.
"Mei—"
Raiga wanted to call Mei Terumi over to help, but before he could finish his sentence, he was met head-on by a flaming slash from Kiyoshi.
"You rely too much on external objects."
Kiyoshi's eyes tracked Raiga's every movement. It could be said that the majority of Raiga's strength came from the [Thunderswords: Kiba]. Without that ninja tool, his power would be drastically reduced.
Kiyoshi glanced at Mei Terumi, who was watching from the sidelines. His lips curled upward slightly, a glint of scarlet flashing in his eyes. He continued the fight, and upon catching a slight opening, he spoke:
"This blade is your advantage, but it is also your weakness."
Kiyoshi swung his ninja blade, timing it perfectly to wedge into the [Thunderswords: Kiba]. Had it been ordinary twin blades, Kiyoshi would not have found it so easy. However, the Kiba blades had a peculiar shape with two hooked protrusions, which allowed him to lock them in place.
Kiyoshi flicked his wrist to send the twin blades flying. As Raiga prepared to leap up to retrieve them, the palm of Kiyoshi's hand—extending to his wrist and arm—erupted with a brilliant display of electricity. The pale blue lightning made Kiyoshi look like a god of thunder.
[Lightning Style: Lariat of a Thousand Summers!]
This technique fell under the category of Nintaijutsu (Ninja-Taijutsu). The official databook's evaluation was: "Through bone-shattering training, one hones a family-inherited hand-blade as sharp as a flash of light!"
Essentially, the stronger the user's physical body, the stronger the enhancement of this move. Even Kiyoshi himself did not know exactly what level his physical strength had reached; he only knew that in terms of pure physical defense, Might Guy and Might Duy might not even be his equals. He hadn't even opened any "Gates" to break the human limits on chakra movement—he was simply channeling Lightning Style chakra!
"What!"
Raiga sensed a lethal aura. But Kiyoshi was too fast. He was so fast that Raiga's mind could register the threat, but his body could not react in time.
*Puchi!*
The sharp hand-blade, in that instant, was like a sword forged from lightning. Like a hot knife through butter, it cleaved Raiga Kurosuki from the bottom up, splitting him in two. His blood scattered in the air like fireworks, pitter-pattering onto the scorched earth.
Looking at Kiyoshi's silhouette bathed in the rain of blood, Mei Terumi found herself unable to step forward. It was an overwhelming pressure—a "Presence." In the ninja world, there was the concept of aura; Hashirama Senju once made Orochimaru, Sasuke, and the others break into a cold sweat just by moving a finger. Facing Kiyoshi now, Mei Terumi felt exactly that. Her lips felt dry, and though she wanted to speak, no words would come.
"Uchiha brat, you dare kill Raiga Kurosuki!"
Ringo Ameyuri charged forward. Mei Terumi snapped out of her daze and moved a step tremulously, but she couldn't build up any speed.
Kiyoshi and Ringo Ameyuri exchanged a subtle look. They began to fight, and while every move appeared to aim for the other's life, they both held back. After a few exchanges, Kiyoshi retreated. Ringo Ameyuri picked up the [Thunderswords: Kiba] from the ground, clutched them to her chest, and turned to grab Mei Terumi, pulling her away.
Mei Terumi kept her eyes lowered. Only then did her feet find the courage to sprint wildly.
'Am I... am I afraid?' Mei Terumi shed tears. Could her body actually have such a reaction?
'It seems the shadow I planted in Mei Terumi's mind is quite deep,' Kiyoshi thought, watching her panicked retreat.
It was only natural. After all, Mei Terumi was not yet the mature, sophisticated "Onee-san" of the future.
"I hope you don't disappoint me... Mei Terumi," Kiyoshi said softly. If she couldn't handle the stimulus and fell into despair, wouldn't that be too pathetic? A flower only shows its most beautiful form after weathering the storm. The next time they met, Kiyoshi hoped she wouldn't be such a coward. Once she took on the form of her future self, Kiyoshi would harvest the fruit!
"Let's go, my Subject No. 1."
The blood on the ground thinned slightly. The Raiga Kurosuki who had been split in two transformed—now he was merely a man with both hands severed and hollow eyes. Kiyoshi had used his Sharingan to plant a Genjutsu on Mei Terumi earlier. In reality, Raiga Kurosuki wasn't dead. Of course, he wasn't far from death's door either.
After using medical ninjutsu to stop the bleeding, Kiyoshi walked in a certain direction. He couldn't study Moryo's power at the Uchiha stronghold; it would be discovered immediately. He needed a hidden location for his research. He had already found such a place, and Ringo Ameyuri knew of it as well.
...
"Relax, kid. You're already very strong. It's just that one guy is more of a monster than a literal monster."
Having sprinted all the way back to the outskirts of the Hidden Mist camp, Ringo Ameyuri comforted Mei Terumi. She was in a good mood, so she offered a few kind words.
"...Okay." Mei Terumi wiped away her tears and nodded. Her complexion was pale. After a long while, she finally composed herself.
The first time she met Kiyoshi, she thought he was a strange Uchiha. The second time, Kiyoshi killed a cherished comrade right in front of her, leaving her with a sense of utter powerlessness. The third time, during the Chunin Exams, she was toyed with at will and left in a humiliating state. Now, it was proven once again that the gap between her and Kiyoshi was widening. It was as if she were standing still while he soared.
"...How can I fall here?" Mei Terumi took a deep breath. Ultimately, her obsession won out. She wanted to change the policies of the Hidden Mist and end the era of the "Blood Mist," where everyone schemed and lived in darkness. To do that, she needed to become the Mizukage. Now, Mei Terumi had gained an additional goal: revenge against Kiyoshi Uchiha!
"Let's go." Mei Terumi took the lead.
Ringo Ameyuri looked at her curiously. She had always wondered what exactly Kiyoshi Uchiha had done to her.
"Cough, cough." Ringo Ameyuri coughed twice, a pool of blood in her palm. 'It's time to find that Uchiha boy,' she thought.
She had the [Thunderswords: Kiba]. Once she returned, she could declare herself a member of the new Seven Ninja Swordsmen. But the illness in her body still needed to be dealt with.
Ten minutes later.
"Is that all?" asked a bearded, serious-looking old man.
"Yes." Mei Terumi detailed their mission, including her suspicions regarding Ringo Ameyuri's potential betrayal. Internal strife was allowed in the Mist, but bringing in an outsider was crossing the line. If it was deemed malicious enough, it would be branded as treason.
"Dismissed. I will make my own judgment."
Mei Terumi nodded and stepped out of the temporary wooden building. Once she was gone, the old man's eyes shifted restlessly.
***
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