We Don't Need Your Sacrifice!

"Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"

Dozens of enormous sharks, formed from the river water, suddenly leaped out of the water, baring their teeth and revealing their menacing fangs. They gathered in a group and charged towards Sakura Haruno and the others!

Sakura and Mei Terumi exchanged a glance, nodded, and simultaneously Hand Seals, unleashing the same Ninjutsu in perfect unison.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Boom boom boom--!

A swarm of giant sharks crashed head-on into the Water Formation Wall created by the two women working together!

When rank B and rank Ninjutsu are unleashed by ninjas skilled in Water Release, their power surpasses the limitations of Ninjutsu ranks, displaying the brilliance of advanced Ninjutsu! The giant shark charged forward with overwhelming force, its momentum enough to swallow mountains and rivers, unstoppable; but the Water Formation Wall used by Sakura and Mei Terumi was thick and hard, even more so than stubborn rock, its iron-like defense possessing an air of indestructibility!

The two collided violently, instantly producing a deafening roar!

The continuous sound waves spread out with the shockwave, creating a translucent ripple in the air before finally subsiding.

The countless splashes of water from the clash of Ninjutsu then rained down, as if a torrential downpour was taking place; the rain obscured the view, and through the haze, a silvery-white line of water shot out from Sakura's direction, drawing a fan shape across the open ground.

It enveloped the ninja opposite her!

A ninja was horrified to find himself cut in two. He fell into a puddle. The ninja's superhuman vitality allowed him to survive for a while longer, but no one could help him with this fatal wound. His shrill screams, which were so horrifying they sent chills down one's spine, rang out for a long time before gradually subsiding.

However, most of the ninjas on the Elder's side avoided this move; or perhaps after these cunning ninjas used their Ninjutsu at the beginning, they didn't dare to show themselves on the front lines, and what appeared on the field were mostly various clones.

Only one or two reckless individuals, momentarily careless and forgetting that Sakura Haruno possessed this technique, instantly lost their lives.

After the Wind Blade Torrent cleared the battlefield.

The elder emerged from the water, his face grim as he glanced at the two ninjas lying on the ground.

"Looks like your pollen didn't do much good!" Mei Terumi snorted coldly. "It's not too late to surrender now. I swear in the name of the Mizukage that only the ringleader will be held responsible for this incident! Everyone else except the high-ranking members of the Suikazan Clan will be forgiven if they surrender now!"

"You've already declared victory before the battle is even over?" The Grand Elder spat out a mouthful of phlegm disdainfully and snorted, "While I'm a little surprised the pollen didn't completely paralyze you, you can't possibly unleash your full power right now!"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have used such a crude psychological tactic... Am I right?"

The Grand Elder sneered.

Mei Terumi's eyes suddenly flickered.

Then, gritting his teeth, he said, "Even if I'm not at my peak, I'm still more than capable of dealing with a bunch of people like you who only know how to use schemes and tricks!"

"You're not confident enough, Mizukage- sama!" The First Elder grinned, revealing his withered yellow teeth. "To trick you, I used up all my last reserves! Mei Terumi, your body should still be paralyzed, right? Even if you forcibly generate Chakra, it's less than half of your usual amount, and you can barely move!"

He then turned his gaze to the Mei Terumi: "Even with Tsunade's disciple included, she's nothing special... She was paralyzed too, and couldn't use that slashing technique just now."

"The most crucial thing is that your subordinates are already immobilized! Even Mei Terumi, still have some strength left to fight us, your subordinates are lambs to the slaughter!"

Mei Terumi's eyes widened suddenly.

"Despicable!" she shouted furiously!

"Heh heh, that's how ninjas should be!" the elder sneered. "You could have dodged our Ninjutsu attack just now! But to protect your useless subordinates, you wasted your precious Chakra exchanging Ninjutsu blows with us!"

"Perhaps in your prime, you could have taken on all of us single-handedly... but do you still have that strength now?"

The Grand Elder suddenly stepped forward. "Mei Terumi, you are too weak! If you had taken ruthless measures earlier, if you had abandoned protecting your subordinates just now, perhaps this battle would have had a different outcome!"

He roared, "This is a flaw in your character! The Bloody Mist Village doesn't need a leader like you who's all smiles and tenderness towards his comrades! We're used to turning on our own kind. If you can't do that, you'll never become a proper, cold-blooded Mizukage!"

"The days of the Bloody Mist Village are long gone! No matter how many people like you there are, the Mist Ninja can never return to that era of fratricide. This is a belief shared by most Mist Ninja!" Mei Terumi roared!

Anger contorted her delicate features Mei Terumi stared intently at the Grand Elder, clenching her teeth, and roared, "My greatest purpose as the Mizukage is to protect those who share this view, and to protect my comrades from harm by people like you!"

Even though she wasn't at her peak, Mei Terumi still possessed an astonishing aura, sharp as a knife!

The moment their eyes met, the Grand Elder felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He took a step back in shock and uncertainty. If it weren't for the fact that the Chakra sensed in Mei Terumi was still weak, he would have almost thought that this woman had recovered all her power!

"The dead can't protect others, Mizukage!" He composed himself before letting out a cold laugh, saying, "Look at the subordinates you're protecting, they—"

The elder turned his gaze to Mei Terumi, and then suddenly stopped speaking, his expression changing drastically!

Those ninjas, whose bodies were clearly paralyzed by the powerful pollen, somehow managed to struggle to their feet!

"You ninjas who can barely stand, you think you can participate in the battle?" He stared coldly at these stubborn ninjas. "Your spirit is commendable, but you lack self-awareness!"

"What are you doing? Stop being so stubborn and get back!" Mei Terumi turned around and glanced at them, scolding them angrily.

Pakura gave Mei Terumi a weak and forced smile, "We're not just being stubborn..."

He then turned to the Grand Elder and said coldly, "You, surnamed Suikazan, will probably never understand why the Mizukage never needed to offer us meager rewards to gain our loyalty; why we, ninjas who are not related to the Mizukage, would follow Mei Terumi so faithfully! Because only she treats us as comrades, unlike your Suikazan Clan, like the Bloody Mist Village of the past, who treated your subordinates as tools, as lackeys, and never as human beings..."

The Grand Elder's face turned ashen.

"A moving statement!" he sneered. "Unfortunately, you companions are nothing but a burden that led to her death!"

"It won't be like that for a while..." Pakura said calmly.

He smiled faintly and exchanged a glance with his companion beside him.

Everyone looked relieved and nodded silently.

Then, they took out Kunai.

Mei Terumi jolted, her eyes widening in shock as if she'd just realized something. "What are you doing? Stop! It's not time for that yet!"

Her subordinates took one last, wistful look at Mei Terumi, then held Kunai to their necks!

The red-haired woman's eyes were practically bloodshot as she shouted, "Kiyuimaro, Kiyuihimen, put down your Kunai! Now is not the time for you to make sacrifices! Chojuro, you still have dreams to fulfill!"

The two young twin ninjas behind her smiled in unison, "Mei Terumi, we can't be a burden to you!"

On the other side, the young boy, with a solemn expression, gazed resolutely ahead. "The dream of becoming the next Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Mizukage- sama, please let my younger brother inherit it!"

Pakura smiled slightly, a smile that was both relieved and warm. Then, she closed her eyes along with everyone else.

"That's all we can do right now."

They might not be able to kill the enemy, but... they can kill themselves!

In order not to be a burden to Mei Terumi, they didn't need to communicate; a single glance was enough for them to understand what they had to do.

Suddenly, Pakura's life flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

His early life Mui, with almost nothing to reminisce about; until he met Mei Terumi and became her subordinate, the ice in his heart melted away with her bright smile, like a person walking in the dark suddenly seeing the light.

He remembered the first time he saw her, the woman with the bright smile.

The woman with the serious expression when I became her subordinate.

The woman whose face was tired yet full of confidence when she defeated the Fourth Mizukage.

And when she became the Fifth Mizukage, she was a woman who, amidst her majesty, would sometimes reveal a touch of playfulness and charm.

There are so many memories: the image of her patiently teaching him advanced Water Release techniques; the image of him chasing after her, wanting her to read his palm; the image of her describing the struggles of becoming the Mizukage; the image of her confiding in him about her frustration at not being able to find a suitable boyfriend...

Oh right, Pakura remembered that he hadn't found a chance to say those words to her yet.

Despite having so much time alone, he never said a word.

Pakura felt that dying now would be a fitting end. Just knowing that he would be remembered by her forever made it all worthwhile! His only regret was that Mei Terumi- sama was still unaware of his feelings.

He could only go to hell with this regret. Pakura thought helplessly, even in his last moments, he couldn't muster the courage...

Farewell, Mei Terumi- sama. Without us to hold you back, you'll surely defeat them!

We'll go first.

Pakura gripped the Kunai, about to exert force.

Suddenly, I was startled!

A massive surge of Chakra erupted forth, its power seemingly capable of soaring into the sky!

Pakura suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking in the direction from which the enormous Chakra sensation was coming—

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm not used to activating the Yin Seal in this state..." The girl's clear, cool voice came, sounding as beautiful as a gentle breeze to Pakura's ears!

"How could this be...?" The First Elder's eyes widened.

Is this the true power of Kage Level ninja...?

The amount of Chakra she released.

There are so many it's despairing.

(First update! Guaranteed 1 update/.)

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