Mei Terumi: Guh, Just Kill Me

Carrying the bound Mei Terumi, he casually tossed her into the nearby Konoha Ninja outpost.

Aoya did not hurry to brutally interrogate the future Fifth Mizukage. Instead, he turned back and searched through the corpses scattered across the ground after the water had dissipated.

In the end, his gaze settled on a Kirigakure ninja who had been killed by an Explosive Tag.

When Aoya walked over for a closer look, he found that the man had reverted to his original appearance as a Kirigakure ninja, matching one of the people he remembered from the earlier ambush.

"Quite the thorough scheme."

Aoya sneered, took out a scroll, and stored away the corpse.

He had successfully obtained a White Zetsu corpse.

Hmm, he could study it later and see whether he could get any results.

Meanwhile, inside the Konoha Ninja outpost.

Mei Terumi was soaked through, her reddish-brown hair clinging to her fair shoulders. Her right cheek was red and swollen, and she huddled in the corner.

It was over...

She had been captured.

And she had no idea what Uchiha Aoya would do to her...

She was a female ninja, and a beautiful one at that. Now that she was a prisoner, Uchiha Aoya might just toy with her mercilessly!

Maybe that guy had some vile fetish and would train her into some sort of soft weapon, messing up her mind until all she could do was open her mouth and go, "Oh-ho-ho-ho." She would never have any hope of returning to Kirigakure for the rest of her life.

Aah, no, please no!

He really was handsome, but not that sort of thing!

Could someone come save her? Genji, the Third Mizukage, anyone, please hurry...

Soft footsteps came from outside.

Mei Terumi's body suddenly trembled, and she clamped her legs tightly together.

She tried to shrink even farther into the corner behind her, as though that could give her some sense of security.

"Mei Terumi, right?"

Aoya crouched in front of Mei Terumi, smiling as he looked her curvaceous body up and down. The scrutiny only made Mei Terumi more frightened.

"W-What are you going to do?!"

Mei Terumi shrank back and barely summoned the courage to snap, "Give up! I won't reveal any information about Kirigakure!"

Aoya patted Mei Terumi's flushed right cheek and shook his head. "Tsk, look at you. You can't even speak properly anymore."

"!"

Mei Terumi glared at him resentfully.

Who did you think caused that?!

He had punched her in the face so hard that he had nearly knocked her mouth crooked!

When she woke up afterward, she had already been in the water, tied up so tightly that she could not break free. She could not even float to the surface and immediately swallowed several mouthfuls of water.

A Kirigakure ninja like her had nearly drowned in water!

"I don't know whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, but you don't have a bounty at the Underground Bounty Brokerage yet."

"But that is not much of a problem. You are a rare wielder of two Bloodline Limits, after all. The Underground Bounty Brokerage would definitely take you, and I imagine you could fetch quite a bit of money."

The Underground Bounty Brokerage?

Mei Terumi's expression changed.

Was she going to be sold as a corpse, only for her body to pass through unknown hands and be dissected for research?

"But that would still be a pity. You're such a beauty, after all."

Aoya hooked a finger beneath Mei Terumi's chin and lifted it, looking at her face filled with defiance. "So I have another proposal. If Kirigakure can pay a ransom that satisfies me, then after the war, it is not impossible for me to let you return."

At those words, Mei Terumi's eyes suddenly lit up.

A ransom?

She still had a chance to return to Kirigakure?

Mei Terumi's breathing quickened. There was hope. Elder Genji would definitely spend money to ransom her back.

"Don't celebrate too soon."

Aoya poured cold water over her hopes once more. "The prerequisite is that you first provide the information I need, and that the money you pay afterward is sincere enough."

Of course, nothing this good came easily.

Mei Terumi closed her eyes and said nothing.

As a Kirigakure ninja, she could not betray her village.

"Fine. You have resolve."

Aoya lightly tapped her lower abdomen with a finger. "You can refuse my proposal and remain in Konoha like this. Boiling Release and Lava Release... hmm, Konoha should have quite a need for those two Bloodline Limits as well."

"But it was rather a pity. A female ninja with such outstanding talent and beauty could only become a breeding sow in the future."

Breeding... breeding sow?!

"Gulp..."

Mei Terumi swallowed, her face filled with sorrow. "Just kill me!"

To be treated as a breeding tool by those hateful Konoha Ninja, violated by some unknown person, becoming pregnant again and again with children whose fathers she did not even know... No, not that, anything but that!

"So..."

A crimson gleam flashed in Aoya's eyes as he activated his Genjutsu. "If you don't want that, tell me—what has the Third Mizukage been up to lately?"

Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!

Before long, Mei Terumi broke down and confessed everything. Her entire body went limp as she sprawled on the ground, her eyes rolled white, looking utterly devoid of any will to live.

It was over. Everything was over...

Graveyard of Mountains.

"They actually let that Hozuki Clan father-and-son pair escape?"

Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased.

What was going on?

Those two Hozuki Clan members were not particularly strong, and they had even been conveniently countered by Uchiha Aoya's Lightning Release. How had they still managed to escape?

"Forget it."

Uchiha Madara shook his head.

Sure enough, no matter how thorough a plan was, unforeseen results could easily arise due to all kinds of unexpected factors.

Fortunately, his core objective had been achieved.

On the other side, Uchiha Obito braced himself with his left arm and climbed out of bed. His left leg touched the ground first as he struggled to stand.

"Eeeah—"

The moment he rose, his body suddenly lost balance, and he sprawled flat on the ground.

"Your right arm and right leg will still need some time before you fully adapt to them. Forcing yourself won't make you recover any faster."

Uchiha Madara watched Obito struggle to get up and spoke coldly.

"Damn it!"

Obito strained to lift his head, his messy hair partly obscuring his vision.

How long had he been stuck here already?!

Rin and Kakashi must miss him by now... Ugh, I want to go back. I want to see Rin as soon as possible!

"Do you really want to go back?" Uchiha Madara asked coldly.

"Of course!"

Obito's expression was resolute.

He had awakened his two-tomoe Sharingan now. If Rin saw it, she would definitely be shocked!

Once he recovered and returned, neither Kakashi nor Uchiha Aoya would be able to defeat him so easily anymore.

"Unfortunately, your teammates no longer need you."

A faint smirk appeared on Uchiha Madara's lips. "Your teacher, Minato Namikaze, has already arranged a new teammate for your two companions. You know him too—Uchiha Aoya."

"..."

Obito's eyes widened abruptly, and his mouth fell open.

This...

That guy Uchiha Aoya had actually taken his place and become teammates with Kakashi and Rin?

Then what about him?

Why had Minato-sensei done that?!

No, he could not blame Minato-sensei either. After all, they believed he was already dead.

Obito breathed rapidly, trying to comfort himself. Once he returned, everything would go back to how it had been.

Uchiha Aoya was only filling in temporarily!

"Oh, and Uchiha Aoya has already been promoted to jonin. From the looks of it, he gets along quite well with your two companions."

As Uchiha Madara spoke, his Sharingan locked onto Obito's eyes.

The scene transmitted to him was at Konoha's main gate.

Obito felt that his perspective was strange, as though he were hidden within a crack in the rocks, secretly watching the three of them from afar.

Even from such a distance, Obito could still see clearly. He watched the girl he had admired so deeply chat and laugh as she handed something to Uchiha Aoya, watched them exchange smiles, the atmosphere between them warm and harmonious.

Obito wanted to rush forward, wanted to shout, wanted Rin to see him.

But he could do nothing. From the humble perspective of a crack between rocks, he could only watch the three of them leave together, walking farther and farther away until they vanished at the edge of his sight.

Obito suddenly reached out.

"No!!!"

"Don't leave me behind!"

"Rin, don't go—don't go!"

The memory shattered.