Bang Bang Is Just Two Punches

"Chicken soup is here."

Mei Terumi set a pot of chicken soup on the table and noticed that no one was picking up their chopsticks. "Eat, why aren't you eating?"

She pulled out a chair and sat down.

Lin Qing, Xiaotao, Sasuke.

The family of three, Haku's family.

Mei Terumi.

Seven people sat around the table, the atmosphere awkward.

"This is Teacher Mei, who came to the village a week ago to teach the children how to read and write for free. For the past two days while Mother has been sick, Teacher Mei has been coming over to help with the cooking."

Haku made the introductions, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

It had no effect.

Lin Qing watched Mei Terumi quietly.

Friends who are frequently assassinated know that, in many cases, intuition can help us avoid many risks when facing danger.

The moment Lin Qing saw Mei Terumi, he knew she was definitely not an ordinary person.

But apart from Hayato Kamihara, no one knew he was coming to Snowfall Village.

Hayato had long since fled to Konoha for a vacation, so logically, assassins or bounty hunters couldn't have come to Snowfall Village in advance to set an ambush.

Could it be... a coincidence?

Is she really just a teacher traveling the world?

Mei Terumi maintained a gentle smile, a flash of curiosity crossing her narrowed eyes.

So this is Lin Qing?

He seems no different from other ninjas.

So, this table of food... do you dare to eat it? And how will you test me?

Mei Terumi speculated on Lin Qing's methods in her heart.

Clatter—

Lin Qing stood up, catching Mei Terumi off guard.

"Teacher Mei, please come with me for a moment."

"Eh?"

Without waiting for Mei Terumi to agree, Lin Qing strode out of the room. A bewildered Mei Terumi followed him until they reached the snow outside the village.

"You know me," Lin Qing said.

There was no probing, no subtle verbal sparring. Lin Qing's calm gaze was like a steamroller driving straight ahead; regardless of this or that, it crushed everything in its path, pulverizing all the scenarios, tests, and verbal traps Mei Terumi had designed.

The rhythm has been disrupted... no, it's been completely blown away. This guy really doesn't play by the rules.

Mei Terumi thought, shaking her head slightly. "I don't know you."

Lin Qing nodded. Without questioning her again, he took a step toward Mei Terumi.

The distance between the two shrank to two meters.

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Mei Terumi's forehead.

The intelligence report stated clearly that Lin Qing's strongest attack radius was two meters; once you stepped into it, it was equivalent to handing your life over to him.

She desperately wanted to step back and widen the distance again.

But to step back would be to admit she knew Lin Qing and was familiar with his intelligence.

It would prove... that she was lying.

"I'll ask one more time: do you know me, and did you come here to kill me?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about—"

Before the words had even faded.

Ora!

Star Platinum suddenly appeared, swinging a full-force punch toward Mei Terumi's chest.

"You lunatic!"

Mei Terumi cursed inwardly. She didn't know where she had revealed a flaw, but...

"Don't you dare underestimate me!"

Yes, only in her early twenties, the young Mei Terumi didn't mind being called "old lady" at all, a stark contrast to the thirty-year-old version of herself.

People cannot empathize even with their past selves.

Having been on guard all along, Mei Terumi instantly formed hand seals with both hands.

"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"

A mass of scorching, scalding crimson mist was spat out toward the incoming Star Platinum.

Mei Terumi possessed water, fire, and earth chakra natures, and her Kekkei Genkai were "Lava Release" and "Boil Release," making her the only ninja known to possess two such bloodline limits.

The Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique involved combining fire and water nature chakra within the body, then exhaling a boiling, high-heat mist with adjustable acidity from the mouth.

It was akin to high-concentration sulfuric acid vapor.

The moment Star Platinum's fist made contact with the mist, it began to corrode violently, and faint burns simultaneously appeared on Lin Qing's own fist.

Mei Terumi keenly noticed this.

New intelligence.

Damage dealt to the "Evil Spirit" was synchronized to Lin Qing!

The crimson mist surged toward Lin Qing; if Star Platinum wanted to attack Mei Terumi, it would have to submerge its entire body into the scorching, scalding acid mist, which was no different from seeking its own death.

Since Mei Terumi dared to seek out Lin Qing, she had naturally made thorough preparations.

Bombarding him with ninjutsu from medium-to-long range was too inefficient; aside from jinchuriki, few ninjas could afford that level of consumption. Once there was a gap in the firepower coverage, it was easy for Lin Qing to seize the opportunity to close the distance and counter-kill.

Mei Terumi's method for dealing with Lin Qing was to seal off all his paths of approach within a medium-to-close range. Once Lin Qing stepped into that zone, it would cause continuous damage—in other words...

DoT damage.

Since Lin Qing wanted to fight, courtesy demanded a return—

"So, I shall make my move."

The Fourth Mizukage's mission for Mei Terumi was to kill Lin Qing, but she did not intend to carry out this order—or rather, she did not intend to act until she truly understood the heart of the man before her.

Mei Terumi was very curious: what kind of person was Lin Qing to commit the "foolish act" of exposing the truth about human trafficking within the Land of Water and killing a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in broad daylight?

This was crucial.

More crucial than the Fourth Mizukage's order.

"However..."

She watched Lin Qing being forced back and felt a slight disappointment in her heart.

Is this all there is?

Once the intelligence advantage is lost and one is targeted, they fall into a passive state.

Such a person could hardly be called a powerhouse.

"Hiss—"

A sound like a blower interrupted Mei Terumi's thoughts.

She saw the giant Evil Spirit turn around, its back to the crimson mist. It was like a bottomless pit, inhaling the surrounding air in great gulps. The leaves covered in snowflakes swayed, the snow on the ground rolled, and it even made Mei Terumi feel a faint sense of suffocation.

What... is it doing?

Just as the scorching acid mist was about to touch Star Platinum's back, it turned around, its chest swelling high, and exhaled air directly toward the mist.

A violent gale raged, producing a sound like rolling thunder, and with a roar, it blew away the sweeping crimson mist.

"What kind of ninjutsu is this? Wind Release?!"

"No, I didn't see it weave any hand signs. Could it be some kind of Kekkei Genkai?"

Mei Terumi could rack her brains, but she could never imagine that such a savage, fierce gale was merely the air Star Platinum had exhaled with all its might.

Oh no!

The Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique had been forcefully blown away; did that not mean there were no more obstacles ahead?

Mei Terumi drew a long whip from her waist and was about to lash out when a violent shout rang in her ears.

"Ora!"

Her soul trembled.

Only by facing Star Platinum at close range, shrouded under its cold gaze, could one understand what kind of pressure this was!

The descending fist was like a meteorite falling from the sky, covering the entirety of Mei Terumi's field of vision.

"Earth Release: Hardening Technique!"

A metallic luster flashed across Mei Terumi's body. The distance was too close to perform a substitution, so she had no choice but to use ninjutsu to withstand the blow. She refused to believe she couldn't even take a single punch—

Thud!

Mei Terumi spun as she was sent flying, breaking four or five trees before coming to a stop. She spat out a mouthful of blood, but she didn't pause for a second. Just as she rose to counterattack, her vision went black.

Star Platinum had arrived before her once again.

So fast!

Wasn't it said that its attack radius was only two meters?

Mei Terumi caught sight of Lin Qing standing behind Star Platinum and realized: the "Evil Spirit" indeed had a two-meter attack radius, but the "axis" of that radius moved too quickly!

Lin Qing, who had cultivated Ripple Qigong, could no longer be treated as an ordinary Stand user.

Seeing Star Platinum's fist about to descend once more, Mei Terumi hurriedly raised her hands:

"Stop! Let's not fight, let's talk instead!"

Lin Qing looked down at her, pondered for a moment, and silently retracted Star Platinum.

Just as Mei Terumi let out a sigh of relief, Lin Qing landed two solid punches on her face, dazing her, before activating Hermit Purple to bind her hands and feet.

Regaining her senses, Mei Terumi glared viciously at Lin Qing.

Lin Qing remained unmoved.

You think you can just call off the fight whenever you want?

He tugged on Hermit Purple, confirmed it was tightly bound, and sat down opposite Mei Terumi.

"Now we can talk."