Ao's Surprise

By the time Uesugi Shinji and Kisame returned to the encampment, it was already evening.

The area was much more crowded than usual; in addition to the assassination squad originally led by Suikazan Fuguki, Terumi Mei and some of her subordinates were also present.

The appearance of Uesugi Shinji and Kisame immediately drew Terumi Mei's attention.

Before arriving here, she had already memorized the files on all of Suikazan Fuguki's subordinates, and the group that interested her most was naturally Uesugi Shinji's team.

Uesugi Shinji's team had always maintained a low profile, but when Terumi Mei reviewed their files, she discovered that their mission completion rate was 100%—a truly terrifying figure!

Had they not recently killed Shirokumo Hayama, a high-level expert from Konoha, Terumi Mei would never have noticed them.

Just as Terumi Mei was observing Uesugi Shinji, Uesugi Shinji was also secretly keeping an eye on her.

Unlike the mature, skirt-wearing image she sported in the anime, the current Terumi Mei was dressed in the standard Kirigakure flak jacket, her long crimson hair tied into a ponytail. She appeared both beautiful and heroic, and many of the young male ninjas present cast looks of admiration in her direction.

While Uesugi Shinji noted her beauty, he was more focused on the resources hidden within her.

Though her status in the village could not yet compare to the veteran high-ranking officials, her personal strength, the power she wielded, and her reputation among the younger generation were extraordinary. It was foreseeable that it wouldn't be long before she became one of the core figures of the village.

Compared to Terumi Mei, his current direct superior, Suikazan Fuguki, and the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were a cut below.

If Uesugi Shinji still intended to utilize Kirigakure as a platform for his ambitions, he would inevitably have to deal with Terumi Mei in the future.

Just as Uesugi Shinji walked past a spot not far from Terumi Mei, their gazes met for an instant, and both realized from the other's eyes that they were being observed.

Observation between ninjas is not like that of ordinary people, who might stare at a target for a long time. In many cases, observing a target is merely a fleeting glance.

Therefore, this "silent exchange" went completely unnoticed by the other ninjas present, save for the two parties involved.

This is an unruly fellow; it probably won't be easy to make him serve my purposes, Terumi Mei thought to herself, her expression remaining unchanged.

Terumi Mei's desire for power was not intense, but she possessed great ambition, determined to become the Mizukage and lead Kirigakure to become the strongest village in the ninja world.

Such ambition drove her to build her own team, and outstanding ninjas of the younger generation were all her targets.

Terumi Mei then glanced at Suikazan Fuguki not far away, convinced that although Uesugi Shinji was nominally his subordinate, Suikazan Fuguki lacked the ability to control him.

"Impossible!"

Just then, a ninja behind Terumi Mei with blue, upright hair and a black eyepatch over his right eye exclaimed, his gaze fixed in disbelief on the direction of Uesugi Shinji and Kisame.

This ninja was Ao, Terumi Mei's capable assistant, who had luckily obtained a Byakugan from a member of the Hyuga Clan during the Second Shinji War and transplanted it into his right eye.

At this moment, the meridians around his right eye were bulging; he was clearly in the state of activating the Byakugan, observing Uesugi Shinji and Kisame through its power.

Although Ao's exclamation was not loud, it still drew the attention of all the ninjas present. Uesugi Shinji and Kisame turned back, locking their unfriendly gazes onto Ao, instantly placing him under significant pressure.

While neither of them was yet considered a top-tier Jonin, they already possessed an aura that surpassed that of ordinary Jonin. Uesugi Shinji's gaze was calm yet laced with coldness, giving Ao the feeling of falling into an ice cellar.

Though Kisame wore a smile, his eyes held a hidden, frenzied bloodlust, as if a beast waiting to devour someone were hidden within him.

Under normal circumstances, Ao, as an elite Jonin, would not have been easily intimidated by their aura, but he had just used his Byakugan to see something incredible on them, and in his shock, he had been momentarily stunned by their presence.

However, an elite Jonin is an elite Jonin after all. Ao quickly adjusted, let out a soft breath, and deactivated his Byakugan, signaling that he had ceased his observation.

It was no secret to the Kirigakure ninjas that Ao possessed the Byakugan, and Uesugi Shinji and Kisame knew he must have observed the abnormalities in their chakra.

However, as they were all ninjas of the same village, neither side said anything. They turned and continued walking toward Rin, who had returned to the encampment first, with Kisame letting out a grunt of dissatisfaction.

The other Kirigakure ninjas were very curious about Ao's surprise, but no one spoke up to ask him, knowing that even if they did, Ao would not reveal the reason.

In non-combat and non-interrogation situations, using the Byakugan to observe Uesugi Shinji and Kisame was already a taboo; naturally, he would not push his luck by exposing their secrets and offending them completely.

Of course, if Ao had discovered that their secrets were detrimental to the village, that would be a different matter entirely.