Hearing Uesugi Shinji's words, Ao furrowed his brow slightly.
It wasn't that he disagreed with Uesugi Shinji's analysis. He simply didn't think Uesugi Shinji could help Terumi Mei hold off Namikaze Minato. The situation might even get worse, with Uesugi Shinji also being tied down by Minato.
"Are you sure you can do it?" Ao asked in a low voice.
Uesugi Shinji replied, "Fifty percent."
A flash of light appeared in Ao's eyes. Fifty percent was already beyond what he'd expected. If there was no exaggeration in the other man's estimate, then his strength was considerably greater than Ao had imagined—perhaps even on par with Terumi Mei.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Ao said seriously.
Uesugi Shinji nodded and quickly assigned tasks to his subordinates. "Kisame, Rin, Mangetsu, support the main force in surrounding and killing the enemy. Be careful."
Before the words had even faded, Uesugi Shinji vanished from the spot with the Body Flicker Technique.
Hozuki Mangetsu and Kisame, who had received their orders, grinned at the same time, each baring a row of saw-like teeth that looked anything but human. They'd been itching for a fight, and now they finally had a chance to get involved.
"I spotted that Konoha Ninja who escaped me during our last mission. Now's the perfect time to settle things with him. A good ninja should always see things through, after all!" Kisame said with a grin.
Beside Kisame, the much shorter Hozuki Mangetsu stared intently at Kakashi, who was fighting Kirigakure Ninja on the battlefield. His face was alight with interest.
"I've found myself a pretty good opponent, too!" Hozuki Mangetsu said slowly.
As for Rin, she gave a snort. "Be careful? Who asked him to worry about me?"
After saying that, Rin didn't wait for Kisame and Hozuki Mangetsu. She shot off ahead, turning into a streak of shadow. With her Shadow Release Kekkei Genkai, she was exceptionally good at taking advantage of the chaos in a melee.
"Senior Kisame, is Senior Rin always this difficult?" Hozuki Mangetsu asked, turning to him.
Kisame patted Hozuki Mangetsu on the shoulder. "Whatever you do, don't talk about her behind her back. No one knows whether she's lurking nearby and listening. If she takes an interest in you... Well."
The smile Kisame wore so constantly looked a little stiff just then, as if he'd recalled something unpleasant.
On the battlefield in the valley at the Forest Fortress, the clash between Namikaze Minato and Terumi Mei was undoubtedly the most eye-catching. Golden light flashed freely across the battlefield, with a red figure close on its heels.
Everyone could see that Minato held the upper hand. He barely paid any attention to Terumi Mei as she dogged his steps, instead using the Flying Thunder God Technique to keep changing positions and kill the weaker Kirigakure Ninja.
To Minato, ordinary Jonin, Chunin, and Genin made no difference. As long as his opponent's reflexes weren't fast enough to cope with his extreme speed, they would be crushed by an overwhelming disparity in power. Two moves were all he needed to take a life.
It was only because Minato was there that the Konoha side could just barely hold its ground on the battlefield and match the advantaged Kirigakure forces.
"Yellow Flash, do you really not even have the courage to fight a woman?"
Terumi Mei used the Body Flicker Technique to barely catch up with Minato, watching helplessly as he killed two more of her subordinates. Her anger had become impossible to suppress. She could only taunt him with the sort of words she'd always disdained, hoping to make him turn and fight her instead.
Minato's expression remained calm, completely unlike that of someone fighting fiercely on a battlefield. He ignored Terumi Mei's taunt, merely keeping track of her movements from the corner of his eye.
Seeing Minato's gaze, Terumi Mei felt a pang of wariness. She knew that this opponent far surpassed ordinary people in both strength and intelligence. He was also the most terrifying opponent she'd ever faced.
Minato did want to question Terumi Mei and find out why Kirigakure had intercepted them. But the battlefield was too dangerous. He had to make every second count and couldn't afford to pause even for an instant.
Dodging Terumi Mei's attack from behind with the Body Flicker Technique and killing a Kirigakure Ninja as he went, Minato once again threw six Flying Thunder God Kunai in different directions. He was clearly preparing to put some distance between himself and Terumi Mei again.
The nearby Kirigakure Ninja who noticed Minato's move felt their blood run cold. Those who saw the Flying Thunder God Kunai heading in their direction hurriedly moved away, lest Minato teleport to them and kill them on the spot.
"Damn it!"
For the first time, Terumi Mei felt so utterly helpless. She couldn't put any of her abilities to use; all she could do was watch her opponent slip away right in front of her again.
But just then, she noticed that Minato's movements suddenly faltered. The figure that should have vanished on the spot stopped instead, as if he'd failed to use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Terumi Mei naturally didn't let the opportunity pass. She thrust her Kunai toward Minato's back. The two were already extremely close, and an ordinary ninja wouldn't have had time to defend. Yet Minato turned with an unbelievable burst of speed and blocked her attack with his Kunai.
Terumi Mei's first strike failed, but she used the momentum to turn and drive her long right leg straight at him. Minato immediately raised his arms and crossed them in front of himself.
With a thud, he was kicked flying. Terumi Mei's kick had tremendous force.
At the very moment Terumi Mei and Minato clashed, numerous sharp Ice Spikes suddenly burst from the six Flying Thunder God Kunai, which had been flying rapidly through the air, like flowers blooming. Then they fell straight to the ground.
It turned out that Minato hadn't used the Flying Thunder God Technique because he'd noticed someone had targeted his Flying Thunder God Kunai with a Ninjutsu. If he'd teleported to the location of any one of them, the Ice Spikes unleashed by this Ice Release technique would have pierced him full of holes!
Terumi Mei noticed it, too. And the answer to who was using Ice Release to restrict Minato's movements was obvious.
After chasing Minato and eating his dust for so long, Terumi Mei had finally seized the initiative in the fight.
After kicking him flying, she naturally wasn't going to let him put distance between them again. She used the Body Flicker Technique to pursue him and formed Hand Seals, preparing to use a Ninjutsu at close range.
"Boil Release: Aerosol Blade."
Once she'd finished forming the Hand Seals, Terumi Mei parted her red lips and spat a long, thin stream of white vapor toward Minato, who was just ahead.
The white stream moved incredibly fast and had great penetrating power. Even more dangerous, it was made entirely of Boil Release acid mist and was highly corrosive.
Anyone struck by the stream would not only have their body pierced; the acid mist would also corrode the wound and spread through the surrounding flesh. It would take only a few minutes to eat away the entire body!
The author has been trying to come up with a trio nickname for Terumi Mei, Namikaze Minato, and the protagonist. After much thought, I still haven't got a good idea. How about Red Dog, Yellow Monkey, and Azure Pheasant? What do you think, readers!?
Before you continue