While Terumi Mei, the future Fifth Mizukage, was secretly feeling dissatisfied with the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, in her heart,
Lin Cheng, now certain that he and his companion were safe, took a short rest and immediately decided to press on!
Terumi Mei's strength had yet to reach Kage Level, but the powers of her two Kekkei Genkai were far too formidable!
If she hadn't underestimated him, escaping her grasp would have been incredibly difficult.
Even using her own Kekkei Genkai powers against her would have made no difference!
His chakra reserves were the real weakness!
At best, he could catch her off guard—and then achieve nothing more!
Worse, revealing that he could use her Kekkei Genkai would make her pursue him relentlessly!
She might even capture him, take him back to Kirigakure, and amputate his limbs for experiments!
After all, anyone in her position would probably be curious about someone like him, wouldn't they?
Remembering how much chakra he had used when performing the One-Horned White Whale technique, Lin Cheng frowned as he ran.
Comparing how much chakra the technique had consumed in the Land of Snow with how much it had taken now, Lin Cheng began to see a clear difference.
And this was still a water-rich region near the coast.
In a desert like the Land of Wind, he estimated that a single One-Horned White Whale technique would drain all his chakra!
Faced with this problem, Lin Cheng could think of three solutions.
The first was the simplest option for him at the moment—and also the one most likely to draw unwanted attention.
Use techniques suited to each environment.
The advantage was that it would reduce his chakra consumption.
The drawback was that revealing too many of his abilities might attract the attention of people with ulterior motives.
Given his current circumstances, Lin Cheng clearly needed to avoid attracting that kind of attention as much as possible.
The second option would take time to show results.
He could increase his maximum chakra reserves.
That would require a gradual accumulation over time.
Alternatively, he could rely on the system to master more Kekkei Genkai.
Lin Cheng had discovered that each time he mastered another Kekkei Genkai, his chakra reserves increased significantly from their previous level.
As for the third option?
He could research a technique that could temporarily—or even permanently—change the terrain or environment.
That would clearly require a large number of ninjutsu as references.
So it wasn't something he could achieve in the short term.
Considering that the ever-persistent Kirigakure had once again discovered his and Kimimaro's whereabouts,
Lin Cheng decided to leave the area for now and head somewhere farther away.
On the one hand, he wanted to escape Kirigakure's relentless pursuit. On the other, he hoped to obtain more Kekkei Genkai.
After thinking it over, Lin Cheng decided to travel through the Land of Earth, which had a deep-seated enmity with the Land of Water.
So Lin Cheng and Kimimaro continued on their way, disguising themselves as they went.
A month later, they finally reached the Land of Earth, surrounded by towering mountains!
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei and her party, who had been tracking Lin Cheng and Kimimaro all this time, hesitated as they approached the border with the Land of Earth.
Hatred was mutual!
Kirigakure's shinobi hated Iwagakure's shinobi, but wasn't the reverse just as true?
Lin Cheng and his companion had already vanished without a trace, and finding them would likely prove difficult.
Their mission could even end with Iwagakure's shinobi turning around and hunting them instead!
That would make the whole endeavor more trouble than it was worth.
So Terumi Mei, who was leading the group, chose to abandon the mission and take her people back to Kirigakure.
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