"You actually... you dared!?"
Mei pointed a trembling finger at Qi, shaking all over...
Qi had blown her up pretty badly. She was soaked from head to toe, looking as miserable as could be.
She hadn't been hurt, but Mei's gaze had already turned vicious...
Mist Ninja really were a little off in the head. It was just a bit of water, and he'd even gone easy on her!
Qi thought indignantly...
"I'll remember that move. I won't fall for it a second time!"
Mei's voice was cold as ice. Only then did Qi notice how strange her hairstyle was: a lock of hair hung down, covering her right eye. Her exposed left eye was filled with cruelty.
"If you have no other tricks, then you'd better prepare to get hurt!"
She really was crazy...
"But trying to scare people doesn't suit you. Girls should act like girls..."
Qi narrowed his eyes and lowered both hands. A series of sharp cracks rang out,
"Go home and embroider something!"
He could tell that both he and the girl had bloodline abilities that manifested through ninjutsu, but when it came to Taijutsu, she was definitely no match for him. Ogata's Taijutsu focused on killing with a single blow, but he'd try not to hit any vital spots.
Still, the name Terumi Mei sounded a little familiar. And that Lava Release—had he seen it somewhere before? Why did it feel so familiar?
"Unma, your disciple has a lousy temperament. She's already lost her temper?"
At the edge of the field, Ogata looked at Unma with obvious disdain.
"You didn't plan this from the start, did you? I'm telling you, the kid may not look like much most of the time, but if anyone threatens his life, he'll do anything. You'd better be careful you don't get your own disciple killed."
"Looks like he's a prickly one, just like you."
The muscles in Unma's face twitched twice,
"Looks like they're about to fight for real. I'll make this clear first: I'll step in, but I'll only pull my own disciple out. You handle yours, so he doesn't misunderstand. As for who wins, it'll come down to the final blow. Don't you dare welch."
"You think I'd welch?"
Ogata put on an exaggerated look of "surprise," then stared at Unma in "disbelief,"
"You're the kind of bum who eats out and doesn't pay, and you've got the nerve to doubt me!?"
"You're really going to blame me for what you've done... By the way, every time you're in debt, I'm the one who pays it off!"
Unma suddenly decided it was better not to talk to this guy. What a headache...
At that very moment, the boy and girl in the field had both run out of patience.
After all, they were only twelve or thirteen. Terumi Mei wasn't known for her patience, and Qi wasn't exactly patient either. He'd learned patience in this world; he hadn't cared about that sort of thing in the decade or so before he came here.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique... Die!"
Terumi Mei was brimming with killing intent. She opened her mouth and spat out a cloud of white mist that surged toward Qi.
"I remember now! So you're that woman!"
The unfamiliar Skilled Mist Technique had finally reminded Qi who the girl in front of him was.
That's right, her name was Terumi Mei! The future Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure!!!
Lava Release, Boil Release—how had he not thought of that!?
"You may be strong, but that's in the future. Right now, you're just a rookie like me!"
Facing the oncoming mist, Qi steeled himself. He didn't believe Terumi Mei at this age could be as strong as she would be more than ten years later, when she could even corrode Susanoo made of chakra.
He gathered the strength he'd been using in his hands into his legs as fast as he could, then released it all at once.
"Boom!"
It was as if the ground had been struck by a heavy blow. The force blasted the water pooled around Qi's feet into the air.
"Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles! Let's see who dies!"
In no time, the water shaken into the air had formed over a hundred ice needles. Qi couldn't yet gather large amounts of ice with ease, so he made up for it with quantity, producing as many needles as he could.
He controlled every one of them from beginning to end. Even after they pierced a body, he could detonate them at will. Each one was weak on its own, but in sufficient numbers, they could leave an enemy badly injured.
For some reason, he especially loved playing with explosions. Back in his previous life, whenever he didn't know the answer to a chemistry question about a reaction, he'd write "explosion" every time...
With a wave of Qi's hand, the hundred or so ice needles shot straight through the acidic mist toward Terumi Mei, who was still performing her jutsu. They were far too fast for the mist to corrode them in time!
At the same time, Qi twisted into an extremely strange movement and sprang from the ground. He made a wide, semicircular arc, somehow circling around the mist and charging at Terumi Mei from the side!
Terumi Mei was nowhere near the level she would reach more than ten years later. The acidic mist's range was far too limited. By the time she became Mizukage, it would spread over a vast area, leaving enemies nowhere to hide. But she clearly wasn't capable of that yet.
Seeing Qi circle around the mist in an instant and appear at her side, surprise flashed through her eyes. She had clearly never seen movement like that, or such speed.
But she had no time to perform another jutsu. The mass of ice needles had also broken through the mist and was raining down around her. The only way out was in Qi's direction!
In an instant, the balance of the fight had completely flipped...
"Old scoundrel, your disciple's amazing! He even learned your signature move!?"
Qi's sudden burst had shocked someone other than Terumi Mei most of all: Unma!
He knew that move too well. Qi was clumsy with it, and slow, but it was unmistakably Ogata's specialty: Water Step Swift Kill!
Back on the battlefield, Ogata had used this exact bizarre movement to swiftly circle around the enemy's ranged attacks, then rush in and kill one unprepared foe after another with a single blow.
It wasn't much use against large-scale ninjutsu, but in a melee, it was an absolute killer. Countless enemy ninja had died to that technique. Of course, if you couldn't use it properly, you'd just be walking up to get killed.
It was hard for the Kaguya Clan to produce a master, but whenever one appeared, they were always a prodigy of Taijutsu, each with their own distinctive style. These days, aside from Ogata, the Kaguya Clan had no other masters. That was why Unma had been surprised that Ogata planned to escort Qi out of the Land of Water.
It practically meant that the Kaguya Clan had given up on surviving...
In fact, if not for Qi, Ogata of the Kaguya Clan would have died in an accident a year later. When the Kaguya Clan launched their counterattack against the Mist Ninja, they would have had no masters left, and would ultimately be wiped out with ease.
But no one could have known that. Right now, Unma was simply astonished that Qi had learned Ogata's movement technique.
So he decided to step in. If Terumi Mei didn't handle this properly, Qi might actually punch her to death on the spot!
Terumi Mei had no idea what Qi was up to, but she still charged straight at him without the slightest hesitation.
At the same time, she formed hand seals again and spat out the solidifying mucus she'd used earlier.
"Not that stuff again! What a pain!"
Qi was clearly much faster than Terumi Mei had expected. The moment he saw her hand seals, he knew what she was up to. As the mucus came flying, he curled his body. His charging figure suddenly retreated, then sprang upward!
The power of the spine contracting and extending wasn't only good for checking how much taller you were in the morning than the night before... At least, not in a world where people's physical abilities were so abnormal...
"Retreating like that... How is that even possible?"
Terumi Mei was dumbfounded...
Qi's retreat let him dodge her mucus attack. Then he sprang forward, launching his whole body into the air and leaping right over the mass of mucus. He landed directly in front of her!
"This time, I'm returning your words... Die!"
Qi had no time to check on his opponent's state of mind. With his target right in front of him, he acted on instinct, murderous intent surging through him as he followed Ogata's usual teachings and swung a punch at Terumi Mei's head!
One side was throwing a murderous, heavy punch; the other was still frozen in shock. The fight's outcome had already been decided, unless someone intervened...
"Brother, stop! The winner's decided!"
Unma had been watching closely. His confidence in his disciple had made him stay to the very end, but the result—and Qi's ruthlessness—had still surprised him a little.
You little punk, there are so many of us standing here, and you still dare to kill her? Just like Ogata's disciple! You've got guts!
As for his own disciple, there was no need to stop her. She'd been completely overwhelmed. Her spirit had been crushed...
Mei... you've disappointed your teacher a little. You lost terribly, both in skill and in composure.
With a wry smile, Unma's hand appeared above Terumi Mei's forehead just in time to block Qi's punch.
"Bang!"
Qi's fully powered punch accomplished nothing. It was blocked perfectly...
"Didn't budge? Whoa..."
Qi knew he was in trouble the moment he threw the punch. That was definitely a man's hand, and it definitely wasn't his master's. Without a second thought, he turned and tried to run.
Of course, he couldn't get away. Unma chuckled, reached out, and lifted him up, ignoring his frantic flailing...
"For crying out loud... The old guy had to step in! That's cheating! That's not fair! Master... why are you just laughing? That's not right... You should be beating him up!"
Qi didn't even need to look back to know who had caught him...
The head of Kirigakure's Anbu wasn't someone he could afford to mess with at his age...
The worst part was that old scoundrel Ogata was actually laughing!?
"You're a vicious little punk. You go straight for the killing blow! You've certainly learned your master's ways... Cheating? If I hadn't stepped in, should I have just watched you kill my disciple!?"
Hearing Qi's loud protests, Unma didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He casually tossed Qi a long way, and he landed right beside Ogata.
"A bet's a bet. My disciple lost. You can go. I and my people won't stop you."
"Heh, at least you know how to keep your word. Good thing I saved you back then."
Ogata cackled and gave Qi a smack on the head,
"All right, kid, quit pretending. Get on the boat. We're leaving!"
Qi finally shut up...
The harbor was small, but a sturdy medium-sized wooden boat was moored there. Clearly, Unma had arranged it. When Qi went aboard, he found the cabin not only empty of people, but stocked with plenty of food and fresh water.
Soon, Ogata boarded too. He glanced inside the cabin and said nothing.
"The Yuki... the Kaguya... Yet the Land of Water is the only one that ostracizes bloodline users..."
Unma looked at Qi, then at Ogata,
"Will you ever come back?"
"Come back? Come back so you can kill us?"
Ogata jerked his head aside. He looked contemptuous, but was still unbearably smug,
"You think I'm stupid? I'm not coming back. I'm telling you, with your Mizukage and Daimyo carrying on like this, you'll regret it sooner or later!"
"Heh... regret it..."
Unma gave a bitter smile,
"I can't say what the Mizukage will do, but the Daimyo certainly won't regret it. No other country's Daimyo is as constantly wary of their own ninja as the Daimyo of the Land of Water."
"Then move somewhere else. There are four other countries, after all."
Ogata laughed sarcastically.
"Get lost! If you don't leave now, I might change my mind!"
Unma looked as if he were shooing away a fly. Then he paused, felt around inside his robes, and pulled out several scrolls. He tossed them to Qi, who was already sitting on the boat,
"Kid, take these!"
Qi was startled, but he still caught them neatly.
"As a Yuki, your Water Release is far too weak. Ogata can only teach you Taijutsu. Learn what's in these, and they might save your life someday."
Wait... He's being this nice to me!?
Qi couldn't help looking at Ogata.
"You idiot of a disciple! He gave them to you, so just take them. Why are you looking at me? I'm not a woman!"
Ogata suddenly flew into a rage and raised a fist, producing a mountain-shaped bump on Qi's head.
"You think you're some kind of high-ranking noble? That he'd go to all this trouble just to hurt you!?"
"Ogata... we're parting ways, and you can't even do it without insulting me one last time..."
Unma lifted his head and took a deep breath. When he looked back at them, there wasn't a trace of emotion in his eyes.
"Now that we've said our farewells, our past friendship is over. If we meet again, I'll do whatever it takes to kill you."
After a pause, he continued,
"But if by then our Daimyo and Mizukage have lifted the wanted order against you, that's another matter."
After saying that, he fell silent and turned to leave. Soon, the other Mist Ninja, including Terumi Mei, disappeared into the mist with him.
But perhaps it was just his imagination. Qi thought that the nasty woman Terumi Mei had turned around to give him a distinctly resentful glare before leaving...
Did he care?
Don't make me laugh! He'd already left the Land of Water and was off to see the world. That girl probably wouldn't get the chance to take revenge on him for the rest of her life!