Mei Terumi: I Have No Objections

"It feels like... I've stumbled upon a massive secret."

Mei Terumi watched the silent Uchiha Kou before her, murmuring to herself in her heart.

On that cold, beautiful face, the expression shifted from initial shock to something far more complex:

"But this is truly unexpected. To think this guy could have such an emotional side?

He always seemed like such a carefree, heartless person..."

Her gaze lingered on Kou's back for a moment, a flicker of suspicion crossing those emerald-green eyes:

"Could it be that this guy... is actually just pretending to be serious? Is he trying to intimidate Jiraiya with this act?"

Feeling the suspicious gaze from behind, the emotions that had surged in Kou upon seeing Jiraiya instantly cooled.

Damn it! I got carried away and completely forgot about this girl!

His body stiffened slightly, and he muttered in his heart with a touch of annoyance:

The Uchiha gene that lets emotions override the brain is truly a curse...

He glanced at Mei Terumi from the corner of his eye, the light in his own eyes turning guarded.

He saw her slightly furrowed brows and sensed the scrutiny in those emerald-green eyes:

She couldn't have realized that the devil-may-care attitude I showed her was a facade, could she? No, for now, she's probably just suspicious...

But if she really figures it out, things are going to get troublesome later on.

Thinking this, Kou instantly switched back to his grinning expression.

He waved at Jiraiya casually, explaining in a relaxed tone:

"Oh, I was just joking. You looked so serious, Lord Jiraiya, it actually made me feel a bit awkward."

Kou put on a look of deep nostalgia, continuing with great feeling:

"It's been seven years since we last saw each other. I never expected we'd reunite in such a remote place.

This must be what they call fate... If you don't mind, why don't we two go outside and have a private chat?"

Mei Terumi: "???"

Her eyes widened instantly, and she subconsciously reached out to tug on Kou's sleeve.

Her voice was kept very low, audible only to the two of them:

"A chat? Just the two of you? What are you planning?!"

Kou didn't turn back, his gaze remaining fixed on Jiraiya, observing every subtle reaction.

While watching Jiraiya, he whispered to Mei Terumi in a voice only she could hear:

"Isn't it obvious? I'll handle keeping this old pervert occupied, and you go wait for me at the harbor."

He spoke quickly, with an air of unquestionable certainty:

"If things go smoothly, I'll find you in half an hour.

If I'm not there after half an hour, it means I might be a bit late. Just take a boat to the Land of Whirlpools, and don't take any action—wait for me to arrive, then we'll act together."

"Oh, right, the ticket money counts as a mission expense. Please get it reimbursed after the mission, thanks."

Mei Terumi looked at the confident Kou, at a loss for words, and could only mutter silently in her heart:

...This guy, he's basing all his assumptions on the premise that he'll win.

The opponent is one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha! Isn't this guy being a bit too arrogant?

Her brows locked together, the light in her eyes shifting from shock to contemplation, and then to cold calculation.

Mei Terumi rapidly assessed the current situation in her mind:

Jiraiya's strength, Kou's strength, her own strength, and the invisible "diplomatic" red line that stood between them all.

She considered the possibility of teaming up with Uchiha Kou to take on Jiraiya, but after only a second, she dismissed the thought.

First, they knew almost nothing about each other's current intelligence or combat styles, and they had zero synergy.

Teaming up would likely result in "one plus one being far less than two."

Two strangers working together would most likely just drag each other down.

Second, and most importantly, unlike Uchiha Kou, who was a rogue ninja, she held an official position.

Possessing two Kekkei Genkai made her far too conspicuous; once they started fighting, Jiraiya could easily confirm her identity through her abilities.

Mei Terumi, advisor to the Mist Village, teaming up with the Konoha rogue Uchiha Kou to fight Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, and the battle taking place in the Land of Water?!

In every sense, this would be a massive headline that could ignite the entire Ninja World.

This was definitely not the development she wanted.

Thinking of this, Mei Terumi frowned and whispered a warning to Kou:

"This is the territory of the Land of Water, under the jurisdiction of the Mist Village.

Jiraiya is, at the end of the day, a high-ranking official of Konoha; he is a sensitive figure."

For a big shot like him to arrive in the Land of Water without undergoing identity verification is a significant diplomatic oversight; it could be interpreted as a threat to the Mist Village or as an infiltration by enemy agents.

She paused, then said with a firm tone:

"The Mist Village has not signed a mutual access agreement with Konoha, so Konoha ninja have no authority to cross borders to apprehend rogue ninja.

I can reveal my identity and negotiate with him. As long as he still cares about the diplomatic relations between Konoha and the Mist Village, he won't make a move against us. This trouble should be resolved quickly."

"But if we do that, our mission this time will be ruined, won't it?"

Kou shifted his gaze away from Jiraiya and swept a glance over the crowd watching them cautiously:

"If I'm not mistaken, the news of you being out here shouldn't be known to most people in the Mist Village.

If you expose your identity, this mission will be impossible to continue.

And if you return now, it will be much more troublesome to carry out an operation like this again in the future, right?"

Mei Terumi was momentarily speechless.

Her lips parted slightly, wanting to retort, but she realized there was nothing to argue against.

Kou was right; her trip was a secret operation. Aside from Genji and Sora, whom she trusted absolutely, no one knew she had left the Mist Village.

Once her identity was exposed here, not only would this mission be ruined, but a whole series of subsequent plans would also be affected.

Observing Mei Terumi's reaction, Kou smiled and said:

"Don't worry, I'm confident I can handle him without causing a major commotion. After all..."

"I am very strong."

Hearing Kou's confident tone, Mei Terumi was slightly stunned.

She seemed to recall the figure of the boy from four years ago who had boasted to everyone's face that he would "change the Mist Village."

At the time, no one believed him; everyone thought he was a madman.

But later, he really did it.

"Sora..."

Mei Terumi looked at Kou, and the image of that young man she admired from the bottom of her heart couldn't help but surface in her mind.

No, no, how could she associate this guy Uchiha Kou with Sora?!

"That is simply an insult to Sora!!"

She shook her head frantically in her heart, a flash of panic crossing her eyes.

Kou didn't pay attention to Mei Terumi, who was caught in a struggle beside him; his gaze remained fixed on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya gradually recovered from his dejected mood.

He finally shifted his attention away from Kou and landed on the young woman who had been overshadowed by Kou's presence until now.

His gaze fell on Mei Terumi's face—that cold, beautiful, and somewhat familiar countenance.

"This girl looks very familiar... It feels like I've seen her somewhere before."

His brows furrowed slightly as he pondered for a moment, then gave up helplessly:

"Ah... I really can't remember."

"Damn it, I should never have forgotten a beauty with a figure like that!!"

He beat his chest in frustration in his heart, then muttered to himself:

"Looking at her age, could it be that she developed like this in the last few years?

Could a miracle like Tsunade actually happen a second time in this world?"

While sighing in his heart, Jiraiya shifted his gaze back to Kou.

He looked at Kou's familiar smile—which now seemed to carry a hint of deliberation—and a complex, indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

"This kid has really changed..."

He pondered for a moment, then a bold, hearty smile hung on his lips:

"Hahaha, it has indeed been a long time, but... shall we talk alone?"

His gaze moved from Kou to Mei Terumi, and he said tentatively, using the gentle tone of an elder:

"I don't have any objections to that, but the young lady beside you—she should be with you, right?

I wonder... what does she think?"

Mei Terumi looked at the confident Kou before her, a trace of helplessness flashing through her emerald eyes.

Her gaze shifted between Kou and Jiraiya as she quickly weighed the pros and cons in her heart.

Should she risk revealing her identity here, or trust Kou's judgment and let him handle this unexpected trouble alone...

A moment later, Mei Terumi made her decision.

"I have no objections."

Her voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear.