"You'll die!"
A ninja's instincts warned him. Dan Katō was shocked to discover that he actually wanted to run. He had never felt fear before a battle, but this man in black before him...
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
Before his mind could even process things, Mingye attacked again. Flames shot through the air in an S-shaped path like a nimble serpent. The ground before Dan Katō rose into an earthen wall. He had thought it would block Mingye's attack, but the flames sliced through the wall and struck him without losing any of their power.
"Not bad reflexes. You're already quite strong! You truly surpass Jiraiya and Orochimaru in that regard!"
The instant Mingye spoke, Dan Katō's movements came to an abrupt halt. Seizing the moment, Mingye appeared before him in an instant and pressed his palm against his abdomen.
"Lord Wu!"
The startled question was already meaningless. Though Mingye had not removed his mask, Dan Katō had completely confirmed his identity.
"If you tell anyone, she dies!"
Mingye warned him in a low voice tinged with amusement. Gathering his last breath, Dan Katō demanded of him.
"Why?!"
"Because I don't want you to die without knowing why!"
As soon as Mingye finished speaking, Dan Katō's abdomen exploded. Mingye vanished from before him as blood sprayed into the air, followed by Tsunade rushing out of the mist.
"You'll die!"
The threat turned Dan Katō's smile painful. Exposing that man's identity meant that his beloved would vanish with him. But as a Konoha ninja, knowing that such a terrifyingly powerful person was hidden among Konoha's upper ranks... I can't accept this!
"Tsunade! I really don't want to die!"
Those utterly lifeless words reached Tsunade's ears. Her face filled with fury as she used all her chakra to reconstruct his shattered internal