Kakuzu was horrified, watching helplessly as the blue ball penetrated all his defenses and touched his body.
There were no earth-shattering explosions.
It just seems like something has been forcibly erased from the world.
The right half of Kakuzu's body, along with his right arm, right shoulder, most of his chest, and three attribute masks among them, were wiped away by an invisible eraser the moment the black ball touched it.
The cross section was as smooth as a mirror, with no blood splattering, because even the flesh and blood were completely annihilated by the power in an instant.
"Plop!"
Kakuzu, which only had the left half of its broken body left, barely retaining a heart and part of Earth Grudge Fear, fell to the ground like a rag bag.
A large number of black Earth Grudge Fear tentacles squirmed and flowed out from the wound, trying to repair the terrifying defect, but it was obviously in vain.
His only remaining green eye stared at Shaoyu, full of boundless horror and pain.
And a trace of fear that goes deep into the bones.
His breath was instantly weakened to the extreme, and he was dying. It was extremely difficult to even move, let alone fight.
One hit!
Just one blow!
The legendary immortal ninja Kakuzu, under full defense, had half of his body and four hearts knocked out!
Only a broken body is left, on the verge of death!
The entire battlefield was deathly silent.
Mei Terumi collapsed on the ground, completely forgetting to breathe and forget the pain. She just stared blankly at the tall figure with Mangekyō Sharingan, whose back was turned to her, and the miserable body of Kakuzu not far away, with only half of it left.
The brain completely stopped thinking, leaving only boundless shock and confusion.
Shaoyu slowly put down his hand, and the suction in his palm dissipated. He glanced at the twitching remains of Kakuzu on the ground.
Hmm... I won't die for a while.
He turned around, Mangekyō Sharingan was still turned on, and the scarlet light shone on Mei Terumi's pale and bleeding face.
"Talk about? My "girlfriend""
In less than ten minutes, Shaoyu explained the specific situation to Mei Terumi.
"So, Yu... Mr. Shaoyu, you are the undercover agent of Kumogakure. Have you conquered several clan leaders, including my father?"
Shaoyu nodded.
He looked at Mei Terumi, whose eyes were fluctuating violently but forced himself to stay calm, and asked the most critical question.
"Now, you know all this. Mei Terumi, what are you going to do?"
Exposed in anger? Fleeing in fear? Or... other options?
Shaoyu thought to himself, already ready to give her an illusion.
Mei Terumi lowered his head, holding tightly the corners of his clothes covered in dust and blood with both hands, his body still trembling slightly.
Time seemed to have frozen, with only the occasional faint twitching sounds of Kakuzu's remaining body and the wriggling rustling sounds of Earth Grudge Fear's tentacles.
After a long time, she slowly raised her head.
His face was still pale and his eyes were slightly red, but those eyes that were always bright or sharp cast an unprecedented complex light at this moment.
She did not look at the tragic situation of Kakuzu, nor did she look at Shaoyu's fearsome pair of Mangekyō Sharingan. Her eyes seemed to fall on a certain point in the void.
Then, she took a deep breath, her voice was still a little hoarse, but she spoke clearly every word.
"I... I want to help Mr. Shaoyu."
Shaoyu's brow moved almost imperceptibly.
Mei Terumi continued to speak, as if he was convincing himself, and also as if he was expressing his feelings to Shaoyu:.
"Mizukage's rule...Blood Mist Policy... Everyone has had enough. Father, they must have their reasons for choosing to follow you. And..."
She finally moved her gaze back to Shaoyu's face. Although her heart still palpitated instinctively when she saw the pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, she forced herself to look directly, and a trace of bitter but stubborn emotion appeared in her eyes.
"And... I am your girlfriend. No matter you are Mizunotsuki Uha, or Uchiha Shaoyu... no matter what you want to do, whether it is subverting Kirigakure, or something else... I will help you."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a determination as if it were breaking the boat.
In this decision, there was consideration for the family's future and despair over Kirigakure's current situation, but it is undeniable that it was also mixed with feelings that were deeply rooted in my heart and difficult to let go of even though I knew it started with deception.
She chose a path that seemed the most irrational, but may also be the truest desire in her heart.
Stand by his side, even knowing that the road ahead may be an abyss.
Shaoyu listened quietly, with no expression on his face, but a very subtle wave of emotion passed through his heart.
Silly girl...
He sighed in his heart.
This feeling, this trust, seems so precious in Shinobi World, which is full of conspiracy and betrayal, especially the cold Kirigakure, but also so... inappropriate.
It may even become a burden.
In his original plan, Mei Terumi was more of a pawn, a channel for obtaining intelligence and influence.
Now that she has actively chosen to completely fall in love with him, it is beneficial, but it also makes him have to reconsider how to deal with this heavy heart.
"Even if I used you? Cheated you?"
Shaoyu's voice has no emotion.
Mei Terumi bit his lip, the water in his eyes became even brighter, but he stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.
"Maybe it was at first... but now, it's my own choice."
Shaoyu was silent for a moment. Finally, the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes slowly faded and turned back to deep black.
He stepped forward and held out his hand.
Mei Terumi looked at the hand that had bandaged her wounds and severely injured Kakuzu in an instant, hesitated for a moment, and then put his own hand on it.
Shaoyu pulled her up from the ground, his movements were not gentle.
He glanced at the remains of Kakuzu whose breath was getting weaker and weaker on the ground, and then looked at the corpses of Miyue Bai and Quan Bingwei.
"Ming," he said, his voice regaining its usual clarity.
"Next, do as I say."
Mei Terumi raised his head, looked at him, and waited for instructions.
"You go back alone. The content of the report is that your team was ambushed by the rebel ninja Kakuzu on the way back. Miyue Bai and Quan Bingwei were defeated and died on the spot."
"You managed to escape with serious injuries by relying on Kekkei Genkai and the terrain. Kakuzu seems to have been injured too, but his whereabouts are unknown. As for 'Mizunotsuki Uha'..."
Shaoyu paused.
"Let's just say that he was affected by Kakuzu's ninjutsu in the chaos, and his body was wiped out. Or he was kidnapped and killed by Kakuzu, whatever you want to make up, in short, he disappeared from Kirigakure."
Mei Terumi's heart tightened, and he immediately understood Shaoyu's intention.
This is to completely end the identity of "Mizunotsuki Uha" lurking in Kirigakure.
"Then you..." she asked subconsciously.
"I can't waste any more time here."
Shaoyu interrupted her and looked into the distance.
"Kirigakure's layout is basically completed. The four major families have been conquered. We are just waiting for the opportunity."
"It doesn't make much sense to continue to stay here as a little medical nin. Instead, this incident may cause unnecessary investigations and risks. I need to return to Kumogakure to deal with more important things."