Mei Terumi's Pickup Attempt

"Old man, keep dreaming!"

With a sharp shout, Mei Terumi unleashed Lava Release directly onto the rock dragon's head. Lava Release possessed extreme heat; once it came into contact with stone, it would rapidly melt it and form volcanic ash across the ground!

After all, Earth Release could control the earth, but it could not control lava!

The match instantly became a contest of Chakra!

Countless rock dragons rose from the ground, only to be thoroughly melted by the rapidly falling rain of lava. Gradually, nothing remained on the ground but volcanic ash that Earth Release could not control.

"Teacher! Is that old man going to lose?" Obito asked again.

"The outcome is still uncertain!"

"But he can't attack Mei Terumi anymore!"

Ye Liang shook his head without explaining.

To a disciple like Obito, some things could only be understood through insight.

"Bang!"

A violent crash rang out.

Mei Terumi's lava pillar finally shattered completely!

Her face filled with horror, as though she had never expected this.

Obito looked astonished, while Ye Liang had seen it coming long ago.

With the stone pillar gone as a target, the earth dragon immediately attacked the unprotected Mei Terumi.

"You lost!"

"No! I haven't!"

Mei Terumi refused to admit it. Just as she prepared to strike back, Ye Liang caught her body.

"What are you doing? I haven't lost yet! I can still fight!"

Ye Liang then looked at the ground and said calmly, "You lost."

"Lost?"

Mei Terumi froze.

Then she saw rows of steel blades embedded beneath where she would have landed. If she had touched down just now, while it might not have endangered her life, her delicate feet would have been riddled with holes.

She drew in a sharp breath.

Mei Terumi could only cast Ye Liang a grateful look of surrender.

Second half!

Karui versus Asuma!

Evening.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Ye Liang brought the excited Obito to sit on the long-unvisited benches.

"Uncle Ōtsutsuki! I want watermelon flavor!"

The weather was scorching. Only a bowl of chilled watermelon ramen could cool him down.

Ye Liang had no idea how watermelon could be made into ramen, but food on the island nation was always so bizarre!

"Teacher Ye Liang, do you really think Mei Terumi will become the Mizukage someday?"

"Of course she will. When has your teacher's judgment ever been wrong?"

Ye Liang smiled.

During their leisurely walk earlier, he had casually mentioned some of the original story's plot.

"Boss! Another bowl of ramen!"

"Sure thing!"

"But, Teacher, she lost today. How could she possibly become the Mizukage? Would a Kage-level expert lose so easily?"

"Hahaha! Back when the Third Hokage hadn't become Hokage yet, he was often taught a lesson too. People even called him Monkey back then!"

"Huh? Really?"

"Of course it's true."

Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku happily brought over another bowl of noodles. He loved hearing amusing stories about these important figures.

Ye Liang nodded with a smile.

At that moment, Mei Terumi appeared behind Obito.

"I may have lost, but that was only because that old man had more Chakra than me! In a head-on fight, I wouldn't fear him!" But the moment she finished speaking, she regretted it!

Why was she arguing with a child?

Obito froze.

Then he saw Mei Terumi behind him looking somewhat awkward.

"Mr. Ye Liang, thank you so much for what happened in the arena earlier. If it hadn't been for you, I might have—"

"The arena? Oh, that? It was nothing!"

Ye Liang shrugged, indicating that he did not care.

After all, he was a spectator. Protecting the contestants was part of his duty.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Ye Liang suddenly realized something strange.

Mei Terumi had seemed to call him by name just now?

Although his name was Ye Liang, his family had apparently never told her. That meant Mei Terumi had learned it through some other channel!

She's after my body!

Ye Liang immediately understood!

"Obito, go back first. You still have an exam tomorrow."

"But I haven't finished eating yet."

"Obito, have you heard of a Taijutsu called Hunger Potential? It means that when a person is hungry, they may erupt with strength they've never had before."

"Really, Teacher?"

"Of course. When has your teacher ever lied to you? If you obediently go home now, I guarantee you'll pass tomorrow's exam!"

"Ah! Thank you, Teacher!"

Obito was stunned. It was his first time hearing such a thing, but since his teacher said it, there had to be no problem!

Once Obito had left.

Ye Liang got straight to the point.

He did not believe Mei Terumi would pay attention to him for no reason. Though he was an optimistic person, when it came to matters of life and death, he was always serious.

"Tell me. What is it?"

"It's like this!"

The two talked all night. That night, Ye Liang did not return home.

"Alright! The next match is between Obito Uchiha from Konoha and Kurotsuchi from Iwagakure!"

Ye Liang shouted wildly from the stage.

As he enjoyed the cheers of those fangirls, he called out Obito's name!

"Uh, he didn't eat last night. He should be fine, right?"

Ye Liang felt a little guilty. Last night, in order to talk with Mei Terumi, he had hastily sent away Obito, that third wheel.

Honestly, he regretted it!

"Gulp!"

Obito stepped onto the field.

He trembled a little and seemed somewhat timid. Hardly anyone in the audience supported him. The Uchiha had previously shown signs of betraying the village, so naturally they could not win the crowd's applause.

"I have to prove myself! I have to become Hokage!"

Obito clenched his fists, and his previously dejected expression immediately became resolute.

Kurotsuchi was already waiting on the field.

She was also a contestant.

Yet Kurotsuchi's supporters seemed to make up nearly the entire crowd.

"Little Sister Kurotsuchi, go! Defeat that Obito! Beat that dead last!"

"Kurotsuchi, your senior brothers are all here cheering for you! Don't be afraid!"

Cheers rang out from the stands.

"Hiruzen, this boy is pretty weak. Why is no one cheering for him?" Ōnoki asked Hiruzen Sarutobi curiously.

The latter's face visibly darkened.

"He really is dead last. It's only natural that no one cheers for him," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

The Uchiha clan's problems had already become extremely serious. Judging by the audience at the moment, they were practically at each other's throats!

He could not let the other Kage notice. After all, the Uchiha clan was one of Konoha's powerful fighting forces. If the other villages discovered that they had betrayed the village, they might begin to look down on Konoha!

Then Konoha would lose its prestige!

"Is he really dead last?"

Ōnoki asked doubtfully.

At this moment, the two on the field were already prepared to fight.

"Little girl, be careful!"

Obito relaxed his guard slightly.

Kurotsuchi was the youngest contestant in this tournament. Though she was Iwagakure's Little Princess, she was still just a tiny child!

She was only eight years old!

She was in trouble!