[NTU] [ARC-07-JOUNIN] Chapter : 116 (Patreon)

'Another bloodthirsty idiot?'

Mei was quite troubled by her fellow Kiri Ninjas. It seemed that some of them didn't take their own lives or those of their comrades seriously. They only knew how to fight and kill. Even Mangetsu was no exception. He had inherited the warlike and crazy character of the Second Mizukage, though he wasn't lacking in talent. Fortunately, he didn't have Kaguya's tendency to go berserk at the sight of blood.

"Didn't you hear the news? That Toshiro guy just fought a battle with the ANBU platoon. He should still be recovering, so it's reasonable for him to avoid combat." Terumi Mei remarked. Although Toshiro had wiped out the Mist Ninja ANBU who were chasing Rin, one or two managed to return to the village and report the news.

"Those ANBU losers? They even lost the Three-Tails. They're worse than the previous generation!" Mangetsu scoffed, clearly angered. In the village, they always acted superiorly, but now they have botched such an important mission.

"The ANBU that went on that mission was nothing to scoff at; it was just that Uchiha is too difficult to tussle with," Terumi Mei countered. Kirigakure's ANBU selection was even more brutal than their Ninja Graduation Exam, and those chosen were ruthless. Mangetsu's harsh words seemed unwarranted.

"There's some enemy movement!" Mangetsu, with his foot in the water, sensed chakra fluctuations through the water molecules. He signaled to Mei and then sank into the puddle, vanishing. Mei followed suit, disappearing in a whirlwind.

Soon after, a figure in a green vest walked slowly towards them. It was Toshiro Uchiha. The recent rain had left puddles everywhere, making them perfect hiding spots for Kiri Ninjas. Toshiro carefully inspected each puddle with his Sharingan, aware that the genius from the Hozuki clan had used a special method to conceal his chakra.

But Toshiro wasn't in a hurry. He had detected anomalies nearby and familiar chakra fluctuations from a distance. He knew that Mei and her new companion would soon reveal themselves.

"Water Release: Water Beast!" Mangetsu executed his long-prepared jutsu just as Toshiro passed by a seemingly ordinary puddle. Using his chakra, he created a large amount of water, forming a bizarre water creature that completely enveloped Toshiro.

It was the same peculiar jutsu that his brother had used to resist the Eight-Tailed Jinchuuriki in the anime. Controlling Toshiro briefly with this offensive and defensive jutsu, Mangetsu was surprised at how smoothly everything was going.

But he couldn't afford to waste any time and started calling for Mei immediately.

"Hurry up, I can't hold on much longer!"

Although he had temporarily trapped his opponent with ninjutsu, Toshiro had advanced knowledge of lightning ninjutsu, to which Mangetsu had no resistance. He could only trap the enemy for a short period of time.

"Well..."

An unexpected event occurred after he controlled Toshiro. His hidden companion did not appear as planned to seal both Toshiro and himself. Mangetsu realized something was wrong without even looking back, but the scene before him still left him stunned.

Mei, who was supposed to stay hidden, was nowhere to be seen. Mei, that formidable woman, looked as if she had seen a ghost, and she was being controlled by someone using sealing jutsu

This wasn't how things were supposed to go! They were supposed to seal the Konoha ninja, not the other way around. Why was she the one affected by the sealing technique now?

Before he could think any further, layers of black seals crawled over his body through the ninjutsu, rendering him unable to control his chakra or move.

"Oh... Minato-nii's seals are truly remarkable! It seems our mission can be successfully completed!" Toshiro, who had been calling Namikaze Minato 'brother' since he showed kindness to him, was nearly eight years younger, so it wasn't unusual to refer to him as 'big brother.'

At this moment, Mei, Mangetsu, and their sealed companion, who had been hiding, had mixed expressions.

Mission! What mission? They had been fighting fiercely for the past few days, and now that they were caught, there was no mission left but to endure torture for information and then likely be killed. Their carefully planned trap had backfired, and they were the ones caught instead. It was truly frustrating.

"Haha! It's nothing, Toshiro. It was mainly a sneak attack. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to control these three so quickly," Namikaze Minato replied humbly. "Speaking of which, Toshiro's bait was perfect. As soon as these three saw you, they attacked without hesitation, giving me the opportunity to catch them all."

Minato was indeed a humble and polite man, feeling a bit embarrassed by Toshiro's praise.

"We can't break free!" Terumi Mei and the others couldn't move but exchanged glances. Especially the sealing master among them, who had high hopes from Terumi Mei and Mangetsu, was deeply disappointed.

With a quick look, they understood each other's feelings, and their hearts sank. They were truly finished this time.

Mei, in particular, felt a wave of inner turmoil. Determined to change the current state of Kirigakure, she couldn't believe she might fall in such an obscure place. She hadn't found a satisfactory man yet, nor had she become the Mizukage yet. How could this be happening?

"It’s really unexpected that I met Mei so easily this time!"

Seeing Mei bound by seals, Toshiro was very surprised. Originally, he had only brought Minato to the front line because Minato seemed particularly interested in this matter. He never expected to encounter Terumi Mei so effortlessly.

“Are you familiar with her, Toshiro?”

“No, not really. I almost killed her last time, and since then, she’s come after me several times with powerful companions to cause trouble,” Toshiro explained briefly, noticing Minato’s curiosity.

“First, let me introduce you. This is Mei Terumi, a genius of Kirigakure. She’s 18 years old, about 172 cm tall by visual estimate... her measurements—”

cough cough cough

“Toshiro, there’s no need to be that detailed!” Minato interrupted, understanding why Mei had a grudge against Toshiro. Seeing her face darken, he coughed a few times to stop Toshiro from continuing.

“Haha! I got a bit too excited, sorry...” Toshiro laughed off the interruption, then introduced Mangetsu and another Kiri Ninja, ignoring Mei's angry glare. “I guess you don’t need an introduction to him!” Toshiro pointed to Minato.

With Konoha’s reputation, Iwagakure's intel, and Minato’s iconic blond hair, there was no need for further explanation. The three Kiri Ninjas already knew who had ambushed them.

“Uh… why aren’t you talking?” Toshiro asked, puzzled by their silence. He glanced at Minato, who seemed to understand the situation.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s find a secluded spot where we won’t be disturbed,” Minato suggested. He didn’t untie their restraints immediately but instead took them and Toshiro to a pre-arranged location.

Soon after they left, different patrol teams arrived to check the area. Mangetsu’s earlier impressive ninjutsu had drawn attention. Both Konoha and Kiri ninjas noticed something unusual, but upon arriving, they didn’t find the culprits, leading to another small conflict.

“So, you came to us specifically to discuss the Three-Tails matter with Genji-sama?” Mei, partially freed from her restraints, could finally move. Hearing Minato’s request, she didn’t hesitate but gave Toshiro a sharp look.

“Yes, Konoha wants to have a meeting with your Mizukage regarding the Three-Tails. We have some requirements about its ownership,” Minato explained frankly, without any concealment, and expressed his hope to speak directly with Genji.

“Meet in person? No!” Terumi Mei flatly refused, recalling how quickly she had been subdued by Minato. The moment she sensed the ambush, her chakra and movement had already been sealed.

If someone like that were brought directly to old man Genji, and if they harbored any bad intentions, it would be too late to regret it.

“Oh, come on! Actually, it’s not a big deal. If we have Mei and the genius of the Hozuki clan in our hands, Genji-san should be willing to sit down and talk with us.”

Seeing Terumi Mei’s reluctance, Toshiro chimed in to Minato:

“Minato-nii, there’s no need to haggle with them. With our strength and Orochimaru-senpai’s help, we could probably capture even Karatchi Yagura alive. Kiri Shinoni would have no choice but to negotiate with us.”

Toshiro adopted a threatening tone, showing a sinister smile at Mei. To make his point more persuasive, he mentioned Orochimaru’s name, hoping to intimidate her.

“That’s not a good approach. It will only deepen the misunderstanding between us and hinder peace,” Minato interjected. “We need to communicate effectively. I believe that as long as both sides are honest and resolve their misunderstandings, it will be beneficial for both Konoha and the Kirigakure.”

“Well...”

Toshiro was unsure if Minato was genuinely sincere or playing along with Mei. Minato’s earnest tone, sincere attitude, and demeanor left Toshiro feeling somewhat dazzled. Even the Kiri ninjas, conditioned by the cruel blood mist policy, were taken aback by Minato’s warm and genuine temperament.

…

“Do we really want to help Namikaze Minato pass the message to Genji-sama?” Mangetsu asked, curiosity piqued.

“You’re not attracted to the pretty boy, are you?” He teased, the fire of gossip burning in him.

“Shut up!” Mei snapped, delivering a hard punch to Mangetsu’s head, leaving him dazed.

“Mangetsu, don’t you think we Kiri Ninjas need someone like him?”

“That kind of person?” Mangetsu pondered, trying to shake off the image of Namikaze Minato. Before he could respond, the taciturn, sealing ninja spoke up.

“Mei, we’ve had people like Namikaze Minato among the Kiri Ninja before, but... their final fate...” He trailed off, leaving the ending unsaid but implied, reminding Terumi Mei of the harsh realities.

“That’s true...” Terumi Mei and Mangetsu echoed, reflecting on the words.