"Iwagakure. I was right, wasn't I… undercover… madam…"
The bird-masked ANBU's voice slithered through the gloom, his gaze locked hungrily on Meika's wife.
Orders from above: take them alive.
But if this woman made the slightest move, he was ready to sever her tendons in an instant.
One step… two steps…
Each heavy footfall drew nearer, the ANBU's voice oozing from behind the mask like a devil's whisper.
"Surrender now. Confess everything.
Maybe… your child… heh… might just get to keep their life."
In that moment, the fear on the woman's face vanished, replaced by a wild, unbreakable resolve.
"Take her!"
With a sharp cry, she shoved their child into Meika's arms.
Then, in one fierce motion, she ripped off her outer robe—revealing her body covered in layer upon layer of explosive tags.
The three ANBU who'd come through the window recoiled in unison; even the bird-masked leader instinctively stepped back.
Where the hell did this woman get so many explosive tags?!
Unlike ordinary bombs, explosive tags needed only a flicker of chakra to trigger a devastating blast.
"Back off!"
She brandished a fistful of tags, pointing them at the ANBU by the window.
They retreated another step.
ANBU was just a title—no one wanted to die for the job, especially not for the unpopular Third Mizukage.
The three exchanged glances, hands hidden in their sleeves, quietly weaving hand signs.
No matter what, a water clone was always a good insurance policy.
The woman advanced, shoving Meika's arm with one hand, clutching the tags with the other, pushing the ANBU toward the window.
Meanwhile, Meika held his daughter—already knocked out by his wife's subtle strike—completely at a loss.
He wanted nothing more than to drown these ANBU idiots in Lava Release, but both hands were full—he couldn't even form a single seal.
Step by step, the woman pressed forward, while the ANBU retreated—
But the bird-masked ANBU, keeping his distance, was thinking fast.
If he let the woman escape through the window, there was a good chance they could catch her during the pursuit.
But there was also a slim chance she'd actually get away.
And even if they caught her, she'd blow herself up unless killed in one strike.
A one-shot kill? Unlikely. And an explosion would panic the villagers and cause property damage.
Not that he cared about the villagers—but the blame would land on him.
What if he just killed them here?
Not a bad idea. Even if he failed to capture them alive, at worst he'd get a slap on the wrist.
And if a few subordinates died, he could skim a hefty chunk off the condolence payments!
With that, the bird-masked ANBU barked at his retreating men:
"One more step back, and you'll all be charged with releasing enemy spies!"
His three subordinates cursed him silently.
Releasing spies? That's as bad as being a spy yourself!
Damn, this bastard's actually serious!
But rank was rank; they dared not retreat further.
They drew their kunai, bracing themselves.
The second this crazy woman looked like she'd set off the tags, they'd toss their kunai and vanish with the Body Replacement Technique.
At that moment, Meika's wife, enraged by the bird-masked ANBU's threat, suddenly hurled several kunai—each tied with explosive tags—straight at him.
Sparks flashed—detonation imminent.
The kunai struck, and the bird-masked ANBU's body burst into a splash of water—a water clone!
Coward! He's the first to run when things get real!
The other three ANBU cursed in their hearts as they threw their own kunai.
Meika, clutching his child, finally snapped to action, somehow pulling out a kunai to deflect the flying projectiles.
A flurry of feints and threats—everyone probing, no one committing.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Meika's wife dragged him and their daughter to the window.
"Go!"
She shoved Meika, turning to shield him and their child behind her.
But Meika refused, his voice trembling with stubbornness.
"You go! I'll hold them off!"
He tried to hand the child back, but she blocked him.
"Get out of here! I'm Iwagakure's sleeper agent—I only got close to you to infiltrate Amegakure and steal intel!
Did you really think someone like me could fall for you? Get lost! You're not even worthy of me!"
Her low growl, eyes scanning for threats, came with a hard shove—forcing Meika out the window.
No one knows your weaknesses like the one who shares your pillow.
With just one sentence, she broke him completely.
It was true—he wasn't handsome, wasn't strong. How could he ever deserve a wife as young and beautiful as her?
Stunned, Meika barely realized he'd been pushed outside.
A heartbeat later, clarity returned—
No way!
Just last night, she'd praised his Lava Release, said she wanted to cheer him on forever.
She was forcing him to leave!
Understanding dawned, and Meika tried to scramble back inside to drag her out with him.
But fate is cruel to lovers.
When he turned back, it was already too late.
The explosive tags covering his beloved wife had already ignited.
"Go! Take our daughter and run—run far away!"
Bathed in the firelight, her smile bloomed like a flower.
For some reason, Meika's vision blurred with tears.
He was just an ordinary ninja—a little lucky, a little happy.
He worked a simple job.
If he could, he'd do it forever—bringing home a slowly growing paycheck for his wife.
If he could, he'd watch his daughter grow up, grow old together, and die on some peaceful, mistless afternoon.
But all that was gone now.
Wiping his tears, Meika gritted his teeth, clutching his daughter as he bolted for the village edge.
Luckily, their home was near the outskirts.
Using the explosion's thunderous roar and blinding firelight—using his wife's final act of love—Meika sprinted for freedom.
He had to escape, had to carry his wife's hope, had to raise their daughter.
Fire from the blast lit up the night behind him as Meika ran, head down, refusing to look back.
He'd never been a strong shinobi—now, carrying his daughter, he was even weaker. All he could do was run.
But once things start to go wrong, the slide toward The Abyss never stops.
As deputy squad leader of Outer Defense Team Sixteen, he knew every gap in the village's defenses.
Under cover of darkness, fighting back tears, Meika weaved through the maze of narrow alleys.
Victory was close—if he could just reach the pitch-black alley ahead, he could slip into the labyrinthine drainage tunnels beneath the village.
From there, he could escape into the endless sea.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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