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Bonus Chapter
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In the silent night.
Mei Terumi dashed swiftly through the dense forest. She wore a black night cloak that concealed her face, moving like a nimble cheetah stalking through the shadows.
Behind her, over a dozen ninjas pursued relentlessly, occasionally tossing explosive tags, kunai, and shuriken in her direction.
The gap between pursuer and prey steadily narrowed with each passing moment.
Mei Terumi was in a poor state.
Her body was marked by five or six fresh scars, most notably a severe wound on her left shoulder that continuously oozed blood.
Fortunately, the place she sought wasn't far.
Just four days ago—
Mei Terumi had begun harboring doubts about the Fourth Mizukage based on what Uchiha Haru had said. She resolved to test whether the current Fourth Mizukage was truly the rightful ruler or merely a puppet controlled by some other force, perhaps through genjutsu.
To do this, she sought out Ao, an elite jonin of Hidden Mist Village renowned for his exceptional strength.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Ao had received a transplantation of the Hyūga Clan's Byakugan bloodline limit, becoming one of the few Byakugan users outside Konoha.
As a result, he possessed many of the Byakugan's abilities, including the unique power to perceive chakra flow with great precision.
Crucially, the chakra pattern of a person under genjutsu differed noticeably from that of a normal shinobi.
In other words, Ao could discern if the Fourth Mizukage was truly under an illusion.
Though there was a significant age gap between Mei Terumi and Ao, their relationship was one of mutual trust and understanding.
Otherwise, given Mei Terumi's cautious nature, she would never have entrusted such a sensitive task to anyone.
Together, Mei Terumi and Ao approached the Fourth Mizukage's residence several times.
Each time, the Fourth Mizukage refused their visit under various pretexts.
This only deepened Mei Terumi's suspicions.
Since the Third Great Ninja War, the Fourth Mizukage had rarely appeared before the village.
When he did, he seldom spoke.
Was he truly being controlled?
What had been a seed of doubt in Mei Terumi's mind now blossomed into conviction.
Risking punishment, she quietly ventured to the Fourth Mizukage's home with Ao.
This mission was crucial, and she had to get to the truth.
If the Fourth Mizukage was indeed a puppet, then all the bloodshed and darkness that had plagued Kirigakure for years were orchestrated by the unseen mastermind pulling the strings.
If only the Fourth Mizukage could be freed from control, Kirigakure's grim reign would end.
This sacrifice was worth any price.
And the result did not disappoint Mei Terumi.
Though she still wasn't completely certain if genjutsu was at play, what she saw shocked her.
Inside the Mizukage's residence was a figure cloaked in a robe embroidered with red clouds, wearing a single-eyed mask.
Most notable were the figure's eyes—glowing with the unmistakable Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Fourth Mizukage lay on his bed, motionless, seemingly in a coma.
Seeing this, Mei Terumi's shock deepened.
There was no more room for doubt.
Something was definitely wrong.
She had to flee and spread the news immediately.
This masked figure controlled the Mizukage, and if he could manipulate such a powerful man, she was no match for him.
Ao shared the same grim realization.
The two planned their escape without hesitation.
But fate had other plans.
Just as they tried to slip away, the masked man caught sight of them.
At the same moment, the Fourth Mizukage awoke with a shout, accusing them of treason and ordering their capture.
Mei Terumi escaped by a hair's breadth, but not without injury.
Ao, the "Byakugan User," was captured to cover her retreat.
Mei Terumi fled desperately.
The Hidden Mist shinobi behind her pursued fiercely.
She knew her strength alone was no match for so many enemies.
If caught, death was inevitable.
Having witnessed a secret she was never meant to see, all hope seemed lost.
If she wanted to survive, only one person could save her now.
Uchiha Haru.
"Unexpectedly, I still need his help in the end," Mei Terumi sighed inwardly.
Originally, she had planned to handle everything herself and then unite Hidden Mist's forces against Uchiha Haru.
But it seemed only Haru could save her.
Swish!
From behind, a kunai rigged with an explosive tag whistled through the air.
The blast erupted violently.
The explosion rocked Mei Terumi's balance; she nearly fell from the tree where she had taken cover.
Her wounds worsened, but she grit her teeth and pressed onward toward the forest clearing where she and Haru had agreed to meet.
Here we are.
Finally.
Despite reaching her destination, Mei Terumi's face showed little relief.
The pursuing ninjas were closing in fast.
Though formidable, she was heavily outnumbered.
Her injuries further slowed her pace.
Swish, swish, swish!
Kunai and shuriken flew toward Mei Terumi from behind.
At such close range, the speed of the kunai and shuriken made them difficult to dodge. To avoid them, one had to react at the earliest possible moment.
Fortunately, Mei Terumi remained alert; otherwise, she would have been gravely injured.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, though she hadn't quite reached her destination yet.
Mei Terumi hoped Uchiha Haru would arrive in time to save her.
Because now, she really couldn't hold on much longer.
At the same time, the ninjas chasing her heard her shout.
They realized something was wrong.
This assassin likely had accomplices, and they needed to eliminate any potential threats to prevent future problems.
More than a dozen ninjas quickened their pace, closing in on Mei Terumi.
Some threw kunai and explosive tags, while others flanked her on both sides.
Under such a fierce assault, the already injured Mei Terumi inevitably slowed.
Despite her best efforts to dodge the incoming kunai and shuriken, she was surrounded by a dozen Hidden Mist Village ninjas.
These shinobi were all trusted confidants of Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage—similar to Konoha's Anbu.
They would obey the Mizukage's orders without hesitation.
The Fourth Mizukage had commanded Mei Terumi's death.
Unless every one of these dozen ninjas died, they would complete their mission.
Mei Terumi knew how deeply loyal these men were to the Mizukage.
She didn't expect that her words could sway them into believing that the current Mizukage was a puppet controlled by others—not the real ruler.
After all, her identity was that of an assassin.
How could these loyal ninja believe the words of a stranger rather than their lord?
It was almost impossible.
Despair washed over Mei Terumi's face.
Is this it?
She hadn't revealed the truth—that the Fourth Mizukage was controlled by another.
She hadn't saved Hidden Mist Village from this dire fate.
How could she die here?
But what else could she do?
She was surrounded, with no way out.
And the person she was counting on hadn't arrived.
Though close to the meeting point, it would still take time to reach.
In the past, it would have taken only a minute—no, half a minute.
But now, that short distance felt like an unbridgeable chasm between life and death.
Maybe this was fate.
Mei Terumi looked at the dozen ninjas tightening their circle, ready to strike, and her expression grew more desperate.
She closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
A gentle breeze brushed her cheek, soothing and comforting.
She clearly sensed time passing, but her body no longer felt pain.
What was happening?
She opened her eyes—bright and clear like Caroline's—and froze.
Before her stood a man.
He wore a pitch-black robe and possessed an unbelievably perfect appearance.
Uchiha Haru.
Around them, more than a dozen Hidden Mist ninjas stood motionless, their eyes dull, as if trapped in a powerful genjutsu.
Did he save me?
Mei Terumi thought.
"You're here. Have you figured it out clearly?" she asked.
While Mei Terumi was being chased, Haru had already noticed the approaching threat.
After all, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was no joke.
Its insight spanned 360 degrees, and no movement—no matter how subtle—could be hidden.
Especially with so many people infiltrating. Not noticing them would be laughable.
Terumi's question snapped Mei Terumi from her shock.
Just as she was about to answer, she glanced at the motionless Hidden Mist ninjas surrounding her.
"They…"
"They're trapped in my genjutsu," Haru explained calmly. "No matter what we say or do, they won't be aware of anything."
"Oh."
Mei Terumi exhaled a sigh of relief, her respect for Haru growing.
He had managed to trap more than a dozen elite jonin-level shinobi in an instant.
Such power was terrifying.
No wonder even the Fourth Mizukage—
No, the people controlling the Fourth Mizukage—feared him so much.
Mei Terumi took a deep breath to calm herself and asked, "Can you release them?"
"They don't know who I am," Haru replied.
She had worn a night cloak that concealed her identity well; it was impossible for these ninjas to recognize her.
"No. They must die."
Haru's voice was calm, almost indifferent.
He spoke of more than a dozen lives as if discussing something trivial.
"Why?"
Mei Terumi asked, unable to understand.
Though these people hunted Haru, they were deceived by those behind the Mizukage.
It wasn't their fault.
They were Kirigakure's elite and fiercely loyal to their village.
Mei Terumi did not want to see so many loyal Kirigakure ninjas slaughtered.
"But they heard your voice," Haru said.
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
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