"Why would you know that..."
"Don't tell me you're actually a ghost?"
Mei Terumi trembled uncontrollably, staring at Gekko Chizan with a face full of fear.
The fact that she possessed a Kekkei Genkai had never been made public. She had grown only by relying on her mastery over chakra and her exceptional use of Water Release ninjutsu.
She couldn't understand why the man before her knew everything so clearly.
"Hehehe, a ghost?"
"Just a nickname. As for how I know your situation, you don't need to worry about that."
"I only know that if you stay in Kirigakure, your talent will be wasted for years to come."
Gekko Chizan pulled out a cigarette from inside his clothes, lit it, and took a satisfied drag.
The night was long. He had plenty of time to convince the girl before him.
"And so what? I'm a person of Kirigakure. What, am I supposed to defect?"
"Even if Kirigakure has gone astray lately, I believe sooner or later this mistake will be corrected. Kirigakure will once again be a strong shinobi village."
Seeing Mei Terumi like this, Gekko Chizan felt amused.
He had already experienced this scene multiple times—first Pakura, then Yugito, and later Konan and Yahiko.
Weren't all of them eventually tricked away from their original villages by him?
Hearing Gekko Chizan's chuckle, Mei Terumi's expression grew more serious. She knew very well the problems Kirigakure was facing.
But what could she do? She was only a newly appointed genin, and even the terrifying assessment she had endured nearly broke her.
"What's wrong? Troubled? Troubled because your strength is lacking and you can't change the village's situation?"
"Then even more so, you should leave this village. Travel outside, try to gain stronger strength. That way, when you set foot on that land again, you'll be able to change the village."
"Kid, since you know my name, you should know my strength. I'm confident I can help you improve your power."
"And also—hehehehe—if I'm not mistaken, you should be quite desperate for love, right?"
Boom!
Mei Terumi, who had just been feeling miserable about her village and her future, was suddenly thrown into a red-hot state by Gekko Chizan's last sentence.
All the nervousness, conflict, and pain on her face vanished instantly—leaving behind one enormous blush.
"Oh? This little girl is interesting—she blushed in an instant."
"Chizan, you seriously owe a beating. How can you ask something like that straight out? Hahaha!"
"Still, this kid blushing is pretty cute. Tsk, tsk."
The three Snake Princesses surrounded Mei Terumi like they had discovered a new continent, teasing each other while staring at her steaming-red face.
That made Mei Terumi blush even harder—her neck was red now too.
Flustered and furious, she wanted to cover her face—and she really wanted to attack them!
She was going to beat these four to death! This was too much! How could they bully a young girl like this? Outrageous!
But she was paralyzed and couldn't move. At that moment, Gekko Chizan spoke again.
"Alright, you three, stop bullying her."
"This is my future disciple, go easy."
Hearing Gekko Chizan's words, the three Snake Princesses finally let Mei Terumi go and stepped back to his side.
But Mei Terumi froze the moment she heard him.
What was going on? How did she suddenly become his disciple? That wasn't right.
She didn't agree!
"Eh? Mei Terumi, if you don't say anything, I'll take it as you agreed."
"My good disciple, worthy of the seedling I chose. Don't worry, your teacher here—"
"—will definitely make you a powerful ninja."
"And don't worry. Even though you're leaving Kirigakure now, I'll bring you back one day. When that time comes, you'll become the guiding light of Kirigakure, illuminating the village's future."
Without giving Mei Terumi any time to think, Gekko Chizan moved directly in front of her and waved his right hand.
Vast amounts of Sage chakra surged, and at the same time, the chakra of Chōmei the tailed beast rose within his body.
In the next second, the Flying Thunder God activated.
Supported by the overflowing chakra, Gekko Chizan jumped across the sea in one go.
When they reappeared, they were already within the Land of Fire.
"Hey! I didn't agree to become your disciple! And where did you bring me?!"
"Hey!! Don't come near me!"
Gekko Chizan ignored every word Mei Terumi shouted. He activated the Flying Thunder God again.
Several chained jumps later, Gekko Chizan brought Mei Terumi to one of his old familiar places—one of his vacation spots: the Land of Frost.
As for why he chose this place—because Mei Terumi was skilled with Water Release.
The Land of Frost was covered in ice and snow, making it suitable for her training.
"Hiss, so cold..."
"Where is this?"
Scene after scene flickered past her eyes until a wave of icy air swept over her.
Mei Terumi shivered violently. Even with her whole body paralyzed, the cold made her convulse.
"Hehe, sorry, it's been a while since I came back—I didn't start a fire."
"I'm a bit cold too."
"Ichikishimahime, lend a hand."
Gekko Chizan was still wearing short sleeves, so he was freezing as well. He hurriedly asked the Snake Princess for help.
Ichikishimahime rolled her eyes at him and released Sage chakra from both palms. The chakra spread outward.
It enveloped the entire house, isolating the cold from the outside. Only then did Gekko Chizan and Mei Terumi finally recover.
"Hu... where exactly is this?"
Mei Terumi caught her breath and glared viciously at Gekko Chizan.
She knew very clearly that she wasn't in Kirigakure anymore. Kirigakure might be surrounded by thick mist year-round, but it was never this cold.
"Call me teacher."
"Don't worry. The one I promised you—you'll meet him soon."
"Who knows, maybe it'll spark a romance. That would be a wonderful thing, hahaha!"
Now that the cold was gone, Gekko Chizan quickly went to light a fire while continuing to chat with Mei Terumi.
Hearing him, Mei Terumi glared even harder, her voice sharp.
"Dream on. You dragged me away and now you want me as your disciple?"
"How shameless can you be!"
"Hmph! Even if I wanted to fall in love, I would absolutely never choose…"
"Uh…"
She didn't finish the sentence. Why?
Because Gekko Chizan had pulled out a photo.
It was none other than Hatake Kakashi—without his mask.
And honestly, the boy looked very handsome without it. Combined with his unique aura—tsk, tsk—he was like a cold-faced little prince.
"Hehehehe, well?"
"Anything you want to say?"
"This is your senior, one of my earliest disciples. He's around your age."
"So? How is it? Does he catch your eye?"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo