Swoosh!
Ameyuri Ringo hurled her weapon forward. The long, slender blade sliced through the air, aimed directly at Saitama.
A nearly invisible steel wire trailed from the end of the Needle.
Saitama had once fought against the previous wielder of the Needle, and he had defeated Rokkaku Kuma.
Dap!
Without hesitation, if Terumi Mei wanted to break free from his control, then he would grant her wish—freedom!
But this kind of "freedom" might be too much! She wouldn't be able to handle it.
Zrrr!
Spraying blood like a crimson mist, Saitama yanked his arm out along with Terumi Mei's own pulling force.
"Ah!"
Caught completely off guard by Saitama's sudden move, Terumi Mei let out a sharp cry filled with ups and downs, her mouth wide open, her brows tightly furrowed, her body curled over like a shrimp.
But pulling his arm free was only the beginning—Saitama wasn't about to let Terumi Mei off so easily. He suddenly lashed out with a brutal kick from his left leg.
Boom!
Terumi Mei had no chance to dodge. As soon as Saitama pulled his arm out, blood gushed uncontrollably from her wound, forcing her to hastily cover it with both hands.
And due to blood loss, her body felt hollow and weak. She tumbled toward the water's surface—straight into Saitama's waiting kick.
"Terumi Mei-sama!"
Seeing the enemy kick Terumi Mei straight toward her direction—right toward her thrown weapon—Ameyuri Ringo's expression changed. Her hands tightened and spun mid-air, yanking the Needle back with a swift pull.
Whoosh! She leapt quickly, caught Terumi Mei in her arms, and landed gently on the water's surface.
"Puk!"
Upon being caught, Terumi Mei coughed up another mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of internal organs.
That single kick from Saitama had been brutal—no trace of mercy or chivalry, just intent to kill!
"Terumi Mei-sama! Are you alright?!"
Holding Terumi Mei tightly, Ameyuri Ringo's face darkened.
"I'm fine... I'm okay..."
Pressing her hands against the gaping chest wound, Terumi Mei tried to reassure her, though the bleeding hadn't fully stopped.
Her face had turned extremely pale, but she still struggled to push herself away from Ameyuri Ringo's hold.
"You're still injured..."
Looking at Terumi Mei helplessly, Ameyuri Ringo hesitated—unsure whether Terumi Mei could even last any longer like this.
"The warm-up is over."
Saitama did not capitalize on the moment just then because everything had shifted in an instant.
Victory had already tipped fully in his favor!
As the main fighter, Terumi Mei had paid the price for her recklessness.
And soon, she would pay an even heavier price.
"You fucking bastard! How dare you… how dare you do that!"
Glaring fiercely at Saitama, Ameyuri Ringo spat out coldly.
Terumi Mei pushed herself away from Ringo, leaning slightly on her for support as she slowly rose to stand.
And remarkably, her wound seemed to finally stop bleeding!
Saitama Uchiha focused his gaze and noticed the wound had a yellowish burn mark, seemingly sealed temporarily with some high-temperature object, fusing the surrounding flesh together.
"That's interesting!"
Starting to move, Saitama Uchiha made his way toward Terumi Mei. That woman, Terumi Mei, really wasn't holding back against him.
"Sir, let me try!"
Ameyuri Ringo revealed her sharp teeth, standard among Mist ninja. Her unusual hairstyle, shaped like two ear-like buns atop her head, quivered slightly as chakra coursed through her body.
"It looks like things are getting worse!"
Raiga Kurosuki watched Ameyuri leave their side, his expression darkening. Raikuto - the Lightning Blade in his hand crackled with arcs of electricity, enveloping his opponent.
He didn't care that Ameyuri had left—Terumi Mei's side was in danger, so stepping in was the obvious choice!
From the current situation, it was clear they had already lost the advantage.
While keeping Sasori occupied, he continued thinking!
The enemy's strength exceeded expectations. Continuing the fight would be foolish!
With a flick of his right hand, lightning shot from the tip of his weapon and struck one of Sasori's puppets guarding in front of him, instantly disabling it.
Seizing the opportunity, he cast a glance toward the distant battlefield.
Terumi Mei appeared to have lost her ability to fight. This mission was doomed to fail. Perhaps while Saitama Uchiha was still occupied elsewhere, he could make a move—perhaps then there was still a chance to survive!
After all, the opponent facing him didn't seem capable of stopping him.
Escaping was still very possible!
Realizing this, Raiga Kurosuki's eyes hardened. Gritting his teeth, he abruptly abandoned Sasori and dashed into the forest behind him.
If he wanted to live, he couldn't afford even a moment of hesitation!
Besides, now that he had chosen to desert, returning to the village was no longer an option. Terumi Mei was Yagura's second-in-command; if he alone returned, even if he wouldn't face punishment, he'd surely face subtle forms of punishment or humiliation.
So the only choice before him now was clear: run for his life, flee far away from the Hidden Mist Village, to somewhere Yagura couldn't find!
He didn't want to die here, nor did he wish to return to the village and be looked down upon like a cowardly deserter. Therefore, escape was the only path left for him!
*Zwoosh!*
Raiga Kurosuki vanished in a blur, leaping across the rocky terrain and plunging deep into the forest, leaving Sasori behind without a second glance.
"What?!"
Sasori blinked in confusion, caught off guard by the sudden retreat of the ninja.
Looking at Raiga's retreating figure, something strange flickered in his eyes, but he made no attempt to pursue.
His condition wasn't great. Although he could defend himself against two enemies' combined assault, killing them was out of reach.
After all, all his powerful puppets had been destroyed. Chasing after them might lead to greater danger.
"Well! It seems your teammate has already given up saving you!"
Just as Saitama Uchiha was preparing to attack, he saw Raiga abandon Sasori entirely and flee toward the woods behind.
Damn it! That guy!
Ameyuri Ringo also noticed Raiga Kurosuki beginning to retreat. She had always disliked this guy for constantly obsessing over her beloved weapon, and now he was actually fleeing in the middle of battle. Her expression instantly turned to one of contempt.
At the same time, she felt a renewed sense of worry about their current situation.
They only had two fighters on their side, and Terumi Mei was already severely wounded. On the opposing side were also two enemies, both stronger and in better condition than themselves.
Looks like they've walked straight into a death trap this time!
Ameyuri Ringo's face grew serious as she tightened her grip on her weapon, desperately thinking of a countermeasure.
Mei gave Raiga Kurosuki's back a quick glance before looking away.
She never expected that one of Mist's Seven Legendary Shinobi would actually flee mid-battle!
It was nothing short of an insult to the Hidden Mist!
"This direction… something interesting is happening!"
Saitama smiled as he looked toward the forest, seemingly already guessing Raiga Kurosuki's fate.
Did he really think escaping from here meant safety?
Absolutely ridiculous!
He had detected Konan's chakra signature long ago, but since she hadn't revealed herself, he saw no need to go chasing after her.
And the direction Raiga Kurosuki fled toward was exactly where Konan's chakra had appeared.
Sure enough, destiny had already arranged everything!
Saitama still had some impression of Raiga Kurosuki—he originally defected out of fear of Guy during the Third Great Ninja War and later went to work in a mine as [Gravedigger].
"Ameyuri Ringo, seize an opportunity to escape! I'll hold them off!"
Terumi Mei leaned close to Ameyuri Ringo and whispered her instructions.
Someone needed to bring back the intelligence regarding Saitama.
With her severe injuries, there was no way she could make it out alive.
But Ameyuri Ringo still had a chance. As long as Mei held these two enemies off with every last ounce of strength, Ringo would have a chance to deliver the crucial information!
"Ma'am!"
Ameyuri Ringo's voice trembled slightly—she instantly understood what Mei intended.
"Follow my orders! This intel is vital for Lord Yagura—those forces will strike him soon. You're the only one who can get this message out now!"
Mei pulled her bloodied hand from the wound, revealing a ghastly gash—but the bleeding had already ceased, held back solely by her iron will.
"I understand!"
Ameyuri Ringo nodded, knowing well that this wasn't the time for emotional hesitation.
"Hmm!"
Mei pressed her lips together, standing upright with fierce determination as she faced Saitama.
"It seems I won't need to help after all! Then I'll just sit down and enjoy the show!"
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