After Uehara Naraku finished speaking, he looked at Momochi Zabuza and smiled slightly: "Mr. Zabuza, I believe you will prove yourself, right?"
"Hmph, don't worry."
Momochi Zabuza snorted coldly, then picked up his Decapitating Carving Knife, and charged in the direction of Terumi Mei!
Seeing that the first one from Akatsuki's side to rush out was Momochi Zabuza, Terumi Mei couldn't help but frown.
Based on the information she had received from Hozuki Mangetsu over the years, Momochi Zabuza wasn't a good person!
Sasori of the Red Sand looked at Momochi Zabuza's back and said softly: "Uehara, Momochi Zabuza is a very disobedient guy..."
"So he's dead for sure."
Uehara Naraku watched as Momochi Zabuza swung his Decapitating Carving Knife towards Terumi Mei and chuckled softly: "In Akatsuki's ranks, there was never a place for Zabuza; he was merely holding a spot temporarily for someone else."
"Hmm? Someone else?"
Deidara immediately became curious: "Does this mean we have someone else joining our organization?"
"Yes."
Uehara Naraku nodded slightly and said softly: "After all, given Hozuki Mangetsu's strength, it's really a shame for him to partner with Momochi Zabuza... Just in time, there's a young fellow who has grown up; he also yearns to obtain the Decapitating Carving Knife and to see Mangetsu."
Uehara was referring to Hozuki Mangetsu's younger brother, Hozuki Suigetsu.
Momochi Zabuza's strength had never kept up with his ambitions; he was constantly thinking of ways to return to the Hidden Mist Village to seize control.
Recently, Akatsuki's members had been highly active, significantly increasing the threats to the Ninja World, with every village striving to gather information on Akatsuki.
Momochi Zabuza certainly wouldn't pass up this opportunity.
Sasori's expression was somewhat subtle: "It truly brought shame to Akatsuki when you recruited that kind of guy back then!"
"I thought he would change."
Uehara Naraku shook his head and lamented softly: "I just didn't expect this guy is still incorrigible, even less loyal to Akatsuki and his companions than the previous holder of the Decapitating Carving Knife, Biwa Juzo!"
Uehara Naraku looked at Momochi Zabuza, who had fallen behind in the initial confrontation, and said lightly: "With Zabuza's strength, it's impossible for him to defeat that woman Terumi Mei, so let him be buried in his homeland!"
Deidara's face showed a mocking expression as he jeered: "Tsk, you're really cruel, aren't you!"
After Deidara spoke, he spread open his palm with an even more cruel smile: "But Zabuza just tried to attack Sasori while you were being assassinated, this guy is truly unforgivable... Even if he doesn't die by the enemy's hand, I'll kill him, ignoring the organization's rules!"
"Don't worry."
Uehara Naraku looked at Terumi Mei, who was starting to puff her cheeks, then said in a low voice: "This guy... is doomed!"
Sure enough.
Although Terumi Mei's combat experience was less than Momochi Zabuza's, her bloodline was enough to make up for any deficiency, and her willpower far exceeded Zabuza's combat intent!
Given that an insufficiently strong and opportunistic Zabuza could hardly defeat a woman like Terumi Mei...
Especially since this woman was in a state of extreme anger!
"Lava Release: Lava Monster Jutsu!"
Terumi Mei spewed a stream of acid from her mouth, directly corroding Momochi Zabuza's body, burning a large hole right through his chest and abdomen, revealing his internal organs!
Momochi Zabuza looked incredulously at the massive hole in his torso, immediately turning his head to seek out Uehara Naraku, desperately trying to reach his side!
Because Zabuza knew very well that Uehara Naraku's medical Ninjutsu was extremely powerful.
As long as someone wasn't dead, Uehara Naraku could bring them back.
However, to Zabuza's despair, it seemed that none of the three Akatsuki members in the distance had any intention of coming to his aid.
Sasori of the Red Sand slowly extended a Chakra Line, taking away the Decapitating Carving Knife Zabuza was clutching tightly in his dying moments: "If I recall correctly, that Hozuki Mangetsu guy seemed to be able to use any Ninja Blade?"
"Correct."
Uehara Naraku nodded as he watched Zabuza go completely silent. In the midst of a cheering Mist Village Ninja crowd, he slowly raised his hands.
Clap, clap, clap...
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap...
Uehara Naraku looked at the slightly panting Terumi Mei and suddenly said: "Thank you, Terumi Mei, for helping us eliminate an Akatsuki traitor. After Zabuza joined Akatsuki, he always intended to gather information, planning to return with that intelligence to end the Bloody Mist policy and serve as the Fifth Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village!"
"..."
A great uproar erupted within the Hidden Mist Village!
Every Mist Village Ninja looked at Zabuza's wretched corpse, their expressions changing instantly, instinctively recalling the past deeds of the Demon of the Hidden Mist.
Terumi Mei's expression remained unchanged.
Because she completely trusted in Hozuki Mangetsu's judgment.
Hozuki Mangetsu believed Hoshigaki Kisame still had room for redemption and, should they ever have to face each other, advised Terumi Mei to go easy on Hoshigaki Kisame; as for Zabuza, there was no reason to hold back.
Therefore, Terumi Mei resolutely killed Momochi Zabuza.
"Tsk, I might actually be telling the truth here..."
Uehara Naraku shook his head and sighed, slowly stopping his applause, and said out loud: "Congratulations, Terumi Mei, congratulations on killing one of our Akatsuki members; you will receive a reward from Akatsuki for the Hidden Mist Village."
"What?"
Terumi Mei frowned as she didn't believe any reward from Akatsuki would be a good thing; in fact, she felt the remark was intended to insult the Hidden Mist Village!
Uehara Naraku's voice suddenly changed, carrying an ominous pressure as if preceding an imminent calamity: "The reward is that you get to see the sun rise today!"
As Uehara Naraku's words ended, a red sun slowly rose, and the first rays of morning light fell upon the stone pavements within the Hidden Mist Village.
This was the first time the Hidden Mist Village had ever seen a sunrise.
The village was always shrouded in mist, often only seeing sunlight by noon. If not for Uehara Naraku blowing away all the mist with a gust of wind, they wouldn't have witnessed such a sight today.
The sunrise was truly beautiful.
However, Terumi Mei's facial expression suddenly changed!
If she heard correctly, now that sunlight was spreading, surely these Akatsuki lunatics were about to attack the village!
"Time's up."
Uehara Naraku calmly uttered these four words, then suddenly crouched low and slammed his palm onto the ground, shouting coldly: "Fire Release: Pillar of Flames!"
In the next moment, fiery pillars spouted from the ground across the Hidden Mist Village, strategically appearing every several meters!
Yet these sudden Pillars of Flame turned the entire Hidden Mist Village into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye, with some unlucky Mist Village Ninjas burnt to ashes by the sudden bursts of flame!
The number of those Pillars of Flame seemed to have far outnumbered the current number of ninjas in the Hidden Mist Village!
Even the strongest in the Hidden Mist, Terumi Mei, had a hint of despair in her eyes: "What kind of monsters are in Akatsuki..."