Hagoromo naturally noticed the look Kakashi shot his way—a gaze filled with emotions that were difficult to describe.
Did I say something wrong just now?
What's with that look?
"Well… how about we switch?" Hagoromo suggested.
"I'll deal with the eyebrow-less guy(Zabuza), and you take the lady in front of me. Just so you know—don't let her gender or age fool you. She's probably stronger than the one you're fighting."
"I know," Kakashi replied helplessly.
He hadn't even objected. He was already moving toward Zabuza.
According to Konoha's intelligence, that female shinobi possessed a Kekkei Genkai, so it made sense for Hagoromo to handle her.
As for Zabuza—
What he wanted most right now was to kill Hagoromo first.
At this point, it wasn't even about strength or threat level anymore.
First, Hagoromo had violently dismembered the Executioner's Blade he'd only just recovered. Judging by how badly it had been destroyed, repairing it would take an absurd amount of time.
Second—
Hagoromo kept calling him " the eyebrow-less guy(Zabuza)."
Zabuza was furious.
He shoved his forehead protector upward, revealing his—
Eyebrows.
He had eyebrows, damn it.
He'd only kept them covered to avoid injury during combat—purely out of self-preservation. This wasn't like Zabuzas predecessor, Biwako Jūzō.
In fact, he'd taken these precautions specifically to avoid ending up like Jūzō.
And yet he was being slandered.
That masked bastard probably doesn't have eyebrows at all.
This had to be jealousy.
The two Kirigakure shinobi weren't the only ones with emotions running hot.
Having regained her composure, Terumī Mei was now furious as well.
"Big sis? Big sis my ass."
Were they even that familiar?
More importantly—
Did she really look that old?
In terms of age, Hagoromo and Mei were actually quite close—something Hagoromo could roughly judge. As for his choice of address, it was either because his impression of a Mizukage was that of a mature, elegant woman… or because he was deliberately trying to provoke her.
After all, emotional shinobi were more likely to reveal openings.
After escaping Hagoromo's attack with the Substitution Technique, Mei now stood atop the roof of an old building, overlooking the battlefield.
Seeing Hagoromo still standing before the collapsed wall—remembering the ambush, his tone, his words—
"Zabuza," she finally spoke,
"I'll handle this one alone."
By the time she finished the sentence, her face had already turned back toward Hagoromo.
Her expression was a mix of seriousness, anger, lingering resentment—
And a very clear handprint.
Because of that, Hagoromo burst out laughing.
It wasn't that he was being disrespectful in a life-or-death battle—
It was just that she looked ridiculous.
This would probably become a memory she'd never be able to erase.
Hagoromo's laughter shattered the calm Mei had just forced herself into.
She was a rare dual–Kekkei Genkai user.
And angering someone like her—
Well, the answer was simple.
Hagoromo turned and ran.
Because her hand seals were already complete.
And worse—
They looked familiar.
A violent surge of water erupted behind him, a raging torrent capable of washing away buildings abandoned for years.
Water Release: Great Water Surge!
A large-scale technique capable of creating a small lake—
its target was clearly not just Hagoromo alone.
Naturally, Kakashi and Zabuza, still locked in combat, were swept up as well.
In short—
Everyone was going for a swim.
Without looking back, Hagoromo waved a hand. Violent Lightning Release tore through the obstacles in his path.
Even so, charging straight ahead wasn't enough to escape the range of such a massive technique!
Water surged from both sides, racing to converge in front of him, threatening to swallow him whole.
He pivoted, stomped the ground, kicked off a wall ahead, flipped smoothly onto a rooftop, and leapt forward.
Chakra gathered beneath his feet—
He stepped onto the water itself, riding the current and sliding across its surface.
But Mei followed close behind, sprinting atop the water as well!
Hagoromo had already sensed her.
His left hand raised the broken handle of the Executioner's Blade, his right arm bracing the lower edge.
Clang!
Using the broad blade as a narrow shield, he blocked the kunai Mei thrust toward him.
By the time he turned to counterattack—
She was already retreating.
She clearly understood what kind of Lightning Release Hagoromo was using. Direct contact would bring her no benefit whatsoever.
But she hadn't retreated far.
Only a few steps.
At that distance, the two were practically face-to-face.
Long chestnut hair veiled her right eye.
Jade-green eyes carried a chilling light.
Her nostrils flared slightly.
Cherry lips parted—white teeth visible.
Her mouth opened—
But no sound came out.
Hagoromo had no time to admire her face.
And it wasn't strange that she didn't speak.
After all, one generally couldn't talk while vomiting.
Her next technique was one of her Kekkei Genkai—
Lava Release.
Lava Release: Corrosive Slime Technique!
A viscous, corrosive substance poured from her mouth.
Sticky.
Unpleasant.
Utterly unglamorous.
This jutsu had no interest in visual flair.
But it was terrifyingly effective.
The technique carried intense corrosive power and a faintly pungent odor.
A jutsu capable of melting even Susanoo—
No flesh-and-blood body could withstand it.
Hagoromo absolutely could not allow it to touch him.
He dispersed his Lightning Release and switched to Water Release.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
The abundance of water created by Mei's earlier Great Water Surge ironically worked in Hagoromo's favor. He didn't even need to spit—water rose directly from beneath his feet, forming a wall before him.
The Water Formation Wall stood between them.
In Hagoromo's estimation, the Lava Release should have been diluted—
But to his surprise—
It didn't dissolve in water at all.
A harsh sizzling sound echoed as the Water Formation Wall was corroded away almost instantly.
Still, that single moment was enough.
Hagoromo used it to widen the distance, and at the same time completed his next jutsu.
Like a massive whale drawing in water, the flow surged upward, coiling around his arm—compressing, condensing—
Then firing forward.
Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!
A high-pressure water lance shot straight toward Mei.
Her expression didn't change.
Maintaining her Lava Release, she simply sidestepped the attack.
In her view, a high-density technique only mattered if it hit.
A dodged jutsu was meaningless.
But that assumption was wrong.
Hard Whirlpool Water Blade didn't need a direct hit to take effect.
It was a range technique.
Like a certain Wind Release sphere—
Even if thrown, it could still explode.
In an instant, behind Mei, a massive water tornado erupted, violently disrupting the trajectory of the Corrosive Slime—
And dragging Mei herself into the air!
Hagoromo came to a stop.
Water Release and Lava Release intertwined.
The corrosion continued.
And because of that destructive interference, the Hard Whirlpool Water Blade failed to reach its full intended power.
Which raised an interesting question—
Would Mei be corroded by her own jutsu?
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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