Nono didn't answer.
Her expression was unwavering—there wasn't the slightest hint of retreat.
Ever since ten years ago, when Uchiha Yusuke had rescued her from Danzo and allowed her to return to the orphanage as its headmaster, Nono had quietly made a decision:
She would devote her entire life to serving Uchiha Yusuke.
As a side note—
Nono was not only the captain of a Root squad; she was also the person in charge of Konoha's orphanage.
Whenever the orphanage produced promising talents, she would follow Yusuke's instructions—cultivating them, then absorbing them into Root as fresh blood.
Seeing the resolve in Nono's eyes, Mei couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration.
"If you insist on stopping me… then don't blame me for being rude."
"But since you're so loyal to Yusuke-kun, don't worry—I'll go easy on you."
However, at that moment—
Root reinforcements, alerted by the earlier commotion, arrived immediately.
"Who is it?!"
"Someone dares to trespass into the Uchiha district?!"
"Starting a fight here—unforgivable!"
Five more Root shinobi appeared, all wearing animal masks.
Mei's head started to ache.
Troublesome… they arrived faster than I expected.
Forget them. The priority is getting inside and finding Yusuke-kun.
Decision made—Mei ignored Nono and the five newcomers.
She vaulted the high wall in a single leap, then shot into the inner corridors of the Uchiha Clan Head estate.
Nono's eyes widened.
She shouted urgently, voice sharp with alarm:
"The intruder has entered the Clan Head estate! The Clan Head is in danger—stop her!"
"Don't let her get inside!"
The five Root operatives didn't dare delay. They launched into pursuit at once.
Nono followed right behind them.
But Mei was simply too fast.
Nono and the others were only jōnin-level.
Trying to chase an active Kage, sprinting at full speed, was like chasing a shadow.
They could only watch helplessly as the intruder disappeared into the estate's walkway—
And then—
Everything changed.
"One-sword style… Flash!"
Mei's instincts screamed.
She forcibly halted mid-stride—then body-flickered sideways.
In the very next instant, a blade-light slammed down where she'd been standing.
Cold. Sharp. Clean.
The edge of that strike felt like it could slice through the air itself.
Mei's expression grew serious.
A real expert.
Not someone I can ignore.
She finally saw the person who had nearly ambushed her.
A man with a rounded nose, dressed in a black high-collared short-sleeve shirt and black pants, brown armor strapped over his right shoulder, white wrappings on his legs, and a short sword sheathed across his back.
Most striking of all—
On the back of his clothing was the Uchiha clan crest.
So he was Uchiha.
The Uchiha really do have monsters hiding everywhere, Mei thought grimly.
From that one exchange alone, she could tell: his strength was exceptional.
He was beyond ordinary jōnin.
Yet Mei couldn't recognize him.
Because of Yusuke, Mei paid close attention to Konoha's intelligence.
Someone this strong should've been recorded in Kirigakure's files—
But no matter how she searched her memory, she couldn't place him.
"Stop here," the man said calmly. "You're not going any further."
Mei frowned slightly.
"Who are you?"
"No need for introductions," he replied, tone indifferent. "Surrender."
In his eyes, a blood-red three-tomoe Sharingan spun to life.
"Genjutsu—Sharingan!"
The moment their gazes met—
Mei's heart sank.
Bad—!
Her mind dipped, as if dragged into darkness.
Her head lowered.
Her body slumped—she appeared to fall unconscious.
In the very next moment, the man flashed in front of her.
His blade swept toward her throat.
"This ends here."
Whoosh—!
Steel cut through air.
But the strike met nothing.
The man's brows twitched.
Missed.
Mei's figure had already retreated several steps, eyes sharp and focused now.
She stared at him with genuine caution.
The Sharingan… truly lives up to its name.
Just one glance—and I was trapped.
Good thing I broke it instantly. Otherwise… I might've actually died here.
The Uchiha were a nightmare opponent.
Mei steadied her breathing.
I can't afford to get caught in his genjutsu again.
Seeing her break his illusion so quickly, the man looked mildly surprised—
But it didn't shake him.
"You're strong," Mei admitted. "A worthy opponent."
"But I don't have time to trade blows with you."
As she spoke, she formed seals at high speed.
"Water Release—Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Mei inhaled—
Then exhaled thick fog that poured into the courtyard like a living tide.
In moments, the mist expanded to a radius of over thirty meters.
White. Dense. Blinding.
Mei's silhouette blurred—
Then vanished entirely from his sight.
This kind of mist could distort even the Sharingan's vision.
At that moment, Nono and the others finally reached the scene.
When they saw the intruder stopped by the man, they all exhaled in relief.
Thankfully—
Root Squad One's captain had arrived in time.
Uchiha Shisui.
They wanted to rush in and support him.
But Mei's Hidden Mist was now the battlefield.
Charging into an enemy's mist without vision would only make things worse.
So they could only remain at the edge—watching tensely.
Inside the fog—
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
Mei's presence was gone, swallowed by the white sea.
"She's trying to escape?"
His hands flashed through seals.
"I won't let you."
"Fire Release—Great Fireball Jutsu!"
He gathered chakra in his throat—
Then unleashed a massive sphere of flame toward the last spot where Mei had vanished.
The heat tore through the fog, blasting a large opening clear.
The flame faded.
The mist recoiled.
But Mei was nowhere to be seen.
"Didn't hit," Shisui muttered, brows tightening.
Even so—
He was certain she was still inside the mist.
Perhaps lying in wait.
Perhaps preparing to strike.
The three-tomoe Sharingan spun again, blood-red and cold.
"Sharingan."
Shisui's attention sharpened to a razor's edge.
Every disturbance.
Every tremor.
Even the slightest shift in air—
He would catch it.
No matter where she hid in this fog—
It wouldn't escape his eyes.
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