As the black-eyed youth turned around with an expression of cold indifference, Mei Terumi finally caught a clear glimpse of his face for the first time.
It didn't match the descriptions in the intelligence reports she had gathered. This person didn't seem to be that "Wind Style genius, Hyūga Yu," who was supposed to be dead. His eyes were pitch black and dull, his features appeared more mature, and he wore a slightly loose black robe. He looked to be around seventeen to nineteen years old.
No Byakugan?
Mei thought to herself, feeling a flicker of disappointment. She had been curious to see if he was truly "as handsome as a god," as the reports described. On the surface, however, she simply pressed her lips into a playful smile and stared at Hyūga Yu with interest.
"Oh my," she teased. "And what is it you'd like to talk about?"
Observing her reaction, Hyūga Yu remained calm and nodded slightly. "So, you aren't ready to talk yet. Let's continue, then."
He stared at the young woman before him with a detached gaze. He showed no sign of leniency just because she was a future icon of the story or the eventual Fifth Mizukage. He simply raised his right palm, aiming it directly at Mei's face. In the next instant, Mei felt a violent whistling of wind in her ears. The airflow in the corridor shifted abruptly as a vortex of gale-force winds began to converge in his palm!
Her gaze turned cold. She immediately raised her hands, weaving signs with lightning speed.
"Now that the nuisances are gone, this place is my home turf!"
Mei watched the azure blade of wind taking shape in Yu's palm. Finishing the Ram seal, she opened her mouth and spat out a massive torrent of viscous, high-temperature liquid toward him!
"Lava Style: Melting Apparition Technique!"
This was a Kekkei Genkai Ninjutsu created by combining Fire and Earth Chakra. It released a highly corrosive liquid that possessed both the intense heat of Fire Style and the solidifying properties of Earth Style.
However, Mei didn't aim the solution directly at Yu. Instead, she quickly sprayed it toward the ceiling behind herself and the area behind Yu.
Following Hōzuki Mangetsu's earlier probe, she had discovered that Yu was protected by an invisible "wind wall." This seemed to be a new Wind Style secret technique developed by Root; both the former "Leaf Hero, Hyūga Yu" and this Root youth before her utilized it. Any solution hitting it directly would simply be blown away.
According to her intel, the only way to break such a technique was to drastically alter the terrain, destroying the conditions required to maintain the wall.
Sizzle!
The high-temperature solution hit the ceilings on both sides, rapidly sliding down and solidifying. It sealed off the corridor, creating an airtight, confined space.
Watching this, Yu immediately realized this woman intended to fight him the way she had fought Sasuke—trapping a target protected by a "Susanoo-like" defense within a sealed environment. But this wasn't a sudden ambush, and Yu wasn't Danzō, desperate to hunt someone down.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!"
He tilted his head slightly and swung his hand. The azure wind blade in his palm transformed into a straight beam of light, shooting toward Mei!
Swish!
The blue light pierced through Mei's body. However, her form merely burst into a splash of water.
"Water Style: Water Clone Technique."
From the shadows near the Lava Style wall further down the hall, the real Mei stepped out, still holding a seal. She gave Yu a faint smile. "This way, we can be all alone."
"By the way, I possess Water, Earth, and Fire natures. Therefore, I can use two types of Kekkei Genkai..."
Mei looked at Yu coldly and opened her mouth slightly.
"Boil Style: Skilled Vapor Technique!"
A boiling, highly acidic mist erupted from her mouth, rapidly filling the entire sealed corridor.
The ambient temperature began to skyrocket instantly!
The wallpaper, the walls, the light fixtures above, and the wiring all began to turn yellow and emit a scorched smell. The rubber coating on the electrical wires even began to melt, dripping onto the floor.
Standing in this environment, Mei walked toward Yu with unbothered, slow steps. She smiled at him, though her tone grew increasingly frigid. "You have no way out. In this cage I've built for you, turn into—"
However, before she could finish the words "nothing but dry bones," a sharp clang echoed!
A crescent-shaped blade of ki swept past her ear!
Mei's expression froze, her pupils shrinking violently. Her entire body stiffened. She turned her head slightly and saw a thin, diagonal line appearing across the surface of the corridor and the Lava Style walls behind her.
In the next heartbeat—BOOM!!!
The entire building shook violently. To Mei's disbelief, the structure began to slowly tilt toward the lower left. It slid, buckled, and collapsed, sending massive plumes of dust erupting through the cracks!
Thud!
Turning back, she saw Hyūga Yu maintaining the posture of a right-arm horizontal slash. He looked at her calmly and shook his head. "It seems your cage wasn't very sturdy..."
Then, under Mei's incredulous gaze, Yu began to walk slowly toward her, even as she continued to exhale the Skilled Vapor Technique.
As he stepped forward, the acidic mist—capable of dissolving flesh and corroding bone—automatically parted to the sides and pressed downward, like subjects bowing to their king.
"How is this possible?!"
Mei's green eyes widened in shock. She stopped the jutsu, staring at the scene, unable to comprehend it. Her acid mist was something that could even corrode substances made of chakra. That meant that even a "wind wall" made purely of Wind Style chakra should have been dissolved!
But now... the ability had failed against him!
Whatever was surrounding Hyūga Yu wasn't a wall of airflow constructed from Wind Style as she understood it!
Yu looked at Mei, who was now within arm's reach, and asked again:
"Now, can we talk?"
Mei snapped her gaze to him, asking with a grim expression, "How did you do it?!"
Then, as if reacting to the realization, she stared at the mist around Yu—it was flowing in the opposite direction of the natural wind. "Pressure!"
"What you're manipulating isn't the wind, but the atmospheric pressure around you!"
Yu gave her a slightly surprised look, but ultimately nodded.
The logic behind his technique wasn't overly complex. Furthermore, a clever person could easily deduce this level of information based on the phenomena. Yu had no intention of hiding it.
Having received his confirmation, Mei couldn't help but think:
Boil Style and Blood Style are both Kekkei Genkai. The mist created by them is different from the ordinary Hidden Mist Technique. But if he can repel the acid mist, he can likely restrict the Third Mizukage's Blood Mist as well...
At this thought, Mei's gaze toward Yu became solemn. She didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.
"Since you possess such an ability, we can cooperate with you."
"Elder Genji has already agreed—as long as Root can help us reshape the Hidden Mist, we will withdraw our troops from the Land of Whirlpools!"
However, faced with this offer, Yu frowned slightly.
"You underestimate the Mizukage too much."
"What?"
Yu reached into his robe and pulled out a small vial containing a physical sample of the Third Mizukage's "Blood Style" chakra. He said coldly:
"Just dispelling the Blood Mist Technique won't be enough to defeat him!"
Mei knit her brows. She knew, of course, that dispelling the Blood Mist wouldn't severely weaken the Third Mizukage, but it would liberate a vital combat force within their resistance. From Yu's tone, it sounded like he possessed even more intelligence.
"You mean..."
Yu said flatly, "We can offer you more help. For instance, helping you crack the Third Mizukage's bizarre 'Blood-Sucking Technique'!"
Mei's heart skipped a beat. "Is that true?!" she asked, startled.
Then, as if realizing something, she followed up cautiously, "And what else do you want?"
Yu smiled faintly and pulled a pre-written scroll from his robe. "Do me a favor and bring this list to Elder Genji."
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