Touching a kunoichi's face without permission is, by the laws of the shinobi world, an act of extreme impropriety. Depending on the woman's reaction, such an offense can easily prove fatal.
In truth, in any world, touching the face of the opposite sex without consent carries the risk of social or physical erasure.
Moments ago, Hagoromo had closed in on Mei Terumi from her blind spot. At that time, she was preoccupied with trying to slit Kakashi's throat. By the time she noticed Hagoromo's presence, evasion was no longer an option.
Activating his Lightning Style in an instant, he used the speed boost to adopt that counter-intuitive shinobi sprint, staying low to the ground. He appeared before Mei in a flash, thrusting his lightning-clad right arm upward like a spear and slamming his palm directly into her face.
He then pinned her head and slammed her against a semi-collapsed wall.
Given the sheer force Hagoromo exerted through his Nintaijutsu and the density of a shinobi's skull, had the blow connected fully, her brains would have painted a rather vivid picture.
Unfortunately, she had used a Substitution Jutsu to escape the lethal strike.
This came as a surprise to Hagoromo. Considering his speed, the timing of the strike, and the numbing effect of the lightning contact, few enemies ever found the window to weave a Substitution mid-clash—especially someone caught in a sneak attack like Mei Terumi.
Hence, his silent admiration.
Hagoromo offered a smile that could topple cities—though behind his mask, no one could see it.
Mei Terumi likely possessed a smile of similar charm, but currently, her face was a mask of shame and fury.
As for her appearance... her hair had defied gravity, standing on end with occasional sparks of electricity flickering through the strands. Worse yet for her image, a distinct handprint was stamped firmly across her face.
It was a deep impression.
Faced with Hagoromo's "praise," the emotional kunoichi offered no response. Her mind was entirely occupied by the image of that hand expanding in her vision.
Meanwhile, Hagoromo was contemplating whether eliminating a future Mizukage here was a good or bad thing.
Well, his previous actions had already provided the answer. If she hadn't dodged so brilliantly, he would have succeeded in his assassination attempt. Since they were enemies meeting on the battlefield, a life-and-death struggle was mandatory; as for the future... that was too far away to worry about.
Just as Hagoromo prepared to press his assault, a thick mist began to swirl before his eyes.
Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu? He reacted instantly, though a thought crossed his mind.
To expend and maintain chakra-infused mist just to block an enemy's vision in this snowy weather seemed like a poor trade-off in terms of energy consumption.
The Silent Killing Technique was a practical skill, yes, but it was a mistake to use it against a sensor-type shinobi.
The Kubikiribocho disturbed the mist, swinging with unstoppable momentum yet remaining eerily silent.
Zabuza Momochi had abandoned Kakashi, launching a sudden ambush on Hagoromo. It seemed Hagoromo's movements and the strength he had displayed made Zabuza realize which enemy posed the true threat.
But could Zabuza's attack succeed?
Of course not. Hagoromo could clearly perceive his movements. The mist caused some interference, but it didn't leave him blind.
Moreover...
A violent surge of Lightning Style erupted from his body, the intense chakra instantly blowing away the surrounding fog.
Zabuza's form was exposed, mid-swing, as he attempted to cleave Hagoromo in half with a horizontal strike.
Though Zabuza had undergone systematic training and possessed a basic grasp of the Executioner's Blade, he was still young. He lacked the height and raw strength to fully dominate such a massive weapon.
The blade was still thirty centimeters from Hagoromo's waist when the lightning surrounding his body began to aggressively erode the high-speed moving iron.
Sparks began to dye the edge of the blade, bolt by bolt.
The conductive numbness made even Zabuza feel uncomfortable, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
Five centimeters.
Four, three, two, one...
The edge almost bit into him. Had he succeeded?
In that split second, Hagoromo bent his body forward with lightning speed. The blade grazed past his back, missing by a hair.
Realizing his strike had hit nothing but air, Zabuza didn't panic. He immediately adjusted his momentum, halting the swing to transition from a horizontal cut to a vertical chop.
However, before he could even rotate the blade, Hagoromo's counter-movement was already underway—and it was faster.
The moment the Kubikiribocho passed him, Hagoromo straightened his body, clenched his fists, drove his elbows forward, and slammed his right knee upward.
As he moved, a more violent burst of Lightning Style exploded!
Sandwiched between his two elbow strikes and his single knee strike was the length of the Executioner's Blade.
Many shinobi use Lightning Style, but each has their own specialty. In terms of offense and defense, Hagoromo's lightning was not balanced; it was skewed entirely toward offense. He had honed his lightning into a blade as thin as a cicada's wing.
This was different from the style of the Raikages, who prioritized a balance of offense and defense.
But Hagoromo's current attack lacked that usual finesse; it was rooted in violence—pure, unadulterated, forced violence.
It carried the flavor of a Raikage—like the Guillotine Drop or the Liger Bomb.
Clang!!
Three points of impact hit the blade simultaneously, yet only one sound rang out—a metallic collision accompanied by a violent, lingering vibration.
If the metal used to forge the Kubikiribocho had enough flexibility and memory, this strike might have bent the blade into a "W" shape.
It did not. Under the pressure of such violent Lightning Style, it snapped instantly into four pieces.
Zabuza was clearly smarter than his predecessor. Seeing the scale of the lightning and realizing what Hagoromo intended, he let go immediately and retreated, leaping out of the lightning's reach.
With a sharp snap, the tip of the Executioner's Blade flew off, vibrating with residual force!
The hilt and the remaining portion of the blade, however, were snatched out of the air by Hagoromo's quick left hand.
"This is much easier to handle now."
Hagoromo gave the broken blade a flourish, turning his face toward Zabuza.
The length of the ruined sword suited him perfectly, but Zabuza looked ready to weep.
The once-mighty Executioner's Blade had been reduced to a mere kitchen knife.
"Eyebrow-less kid, can you go back to focusing on Kakashi? Try not to interrupt my conversation with this lady."
Zabuza didn't react, but Kakashi, who was just rushing over, shot Hagoromo an incredibly strange look.