"Whoosh... Whoosh..."
At that moment—
The Mist shinobis, led by Mei, were steadily moving away toward the coastline.
"Let's stop here for now."
Once they had moved far enough from the forest, Mei took the lead and came to a halt.
"Ao, I'm sorry about this." Mei looked at Ao, whose Byakugan had been forcibly removed and not yet replaced, feeling a pang of guilt.
Ao was the first elite ninja in Kirigakure to side with her, believing in her potential to become the next Mizukage and to lead the "Village of the Bloody Mist" through significant reform.
Together, they had bravely exposed the fact that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was under Genjutsu control, a truth many were unwilling to hear.
Yet here they were, with Ao's prized Byakugan ripped away right in front of her, and Mei powerless to stop it. She had been forced to compromise with Tsunade.
For Mei, known for her pride, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Lady Mei, please don't blame yourself—it's not your fault."
Though Ao felt lost without his Byakugan, he forced a smile to comfort Mei. "Even if we had resisted, they wouldn't have let us leave peacefully."
"And on top of that, it's crucial that we report to the higher ups about Tsunade awakening the First Hokage's Wood Release. With that, she can easily control the Tailed Beasts."
"Yes, but the priority is to replace your eye first." Mei gestured to the medic by their side, signaling them to replace Ao's eye with that of a fallen comrade.
"Be careful, someone's approaching."
At that moment—
A Mist shinobi's expression changed, noticing a shadow approaching them from the forest.
Mei, Ao, and the others immediately turned, their eyes widening.
"Ishikawa Kiyoshi…?"
The Mist shinobis members recognized him instantly and tensed.
This mysterious young man was more formidable than he appeared, he had even mastered the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique, capable of redirecting a Tailed Beast Bomb with ease.
"Kiyoshi…." Mei frowned, glancing at Ao, who shook his head slightly, confirming that Tsunade and the others hadn't followed. She relaxed a bit and looked toward Kiyoshi with a soft smile.
"Don't tell me you're here to finish us off?"
"Lady Mei, that smile seems forced, not as warm as before."
Though Mei was smiling, there was a hint of distance in her expression. Kiyoshi sighed, returning her smile. "It seems there's some tension because of what just happened."
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and a small dark shadow flew toward Mei.
"Give this to him to replace his eye. Think of it as a gift for you."
"This is..."
Mei initially raised her guard but, sensing no hostility, caught it instinctively. She glanced at the narrow glass vial filled with an unknown liquid—and inside, a Sharingan.
"Sharingan?" Ao and the other Mist shinobis gasped, their eyes widening with shock as they stared at Kiyoshi and the eye in the vial, their gazes growing intense.
They hadn't expected that he would gift Mei a Sharingan.
"My… Kiyoshi, what's the meaning of this?"
Mei took a deep breath, giving Kiyoshi a puzzled look. If he was willing to offer them a Sharingan now, then why had he been so unyielding earlier?
"Well, I have some ties with the Hyuga Clan, and since Tsunade is my mentor, it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to plead for you earlier." Kiyoshi shrugged, half-jokingly.
"But I don't have any attachment to the Sharingan."
Just moments ago, Tsunade, as a representative of Konoha, had demanded Ao's Byakugan from Mei.
Caught between loyalties, Kiyoshi could hardly side with Mist over Konoha. He couldn't abandon his principles or betray his teacher.
A mere two-tomoe Sharingan, however, was a small price to pay if it would earn Mei's goodwill.
As for any offense caused, that was for the Uchiha Clan to handle, not him.
After all, it was just a spare two-tomoe Sharingan he had taken from Danzo. Ao probably couldn't evolve it like Kakashi had, and it certainly wouldn't become a Mangekyo.
The two-tomoe Sharingan might have limited power, but it also had lower chakra consumption, which would actually benefit Ao, sparing him from becoming a five-second fighter like Kakashi.
"Are you serious?"
Mei stared at the vial containing the Sharingan, still somewhat disbelieving.
They had just been forced to hand over the Byakugan, and now Kiyoshi was gifting her a Sharingan?
What kind of situation was this?
Swish…
In an instant—
Before anyone could react, Kiyoshi had appeared right in front of Mei, pulling her into his arms. Their eyes met.
"Kiyoshi…"
Mei froze, forgetting to resist as she stared at his face, illuminated by the moonlight, and his deep, captivating eyes.
Though she had always prided herself on not being easily charmed, she felt a momentary lapse.
At that moment—
In the stunned silence of the surrounding Mist shinobis, Kiyoshi's lips curled slightly as he looked into her beautiful, entrancing face, and he didn't hesitate to kiss her soft, red lips.
Mei's eyes widened, her gaze filling with shock, her lips quivering. She stared at Kiyoshi, who had just kissed her so boldly, her face turning crimson, her heart fluttering.
The kiss was quick and gentle. Kiyoshi let her go, stepping back with a smile. "For me, something like this doesn't matter compared to you."
"Take care, Lady Mei. I'll visit Kirigakure to see you sometime."
"Wait."
Before Mei could respond, Kiyoshi had already vanished in a blur, leaving her and the other Mist shinobis in stunned silence.
"Ah… This…."
Ao and the others exchanged awkward glances, turning to Mei in disbelief.
Their village's beautiful and powerful female icon, and the most likely candidate to be the next Mizukage, had just been kissed, without warning.
"That pervert actually.."
Mei snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushed and vibrant. She glanced at Ao and the others, her eyes narrowing playfully. "So, tell me, what exactly did you all just witness?"
A chilling aura filled the air as Ao and the others shuddered, cold sweat breaking out as they all blurted out in unison.
"We didn't see anything…."
Turning their gazes away, they dared not look at Mei, silently cursing Kiyoshi in their minds.
That reckless Kiyoshi. He actually dared to do something so audacious to Lady Mei—and almost got them all in trouble.
"What are you all standing there for?" Mei's face was still red as she tossed the vial with the Sharingan to the medical ninja and instructed, "Replace Ao's eye with this."
"Lady Mei..."
Ao's eyes were filled with gratitude. Moments ago, he had lost his Byakugan, and now he was receiving a Sharingan. Fate, it seemed, still had its favors.
"While the Sharingan may not match the Byakugan in perception, it should compensate in other ways." Mei shrugged. "You're my most trusted subordinate, so don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Lady Mei. I won't let you down." Ao's voice choked with emotion.
Mei nodded softly, her long brown hair fluttering in the wind as she gazed into the direction where Kiyoshi had disappeared.
You pervert, I owe you for this one.
And for that kiss. I'll let it slide—this time.
Her lips curved into a slight, enchanting smile.
So…. this is what a kiss feels like?
Not bad…. not bad at all.
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