"You secure the perimeter, and I'll lead the attack with Mangetsu, Kaito, and a few others," Mei commanded, listing five or six names in succession. She continued, "Don't rush in recklessly. Take it step by step. The enemy is alone, and we can outlast him if we remain patient."
With their numerical advantage, there was no need for a head-on clash. Instead, a calculated approach—sending a select group of skilled fighters to engage in a rotating battle—would wear the enemy down over time.
Such a shame for someone so handsome... what a waste!
"Yes!"
Following Mei's orders, most of the Mist Ninjas surrounding Shisui felt a wave of relief.
Letting the elites handle such a bizarre and terrifying opponent was far preferable. For them—the "ordinary soldiers"—it was better to simply play a supporting role.
"Mei?"
Shisui's gaze fell on the striking woman before him. There was no admiration in his eyes—only a deepening solemnity.
He recognized her immediately. With her mastery of dual bloodline limits, she was far from an ordinary no-name ninja. Facing someone of her caliber, one misstep could mean he would never make it back to Konoha.
"Boil Release: Bone Erosion."
With just one technique, Mei demonstrated how formidable an opponent she truly was.
Emerald green mist, eerily reminiscent of the Hidden Mist Jutsu, flowed from her delicate, rose-tinted lips. The dense fog quickly spread, enveloping the battlefield.
"This is—!" Shisui's expression darkened as he observed his shadow clone dissolving within the mist. "Acid mist!"
As Shisui observed his clone becoming distorted in the thick green fog, he immediately recognized the purpose behind the technique—it was designed to limit his teleportation jutsu.
The corrosive acid mist rendered his phantom clone nearly useless as a tool for confusing the enemy. Within mere moments, he could sense the clone destabilizing, on the verge of disintegrating back into pure chakra.
Not only that, but Shisui began to feel a stinging burn on his exposed skin. Even with chakra layered over his body as a protective barrier, he realized it wouldn't hold for long against the relentless corrosion of the acid mist.
'This mist will eat through everything.'
"Wind Style: Great breakthrough!"
With swift hand seals, Shisui unleashed a large-scale wind-style ninjutsu, aiming to disperse the acid mist and regain control of the battlefield.
Fighting within the acid mist posed a dual challenge: not only did one have to contend with the enemy's attacks, but also continuously channel chakra to resist the corrosive effects of the mist.
Additionally, the effectiveness of Shisui's teleportation technique was significantly diminished in these conditions.
'This is bad… really bad!'
"It's not that simple!"
After unleashing a strong gust of wind, Shisui quickly realized that his wind-style ninjutsu had little effect and wisely chose to conserve his chakra.
The opponent had clearly fused her Boil Release with the Hidden Mist Technique, creating a bloodline limit-enhanced version of the jutsu that couldn't be dispersed by mere wind-style techniques.
"Mangetsu… Kaito, let's move!"
"The rest of you, stay alert and ensure the target doesn't escape!"
With those orders, Mei leapt into the dense, hazy acid mist, her figure disappearing into its emerald mist.
As Mangetsu stared at the swirling green mist before him, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and a faint burning sensation began to creep across his skin again.
The acid Mei had previously infused into the water was not highly concentrated—it had only corroded the surface of his skin. Once it was washed away by the water-style jutsu, his body had mostly returned to its original state.
But this acid mist was different. He could almost feel his flesh being eaten away inch by inch just by standing near it.
'I better not end up completely disfigured!'
In his current state, medical ninjutsu might still be able to save him. But if he remained in this corrosive fog for too long, the damage might become irreversible.
However, as he recalled how he had been manipulated within that mist, forced to attack and kill many of his own comrades, an overwhelming surge of fury consumed him.
Without hesitation, Mangetsu charged straight into the acid mist.
"It seems... this is my only option."
As Shisui observed Mei moving effortlessly through the thick, corrosive acid mist, he felt the limitations of his Shunshin more acutely than ever. Its effectiveness was significantly diminished in this environment, leaving him with little choice but to continue stalling for time.
He lightly touched his eye sockets, a trace of reluctance flickering across his face. Using the Mangekyō Sharingan was a last resort. Its toll was simply too great.
Meanwhile, as Mei spread her acid mist across the battlefield, a ripple of space distortion quietly emerged a short distance away.
Obito, his long hair framing a black robe and a patterned mask obscuring his face, appeared atop the canopy of a large tree. Hidden by its dense branches, he silently observed the ongoing clash below.
As for Ao, his focus remained entirely on the intense battle within the acid mist. He had neither the energy nor the awareness to notice the subtle presence lurking nearby.
"This battle is escalating," Obito mused quietly.
Wherever Obito went, White Zetsu was never far behind. Black Zetsu, on the other hand, remained in the Hidden Mist Village, continuing to manipulate the Fourth Mizukage from the shadows.
"It doesn't matter... If these Mist Ninjas and Shisui end up killing each other, that would be ideal," Obito muttered coldly, his voice devoid of any sympathy for the Mist Ninjas.
This time, his only goal was to exploit Shisui to deal with a few disruptive elements in the Hidden Mist Village.
"Are you really planning to hand Shisui's eyes over to that Danzo guy?" White Zetsu's voice carried a faint hint of curiosity.
"They're just ordinary Sharingan," Obito replied dismissively. "A decent pair, sure, but ultimately expendable. Once everything is in place, I won't have any shortage of replacements."
Obito wasn't fully aware of the true power of Shisui's eyes.
In his mind, while Shisui's Sharingan was valuable, it paled in comparison to the Mangekyō Sharingan wielded by Uchiha Toshiro.
—
"Danzo-sama, the sensing unit, interception unit, and hunting unit are all in position!"
It was a dark night in a dense, old forest shrouded in an air of mystery.
A team of over fifty operatives moved silently through the shadows, divided into smaller, organized groups. Each member was cloaked in a hood and concealed behind an animal mask, their faces hidden save for the cold, calculating glint in their eyes.
Their footsteps barely disturbed the forest floor, stepping over fallen leaves and brittle branches without a sound.
The night wind whispered through the trees, rustling the foliage and tugging at their cloaks and hoods. They moved like wraiths, silent and foreboding, their synchronized steps creating an aura of mechanical precision that amplified the team's cold and deadly demeanor.
This was no ordinary force—they were seasoned warriors, each forged by countless battles and grueling trials. Their aura exuded discipline, efficiency, and lethality.
"Maintain formation and follow the lead unit!" one of them commanded in a low, firm voice.
After receiving the report from his subordinates, Danzo's expression remained impassive. His pace, measured and deliberate, did not falter as he continued forward with the same steady rhythm.
"Understood," he acknowledged curtly before turning his sharp gaze toward the other ninjas flanking him.
"Any updates on the battle involving the Mist Ninja?" he inquired, his tone calm but laced with a subtle tension.
Tonight's mission revolved around securing a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan—a treasure of unparalleled value. Concerned about the potential risks, Danzo had chosen to oversee the operation personally.
It wasn't a matter of mistrusting his operatives to mishandle the mission or conceal the Mangekyō for themselves. His real worry was that they might fail to protect these priceless eyes from falling into the hands of Uchiha Madara.
Danzo knew all too well that once Madara learned of the Mangekyō Sharingan, any agreements or alliances would become meaningless in the face of his ambition.
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