Chapter 168: Farewell
Naruto remained standing on the surface of the sea.
After Zabuza dove back beneath the water, he did not resurface.
"Hey, what do we do now? Are we still supposed to capture that woman?"
"Y-You idiot! Didn't you see what happened just now? Could you stop a Water Dragon that big? If you want to die, go ahead yourself! I'm not throwing my life away!"
"Then... how do we explain this to the boss?"
"How should I know? Maybe... maybe we should retreat first?"
The few remaining subordinates of Gatō trembled in fear.
Unlike Kurenai, who specialized in illusions, Naruto and Zabuza's clash of ninjutsu had completely shattered their courage.
The shinobi they usually encountered were people who ran a little faster, threw kunai a little better, and occasionally used a Transformation Jutsu or Shadow Clone Jutsu.
When had they ever witnessed something like this?
And on top of that, the invincible Zabuza had been defeated almost instantly.
Meanwhile, the boy who defeated him still stood atop the sea completely unharmed.
Fight that kind of ninjutsu with swords?
What a joke.
Kurenai also noticed the men's reactions, but she paid them no attention.
They had already lost the will to fight.
After hastily tending to the wound on her abdomen, she prepared herself to assist Naruto at any moment.
After all, she was still a Konoha jōnin.
She couldn't just stand around doing nothing forever.
Meanwhile, Naruto simply stood on the water and quietly sensed his surroundings.
Then suddenly, he seemed to notice something.
Turning his head, he looked toward another area of the sea.
"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!"
A few moments later, two figures burst out from the water.
Zabuza dragged Haku's body with one arm, forcing him to cough out the seawater trapped in his lungs.
But before either of them could even catch their breath, a lazy yet commanding female voice rang out.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Water surged upward, forming a giant spherical prison.
Caught completely off guard, both Zabuza and Haku were trapped inside.
Freshly rescued from drowning, Haku immediately showed a pained expression.
As long as the caster kept their hand on the Water Prison, those trapped inside could not move.
Normally, it was a technique used to suffocate enemies to death.
But right now, it felt less like imprisonment and more like protection.
Following the arm maintaining the Water Prison, Zabuza looked at the woman standing there.
His expression changed.
"Terumī Mei?"
"Big Sister Mei, so it really was you. I was wondering why I sensed your chakra just now."
Naruto scratched his head.
"How did you get here?"
The newcomer was indeed Mei Terumī.
After quickly checking Zabuza and Haku's condition, she smiled at Naruto.
"Are you asking about why I came... or how I came?"
Although her tone was as lazy as ever, Naruto immediately sensed something different.
Before he could answer, Mei continued.
"Well, I was there when Sasuke and Kakashi discussed and developed that Lightning Light technique."
"So naturally, I secretly learned it too."
"Of course, without their eyes, I can't control my direction at those speeds."
"But fortunately, Sasuke's Lightning Release isn't as refined as Kakashi's. He left a very obvious trail on the ground."
"I simply followed it."
She chuckled softly.
"Don't misunderstand, Naruto. I wasn't hiding here waiting."
"When I arrived, I also helped search for your people."
"I only came here after confirming your companions were safe."
"Sasuke found Shino?"
"He did."
Mei nodded.
"And they brought along an old man and a little boy. Apparently they're heading off to solve the root of the problem in Wave Country."
"Oi, Terumī Mei—"
"You don't get to talk!"
Zabuza seemed about to say something from inside the Water Prison.
Mei immediately spun around and glared at him.
The warmth she had shown Naruto vanished completely.
"Naruto."
"I won't fight you."
"But I want to ask a favor."
"Let them go."
Naruto looked at Mei and sighed.
Then he released Fox Sage Mode and waved a hand.
"Let's go back to shore first."
"I'll bring Kakashi-sensei over."
Yet Mei remained where she was.
She made no move toward the beach.
"Naruto... are you really this dense?"
"Or are you just pretending not to understand?"
"Zabuza is different from me."
"He's a missing-nin wanted throughout the entire shinobi world for attempting to assassinate the Fourth Mizukage."
"You're a Konoha chūnin. You've seen the reports before."
"My memory isn't that good..."
"And Konoha is allied with Kirigakure."
"If we knowingly let him go, Konoha won't be able to explain itself—not to Kirigakure and not to the rest of the shinobi world."
"...Big Sister Mei."
"I'm already pretending I didn't see anything."
"That won't do."
Mei smiled gently.
"I'm the one breaking the rules."
"I'm the bad guy here."
"You dream of becoming Hokage."
"You can't keep getting involved with someone like me."
Naruto looked at her silently.
He scratched his head.
Clearly unsure what to do.
During the past year, Mei had become someone very important to him.
Of course he knew what she intended to do.
Neither Kakashi nor Mei had hidden it from him back in the Land of Water.
She intended to kill the current Fourth Mizukage.
Back then, Kakashi's request that Naruto keep an eye on Mei was really just his way of preventing her from doing something reckless.
"...I don't care about anything else."
Naruto suddenly took a deep breath.
Then he raised his head and looked directly at Mei.
"Big Sister Mei."
"You absolutely must not die."
"Because if you do..."
"We'll definitely start thinking about how to avenge you."
Mei froze.
For a moment, she seemed genuinely caught off guard.
Then she smiled.
A smile Naruto had never seen before.
A smile that came entirely from the heart.
"Alright."
"I promise."
"Naruto."
"Then please apologize to Kakashi for me."
"I suppose I've let all of his good intentions go to waste."
"But if I succeed..."
"Maybe I'll be able to invite all of you to visit Kirigakure someday."
As the words fell, Mei disappeared from Naruto's sight, taking Zabuza and Haku with her.
"And one more thing, Naruto."
"You were right."
"The ramen at Ichiraku really is delicious."
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