The opportunity came sooner than Renjiro expected.
Down on the battlefield, the Mist-nin had already analyzed Meri's movements. In his eyes, she was inexperienced—her footwork too raw, her strikes were too brutal. Confident in his superiority, he decided it was time to end things quickly.
With deliberate calculation, he feigned an opening in his defense—just wide enough to appear genuine but subtle enough to lure in someone desperate. It was a high-risk tactic, but one only a shinobi with absolute faith in his own skills would dare attempt.
And Meri took the bait, to be more accurate, she chose to take it.
"I can't waste any more time." Meri muttered to herself in eyes filled with resolve.
She knew it was a trap. She'd known from the beginning that the Mist-nin was stronger, faster, more experienced. The drawn-out fight would only wear her down. If she didn't take a risk now, defeat was inevitable. So she gambled everything on one move, hoping that even a trap held a sliver of hope.
Whoosh!
Meri darted forward, her short blade was gleaming with killing intent.
From above, Renjiro watched tensely from his perch in the trees. His breath caught as the Mist-nin grinned darkly.
"Got you!" The Mist-nin sneered.
Just as Meri's blade came within range, the Mist-nin twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike. In the same fluid motion, his kunai lashed out—aiming straight for Meri's throat.
"What—what is she doing?!" Renjiro's heart pounded as he watched Meri's actions.
"I only have one chance to survive..." Meri didn't flinch, in fact she didn't even try to dodge.
Gritting her teeth, she ignored the looming threat and surged forward, striking with every ounce of strength she had—regardless of the consequences.
"I won't back down now." A fatal counter for a fatal blow.
Bang!
Her blade pierced the Mist-nin's chest—only for his body to erupt into white smoke.
"Substitution Jutsu!" Meri's eyes widened in shock, she had struck a log.
Before she could recover, she felt the chill of cold steel brush against her neck.
The Mist-nin had already reappeared behind her, and with one clean, swift movement, he dragged his kunai across the vulnerable artery just beneath her jawline, which froze her from making any move.
"Is this… the end?" Meri thought numbly, a flicker of disbelief and regret flashed in her eyes.
"If only… if only I'd mastered the secret art of our family's sword style earlier… maybe today would've ended differently…" A faint, bitter smile formed on her lips.
She knew the moment had slipped away. Her strike had failed, her strength was gone—but even then, some part of her refused to stop fighting
"I can't give up now."
With a final surge of strength, Meri twisted her torso and slashed backward with her blade. It was a desperate move—a blind strike with little hope of landing. But still, she swung.
The Mist-nin snorted, eyes narrowing: "Tough girl..." He thought: "But struggling now is pointless."
"I admire your will, but unfortunately." He muttered aloud, raising his kunai: "You still have to die."
For a moment, there was something like respect in his eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came, swallowed by cold determination.
He lifted his kunai to deliver the killing blow—
"ME——RI!!"
A voice boomed from above like a crack of thunder.
The Mist-nin flinched, startled. Meri's eyes snapped open—surprise flashed across her face, quickly followed by a glimmer of hope.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A volley of shuriken rained down from the treetops, forcing the Mist-nin back and cutting off every path of retreat.
"Meri!" Came Renjiro's voice again, filled with worry.
"Renjiro!" She gasped, momentarily stunned—but she didn't waste the opening. With a sharp exhale, she moved instantly and swung her blade in a tight arc.
Tang!
The Mist-nin barely blocked in time. His kunai met hers in a shower of sparks, and the impact sent him staggering backward.
But it was too late for him.
Shhhhkk—!
Renjiro landed behind him in a silent blur, driving his kunai straight into the Mist-nin's back.
"Gahhh—!" The Mist-nin screamed in agony, spinning around in fury—but sluggish, his movements suddenly became clumsy. The tide had turned against him.
Meri's blade flashed once more, this time aimed at his neck.
Shhk—!
His head flew free in a clean arc, landing with a dull thud as a crimson geyser sprayed from the stump of his neck. The body crumpled to the ground with a heavy, final thump.
Bang!
Silence fell.
Neither of them moved, not at first. They simply stood there, eyes locked on the fallen corpse—lifeless, headless, finally still.
After a long pause, Renjiro spoke, his voice was steady and low: "Can you move?"
Meri nodded faintly and said in firm voice despite her exhaustion: "Don't worry. I still have some energy left."
"Good. We can't stay here. Maemon needs us." Renjiro said in a serious voice, as he turned around.
"Let's go," Meri replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
Whoosh!
The two turned and dashed back into the forest, their movements quick and focused.
As they ran, Meri glanced sideways at him and murmured: "...Thank you."
Renjiro blinked in surprise. Then a slow, genuine smile crept across his face, as he said: "No need to thank me. We're teammates."
---
The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden shafts across the forest floor as the two moved swiftly through the woods.
After some time, they finally arrived at the site of Maemon's battle.
Renjiro surveyed the scene and let out a quiet chuckle: "This guy…"
"Huh?!" Meri blinked, then her eyes widened in surprise.
Before them, Maemon was locked in combat with a Mist-nin—but it was far from a conventional fight.
Maemon danced through the terrain, using it like a weapon. Hidden tripwires snapped taut. Vines and sharpened branches sprang into action. His enemy stumbled repeatedly, caught in traps, cut by wires, and battered by the forest itself.
Despite the drawn-out battle, Maemon was completely unharmed. In contrast, his opponent was in terrible condition—bleeding from dozens of small wounds, panting, slashing wildly at shadows. The thin lacerations across his body were clearly from steel wires.
"This is Maemon's style." Renjiro crossed his arms and explained with a faint smile on his face: "He uses every advantage the terrain gives him. He shifts the rhythm of battle to corner and wear down his opponent—with minimal direct confrontation. It's a fight of patience, strategy, and control."
Hearing that, Meri's thoughts drifted back to Maemon's self-introduction—not boastful, but sharp and calculated. And now she could see it firsthand: he wasn't just talking big. He really was a tactician.
"That's… incredible." Meri murmured, her voice filled with admiration. Maemon's high-IQ, methodical style was unlike anything she had seen—and strangely, it felt cool.
Her gaze shifted sideways to Renjiro. He had already defeated his enemy, come to her aid, and now stood calmly by her side as they both observed Maemon's fight.
"Maybe… I ended up in an amazing team after all." Meri thought to herself with a quiet sense of relief.
She felt a growing sense of pride. Being part of Team Zeri wasn't just reassuring—it was inspiring. No one wanted weak teammates in the field. Weak links meant death. But with strong comrades like these, survival—and victory—felt possible.
"Let's go." Renjiro said calmly, his eyes was still on the fight.
After watching for a moment longer, it was clear Maemon had full control of the situation. His opponent was already trapped in his web.
But just like Renjiro and Meri, Maemon had only recently graduated—he lacked the overwhelming killing technique to end the battle in one strike. So instead, he slowly wore his opponent down with strategy and precision.
But now that they were here—There was no need to drag it out any longer.
This time, Renjiro didn't bother with a sneak attack, there was no need. With Meri at his side, he stepped directly into the fray.
In a three-on-one battle, subtlety was unnecessary.
"You guys are finally here!" Maemon shouted, a grin appeared across his face the moment he saw them.
Relief and joy flooded his expression—not just because reinforcements had arrived, but because his teammates were safe.
In stark contrast, the Mist-nin's face twisted with dread: "Damn it… I need to get out of here."
He wasn't just facing one opponent anymore—he was facing three. And judging by the fact that none of them were dead… his two comrades must've already fallen.
Despair sank in, even if he was slightly stronger than any one of them, he couldn't win this, not alone against three
"Let's finish this." Maemon said, his voice was brimming with confidence.
Without hesitation, the trio surged forward—swift, coordinated, and unrelenting.
The Mist-nin fought back desperately, but the outcome was already written.
Tanggg!
Blades flashed! Traps reset! Kunai clashed!
And then, it was over in a few minutes.
The final Mist-nin fell, lifeless, joining the fate of his fallen comrades.
---
They didn't linger, after catching their breath and checking for injuries, the three regrouped, ready to head toward where their sensei—Zeri—had last been seen.
But just as they began to move—
"Well done… Team Zeri. You've earned my respect." A gruff voice rang out behind them.
All three froze, their instincts instantly kicked in. They spun around quickly, falling into a tight defensive formation, as their eyes locked onto the source of the voice.
There, beneath a massive tree, stood their team leader—Zeri—though he was half-kneeling, leaning heavily against the trunk for support.
But they didn't lower their guard immediately. The Mist-nin who had once disguised himself as a wild boar had taught them a harsh lesson—on the battlefield, you can never be too cautious. It's always better to be ready than to regret it.
With slow moves, they exchanged a rapid series of hand signs. Secret signals—authentication codes between squadmates, fortunately Zeri responded in the same way.
Only then did they relax, but the relief was short-lived, because as they stepped closer, their expressions fell, Zeri was in terrible shape.
Blood soaked through his flak vest, with dozens of cuts and lacerations marked his body. The most alarming wad—a deep, vicious gash carved across his chest. Bone glinted white beneath torn flesh, it had narrowly missed his heart.
"Sensei…" Meri whispered, her voice was trembling with shock and worry.
Zeri looked up at them and smiled faintly, his lips stained red: "Good, you're all still alive."