However, the current Terumī Mei was still young.
Her strength naturally could not compare to the level she would reach in the future.
Thus, she was unable to spew out a sky-covering tide of acid with a single breath the way her future self could.
Even so, Kaguya Kōtarō's expression subtly shifted, and he immediately drew his bones forward to block.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The moment the bones made contact with the acid, violent, corrosive sounds rang out.
Even though the bones produced by Shikotsumyaku were as hard as steel, they were still corroded when faced with Terumī Mei's terrifying Kekkei Genkai.
This alone was enough to prove just how fearsome the power of Lava Release truly was!
Nevertheless, Kaguya Kōtarō managed to block the attack.
Seizing that brief opening, he activated Shikotsumyaku once more, pulling additional bones out from his body.
Then, with a sudden Body Flicker, he charged straight toward Terumī Mei.
Seeing this, Mei was not surprised in the slightest. This was far from their first encounter.
Back at the Ninja Academy, the two had sparred many times already. They were well aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses.
Naturally, she had never expected to defeat him so easily.
Clang!
Kaguya Kōtarō's speed was astonishingly fast. Terumī Mei had no time to perform ninjutsu again and could only draw a kunai to block.
However, she had no intention of continuing a prolonged close-quarters fight. After all, Shikotsumyaku possessed an inherent advantage in taijutsu combat.
Bang!
After blocking Kōtarō's strike, Terumī Mei twisted her body and delivered a kick, which was promptly blocked.
But by using the recoil, she successfully created distance between them.
At the same time, her hands flew through seals as she activated another Kekkei Genkai—Boil Release.
As a ninjutsu born from the fusion of Water and Fire, Boil Release created a high-temperature mist with corrosive power even greater than Lava Release.
When facing Susanoo, it could corrode its defenses faster than Lava Release and even penetrate through it, directly attacking the caster inside.
However, Boil Release carried a fatal drawback. Its true power could only be fully unleashed within a confined environment.
Moreover, it was indiscriminate, easily causing collateral damage if allies were nearby.
But on this uninhabited island, everyone was an enemy.
Terumī Mei had nothing to worry about.
She only needed to control the mist and keep it as condensed as possible, preventing it from dispersing too quickly, in order to deal effective damage to Kaguya Kōtarō.
"Tch… this troublesome technique again." Kōtarō's expression darkened.
His forward charge halted instantly, and he retreated without hesitation to create distance.
Yet even in that brief moment, his body had already been corroded by the mist. Although he could form bone defenses, he couldn't completely cover his entire body.
And as long as there was even a single gap, the acidic mist would seep through, directly eroding his flesh.
The corrosive mist was terrifyingly potent.
Unprotected areas of his body were eaten away, leaving horrifying wounds behind. His flesh had rotted as if it were meat left to decay for countless years.
Fortunately, this was not a confined space.
The high-temperature mist rapidly thinned and dissipated.
Unless Mei continuously released massive amounts of it, which she clearly could not do at her current age.
If she pushed herself recklessly, her chakra would be depleted long before her enemy fell.
The commotion naturally attracted others nearby.
However, upon witnessing Terumī Mei and Kaguya Kōtarō clashing, they could only hide in the shadows and observe.
None of them dared to directly intervene.
As time passed, more and more people gathered.
"They've been fighting for so long—both of them must be running low on chakra. If we attack together, we can definitely take them down."
Among the crowd, restless individuals began stirring the masses.
The Hidden Mist Village's graduation exam demanded a full day and night of slaughter.
In theory, everyone was an enemy—cooperation was never intended.
But when facing Kekkei Genkai users like Terumī Mei and Kaguya Kōtarō, ordinary ninjas stood no chance alone.
To avoid being slaughtered, joining forces became the only option.
In such a brutal survival test, it was only natural for the weak to band together and eliminate the strong first.
Very quickly, some were swayed.
"That's right! The Kaguya clan madman is already injured—now's our chance! If you don't want to die, attack together!"
As soon as those words were spoken, the hesitant ones made up their minds.
The Kaguya clan's battle-crazed reputation was infamous. Under normal circumstances, restrictions kept them in check.
But here—where killing was encouraged—this island was paradise for madmen like them.
And no one wanted to become prey. In an instant, figures hiding in the shadows launched attacks simultaneously.
All manner of techniques rained down.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Terumī Mei reacted instantly.
Her hand seals were lightning-fast, and a towering water wall rose just in time, blocking every incoming attack.
On the other side, Kaguya Kōtarō was even more savage.
Activating Shikotsumyaku, he formed bone armor across his entire body and charged straight into the crowd.
The bones in his hands danced wildly, swaying like willow branches in the wind.
Several people were caught off guard and died instantly.
If I can't kill Terumī Mei, then I'll kill all of you instead. A bloodthirsty, twisted grin spread across Kōtarō's face.
Against a backdrop of white bones and fresh blood, he looked like a demon crawling out of hell.
Laughing madly, he continued his slaughter, his bones becoming scythes that harvested lives.
Meanwhile, Terumī Mei had no choice but to unleash her power fully.
Lava Release erupted once more. Corrosive liquid surged forward, instantly engulfing those at the front.
Agonized screams echoed.
Before everyone's horrified eyes, flesh dissolved rapidly, leaving nothing but skeletal remains.
While the crowd stood stunned, Terumī Mei used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished.
Moments later, she arrived at the southeastern coast of the island. After searching briefly, she found the hidden cave Elder Genshi had mentioned.
Without hesitation, she stepped inside. The cave was dimly lit, but a ninja's eyesight easily compensated.
Suddenly—
Light appeared ahead.
Terumī Mei hurried forward.
Inside was a small pool, and above it, a natural opening allowed sunlight to pour in.
Beside the pool stood several figures. Among them was a bald old man with a deeply wrinkled face, holding a snake-shaped wooden staff.
It was none other than Elder Genshi.
Seeing him, Terumī Mei felt as though she had found solid ground to stand on.
She hurried forward and respectfully called out, "Elder Genshi!"
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