Ryōsuke's words echoed through the thick mist, but after waiting for a moment, there was still no response.
If the fog weren't still so dense, Ryōsuke would have almost thought Terumī Mei had already left.
'It seems she won't make a move as long as I'm still here,' he thought.
Relying on the relative positions of the landmarks he could still see...
...Ryōsuke was still able to discern the direction back to the port.
He then made a show of walking toward the harbor.
"Bye-bye. I'm leaving now."
Hidden within the mist, Terumī Mei grew anxious upon hearing Ryōsuke's words.
'I can't let him leave!'
Knowing her Lava Style was ineffective against him, she naturally opted for Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet to pin him down.
But Ryōsuke dodged the technique with ease.
A smirk played on his lips as he looked in the direction the water dragon had been launched from.
He charged toward the source at high speed.
He soon discovered Terumī Mei's figure behind a tree in the dense fog.
"Found you."
Terumī Mei was shocked to see him closing in so quickly.
'Was he just trying to bait me into attacking so he could find my location? What a cunning man!'
Since Ryōsuke was already right in front of her, she had no choice but to engage him.
Even if she wanted to vanish back into the mist, it would take several seconds she didn't have.
The moment they clashed, Terumī Mei felt a surge of dread.
'His body is so strong!' Even his ordinary strikes put her under immense pressure.
Within a few exchanges, Ryōsuke had pinned her wrists and forced her to the ground.
Ryōsuke sat directly on top of her.
He immediately felt the softness of her body.
The sensation brought Ryōsuke a sudden wave of comfort.
'The comfort level is off the charts.'
'As expected of a woman from the Hidden Mist Village.'
Terumī Mei's face was a mask of shame and fury.
She was actually being pinned down and sat on by this guy today.
She could even feel something hard and rigid pressing against her.
Her heart raced with shock and anger.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?!"
She thrashed about violently.
She tried desperately to break free from his restraint.
But she couldn't budge him an inch.
Instead, she was overcome by a sense of dread.
'How can this man be so depraved?'
Ryōsuke felt a flicker of excitement.
He praised her aloud.
"That was quite a nice experience."
"I'll let you off the hook this time."
"I hope you don't follow me."
"Otherwise, I'll be forced to be much more ruthless with you."
He didn't actually intend to force himself on her right now.
While she had a great figure, her strength clearly hadn't reached Kage-level yet.
Besides, he wasn't lacking for companionship.
With those words, Ryōsuke stood up and walked toward the harbor.
Truthfully, if Terumī Mei was foolish enough to pursue him again, he wouldn't mind being more forceful.
Lying on the ground, Terumī Mei was consumed by rage.
He had taken complete advantage of her.
No one in the Mist Village had ever dared to treat her like this.
She wanted to chase him and retaliate, but her reason held her back.
He could have easily killed her, but he chose not to.
If she followed him impulsively, she might actually end up dead.
'Curse him...'
She wrestled with her internal conflict for a long time.
Ultimately, logic triumphed over anger.
She could only watch helplessly as he disappeared into the distance.
No matter how much her pride stung, there was nothing she could do.
Before long, the pervasive mist finally began to dissipate.
Terumī Mei made her way back to Ao.
Ao was currently clutching his right eye, his breathing having finally stabilized.
It appeared he was out of life-threatening danger.
Terumī Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But the memory of that guy pressing against her returned.
She felt a wave of deep humiliation.
'That absolute bastard!'
Ao opened his left eye and saw Terumī Mei.
"Terumī Mei, has the man in black and the white mask left?"
Though his eye had been taken, he still retained his basic sensory skills.
He could no longer sense the man's chakra.
Terumī Mei replied through gritted teeth.
"He's gone."
"I couldn't catch him. I failed to avenge you... I'm sorry."
Ao managed a weak grin and waved her off.
"Forget it. That man isn't just some ordinary powerhouse."
"The priority now is the Fourth Mizukage. He's still in that cave. Go check on him."
He pointed toward the entrance of the cave.
Terumī Mei was startled.
"Right, I'll go immediately."
She hurried into the cave.
Sure enough, she saw the Fourth Mizukage lying on the ground with his abdomen bared.
The sealing formula on his stomach was clearly visible.
It was obvious the seal had been tampered with.
A sense of foreboding washed over her. 'Was that man after the Tailed Beast inside the Fourth Mizukage?'
At that moment, the Fourth Mizukage slowly opened his eyes.
But this time, his gaze was not the usual emotionless stare.
Instead, it was filled with pain, sorrow, anger, and helplessness.
He had previously been controlled by another man in black wearing an orange mask via genjutsu.
The memories of being a puppet were still fresh in his mind.
To think that as the Fourth Mizukage, he hadn't protected the village, but had instead become its greatest disaster.
Waves of agonizing guilt washed over him.
He couldn't help but let out several painful coughs.
Terumī Mei was relieved to see him awake.
"Lord Fourth Mizukage, are you alright?"
"What did that bastard do to you?"
"Is the Three-Tails still inside you?"
The Fourth Mizukage looked at her with a complicated expression.
'The little girl from back then has grown so much. Thank goodness she wasn't harmed.'
He let out a deep sigh.
He knew exactly which 'bastard' she was talking about.
The Three-Tails within him had indeed been taken.
While losing the Three-Tails, a vital military asset, was a tragedy...
the Tailed Beast was the least of his concerns right now.
In fact, it was a blessing that the man had targeted the beast, as he had released the genjutsu in the process.
Otherwise, the Mist Village would have continued to suffer under his controlled rule.
That terrifying man in the orange mask had used him to ravage the village for years.
He had forced the Academy into a state of inhumane competition, making students slaughter one another and decimate the younger generation.
He had even persecuted those with Kekkei Genkai.
This had plunged the Mist Village into deep internal strife, resulting in countless deaths and a severe loss of strength.
He spoke to the indignant Terumī Mei.
"That man in the white mask is a benefactor to the Mist Village, not an enemy. You must show him respect from now on."
Hearing this, Terumī Mei wondered if the Mizukage's mind had finally snapped.
Nothing that man did benefited the village.
He kidnapped the Mizukage and even did those unspeakable things to her.
'How is that any different from being treated like a toy?'
Worse still, Terumī Mei thought he was a hideous eyesore, which made the whole thing even more intolerable.