Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for only $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters!
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 55 — Lava Release? Only Burned a Pair of Shoes
Boom!
Mei Terumī's feet landed on the massive blue hammer swung upward from below. Her knees bent, chakra flared, and with the combined recoil of her body's shunshin and the hammer's upward force, she shot skyward like a cannonball.
The air howled as she tore through it. Her long auburn curls were pulled straight by the rushing wind, and the distance between her and Konan closed rapidly.
"D*mn it! Still not enough...!"
Her sharp emerald eyes locked on the dark speck above, quickly running the numbers in her head. Then a bitter truth struck her.
No matter how fast her initial burst, the acceleration had peaked. Her momentum was fading.
In a moment, she'd reach the limit — her speed would match Konan's flight, then fall behind, the distance stretching once more.
She couldn't catch her. Couldn't stop her.
"White Tiger!!" Mei shouted in fury, unwilling to admit defeat.
At that very instant, she was as close as she would ever get — only a hundred meters separated them.
"Lady Mizukage!"
On the ground, Chōjūrō was panting, watching the two dots in the sky. His keen eyes recognized his Mizukage's struggle — the enemy would soon slip beyond reach.
"D*mn it!" Chōjūrō slammed his chest in frustration. "If I'd swung harder, she'd have reached her! It's my fault!"
High above, Mei's eyes burned with frustration.
"White Tiger! You won't leave here unscathed!!"
She drew in a deep breath, hands flashing through a rapid series of seals. Her cheeks swelled — then from her crimson lips erupted a blazing stream of molten acid.
A searing red beam shot upward like an arrow, cutting across the air straight toward Konan.
—— Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!
The viscous, highly corrosive acid — powerful enough to melt even Susanoo — surged upward, hissing furiously.
Konan, soaring higher, suddenly felt a scorching heat beneath her feet. She glanced down — the molten stream's tip brushed the soles of her sandals, eating through the thick rubber until only a thin layer remained.
But that was all.
The attack had reached its maximum height. The molten acid began to fall, its energy spent, unable to touch her again.
Alex, pressed against Konan's right cheek, witnessed the scene unfold below. A strange thought crossed his mind.
So Mei went through all that trouble... just to make Konan change shoes?
He eyed the tattered sandals beneath her feet.
[Your shoes are ruined. Drop them before they burn your feet.]
Well — at least Mei could take solace in knowing her attack hadn't been completely useless. She had, after all, managed to destroy a pair of sandals.
Maybe she'd even thank him for his thoughtfulness.
Konan nodded. Maintaining her flight posture, she tapped her feet together. The sandals slipped off, tumbling into the air below. Then she blurred, vanishing into the clouds above, leaving behind only a glimpse of pale, delicate feet — and a pair of ninja sandals lazily falling through the mist.
"White Tiger!!!"
Mei's furious scream tore from her throat. She had reached her apex — her speed stilled, gravity reclaiming her.
Nearly a kilometer in the air.
"White Tiger! I'll never forgive you!!"
Her chest heaved, rage and humiliation twisting her expression. With no sight of Konan, she fixed her glare on the falling sandals instead.
The ground rushed up to meet her.
At a hundred meters from impact, Mei spun midair and exhaled a massive torrent of water downward.
—— Water Release: Water Column Technique!
Like a bursting waterfall, torrents of water cascaded from the heavens. Below, Chōjūrō and the Anbu barely escaped as the raging flood swept through the courtyard, tossing them aside like leaves.
Using the recoil, Mei righted herself midair and landed gracefully upon the flooded courtyard.
Above, the molten acid she had fired fell upon the distant forested ridge, igniting the trees in thick gray smoke.
Plop—plop!
The pair of ruined sandals landed before her on the water's surface, splashing briefly before sinking out of sight.
"White Tiger..."
Her beautiful face hardened, fists clenching tight. Humiliation burned through her chest.
Mei took a deep breath, steadying herself as the trembling of her ample chest slowly calmed.
"This debt," she whispered coldly, "I'll repay in full."
"Mizukage-sama, are you all right?" Chōjūrō hurried to her side, concern etched on his face.
The drenched Anbu and Kirigakure shinobi soon regrouped, crowding around with grim expressions, awaiting orders.
Today wasn't just the Mizukage's humiliation — it was the shame of the entire village.
One of the Five Great Hidden Villages, invaded by a single enemy who left unscathed, right before their eyes.
Everyone's blood boiled. They could neither strike nor pursue — powerless and humiliated.
Flying opponents... utterly detestable. You couldn't reach them, couldn't stop them. Truly unfair.
Mei's sharp gaze swept over her subordinates. "Chōjūrō stays. Everyone else, restore order in the village. Prevent panic."
The massive jutsu exchange in the skies had driven villagers into confusion and fear — they needed containment immediately.
"Yes!"
The shinobi vanished one after another in bursts of shunshin, leaving Mei and Chōjūrō alone in the courtyard.
"How is Genshi?"
"Master Genshi..." Chōjūrō paused, grief shadowing his eyes. "While you were fighting above, his retainer came to me and told me everything that happened between him and White Tiger."
"Before we arrived, Master Genshi... had already passed on."
"White Tiger!!" Mei's eyes blazed with killing intent as she rushed toward the sitting room.
Chōjūrō followed close behind.
"Mizukage-sama, he wasn't killed — he passed of natural causes."
"Hmph!" Mei's cold snort was sharp, but her steps did not slow.
Inside, she found Genshi's body seated peacefully at the table, the black-clad retainer kneeling beside him.
Her jaw tightened; her movements softened, her footsteps quiet, as though afraid to wake a sleeping elder.
She knelt beside him and whispered, "Forgive me, Genshi."
Then she began to examine the body carefully.
Moments later, she straightened and respectfully covered the elder's form.
Sadness — and helpless fury — clouded her face.
He had died naturally, not by White Tiger's hand. The retainer's account told her everything — Genshi had sacrificed himself for the village's sake, helping the intruder achieve her goal just to prevent further harm.
All for Kirigakure — even in death.
"I'm unworthy of the title Mizukage..." she murmured. "I couldn't protect the village... nor Genshi."
Her voice trembled with quiet despair.
"Prepare a state funeral," she ordered softly. "Lay him to rest with the honors of a Mizukage."
...
Above the clouds, Konan turned to Alex.
"Do we return to the Sky Fortress first," she asked, "or go after Takeda?"