"Hm?! This is...?!"
On the other side, Itachi—who had been silently observing Future Sasuke with an extremely complicated gaze—shifted his eyes.
His crimson Mangekyō Sharingan suddenly froze.
His gaze moved like a beam of light, instantly leaving Sasuke and landing precisely on Mei Terumi, who was kneeling before Kai.
"Is she planning to marry into the Uchiha clan?"
The thought surfaced in his mind instantly.
A trace of scrutiny and evaluation appeared in his eyes.
As for age...
She was quite a bit older than Kai.
But that wasn't a problem!
His second younger brother had once said that if a woman was three years older, it was like carrying a brick of gold.
In Mei Terumi's case...
That was probably several bricks of gold!
As for appearance—
Top-tier!
Figure—
Unmatched among the Five Great Ninja Villages. Very few could compare.
Strength...
Hm.
She possessed the Lava Release kekkei genkai. Judging by the battle just now, her strength clearly surpassed that of an ordinary elite jōnin.
Not bad.
Personality—
Willing to sacrifice herself for her village. Responsible. Never abandons. Never gives up.
Also good.
Background—
A noble of Kirigakure and a candidate for the position of Fifth Mizukage.
She barely qualified as worthy of the Uchiha name.
As for experience—
Hm?
Didn't Kisame just beat her up a little while ago?
Whoosh!
The moment that thought appeared, Itachi's eyes instantly turned icy cold as they swept toward Kisame Hoshigaki.
There wasn't the slightest trace of sympathy for a teammate in his gaze.
Only killing intent toward the man who had beaten up his future sister-in-law.
"Hiss!"
Kisame suddenly shuddered.
He immediately lowered his head and didn't dare look up.
He felt as though a surge of killing intent had pierced straight through his brain and run through his entire body.
He knew that killing intent far too well.
Back when he had first joined the organization, he had experienced it before.
And after spending so much time working with Itachi, he was even more familiar with it.
When did that killing intent appear?
Only when Itachi intended to kill someone.
That was the look he always had before taking a life.
But why had he looked at him just now?
Had he offended Itachi somehow?
Just now...
Just now...
Hm?
Holy shit?!
Suddenly, Kisame's heart shook violently.
He remembered what had just happened.
Could it be because that woman had knelt before Lord Kai?
Damn it.
Could she actually become Lord Kai's woman?
The moment that possibility surfaced in his mind, Kisame felt his previously vigorous heart sink straight to the deepest trench in the ocean.
Thankfully he didn't have scales.
Otherwise every single scale on his body would have stood on end by now.
Even so, his mind was screaming hysterically.
It's over!
I'm cooked!
Completely cooked!
He, Kisame Hoshigaki, had nearly chopped the future Lady Kai into eight pieces?!
Wasn't this supposed to be a simple Three-Tails dungeon?!
How had it suddenly become a Hell-difficulty dungeon?!
What the hell?!
Who am I supposed to complain to?!
And if it actually became reality...
How was he supposed to survive in the ninja world afterward?
Lord Kai would skin him alive, pull out his tendons, grind his bones into dust, and scatter the ashes!
He'd probably squeeze all the oil out of his head and use it to light a sky lantern!
No, no, no!
A sky lantern would be getting off easy!
Maybe he'd get thrown into Lord Kai's so-called "Organ Harvesting Industrial Park" and turned into a living blood bag!
The kind that gets used whenever needed!
The more Kisame thought about it, the darker his vision became.
He almost wanted to bury himself underground and die on the spot.
My life is over!
My life is over!
Yet Itachi's gaze still made him feel like he was sitting on needles.
Maybe...
Maybe he should just faint?
The thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
Just like the time he'd passed out outside Amegakure.
Meanwhile, despite the atmosphere becoming unbelievably bizarre, the Three-Tails' massive roars in the background never ceased.
At first glance, however, they seemed to have become background music for Mei Terumi's kneeling submission before Kai.
"Tch."
Uchiha Kagami raised an eyebrow.
He lowered his head and looked at Mei Terumi, who was kneeling at his feet with her beautiful face tilted upward.
Because of the angle, he could clearly see deep into the snowy-white valley beneath her collar.
It was dazzling.
He had to admit—
This version of Mei Terumi was incredibly attractive.
He glanced at Future Sasuke, who had turned his head away.
Then at Itachi, who was glaring murderously at Kisame.
Then at Kisame, who looked like he was about to suffocate himself from fear.
Finally, his gaze returned to Mei Terumi's pale yet breathtakingly beautiful face.
Her bangs concealed a significant portion of her beauty.
Even so, her exquisite features and captivating eyes remained impossible to hide.
"Remember to tie your hair up next time."
Suddenly, a brilliant smile slowly appeared on his youthful face.
Then he reached out and brushed aside her bangs.
And then—
Smack.
He lightly patted her smooth forehead.
The casual motion was no different from patting a pet puppy begging for affection.
"Saving Kirigakure?"
"That's not impossible."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the unique clarity of a young boy.
The moment she heard those words, Mei Terumi's heart skipped a beat.
Her emerald-green eyes instantly lit up.
Like a traveler in the desert discovering a spring.
She almost subconsciously held her breath, straightened her posture, and pushed out her chest slightly as she waited for what came next.
As long as the village could be saved...
She was willing to do anything.
Anything at all!
"However..."
As if sensing something, Kai suddenly changed his tone.
A faint smile curled onto his lips.
He lowered his eyes and examined the beautiful face before him, still stunning despite being stained with blood.
Then he glanced at the large expanse of exposed skin.
There wasn't the slightest trace of lust in his eyes.
Only the gaze of a boss evaluating potential cheap labor.
"However, if you want me to take action..."
"That's going to be very expensive."
"Have you prepared yourself to pay any price?"
"Listen carefully."
"Any price."
"Including yourself."
Uchiha Kai deliberately emphasized those final three words.
Then he slowly withdrew his hand behind his back and looked down at the kneeling woman.
Trying his best to project the aura of a sinister underworld boss.
Unfortunately...
His youthful face, still carrying a trace of baby fat, completely ruined the effect.
In fact, it stirred an inexplicable impulse within Mei Terumi.
An urge to reach out and pinch his cheeks.
Realizing something was wrong with her thoughts, she quickly suppressed them and lowered her head.
"I know!"
"I know all of that!"
"As long as you can save the village, I will obey all of your commands!"
"Oh?"
Kai raised a finger and waved it in front of her.
"Then listen carefully."
"I need you to obey my orders one hundred percent from now on."
"Not that Elder Genji fellow."
Thump.
Mei Terumi's heart skipped a beat.
How did this little monster know about Elder Genji?
Seeing her remain silent, Uchiha Kai's smile widened slightly.
Then he continued:
"Second—"
"And this is the most important point!"
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