Nobunaga stood in the corner, maintaining his intangible state, watching that silhouette disappear at the alley entrance.
He did not move.
The intangible state consumed Chakra, but he dared not deactivate it.
His Mangekyo Sharingan burned in his eye sockets, and he could feel that mass of Chakra moving further away.
Ten zhang. Twenty zhang. Fifty zhang.
Further and further away.
Finally, it completely disappeared from his perception range.
Nobunaga waited for a while longer, but there were still no signs of any Chakra approaching.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He deactivated the intangibility. His body returned from its transparent state to a solid form.
"How did Mei Terumī become just like Tsunade..."
He walked to the doorway, looking at the door panel that had been kicked away.
The door panel was shattered into two pieces, lying on the ground with a clear footprint in the middle.
Nobunaga bent down to pick up the door fragments, trying to fit them back onto the door frame. It was impossible to put back together.
He gave up.
He threw the fragments on the ground, walked back into the room, and sat on the edge of the bed.
Outside the window, the moonlight was still just as bright.
He recalled the expression Mei Terumī had just now.
She stood in the room, clearly having found nothing, yet she still said that line, "You can't run away."
"She shouldn't be coming back, right?" Nobunaga's thoughts raced.
He understood Mei Terumī.
Although her personality was a bit persistent, she wasn't the type to pester someone endlessly. Since she couldn't find him, she should give up.
After all, she was the Mizukage; she had important business to attend to tomorrow.
Nobunaga leaned against the headboard, completely relaxing.
He had obtained intangibility from the second simulation; otherwise, he really would have been stabbed tonight.
As soon as the words left his mouth.
A cold light flashed.
A blade was pressed against his neck from behind.
The blade was ice-cold, resting against his skin. Just one more millimeter forward, and it would slit his throat.
Nobunaga's body stiffened.
"Who did you say wouldn't be coming back?"
Mei Terumī's voice came from behind him.
Very light. Very soft. Carrying a hint of a smile and a waft of fragrance.
"My Nobunaga, you are still as cunning as ever."
Nobunaga slowly turned his head.
Mei Terumī stood behind him.
Moonlight shone in through the window, falling onto her face.
That stunningly beautiful face wore a smile, a very sweet smile. But in those emerald green eyes, a fire was burning brightly.
"You—" Nobunaga had just started to speak.
Mei Terumī's hand moved, and the blade grazed his neck lightly.
He immediately shut his mouth.
"You what?"
Mei Terumī tilted her head to look at him:
"Am I too stupid, unable to find you? Am I too foolish, getting played by you over and over again?"
Nobunaga did not speak.
Mei Terumī walked around to his front, looking down at him.
"Nobunaga, oh Nobunaga."
She said, "That ability you used just now, it's the intangibility of the Mangekyo Sharingan, right?"
Nobunaga remained silent.
"Being able to turn your body into nothingness and let attacks pass through. A very nice ability."
She paused, "But do you know what problem this ability has?"
Nobunaga still didn't speak.
Mei Terumī squatted down, bringing herself to eye level with him.
Those emerald green eyes were mere inches away, absurdly beautiful.
"When you are intangible, you cannot attack."
She said, "And most importantly, you cannot maintain it forever."
She smiled even more sweetly.
"I pretended to leave just now, but I didn't actually go far. I just stood at the alley entrance, waiting."
She said, "I waited for about three minutes. Then your Chakra appeared."
Nobunaga's eyelashes fluttered.
"Then I walked over slowly," Mei Terumī continued, "Very slowly. Very quietly. You didn't notice at all."
Nobunaga looked at her.
"When did you learn to do this?"
Mei Terumī thought for a moment.
"I've always known how."
She said, "It's just that I couldn't bear to use it on you before, because I trusted that you wouldn't hurt me, and you said you would always protect me."
Nobunaga fell silent.
This sentence was too lethal. He didn't know how to respond.
Mei Terumī stood up and sheathed her sword.
But she didn't let go of Nobunaga.
She reached out, grabbed Nobunaga by the collar, and hauled him off the bed.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"Let's get out of here first," Mei Terumī said, dragging him toward the door, "This room doesn't even have a door anymore, what's the point of staying?"
Nobunaga was dragged two steps by her before he realized what was happening.
"It's the dead of night, what are you trying to do?"
He tried to struggle.
He couldn't break free.
He tried again, but still couldn't break free.
Mei Terumī's hand was like an iron clamp, holding on tightly.
Nobunaga looked down; that hand was fair and slender, but its strength was frightening.
He remembered his current state. A twelve-year-old body.
The Basic Sage Body hadn't fully taken effect yet.
The Mangekyo Sharingan had just awakened, and he couldn't use it skillfully yet.
And the woman in front of him was the Fifth Mizukage. Wielder of both Lava Release and Boiling Release. Master of the Mist Release Bloodline Selection. Above Kage-level.
He didn't even have the qualifications to struggle.
The feeling of going from a Kazekage to a prisoner was not pleasant.
"Take it easy, I can't even beat you."
In the end, Nobunaga gave up resisting and was dragged outside by her.
Upon reaching the door, Mei Terumī suddenly stopped.
She turned her head to look at Nobunaga.
Moonlight shone in from outside, falling onto Mei Terumī's pretty face.
"Where did you get those eyes?"
Nobunaga was silent for a moment.
The secret of the system definitely couldn't be revealed.
How should he break this deadlock?
Should he play the emotional card again and see if he could trick Mei Terumī into laying down her sword and becoming a Buddha?
"Actually, I..."
Nobunaga opened his mouth, just about to speak.
A third voice came: "Nobunaga-kun, I've come to see you."
Mei Terumī's movements froze.
Nobunaga's movements also froze.
Both of them looked toward the door at the same time.
Moonlight shone on the threshold.
A petite figure stood outside the threshold.
With short, grayish-purple hair and white eyes, she was wearing a light-colored pajama set with a thin coat over it.
Hinata.
She stood there, carrying a basket in her hand.
Something was inside the basket, covered by a cloth.
She lowered her head, her face slightly flushed; she had clearly run over in the middle of the night.
"No, Nobunaga-kun..."
Her voice was very soft, "I heard you didn't eat dinner tonight... so... so I made something..."
After finishing, Hinata lifted her head.
Then she froze.
Nobunaga stood in the room. His clothes were a bit disheveled, his hair was a bit messy, and he looked as if he had just been through something.
And beside him stood a woman. With long, brownish hair, emerald green eyes, and a stunningly beautiful face.
That woman was grabbing Nobunaga's collar with one hand and looking down at her, and that woman looked just like the Mizukage.
Moonlight shone on the three of them.
Silence.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Hinata's face turned from slightly flushed to beet red. From beet red to ghastly pale.
"I, I..."
Her voice began to tremble, "Sorry for the interruption—"
She turned around and was about to run.
"Wait." Mei Terumī spoke up.
Hinata's feet were nailed to the ground.
Mei Terumī released Nobunaga's collar and walked to the door.
She stood in front of Hinata, looking down at her.
Moonlight fell on the two of them.
One tall and mature, one petite and youthful.
One wearing dark casual clothes, one wearing light-colored pajamas.
One holding a sword in her hand, the other holding a basket.
Mei Terumī lowered her head, looking at the basket.
"What is this?"