"What?!"
Mei was startled and instinctively twisted around, throwing a punch.
Kiyoshi easily caught her fist with his palm. His physical strength was already among the greatest among ninjas, and Sage Mode also significantly boosted physical strength.
Sage Mode Naruto could lift a summoning beast dozens of times his size and throw it away.
When it came to Kiyoshi, the boosted strength was even more terrifying. He himself wasn't sure what level it could reach.
Now, when he enveloped Mei's small fist with his palm, he was careful to hold back his strength. He was afraid of accidentally crushing her hand bones. But even so, Mei still frowned, her face pale.
Such great strength!
Caught off guard, she didn't even have time to significantly enhance her body with Chakra. There was only the constant pressure and intense pain in her hand.
"You're still too weak, Mei." Kiyoshi shook his head in disappointment.
The current Mei was not as mature as the future Fifth Mizukage, she still seemed green. Since she was green, she needed to be fertilized. And during this period, a framework needed to be built to shape her towards the desired outcome.
Which is commonly known as conditioning…
It is said that in some cases, victims can even develop a twisted kind of affection.
Kiyoshi wasn't sure if such a result would occur, but the increase in ocular power would surely be substantial.
"Beautiful things" must endure storms to reveal their graceful forms.
"Because I killed your comrades, you feel indignant and hate me?"
"What do you think?"
Mei stared intently at Kiyoshi, the look in her eyes self-evident.
She was someone who cherished her comrades, valuing every hard-won 'bond' deeply.
These things were readily available elsewhere, but under the oppressive policy of the Bloody Mist, such individuals were extremely rare anomalies.
Everyone had closed off their hearts, fearing for their lives, afraid of being stabbed in the back by others.
Just as Mei and her two comrades went to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams, full of ambition, hoping to start a new chapter in their lives from there.
Kiyoshi appeared.
Mercilessly, as if killing a rabbit, he killed her comrade, Suigetsu.
She once wanted to roam the world with her sword to prove herself, but then she debuted at her peak, only for her teammates to die as soon as she left the village.
"It seems I hit the mark. If that's the case…"
Kiyoshi decided to add more fuel to the fire.
Hate, huh?
Then let the hate run deep.
A scarlet light flashed in Kiyoshi's eyes before they returned to golden vertical pupils, and a large amount of ocular power instantly surged into Mei's body.
"You… what did you do to me?" Mei asked in a panic.
Kiyoshi must have cast some Genjutsu on her. Was he trying to interrogate her for intelligence?
"Look closely at the forms of others. These are all the results of your actions. Because you are not strong enough, you can only cling to life uglily, helplessly watching the suffering of others." Kiyoshi spoke words that Mei found perplexing.
Crack!
The shuriken in Kiyoshi's ninja tool pouch slowly floated around him due to magnetic force. Then they shot into the thick mist.
Pfft!
A splash of fresh blood sprayed from the mist in front of Mei.
Gurgling, hot blood stained the ground.
A ninja holding a sword fell from a distance, maintaining a posture that suggested he had intended to ambush Kiyoshi.
Mei could vaguely see his blood-soaked Ninja headband—it was the mark of Kirigakure.
Pfft!
The air became a little damper. Water Release poured down with a gurgling sound.
This was Kirigakure's battlefield, and it was perfectly normal for streams of Water Release to fall from the sky from time to time, especially when facing a group of ninjas skilled in Water Release.
Mei trembled, shaking uncontrollably.
"You…"
She was speechless.
Her body was weakening, so weak that she could barely stand, swaying as if she might collapse at any moment. However, Kiyoshi didn't give Mei time to speak, his figure plunged into the mist.
In his hand, fire and lightning intertwined, forming a dazzling drill-like longsword. Accompanied by the whirring sound of its rotation, whenever a Kiri ninja approached Kiyoshi, their life was mercilessly reaped.
Mist obscuring vision?
Sorry, under the perception abilities of Sage Mode, this was just a roadside ditch. To Kiyoshi, this mist simply didn't exist. He "saw" everything in the field with perfect clarity.
"Getting stronger…"
Kiyoshi's movements became increasingly skilled. Occasionally, a ninja would barely react but would be caught off guard by a sneak attack, unable to dodge, and would be decapitated.
With unparalleled speed and the lethal Sage Art: Fire Release: Lightning Fire Sword, the chaotic battlefield became Kiyoshi's private garden at this moment.
"That brat from yesterday…"
While clashing with Fugaku, Jūzō glanced at the light flickering in the mist.
"That's Kiyoshi."
A purplish-pink tail emerged behind Utakata, who then blew a large bubble with his bubble-blowing tool, encapsulating himself before rapidly moving towards Kiyoshi.
While Kiyoshi was drawing the attention of others, Mei used a special ninjutsu to track Kiyoshi through the mist. Every time Kiyoshi killed someone, her body would tremble, and she would involuntarily use Water Release.
Only now did Mei finally understand what Kiyoshi had done to her.
This guy… every time he killed someone, she would…
"Kiyoshi!"
Mei wanted to scream.
Pfft!
However, reality struck her down. The excessive shock caused her to collapse, unable to support herself, landing in a shallow puddle that had accumulated around her.
It was impossible to tell if it was the blood of her comrades or water formed by Water Release.
"The Tailed Beast is here."
Kiyoshi keenly sensed the approach of a massive Chakra, flashing to his right to dodge a rapidly flying bubble. The bubble hit the ground, instantly corroding a deep pit.
At the same time, a barrage of dense bubbles followed.
Sage Art: Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
Kiyoshi opened his mouth and exhaled a whirlwind. With the enhancement of Senjutsu Chakra, it quickly transformed into a hurricane-like vortex. Those bubbles, which relied on air, were instantly swept away. The thick mist was torn open, revealing a clear corner.
Water Release: Acid Flow!
Swirling acid was released from Utakata's hand during a momentary lull in the hurricane.
Acids covering a hundred-meter radius flowed down overwhelmingly, engulfing all areas where Kiyoshi could move.
"Kiyoshi!"
Mikoto cried out in worry.
Six-Tails is skilled in using 'acid,' and Utakata from Kirigakure is also adept at combining Water Release Ninjutsu with acid. These substances could even corrode hard armor and kunai, let alone Kiyoshi's flesh and blood body.
Given Kiyoshi's speed, there wouldn't be time to throw a kunai engraved with a Flying Thunder God Mark to dodge. At this distance, he was trapped like a turtle in a jar.
"It seems that boy can't escape."
Each swing of Jūzō's huge kubikiribocho produced a tearing sound.
Fugaku parried Jūzō's attacks, his heart gradually sinking to the bottom.
Kiyoshi was the bridge between the Uchiha and the village, he absolutely could not be allowed to get hurt.
"Die." Utakata said blandly.
Kiyoshi stood still, neither dodging nor evading.
Fierce electric arcs swirled around him, constantly spreading outwards and flying into the distance.