Chapter 97: Let's Turn the World Upside Down!
"Grandma! Don't leave me!"
Terumi Mei cried out, waking from her nightmare, tears still clinging to her eyelashes.
But when the cruel reality crashed into her vision once more, the little girl's lips trembled, and she finally lowered her arms in silence.
It turned out that everything in the dream was fake!
Grandma was dead. She could never come back. Everyone was gone, and she was all alone.
"You're awake?"
Uchiha Kazuki asked when she stirred. "How are you feeling? Any better?"
Terumi Mei remained silent, as if she had fallen into a withdrawn state, and did not reply.
Her once bright and lively eyes were now dull gray, as if she had lost all hope, her gaze fixed blankly on empty space.
This can't continue.
Uchiha Kazuki frowned inwardly, then activated his Spirit Vision to observe the girl's emotional state.
Gray, silent, and despairing—like a lifeless, stagnant sea without the slightest emotional ripple. Her aura, which should have been pure and vibrant, now seemed completely faded.
If left unchecked, she'll only continue sinking into despair. Uchiha Kazuki sighed softly, rubbing his slightly furrowed brow.
Although he could simply walk away, this whole tragedy stemmed from his involvement. Besides, Mei Terumi had helped him—he felt obligated to offer some assistance at least.
"Are you planning to remain silent forever, or are you going to pull yourself together and avenge your deceased loved ones?"
Uchiha Kazuki subtly wove a psychological suggestion into his words, finally evoking a reaction in Mei Terumi. A small glimmer of light appeared in her eyes.
"I can give you two choices." He paused slightly, seeing Mei Terumi raise her head with confused eyes, and continued. "The first choice: I send you to a safe place and help you completely forget your hatred, so you can live peacefully there without dwelling in painful memories."
Forget my hatred?
Deep confusion filled Mei Terumi's eyes. She lowered her head, staring at her clenched fists, and murmured, "But... can hatred really be forgotten?"
At that moment, the tragic image of her grandmother being tortured to death flashed through her mind.
No!
Why would I?!
Hatred shouldn't be forgotten—it must be washed away with blood! Her heart burned with rage!
"I don't want to! I don't want to forget!"
Mei Terumi's eyes blazed with fury, the flames of hatred twisting within her. Clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white, she gritted her teeth and declared, "I want revenge! I want revenge for Grandma!"
"But this path will be incredibly difficult."
Looking at the flames of hatred burning in the girl's eyes, Uchiha Kazuki adjusted his glasses and said softly, "Are you truly confident enough to walk this blood-stained path of the shinobi?"
Mei Terumi straightened her back, her gaze unwavering as she looked directly at him without a trace of retreat or fear.
At this moment, silence spoke louder than words—perhaps a silent resolve was more powerful than a thousand promises.
"I understand your determination."
Uchiha Kazuki nodded slightly. "In that case, come with me, Mei."
Unexpectedly, Mei Terumi shook her head, biting her lip, and firmly refused him. "No, ninja-nii-san. I want to stay in Kirigakure!"
"Oh?" This was somewhat unexpected. Uchiha Kazuki raised an eyebrow, immediately intrigued. "You want to stay in Kirigakure? Can you tell me why?"
"I want to change this country!" Mei Terumi seemed to have made up her mind, her eyes suddenly bright as she spoke word by deliberate word. "There are many people living here, just like us, experiencing this same suffering. I want to change all of this. I don't want... I don't want anyone else to suffer the same tragedy as me!"
Her words were shocking!
Who would have thought that such a bold ambition would come from the mouth of a little girl?
"How do you plan to change things?"
Uchiha Kazuki was genuinely surprised, though considering that Mei Terumi would become the Fifth Mizukage in the future, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
"I... I don't know yet."
Despite her bold declaration, when asked about specific implementation methods, Mei Terumi was at a complete loss.
"Then go and discover the answer, in your own way."
Uchiha Kazuki extended a finger and touched her forehead. "Since you've chosen to stay, I respect your decision."
Feeling a cool sensation on her brow, Terumi Mei touched her forehead, looking at him in confusion. "Ninja-nii-san... what is this?"
"A gift."
Uchiha Kazuki ruffled the girl's hair affectionately, smiling gently. "This gift will help you better integrate into Kirigakure. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish."
Sensing a hint of farewell in his words, Terumi Mei panicked. "Ninja-nii-san, are you leaving?"
"Time is almost up, Mei."
Uchiha Kazuki shook his head, then nodded. "What's standing here is just a Shadow Clone of mine. It will soon run out of chakra and disperse. Since you've chosen to stay, this is all I can do to help. The rest of the journey is up to you alone."
Terumi Mei lowered her head in disappointment, clutching her clothes tightly. "Then... will I ever see you again?"
"Of course."
Uchiha Kazuki chuckled, his words carrying a deeper meaning. "Though our paths may differ, our destinations are the same."
"Then, let's make a promise!"
Suddenly, Mei Terumi looked up, her reddened eyes brimming with tears as she pouted and extended her little finger. "When we meet again, I will definitely have become an excellent kunoichi, and I'll change Kirigakure's policies so that everyone can live in an equal and safe country!"
The girl's clear, bright eyes made Uchiha Kazuki smile warmly. He reached out and hooked his finger with hers. "Alright, we promise. When we meet again, Mei Terumi will definitely have become an excellent kunoichi."
"Pinky promise, can't be broken for a hundred years!"
"Hmm?"
As he walked through the snowy landscape, Uchiha Kazuki suddenly stopped, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"Kazuki-sama, what's wrong?" White Zetsu asked, puzzled, as he popped his head out of the ground.
"It's nothing."
Uchiha Kazuki shook his head, glanced back at the distance behind them, and said softly, "I just suddenly thought of something interesting."
White Zetsu scratched his head, indicating that he didn't understand Kazuki's thoughts.
However, he didn't particularly care. After spending time together, he had roughly figured out some aspects of Uchiha Kazuki's personality.
"Kazuki-sama, according to Yakushi Nono's intelligence, the Three-Tails is sealed at the bottom of that lake up ahead." White Zetsu pointed to a massive lake that could already be seen in the distance and chuckled mischievously. "But Kazuki-sama, are we really going to do this? Isn't it a bit too... audacious?"
Standing still, Uchiha Kazuki narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the lake frozen over by the blizzard, and said calmly, "Isn't this exactly what the Hokage wanted?"
White Zetsu wisely shut his mouth, but in his heart, he silently mourned for the Third Hokage for half a second, hoping that the old man wouldn't be so enraged that he'd cough up blood after hearing the news.
"Let's go, White Zetsu."
Uchiha Kazuki walked toward the frozen lake, the tomoe in his Sharingan swirling before transforming into a four-pointed pinwheel pattern—the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Let's go cause some chaos!"
[End of Chapter 97]
[Power Stone Goal: 500 = +2 Chapters]
[Review Goal: 10 = +1 Chapter]
If you liked it, feel free to leave a review.
20+ chapters ahead on P2treon DarkFoxx