Under the dark sky, Mei, standing beyond the building that had just crumbled down, witnessed the sight of Kirigakure ahead of her.
For a week, she, locked in the cell, thought of numerous what-ifs.
Was this the best choice that she could make? Should she have succumbed to Yagura from the very start?
She just learned that her parents, the clan heads of the Terumi clan, have passed away. Zabuza was subdued, and by now, Ao as well, probably.
An inexplicable emotion rushed up, but Mei suppressed it, holding her face blank.
Underneath the rubble, hands, legs, and a variety of blood-covered body parts could be found.
Through this explosion, Mei effectively killed tens of ninjas who were guarding the office.
To achieve what she considered the peace for Kiri, she was committing a homicide.
'What difference is there between the feats Akashi committed and me?'
Mei couldn't help but chuckle dryly.
Now she understood why she dared to gamble on him helping them, even though everyone feared him; it was because the label of 'criminal' was meaningless in this world.
Nevertheless, she's come too far. Too many lives were sacrificed for her vision. One way or the other, they had to see the end of this.
"Terumi Mei!"
There they were—her enemies. That despicable Terumi Seiji was coming at her, with Seven Swordsmen and the others at his back.
Turning her head, Mei's eyes narrowed shrewdly. With the dark bags under her fatigue-containing eyes, she appeared more dangerous than her usually vibrant self.
"...Seiji."
"Give up! Everything is already over! You are surrounded, and there is nothing that you can do!"
Seiji grinned ferally as he shouted. He was certain in what he was saying.
Of course he would. He saw the despair in the eyes of Zabuza and Ao before he reached Mei; their reactions meant that they truly were out of cards to play.
Plan A was a straightforward rebellion by force. It was instantly shut down by the superior strength of the Swordsmen.
Plan B was for Mei to be freed and for the imprisoning orb to be retrieved.
Why did Mei explode the building? Why did she tell everyone that she was there through the explosion?
Really, there was only one answer.
From the start, there was no imprisoning orb in Seiji's office.
"Why would I leave such an important item in an obvious location, Mei? You will never be able to find it!"
One by one, the Swordsmen landed by Seiji's side, staring at Mei. Some expressed pity, while others were simply waiting, eagerly, for an upcoming bloodshed.
Even after all those fights and deaths they've gone through, their thirst for blood wasn't fully quenched.
"I will speak one more time. Surrender, Mei. You know that everything is over. A further struggle is futile. All your people have either died or been captured. Fighting any further in this state would simply raise the casualty—you wouldn't want that either, would you?"
Still, silence in response. Mei did nothing but stare at Seiji, enough for him to furrow his brows.
"Say something, woman!!"
Everyone was waiting for Seiji to give them an order. In particular, they were waiting for one obvious order, one that they were sure of that he would soon issue.
"...Terumi Seiji, traitor of the clan."
Finally, Mei spoke.
It was the coldest voice she ever mustered. There was a mix of killing intent as well.
Yes, Mei was enraged, unlike any before.
Yet, at the same time, she was composed.
"Indeed, I came here to look for that orb you mentioned."
"Exactly! And—"
"Now, I am certain of where you hid it."
"...What?"
Seiji frowned, not having expected Mei to say that.
"You are a pathetic man. From the first time I met you, you've always been pathetic. If someone like you, someone who never trusts anyone, were to hide something valuable, where else would it be if not your office?"
...In truth, everyone was wrong.
Contrary to what Terumi Seiji believed, contrary to what even Zabuza and Ao believed, there was one card up Mei's sleeve that she saved up until the last moment.
It was carefully arranged such that no one ever realized it. Now, Mei believed that it was time to use it.
"Juzo."
Everything happened in an instant as Mei called out the name.
Kubikiribocho was torn through Seiji's chest at the next moment before anyone could realize what had happened.
Seiji's eyes widened as they expressed panic. His mouth spilled out a lethal amount of blood.
"Biwa Juzo... you..."
Carrying Seiji's body, Juzo quickly reached Mei's side.
"...Mei-sama."
Life was fading out of Seiji's eyes. His mouth gurgled.
Mei stared at the pair despicably before shifting her eyes to his right arm, where a seal could be found.
"Juzo."
"Yes."
Taking a nick of Seiji's blood, Juzo pressed his blood-stained thumb on said seal.
With a puff, the imprisoning orb manifested. With shaky hands, Mei took hold of it.
Just as she did so, Seiji died, with his face wrinkled in disbelief.
Finally having regained their senses, the remaining four Swordsmen unsheathed their mystical swords.
"Juzo!!!"
Kushimaru growled.
"Why have you betrayed us?!!"
"Betray? Could it be considered a betrayal when I was on this side from the very start? Ever since the third Mizukage died?"
Juzo, standing up, snorted at the four.
"Look. I am sick and tired of this Bloody Mist. I'd rather go rogue than serve that monster we call Mizukage."
The bloodthirsty, fight-loving persona that Juzo always put up—all of it was nothing but an act.
"Bastard...!! I will rip you into shreds and feed them to a dog...!!!"
"Calm down, Kushimaru. Time is of importance right now."
Holding his hand up, Fuguki spoke.
"We mustn't let Terumi Mei shatter that orb. She is a ninjutsu specialist; her reaction cannot be fast enough to match ours."
Kushimaru calmed himself down.
Nodding, they, under the watch of Kiri ninjas behind them, dashed at Mei and Juzo.
"Nana!"
"...?!"
Mei called, and another voice then came forth from the side. The approaching Swordsmen were caught off guard.
"Ice Release: Ice Wall!"
Suddenly, a formidable ice wall grew out of the ground, right between the four Swordsmen toward Mei and Juzo.
"Fuck...!"
Fuguki swung Samehada, instantly shattering the wall.
However, there was a tiny gap of time provided.
Such an amount of time was enough for Mei to perform a simple action.
She dropped the imprisoning orb in her hands.
"NO...!!!"
Everyone watched as the orb fell without an interruption.
It touched the ground.
Then shattered.
"Tch...!"
The smoke began to swirl, centring the spot where the orb shattered.
With a troubled expression, the Swordsmen backed up with their guards up.
__________
The mysterious space of endless size was no longer plain.
Two beings could be seen.
One was a spirit-like sentient, Uzumaki Gentaro.
Another, an adult male, was seated cross-legged. His lone functional eye was closed as he focused.
"...I cannot believe it."
Gentaro whispered.
"A talent like this... I haven't seen someone as talented as this since..."
A face flashed in Gentaro's mind,
"Uchiha Madara...!"
Around the man, Akashi, numerous golden chains were circling. With their roots connected to his back, they were moving freely just as snakes slithered around; it was a magnificent view.
"...Hm?"
Akashi, feeling a disturbance, opened his eye. As he did so, the chains retracted back into his body.
Gentaro looked up.
"Ho...!"
There was a small crack above them. Said crack then began to spread around their entire surrounding.
The noise of cracks forming got louder gradually. Through the cracks, light could be seen.
Both of them knew what this meant; this space was about to collapse.
"...So this is where it ends."
Gentaro muttered.
"What will happen to you after?"
"Afterlife. What else?"
Gentaro let out a heartfelt laugh as he rubbed his beard.
"At last, after years of waiting, I am freed."
"Is that so?"
Akashi stood up. The two of them watched as the cracks continued to spread, illuminating the dark space with bright light.
"Young Akashi. Before you head out, I want you to listen to me."
Akashi turned to face Gentaro.
"Humans are inherently selfish. The values that exist in the world are subjective."
"..."
"There is no right or wrong in this world. There is nothing that you have to change. Simply... act on behalf of your well-being. The reason why I am leaving you with the task of finding our common enemy... is because I see in your eye, the deep hatred."
"Hatred... I remember hearing that it's a bad thing."
"So?"
Gentaro raised an eyebrow,
"Are you a saint?"
"Hah! No, I'm not."
Akashi laughed at that, recalling how he used to suffer mentally over the deaths he committed.
The light was intensifying even now.
Gentaro's form began to get engulfed in the light. His form began to get blurry in Akashi's vision.
"Live a life that you won't regret, Akashi. Be happy. That is... my one and only advice as the senior who's lived longer than you did."
"...That, I will remember."
Akashi replied, feeling free from his burdens.
"Thank you, Gentaro."
Gentaro nodded.
The light completely engulfed Akashi, forcing him to close his eye.
__________
Yagura sat in his throne, jolting off with his eyes closed and his cheek leaning into his hand.
"...Oh?"
Suddenly, his eyes opened.
"This chakra..."
An amused smile made its way onto his face.
"How many years has it been since I sensed someone as strong as me?"
__________
Within the smoke, a silhouette appeared.
The opposing Swordsmen and Kiri ninjas behind them flinched, then tensed—even though they already were tensed up.
A footstep was heard.
Kushimaru found himself sweating, profusely at that.
'What would've happened had Seiji not trapped Red Blade inside that orb?'
Such a thought has been running through his mind over and over again ever since his interaction with Akashi.
Now, the answer was about to be unveiled, as another footstep was heard.
"Akashi..."
Mei whispered, clearly relieved as she fell down to her knees.
"...Kuh,"
Juzo wiped his sweat.
"So this is the fabled shinobi who is known for defeating Hanzo of the Salamander."
Then, a third step.
The gust blew.
'A-Are my eyes playing with me?'
One of the Kiri ninjas' couldn't believe his eyes.
Red everywhere.
Looking up, he found the red moon.
Then he realized. All of this... was nothing but a hallucination... generated by nothing but a killing intent of the shinobi ahead of them.
"How nice it is to be free once more."
Akashi remarked impassively.
As he said so, some Kiri ninjas, shaking their hands, were about to bring their hands up to their necks, wishing to free themselves from this immense fear.
"CALM!! DOWN!!"
Then, a sharp shout came from Fuguki, bringing everyone out of the hallucination.
Looking closely, he seems to have bitten his lips, using a sharp pain to bring himself out of the wave of Akashi's killing intent.
Akashi then frowned.
"...Mei."
Turning as if not caring for the enemies at his front, he then asked,
"My seal on Hidan has gone off."
"H-Hidan."
Mei's face turned pale.
"He is on the northeastern side. Go check on him."
Akashi then glanced Juzo, who unconsciously swallowed his saliva.
"Take that man with you as well."
"Then... you will..."
Akashi made a slight smile.
"It looks like this village needs some thrashing by a rascal like me."
"...Truly, you will do it for us?"
Though it was a matter already discussed before, Mei needed an assurance.
Akashi was an outsider. He had no reason to save them. Even though they made a deal to give him a safe place, it was an easy demand to meet in comparison to the task they left to him.
Mei felt helpless. The gap in power was simply too huge. Akashi was their only hope now.
"You will, save this village? As an outsider? For us?"
"Save this village? No. For you? No as well."
Akashi threw a small scroll. Out of it, the black sword, Ryuma popped out.
"I am loading a huge debt on you. For myself."
Mei felt her heart dropping—not out of fear or surprise, but out of relief.
Her eyes teared up as she lowered her shaky hands.
"...Then, I will wait. And when all of this is over, you will no longer be the world's worst criminal, but..."
She slowly stood up. Collecting her breath, she revealed eyes containing hope,
"...The hero of the Mist."
The Bloody Mist was about to receive a bloody retribution.