"Was it still too much to ask for?"
From a distance, Senju Haruto stood calmly, observing the clash between Zabuza, Terumi Mei, and the others.
No matter what else could be said, Mei was still the Fifth Mizukage. Among the Five Kage, she might not have been the strongest, but she was far from someone an ordinary elite jōnin could ever hope to defeat. If that weren't the case, Zabuza's repeated coup attempts would not have failed time and again.
Even so, faced with Zabuza's burning desire to settle things once and for all with Mei, Haruto saw no reason to refuse him that chance.
He had come here to overturn the Land of Water, to further the momentum of unifying the entire shinobi world.
Whether Mei fell to Zabuza or someone else didn't matter to him in the slightest.
To others, she was the Mizukage.
To Haruto, she was nothing more than a woman.
And he had no interest in competing with a woman.
What did surprise him, though, was that even after allowing Zabuza to face Mei, and even after lending him Tenzo's support, they were still unable to match her strength.
Just as Haruto was about to sigh at the futility of it all, Zabuza suddenly completed a rapid sequence of forty hand seals. He seized upon the battlefield terrain Mei herself had created and turned it to his advantage, expanding the diameter of his Great Waterfall Technique until it reached nearly fifty meters across.
"Hhh…"
At Haruto's side, Uchiha Izumi drew in a sharp breath, her expression twisting in disbelief. The sheer scale of the ninjutsu was beyond reason.
Even as the Fifth Mizukage, Mei would surely not escape this unharmed.
"The Great Waterfall Technique, is it…"
Mei's eyes narrowed as she stared at the roaring waves spiraling toward her. Yet her face remained calm, unhurried.
No matter what, she was still the woman who bore the title of Mizukage.
"To think you could defeat me with a mere Water Release… how laughable."
A playful smile curved her lips as her hands blurred through seals, summoning forth a kekkei genkai even deadlier than Lava Release—Boil Release.
Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!
Within her body, Water and Fire chakra fused, then spewed from her mouth in the form of a searing, corrosive vapor. The cloud spread out in an instant, several times larger than her earlier Lava Release.
The temperature was extreme, capable of instantly evaporating anything it touched.
BOOM!
The mist collided violently with Zabuza's Great Waterfall. Though his technique was ferocious, it was as if it had struck an impenetrable wall, unable to advance an inch further.
Zabuza, Haku, Tenzo, and even Izumi—who had been silently observing—stared wide-eyed, stunned beyond belief.
To them, Zabuza's technique, empowered by the battlefield terrain, had been strong enough to enter the history books.
And yet… not only had it failed to overpower Mei, it couldn't even pierce through her Boil Release.
"Look out!"
Tenzo suddenly shouted in alarm.
Mei's boiling mist had not only nullified Zabuza's attack, it surged forward, continuing to expand. The sheer heat of it melted Haku's ice shield within seconds.
"Wood Release…"
Tenzo clenched his teeth, pouring his strength into raising a massive wooden barricade in a desperate attempt to block the mist.
But the intense heat of Boil Release was enough to evaporate seawater, shatter ice, and even reduce sturdy wood to nothingness in moments.
With no other choice, Zabuza, Haku, and Tenzo all fell back, step by step.
"Haa…"
Mei exhaled softly, wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I expected more from you all. Was this truly the best you had? Hmph."
Her cold snort carried clear disappointment as she looked at the men before her.
"Lord Haruto… allow me to go."
At last, Uchiha Izumi hesitated, then turned to Haruto, asking permission to join the fight.
"Forget it."
Haruto waved his hand dismissively without a second thought.
Yes, Izumi had grown considerably over the years, but she had only reached the level of the three-tomoe Sharingan. Mei's Boil Release, however, was a kekkei genkai powerful enough to melt even Susanoo.
If Zabuza, Haku, and Tenzo together couldn't hold her back, then whether Izumi joined or not made no difference.
"I had planned to remain the man in the shadows, quietly watching the play unfold…"
Haruto muttered dryly, then leapt into action.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Haruto descended onto the water's surface, his landing sending invisible shockwaves rippling outward in concentric waves.
Even Mei's expression faltered, shaken by the sheer pressure of his presence.
As for Zabuza and Tenzo, they immediately recognized his silhouette from behind.
"Lord Haruto…"
Zabuza's voice carried a hint of shame.
He had sworn to settle things with Mei on his own terms—yet in the end, he was no match for her strength.
"Zabuza, you underestimated Terumi Mei."
Haruto's tone carried no rebuke, only simple analysis. If Zabuza had won, it would have saved him some effort. But Mei had never relied on beauty to claim the Mizukage's seat.
This outcome was exactly what Haruto had expected.
"She commands three chakra natures, and not just one, but two kekkei genkai. Both of which directly counter Haku's Ice Release.
Losing to her is hardly surprising."
His words were spoken lightly, as though dissecting a simple fact, carrying no weight of intimidation.
"…And who exactly are you?"
Mei, however, was not so calm. Her eyes swept over Haruto from head to toe, her brow furrowed.
He seemed younger than both Zabuza and Tenzo. Yet judging from their deferential tone, his position and strength had to surpass theirs.
And his very entrance—the pressure in the air—only confirmed it.
"Senju Haruto."
He cut her speculation short with a faint glance.
"You're… Senju Haruto?"
Just the name alone sent Mei's heart lurching.
Years ago, when Ao had returned from the Land of Fire, he had spoken of how the Fourth Mizukage had perished at Haruto's hands.
The man who had inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release.
The man who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
A man like her…
One who possessed multiple kekkei genkai.
Her throat tightened as she swallowed nervously, for the first time in years feeling what it was like to stand before a true, overwhelming threat.
"Yes. The one who ended Yagura's reign."
Haruto's lips curved faintly upward as he folded his arms, standing relaxed, not at all eager to strike.
"This time, I've come to bring true peace to the shinobi world. Tell me, Mizukage—will you lend me your strength?"
"True… peace?"
Mei's expression hardened, unsure what to make of his words.
"In simple terms…"
Haruto's eyes glinted coldly.
"…the unification of the shinobi world—beginning with Kirigakure."