Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 480 The Death of Mei Terumi

"Mei Terumi, what are you doing? That's the Daimyo family!"

Mei Terumi turned around, looked at the Jonin, and smiled slightly. "So what if you're a Daimyo? As expected, a Daimyo is also made of flesh and blood, no different from an ordinary person."

"I think you've gone mad, you're really mad!" the old ninja shouted sternly. On the deck, the other ninjas who had rushed over after hearing the commotion looked at each other in dismay, and then retreated one after another.

Just then, the planks on the boat came to life, sprouting splinters that instantly pierced through them.

Screams echoed across the sea, only to be swallowed by the waves in an instant, turning the seawater a glaring red.

Mei Terumi froze, and then a pitcher plant-shaped, half-black and half-white human face emerged from the wooden board behind her.

"Mei Terumi, I formally invite you to join the Akatsuki organization. Individual strength is limited; you alone cannot take revenge."

Revenge? Joining Akatsuki, even as a messenger he's this powerful, the experts there must all be incredibly strong.

She admitted that for a fleeting moment, she was genuinely tempted. Joining Akatsuki would at least mean having someone to rely on, at least she wouldn't have to shoulder everything alone.

But the next second, she laughed: "Forget it."

She smoothed her long hair, which was ruffled by the sea breeze, and leaned against the ship's railing: "Perhaps the ninja village should have been destroyed long ago. Over the years, I've been thinking, what would I be doing now if I weren't the Mizukage?"

She looked up at the sky, a glimmer in her eyes: "Find a man to marry, have a bunch of kids, spend your days around the stove, ironing clothes for your husband, cooking for the kids, living a simple, ordinary life. Doesn't that sound incredibly unambitious?"

Black Zetsu's smile froze. He hadn't expected that after losing everything, Mei Terumi's thoughts weren't revenge, nor a comeback, but rather—marriage?

"You know you can't do it. The ninja world won't let you go, the Land of Waterfall won't let you go, those people won't let you live the life you want."

"So what? At least I've thought about it, at least I know what I want."

Black Zetsu didn't speak again. His body suddenly sprang up from the sea, and his black tentacles shot towards Mei Terumi like arrows.

Mei Terumi was prepared. Just as the tentacles were about to strike her, she leaped into the sea and vanished without a trace.

Just as Black Zetsu was about to give chase, a voice rang out: "Water Release: Mist Concealment Technique".

A thick fog instantly enveloped the sea, so thick that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

What angered him even more was that Black Zetsu's sensory abilities were interfered with by this simple ninjutsu.

After the fog dissipated, he tried to capture Mei Terumi's chakra, but she had already vanished without a trace.

"Damn it." Black Zetsu cursed under his breath, "Their home has been destroyed, yet they don't think about revenge. Women really are indecisive."

He immediately turned around and sank beneath the surface of the sea: "But it doesn't matter, whether she's there or not, it won't make much of a difference."

His most pressing task right now is to immediately notify the other two to cease their actions. With Hyuga Kagami arriving, the plan to collect the Six-Tails can be temporarily shelved.

-

On another island, Terumi Mei climbed ashore from the sea, soaking wet, her hair plastered to her face, and her clothes dripping seawater.

She lay sprawled on the beach, gasping for breath.

If she hadn't laid down the Mist Concealment Technique on the sea surface beforehand, if she hadn't been so familiar with the currents of this sea area, if Black Zetsu hadn't been so arrogant... she would already be a corpse by now.

"Heh, in the end, I'm all alone after all."

She rolled over and lay on her back, looking up at the sky above her.

The sky was high and clear, with a few white clouds drifting slowly by.

"That's good. I can finally unload this burden and live in anonymity."

She closed her eyes and searched her mind for a suitable place to live in seclusion.

The Land of Fire is out of the question, it's too close, and we could be recognized by the people of Konoha at any time; the Land of Lightning is out of the question, it has already been swallowed up by the Land of Waterfall; we can't go back to the Land of Water, and the Land of Tea is even worse, it's enemy territory; the Land of Iron... how long can we stay there?

After much thought, I couldn't find a single safe place to go.

She sighed softly and was about to get up when a voice suddenly came from behind her.

Mei Terumi suddenly turned her head and saw a young monk standing on the beach, wearing a gray robe, barefoot, with his hands clasped together, a faint smile on his face, and a handsome face.

"Who are you?"

The monk smiled slightly: "My Buddhist name is Cixian. Would you be willing to join us, benefactor?"

Mei Terumi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Monk, do you want me to become a nun, or do you plan to leave the monastic life and marry me?"

Cixian said, "No, it's for a greater ideal."

Mei Terumi's smile gradually faded, and she slowly stepped back: "Then forget it. I don't have such lofty ambitions. Right now, I just want to be a good wife and mother and live an ordinary life."

The monk sighed, "That's a real shame. It seems you can only become material for my research. Mahakala."

Mei Terumi turned and ran, but the world before her eyes was plunged into complete darkness in an instant.

It wasn't the darkness of night, but a void devoid of light, sound, and air.

She opened her mouth wide, trying to breathe, but her lungs couldn't take in a single ounce of oxygen.

She struggled desperately, trying to form hand seals and perform ninjutsu, but the chakra within her body remained completely still.

A dozen minutes later, her consciousness began to fade.

Half an hour later, she stopped struggling.

Cixian raised his hand, releasing the corpse from the alternate dimension, and said to the masked man who suddenly appeared behind him, "This material is yours."

The masked man bowed slightly: "Rest assured, I will transform it into the most perfect artificial organism."

"Don't do anything out of line recently. Your identity has been discovered. Get out of here as soon as possible."

"Understood, Chief!"

A few days later, the first perfect android was born. Its appearance was still that of Mei Terumi, but it no longer had Mei Terumi's memories, and its hair color had turned pure black.

It inherited the original abilities of lava and acid release, and its abilities were greatly enhanced, advancing from bloodline limit to divine art; in addition, it also has the ability to completely transform into liquid water and become immune to most attacks.

He named the artificial human Cihang Jingzhai.

On the other side, Black Zetsu was furious and cursing, while Six-Tails, having been tamed by Hyuga Kagami, even turned against them.

Also traveling with them were Onoki and Kyoto. Onoki, that stubborn old man, was so foolish as to take the initiative to challenge the other.

If he hadn't intervened in time to save the other party, that old man would probably have perished in the Water Kingdom along with his dull-witted son.

"Foolish, foolish, utterly foolish!"

Onoki remained unconvinced: "I was merely careless for a moment and was tricked and controlled by him! If given the chance, I would unleash my Dust Release..."

Black Zetsu quickly interrupted, "Stop bragging! Hyuga Mirror is immune to chakra attacks unless you master Sage Mode!"