Tap. Tap. Tap.
Deep within Kirigakure, the sound of high heels striking broken stone and muddy water rang out crisply.
Mei Terumi glanced back at the mountain-like Tailed Beast looming overhead.
The hesitation in her heart gradually vanished.
A look of determination appeared on her face.
At this point, if she still refused to make a decision, the entire heart of Kirigakure would be destroyed.
For a village that had already suffered years of the Bloody Mist policy, such losses were completely unbearable.
Roar! Roar!
Behind her came another suffocating roar from the Three-Tails, filled with destruction and madness.
But the future Fifth Mizukage no longer had the luxury of paying attention.
Within her emerald-green eyes, there was only a single figure reflected—
The small figure standing lazily before the terrifying Tailed Beast.
Uchiha Kai.
She would walk forward.
Step by step.
One step after another.
Until she stood before him and personally said those words.
Tap.
She walked quickly.
And steadily.
Her mature, curvaceous figure was partially visible beneath her torn blue top.
Her snow-white shoulders were stained with mud and blood.
Yet somehow it didn't make her look messy.
Instead, it added a sense of tragic beauty.
The closer she got to Kai, the more resolute her expression became.
There was no despair.
No panic.
No hesitation.
Only the determination of someone making a desperate gamble.
Thunk.
Finally, she arrived before him.
And stopped.
The two Uchiha were watching her with interest.
Neither made a move.
"Strange. Instead of running for her life, why is she coming over here?"
Kai tilted his head curiously.
Of course, he had no intention of stopping her.
To be fair—
After spending so much time surrounded by little girls, suddenly seeing such a mature, fully-developed beauty was rather pleasing to the eye.
After all, from his adult perspective, flat little girls held absolutely no attraction whatsoever.
At best, someone like Temari, who had started developing a bit, could be considered attractive.
As for the original Hinata and her younger sister?
They were still tiny little children!
He wasn't a lolicon.
But Mei Terumi, at twenty-something years old, was at exactly the age where both her appearance and figure had fully blossomed.
Young.
Mature.
And absolutely stunning.
"Huu..."
Mei Terumi slowly exhaled.
Her heaving chest gradually settled.
At such close range, she could clearly see the tiny hairs on Kai's face.
She could even smell a faint milky fragrance mixed with sunlight.
A scent unique to children.
"Strange... do boys his age still smell this soft?"
Without realizing it, Mei silently added another reason to her decision.
Then—
In full view of everyone.
In front of the gigantic Three-Tails still gathering power behind them—
Thud!
Without any hesitation, Mei Terumi dropped to both knees on the cold, wet rubble.
The sharp stones instantly tore through her skin.
Fresh blood seeped through her fishnet stockings.
Staining the edges crimson.
The already battered beauty gained an even more tragic elegance.
She paid no attention to her injured knees.
Her gaze remained fixed on Kai.
Her chest rose and fell more violently.
Her beautiful face grew paler.
"Lord Kai!"
She used an honorific.
Her voice trembled slightly.
But her determination was unwavering.
"Please!"
"Please save Kirigakure!"
"Save the villagers!"
"They're innocent!"
"This is the center of the village!"
"If the Three-Tails fully rampages here, the casualties will be unimaginable!"
"Oh?"
Kai lowered his head thoughtfully.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
As expected of a future Kage.
With only a few observations, she had correctly guessed that he possessed the ability to stop the Three-Tails.
And regardless of their age difference.
Regardless of their identities.
She had chosen to kneel immediately.
Without enough courage and decisiveness, very few people could do such a thing.
Hearing his response, Mei's expression faltered briefly.
The determination in her eyes wavered for a moment.
Then it solidified once more.
Her voice grew louder.
Filled with desperate sincerity.
"As long as you're willing to help..."
"As long as you're willing to save Kirigakure from this disaster..."
"I..."
"I, Mei Terumi..."
"I'm willing to do anything!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she grabbed the remains of her already-tattered deep-V blue dress.
Rip!!!
The sound of tearing cloth echoed through the battlefield.
The already damaged outfit was ripped apart even further.
Large patches of smooth, snow-white skin were revealed.
Her slender neck.
Her delicate collarbones.
The alluring curves beneath.
And most eye-catching of all—
The black fishnet stockings, already torn in several places, seemed so fragile that they might rip completely with a single touch.
Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself even further.
Her voice trembled.
Yet remained firm.
Her face carried both tragic resolve and a seductive vulnerability she herself hadn't realized she possessed.
The beauty of something broken.
The beauty of someone willing to sacrifice everything.
She lowered her head completely.
And spoke softly:
"My everything..."
"Belongs to you."
Hiss!
The impact of this scene was no less shocking than the raging Three-Tails itself.
In fact—
It completely overshadowed the Tailed Beast.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Future Sasuke suddenly choked violently.
He nearly died from his own saliva.
The arm he had just raised froze in midair.
His Sharingan and Rinnegan shut tightly.
He immediately looked away.
Not looking.
Absolutely not looking.
But an overwhelming sense of absurdity and self-doubt filled his heart.
He glanced sideways at the little brat who only reached his chest.
Then the feeling became even stronger.
What the hell was wrong with this timeline?!
By all logic—
Even if someone wanted to offer themselves to a powerful protector—
Shouldn't they be looking at him?!
Wasn't he the mature, brooding, handsome wandering swordsman here?!
Didn't that beat his second brother's current child form by at least ten thousand times?!
And didn't he obviously look like the stronger one?!
Yet this stunning woman had chosen Kai!
He honestly couldn't tell whether her eyesight was incredible or completely broken.
Suddenly, he thought of the Mei Terumi from his own era.
Then he remembered the baby-faced Fourth Mizukage Yagura from earlier.
And all at once—
Understanding dawned upon him.
Or perhaps...
Maybe Kirigakure's taste in men...
Was simply this strange.
Maybe they really preferred little boys like Kai.
Sasuke felt his worldview crumbling.
His values shaking.
"...When I get back..."
"...maybe I should discuss this with Naruto."
"...see if we can pass some sort of protection law."
He vaguely remembered Kai mentioning something similar before.
Something called...
Something called...
"Oh right!"
"The Minor Protection Act!"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/SorenSwiftTL (replace @ with a)