Chapter 80: A Tsundere Through and Through!
Oborotsuki's words truly struck a chord deep in Terumī Mei's heart.
Kirigakure was still severely weakened from the Bloody Mist era. Even now, the village had not fully recovered its peak combat strength.
On top of that, several clans in the surrounding areas still harbored deep hostility toward Kirigakure.
While the village appeared to be thriving and lively on the surface, the actual situation was far more precarious than it looked.
Terumī Mei carried immense pressure every single day—one of the main reasons she worked overtime constantly.
Moreover, as a dual-kekkei-genkai user herself, Mei understood very well just how powerful kekkei genkai could be.
Theoretically, Oborotsuki was right.
If Kirigakure could master Yekura's Scorch Release, the boost to the village's overall combat power would be immeasurable…
"Are you confident?"
Thinking this, she hesitated, shifting her gaze from Oborotsuki's face to Orochimaru's.
"Heh heh…"
Orochimaru gave his signature sinister chuckle. That hoarse, meaningful laugh made Mei feel deeply uncomfortable.
"Scorch Release and Wood Release are different kekkei genkai. I might be able to solve most of the technical problems in replicating that power, but other aspects will depend entirely on Kirigakure itself."
Orochimaru said with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
Mei frowned and turned to Oborotsuki.
"Orochimaru, stop beating around the bush."
Oborotsuki glanced at him.
The wicked smile on Orochimaru's face immediately disappeared under that single look:
"To conduct the experiments, we need to screen suitable test subjects in the early stages. I have to understand the mechanism of Scorch Release cells first."
"In other words… we need a large number of test subjects. Heh heh… Can Kirigakure afford that kind of cost?"
After Orochimaru finished speaking, he once again revealed his sinister smile.
Mei's expression instantly grew heavy.
"You're talking about living human subjects, aren't you?"
She asked hesitantly.
"Cells in dead bodies don't continue to divide."
As soon as Orochimaru said this, the atmosphere in the room became stiflingly silent.
A moment later, Mei made her decision.
"I refuse."
She shook her head seriously.
"The current situation in Kirigakure no longer allows us to casually risk the lives of our shinobi."
"Even more so for civilians."
"If Kirigakure shinobi are off-limits, then enemies are fair game."
"Today's Kaguya clan—if we hadn't killed them, we would have had more than a hundred test subjects…"
At this moment, Oborotsuki spoke with a meaningful smile.
Mei paused, stunned, and looked at him in disbelief:
"You mean…"
"Exactly. Since there are still many clans that harbor hatred and hostility toward Kirigakure, why not let them contribute to the village's military growth?"
Oborotsuki nodded earnestly.
He wasn't joking.
Keeping Yekura alive wasn't just about his own rewards—it was also crucial for the grand plan of reviving the Hōzuki clan.
Those clans had been given benefits and promises, yet they still refused to return to Kirigakure.
Worse, some of them were plotting rebellion—trying to overthrow the village from within!
In that case, sacrificing a few enemies was nothing.
After listening to Oborotsuki, Mei fell silent again for a short while.
Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded at him:
"That approach… is feasible."
"In that case, I need you to come with me to explain this to Master Gen."
Saying this, Mei glanced at Orochimaru.
Oborotsuki gave a slight smile. He let out a quiet sigh of relief in his heart.
Now he could finally keep Yekura alive openly and legitimately.
…
Master Gen was already advanced in years and had long since retired from village affairs.
Only because of the chaos caused by the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's condition had the villagers pulled him back to stabilize the situation.
After hearing Mei and Oborotsuki's full explanation, Master Gen immediately expressed full support for their plan. As for the daimyō of the Land of Water—he would personally handle the negotiations.
With that, the issue was completely resolved.
After leaving Master Gen's residence, Oborotsuki and Mei went to a late-night diner for supper and then to an izakaya for a few drinks.
Of course, during this time Mei asked many questions about Orochimaru, Sasori, and Akatsuki.
Oborotsuki answered smoothly and thoroughly, finally putting her mind completely at ease.
"Sorry, Oborotsuki…"
Mei raised her glass toward him with a soft smile.
"Sorry for what?"
"I misunderstood you before. I didn't realize you were doing so much for the village."
"But next time you make a big decision like this… please tell me in advance… don't keep me completely in the dark…"
Already slightly intoxicated, Mei downed the rest of her drink in one go.
Looking at the tipsy beauty before him—her thick, waterfall-like hair half-covering one side of her face, giving her a mysterious, captivating allure—Oborotsuki felt a little dazed.
"You're drunk. Let me take you home."
He stood up, walked over, and gently supported Mei. Instantly, the refreshing fragrance of her hair filled his senses.
"Please help me more in the future… Oborotsuki…"
"The village is so big… I feel like I can't handle everything on my own…"
Mei murmured softly under the influence of alcohol. Her beautiful eyes were hazy, and as she looked at Oborotsuki, a strange light flickered within them.
This man always said he didn't care about the village.
Always claimed he wanted nothing to do with its affairs.
Yet in reality… he had been quietly doing so much for Kirigakure all along…
"He's clearly doing it for Kirigakure… what a tsundere guy."
Mei secretly giggled to herself. That thought instantly showed on her face.
But to Oborotsuki, her slightly drunken expression only made her look even more enchanting.
"Things like that should just be left to Risa."
"I'm not really interested…"
Oborotsuki replied to Mei while gently supporting her as they left the izakaya.
Leaving the semi-enclosed space and stepping into the open street, the cool night breeze hit them, refreshing and invigorating—yet also stirring certain feelings.
Oborotsuki glanced at Mei beside him. By now, she was drowsy, her head unconsciously leaning against his shoulder.
He felt a surge of excitement. Could tonight finally be the night he claimed the beauty?
"Oborotsuki… take me back to the office."
"There's still a lot of work left. I won't be going home tonight…"
Just as Oborotsuki's imagination was running wild, Mei suddenly spoke.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether she was truly drunk or just pretending.
Oborotsuki didn't care either way. The arrow was already on the string—true drunk or fake drunk, it didn't matter now.
His hand slowly moved downward.
Just as it was about to reach simple happiness, Mei suddenly "woke up." Her body subtly shifted away from him.
She held her head and shook it lightly:
"Brat… trying to take advantage while I'm drunk? Careful, or I'll send you flying…"
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