A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-[ ]
-Lord_Clamiral
-Cain
-Shahzaam
-Goha21
-Splendid
-Jacob Mooe
-Varun Madhu
-sean collins
-Mp Gaming
-Paul Panzer
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
A person skilled in Lightning Release and with decent taijutsu abilities…
Isn't that just Hatake Kakashi?
Though, the current Kakashi possesses Obito's Sharingan and is a Jonin of Konoha, so he should be slightly stronger than Ringo Ameyuri.
With this comparison, Midorima now had a more direct impression of Ameyuri's strength.
However, the two girls were sitting across from Midorima, and behind them, hidden in the room, was the Third Mizukage.
Being in the same room with beauties was undoubtedly a happy thing, but having two girls at once did make him feel a bit like sitting on pins and needles.
Moreover, the anxiety of worrying that someone might discover the Third Mizukage hiding behind the door felt like a cat stealing fish—except, who would consider an old man as the "stolen fish"?
This was torture…
No matter what Mei and Ruri talked about, Midorima always diverted a sliver of his attention to the door of the partitioned room. Especially when faint noises came from inside, his worry nearly killed him.
Meanwhile, Ruri and Mei were discussing how to deal with Ringo.
"If it were you, how would you handle her?" Midorima asked Mei.
"In the first few exchanges of the match, assess the opponent's strength. If they're slightly weaker, go on the offensive and suppress them. If they're stronger, strike first to catch them off guard and seize the initiative. If they're evenly matched, look for their mistakes. So, I'd need to fight Ameyuri first to devise a strategy. But no matter the opponent's strength, two things must always be remembered," Mei explained.
"What two things?" Midorima asked.
"First, don't have any preconceived notions about your opponent. Whether it's overconfidence or excessive insecurity, these psychological reactions will manifest on the battlefield."
"That's true."
Many people often understand that excessive insecurity can lead to defeat before the fight even begins, but they forget that overconfidence can lead to misjudgment. Once at a disadvantage, a mental collapse can happen in an instant.
Victories of the weak over the strong, or the lower over the higher, often occur because the stronger side's mentality crumbles.
Everyone knows this in theory, but when it happens to them, it's a different story.
"Second, I'm not familiar with Ameyuri, but if my opponent were you, I wouldn't give up until the very last moment. So, be prepared to fight to the end. On the battlefield, no one can help you," Mei said with concern.
No matter how others saw it, Mei believed that the most evenly matched pair in the first round was Midorima and Ameyuri.
This match was destined to be the most thrilling of the round—and also the most brutal.
"No problem," Midorima chuckled. "I've survived the rebellion in the Land of Snow. My experience might not compare to an ANBU's, but it's better than most ordinary shinobi. Though, I don't have any spare rooms here for resting, so you two…"
"Huh?" Mei was stunned, her face flushing as she lightly kicked Midorima. "What are you thinking? How could we possibly…"
She glanced outside the window—the sky was pitch black, indicating how late it was.
"Well… anyway, we've said what we needed to. Tomorrow, think carefully about how to handle the match. You're in the second round, so time isn't on your side."
Midorima twitched at her last words. He wasn't the national football team—how was time running out?
After seeing the two girls off, Midorima finally let out a long sigh of relief and hurried to the partitioned room. He slid open the door to find the Third Mizukage already asleep on the floor, and only then did he feel a weight lift off his shoulders.
The Third's situation was urgent—after all, hiding in his house indefinitely wasn't a solution—but it couldn't be rushed either.
The shinobi he was close to were all relatively young. Among the older generation, the only one he knew was Shimomura.
Without connections, he had no influence. Forget uncovering the reason behind the Third's condition—he didn't even have a chance to bring the matter to light.
Or, in a worse-case scenario, someone might use the Third's situation to drag him down.
He couldn't speak for others, but Midorima was certain that someone like Igawa would be more than interested.
So, for now, he had no choice but to keep moving forward.
---
Early the next morning, Midorima woke up and instructed the Third not to leave the house no matter what. Then, he headed to the training grounds in the mountains.
With 76 out of 100 participants eliminated, only about 20 remained. The training areas were suddenly much emptier, making it easy to find a secluded spot.
Without knowing Ameyuri's full capabilities, it was hard for Midorima to train with a specific counter-strategy. He could only practice his own techniques, such as trying to combine Wave Riding Strike with Lightning Raid.
In any case, he would do everything within his power. Whatever the outcome, he could accept it.
Of course, the best result would be defeating Ameyuri.
"Hey—"
Just as Midorima executed a Wave Riding Strike, a voice suddenly came from above.
He looked up to see a female shinobi with reddish-brown long hair sitting on a tree branch, holding an apple and smiling down at him.
Ringo Ameyuri?
"Miss Ameyuri, isn't it a bit inappropriate to openly spy on your opponent like this?" Midorima asked.
"You've seen me before?" Ameyuri jumped down from the tree.
"You're quite famous, Miss Ameyuri," Midorima said, wiping his sweat.
After training for hours, he was drenched.
"Actually, I don't need to spy on you," Ameyuri wagged her finger. "I watched your match against Akimoto Ruri. You're stronger than her, but not stronger than me. Still, I hate that we're meeting in the first round. The best delicacies should be saved for last."
This was Ameyuri's philosophy—one that remained unchanged even after being reanimated by Edo Tensei.
"Not necessarily," Midorima disagreed. "Human life is finite. What if you don't live long enough to enjoy those delicacies? So, it's better to savor them early."
"Save them for last," Ameyuri's smile faded as she reaffirmed her stance.
Midorima shrugged.
This was like the never-ending debate between sweet and savory preferences—perhaps rooted in nothing more than personal taste, yet endlessly argued.
"By the way, you know I'm a medical ninja, right?" Midorima said.
"I know. What about it?" Ameyuri replied.
"My Water Release is also quite strong, isn't it?"
This time, Ameyuri hesitated, pondering before nodding. "I suppose?"
"You see, I'm both a medical ninja and skilled in other jutsu, which means I've achieved a certain level of mastery in both areas."
"Is there a connection between those two?" Ameyuri's face was full of question marks.
"There is," Midorima stated firmly. "I predict that within the next 10 years, you'll suffer from a serious illness. If you're not careful, it could be life-threatening. So sometimes, enjoying the best things early isn't a bad choice."
"So, you're very confident about tomorrow's match?" Ameyuri retorted. "After all, you said the best things should be enjoyed early."
"I'd say it's less about confidence and more about anticipation. If I win, I can advance further. If I lose, I can withdraw early and focus on other things."
"Anticipation?" Ameyuri tossed her apple into the air. "True. A good opponent is worth looking forward to. Then, let's both anticipate tomorrow's match."
She casually threw the apple to Midorima. "See you tomorrow."
As Ameyuri left, Midorima glanced at the apple in his hand—its surface marked by a ring of sharp teeth imprints.