*Chapter 102: The Beautiful Mei Terumi*

"What if he still wants to kill me?" Aizen asked innocently.

"Then let Aizen-kun handle it, as long as you spare his life," came the response.

After all, it took years to nurture this vessel. Even though it had lost its value as a container, there was still some emotional attachment.

If possible, he didn’t want Kimimaro to die here.

"Alright then, I'll give you that courtesy," Aizen said.

As he spoke, Aizen vanished into thin air and reappeared in front of Kimimaro with his Zanpakuto in hand. He habitually reversed his grip on the sword and activated Kyoka Suigetsu.

Kimimaro believed he had seen through Aizen's illusion. He formed a bone spear in his hand and charged forward without hesitation, piercing Aizen's chest.

However, in the next second, Aizen's body shattered into countless cherry blossom petals.

By the time Kimimaro realized what had happened, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He looked down to see his chest stained red with blood. Even the bone armor embedded beneath his skin after activating the curse mark had been shattered, revealing a horrifying, gaping wound.

The cherry blossom petals reformed into Aizen’s figure. He sheathed his sword and walked leisurely towards the manor, never once looking back at Kimimaro.

"He's really something else," Kimimaro muttered as Aizen’s figure faded into the distance. His curse mark deactivated, his consciousness blurred, and he collapsed to the ground.

Perhaps only he knew that even without using illusions, Aizen’s raw physical ability alone could have ended the fight.

The wound on his chest was proof of that.

At this moment, Orochimaru and Kabuto approached.

Kabuto checked Kimimaro's condition, finding that he was still alive. As he used medical ninjutsu to treat him, he said, "Orochimaru-sama, could Aizen's illusions really be this powerful? Even in his cursed form, Kimimaro was defeated so easily..."

Orochimaru didn't respond, but his fists clenched. His desire to obtain the Sharingan grew stronger.

He was certain that if he could acquire the Sharingan, Aizen's illusions would no longer pose a threat to him.

---

*Kirigakure Village.*

*The Mizukage's Office.*

Mei Terumi's green eyes shone brightly, her silky, reddish-brown hair cascaded down her back, and her full, pink lips contrasted with her fair, flawless skin. She wore a blue strapless dress, cinched at the waist with a white belt, and her nails were painted deep blue.

It had been four years since Aizen stole her first kiss.

Even at nearly thirty, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi was still as stunning as ever.

She looked like a young woman in her early twenties, untouched by the passing of time. Thanks to the pure gold’s effect, the years hadn’t left a single mark on her. In fact, the experience of leadership had only added a mature and noble grace to her beauty.

During these four years, she had met with Aizen a few more times.

The earliest encounter happened three years ago when Aizen accidentally walked in on her while she was bathing. Furious, she chased him for days with a group of her men.

But she failed to catch him, and instead, Aizen took advantage of the situation, nearly having his way with her.

Their most recent encounter was just a month ago when Aizen came to the Land of Water on a mission, and they fought once again.

---

Mei glanced at the scroll in her hand, then at Zabuza and Haku, who were tied up in front of her by the Kirigakure Anbu.

She felt a surge of frustration.

That rascal! She had been wanting to capture him for so long.

She wanted to lock him up, bind his limbs, and torment him to her heart’s content to avenge her past humiliation.

Yet instead, Aizen handed her two rogue ninjas, claiming that Kirigakure was short on talent and he was providing her with help.

Taking a deep breath, Mei suppressed her anger and finally spoke, "Untie them. Everyone else, leave."

The Anbu hesitated. Ao, the "Byakugan Slayer," spoke up, "Mizukage-sama, isn't this too dangerous? After all, Zabuza once tried to assassinate the previous Mizukage."

"Are you saying my words no longer carry weight?" Mei's eyebrows shot up.

"No, of course not," Ao responded respectfully. He untied Zabuza and Haku, then left the office with the others.

At this point, Zabuza and Haku finally relaxed a little. It seemed Aizen really did know the Fifth Mizukage.

Mei looked them up and down. When her gaze landed on Haku, her eyebrows raised slightly as she asked, "Is this scroll really from that bastard?"

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Zabuza and Haku answered respectfully.

"And did he say anything to you? Any message?" Mei pressed.

"Well... no, not really," the two replied, shaking their heads.

"That bastard..." Mei tightened her grip on the scroll.

Suddenly, Haku remembered something and added, "Aizen-sama did say he would borrow the Executioner’s Blade for a while and return it later."

"Later?" Mei's face flushed slightly as her hand gently touched the pure gold ring hidden at her chest. Her expression softened a bit. "Alright then, Zabuza, from today onward, I grant you a pardon and restore your status in Kirigakure."

Due to the previous Mizukage's "Bloody Mist" policies, the village had yet to recover its strength.

Considering your past crimes, I cannot let you go unpunished. Therefore, I demote you to the rank of Genin. You will start from the bottom. Any objections?"

"Thank you, Mizukage-sama," Zabuza nodded gratefully.

To him, it made no difference whether he was a Genin or a Jonin. With his strength, it was only a matter of time before he regained his rank.

"As for you, Haku..." Mei turned her gaze to Haku, her tone thoughtful, "You, like me, possess a Kekkei Genkai. Would you like to become my disciple?"

Mei knew exactly what kind of man Aizen was. There was no way he had done this out of the goodness of his heart for someone like Zabuza.

It was definitely because of this impossibly beautiful girl.

So, Mei decided to take Haku as her student, just to be safe.

"Become your disciple...? But..." Haku hesitated and looked toward Zabuza, as she already had a master.

"Go ahead, Haku," Zabuza urged, patting her on the shoulder. "With your talent, you'll grow even more under Mizukage-sama's guidance."

Seeing Zabuza’s approval, Haku couldn’t refuse and finally accepted.

After Zabuza and Haku left, Mei smiled, satisfied. She was already imagining Aizen's reaction when he learned that Haku had become her disciple.