V.1-C.44│Growth IV│

Mei found herself wanting nothing more than to stay, to stay with the people she is around with now. But she knew that this wouldn't last long.

It wouldn't last forever, at least it seemed to be that way as the war was something that seemed to agitate Kirigakure a bit. While she is still technically a part of Kiri, that doesn't mean she should show up right now.

It also mean that she would be restricted in what she is able to do, both with Konoha and in Kiri.

While she getting more powerful, powerful enough to start looking at the position she wants to get within Kiri, she also knows that there would probably be other fierce competitors in her way. She also knew that her having bloodline limits would contribute to those below her to make sure she doesn't become the Mizukage.

That is right, her dream is to become the Mizukage and create the change she wants to see. A massive dream and ambition for sure, but with each passing day, it becomes something much closer for her to reach out towards and grasp.

She wasn't just some weak little girl that comes from Kirigakure, only wanting to survive as her friends die around her, or for her because they wished not to fight her in that gruesome practice.

'Enough of those depressing thought, Mei.' She thought to herself, before she refocused on her current objective.

She wished to better her control over her bloodline limits, that centered over the control of specific elements. Fire, Earth and Water. Specifically, Lava Release needed great control over Fire and Earth, while Boil Release needed great control over Fire and Water.

The cross over here was Fire, so obviously she was a lot more in tune with said element, and when she discovered Obito's affinity for Fire, she joked that maybe there was something to them meeting after all.

Mei is a flirtatious person, and it seemed like she has set her sights on one person in particular. 'Heh, then there are those other two girls...' Mei thought of herself as a lot more beautiful and seductive in nature compared to Rin and Kurenai.

Not to say that she was necessarily against Rin or Kurenai. No, she had come to look at them as her friends, maybe even sisters in a sense. The same could be said for the other two individuals known as Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha.

She found herself wanting, more than ever, to stay.

Mei is calm, observant and perceptive and can pick up on slight discrepancies in another person's personality, something that she could only really develop in the very ruthless environment of Kirigakure.

By combining the earth and fire natures, she can spit out acidic mud that can melt almost anything in its path. The great amount of steam generated after the fluid strikes can serve as an effective smokescreen, allowing for a follow up attack while the enemy is distracted.

She wanted to do more with her current abilities, maybe even making things more corrosive, dangerous enough to melt through even the best of defenses.

Boil Release, allows her to simultaneously use water and fire natures to release a corrosive mist that can melt almost anything it touches. She also has the ability to alter the potency and acidity of the mist created by her Boil Release techniques, and remains unaffected by the mist herself.

This was the general gist of her current abilities, disregarding her skills with taijutsu, something that she has been improving on more so than most others. Her innate physical strength could probably be somewhat compared to the innate physical strength that Tsunade Senju had shown from a young age.

That's to say, her potential is immense.

A tall, slender girl with fair skin, she is. Green eyes, and waist-length, auburn hair, that is still growing down her back, and would probably go further, styled into a herringbone pattern at the back, a top-knot tied with a dark blue band, and with four bangs at the front.

Her bangs had still not developed past the point they have, also remaining the same. Her clothing even still was the same, and she was starting to get annoyed at having been compared to Kurenai.

It made her wonder if she would start up her very own change in appearance.

Mei was keeping track of Kirigakure and their position within the war, and they seemed to be having some minor conflicts out at sea. Some other conflicts and skirmishes that happen on the borders as well.

Mei also had been keeping track of the politics as best she could from outside of Kirigakure, knowing that she would need to keep her attention focused on things happening.

Three things of importance to look at is the population, economics and military levels all around. Even then, these factors aren't what decided fully who is dominant, as there will always be those 'hidden cards' the Hidden Villages keep away for special occasions.

Meaning, even if a village happens to be doing better than all the others, that didn't mean a thing when it comes to their actual strength. Even if one has amassed a large military, large enough to be considered the best of the best, it would probably still pale in the face of this special, 'hidden cards.'

Jinchuriki, and their Tailed Beasts, individuals with levels of power that come from their talent, individuals with special techniques, individuals that happen to have an overpowered bloodline limit. Or even an individual that just so happens to be the 'chosen one' and is destined to bring 'peace.'

That same individual that just so happened to be the reincarnation of a demi-god, making them even more so of a busted person to face against.

Laughing within, Mei smirked as she thought that was funny. 'Yeah right. Like there just so happens to be someone like that walking among us.' Mei thought, before she would be alerted to the presence of someone nearby.

That same presence had just sneezed, and as she whipped around to see said individual, it was Obito.

He had sneezed at her funny thoughts, or it at least looked like that. "Obito...?" Mei finally said in a questioning tone, unaware as to why Obito was here.

"Hey, Mei." Obito replied as he had come to the place she was at, which happened to be the area she liked to come away from most people. She liked to eat here, sometimes joined by Rin and Kurenai, but today she was alone.

Or at least she would've been. "Are you here to join me?" She asked as she had taken out some premade food.

"Sure." Obito sat down beside her, but he didn't seem to be having anything to eat.

"Are you not hungry?" She asked.

"No, no. I'm good." Obito replied, which was strange, but she didn't think anything more of it. A comfortable silence would befall the two of them, with Mei eating alone, which did make her feel as if she being selfish.

"You know, you can have some if you want." Mei said as she faced him with her own premade food in hand.

"Nah. I'm good." Obito replied again as he looked outwards into the forest, before adding. "Do you think that everything is going to be ok?" He asked her.

"Ok?" Mei asked.

"As in, do you think everyone will be fine." Obito seemed to be withholding something, but it wasn't like she didn't have her own ideas about what he is talking about.

"Well, I do believe that things will work out." Mei replied.

"Then I guess it will." Obito responded himself, before getting up after asking her that weird, but maybe normal question. "Now if your done, what do you want to do?" He asked her.

"..." She looked at him with no reply, straight into his eyes, and seeing the rest of his physical features, and she could strangely think that he was kind of cute looking. In fact, she saw through that cute factor, and looked right into the other things he has. "Lets... play." Mei smiled as she said this, getting up and taking his hand, leading him towards another area.

"Play?" He asked, being dragged along.

"A game from my village, if you will." She decided that she might as well enjoy the time she has with Obito, but then again... "By the way..." Coming to a stop, she had one last question. "Can you... can you use that space-time ninjutsu of yours... to visit me in Kirigakure?"

Obito didn't even hesitate before replying. "Sure." He said so with a smile, as she was unaware of his current eye problems.

Smiling herself, she started to dragging him away again before saying. "Thank you."

[]

A dark-skinned young girl with green eyes was currently going through the motions, cleaning up and all of that, before she would exit and come into the world again.

Right now, she is currently wearing the standard Kumo shinobi outfit, with nothing much to separate herself from others. She usually would wear very formal attire consisting of a long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt, and high-heel sandals.

She also has her light grey hair pulled back into a bun with two bangs that fall on either side of her face.

The sunlight hit her face, making her appear to glow a bit, before she would proceed to go about the rest of her, a day that was not the same as she used to have.

She is a kunoichi now, meaning that she has responsibilities to her village, but most importantly she has responsibilities to her teammates, her allies.

She is Mabui, a member of Team Hikari. Her fellow teammates are Yugito Nii, a relative of one of the former Raikage's, and the current jinchuriki for the Two Tail's, and her other teammate is Samui, a girl that was someone like herself, but much more reserved and quiet most of the time.

If Mabui had a way to describe herself, it would be someone that always follows the rules and is someone that is in general respectful to anyone and everyone. She was just someone that mainly worked from the 'shadows,' in that she isn't really well known and instead is someone that doesn't have much physical capability to be out on the battlefield.

Even still, she was here and she is placed within a team that would arguably be an important resource to the village.

'No, the team is.' Mabui thought, as how could it not be? What with just Yugito being in this team and all, relegating Mabui's status within said team as just a simple backup and support type person.

It suited her own skillset and personality as well, she guessed, but she did feel that maybe she could become better. That was especially made true once she was introduced to the individual known as Tobi.

Mabui had been tasked, secretly by A, the Third Raikage's son, to look out for and watch over the person known as Tobi.

At first, her impression of him was just someone that seemed to have some type of ulterior motives, given that he has saved them and asked for nothing in return. Then as time passed, and he accepted coming with Team Hikari to their encampment, or fort and current forward operating base, her opinion on the boy changed.

To find that he is but only two years older than herself, and already seems to have strength enough to face off against the Gold and Silver brothers is impressive. 'No, not just impressive, but quite... legendary.' She couldn't lie in that she didn't have some of her own interest peaked.

It was not everyday you get to meet a mysterious individual like Tobi. Especially with how easily he seemed to get along with Yugito, which would be worrying, or should be, but it wasn't, and Mabui didn't feel it was anything of importance either.

Even Samui seemed to be somewhat taken by the mystery boy, and they hadn't even seen his looks, just fragments of what he actually looks like. His hair was spiky, and was relatively short, if kept to a certain length.

His eyes seemed to be black, and was completely black to it was hard to distinguish whether or not he had a pupil within. She also noted his body, maybe more so than others, noting that his body was very strong.

Walking along the predetermined path she has set for herself, she would find said mystery boy simply known as Tobi. He was... fighting with himself? 'Clones...' Mabui guessed that it was a regular technique of his to use, and this type of technique known as Shadow Clones was something that originated from the Hidden Leaf Village.

Which did make her suspect he was from there, but his other technique, which was entirely something new and something she hadn't seen or heard of before was not from anywhere.

'Then again, the Shadow Clone technique isn't something that was hard for others to adapt and start to learn and use.' Mabui thought as she approach said boy. "Hello, Sir Tobi." She said respectively, even bowing a little.

She did try to refer to him with the title of Lord, but he seemed to dislike that she was speaking with him like that, even asking her to refer to him without any honorifics. She may or may have not blushed at the implication behind the statement.

"Oh! Hey, Mabui." Tobi said as he stopped what he was doing. "What is it that you wanted?" He asked her, and Mabui thought about why she is here.

She didn't even know why herself, and she couldn't exactly use her excuse of spying on him, as it also just so happened that this was not why she is here. "... I don't know?" Mabui replied, for truly she didn't understand why she was here.

In fact, most of the time, she didn't have to come and spend time with him at all, instead only needing to watch him when she needed to gather information. "You don't know...?" Tobi seemed confused as he looked at her with his eyes, a deep abyss that sucked her in. "Well, why don't you join me? I am sure that we can do something."

While Mabui couldn't see what is behind the mask, she thought that he seemed to be smiling, and that alone seemed to bring a small blush to her cheeks, but it was not that visible given her skin tone. "Ok..." She complied with his request.

Mabui would find herself having a little bit too much fun with what she has perceived as a potential enemy. He has after all made some strange movements, or at least that is what it looks like but there has been nothing concrete.

She also couldn't help but connect some of his actions with the mysterious happenings when it comes to potential conflict between Konoha and Kumo. 'Then again, he has always been within my perception, and the perception of others, no doubt.' Mabui thought, as she unconsciously smiled a bit after spending some time with Tobi.

"Come around more, and we can do this more often." Tobi said to her as she was leaving.

'Maybe I will...'