The Konoha ninja packing up their gear didn't go unnoticed by the Mist ninja. Upon inquiring, the messenger was informed by Sougen of the Cloud ninjas heading south. The shocked messenger quickly relayed the information back, causing a stir among the higher-ups of Kirigakure.
"This is an opportunity."
"As long as we ally with the Cloud ninjas, we have a chance to give those damned Uchiha a hard lesson."
The one speaking was the head of the Combat Faction, Kugetsu Hozuki, the current clan leader of the Hozuki clan, and the father of Mangetsu and Suigetsu Hozuki. The white-haired man couldn't hide his excitement, with his purple eyes gleaming with a thirst for battle.
Sitting further down the table, Mangetsu Hozuki rolled his eyes after hearing his father's remarks, staring at the ceiling in exasperation.
"My old man has no political sense at all!"
In previous meetings, it was decided that they would replace war reparations with manpower resources. Instead of discussing how many troops to send to support Konoha, now he's proposing a plan to backstab their ally… Has he lost his mind?
It wasn't just his father either. Mangetsu glanced at the other clan leaders and department heads, seeing many agreeing with the Hozuki leader. No wonder Master Genji chose younger people to take over the Fifth Mizukage position instead of someone from this group still in their prime.
If he were in charge, he wouldn't pick this bunch of muscle-brained idiots to become Mizukage either.
Still, he hadn't expected Mei Terumi to be the one chosen… Was he disappointed? Maybe a little, but not as much as he thought. He realized he wasn't as obsessed with becoming the Fifth Mizukage as he'd believed.
The desire for that title was more of a clan obsession than his own wish.
"As long as it's not Zabuza, I'm fine with it."
Mangetsu cast a sidelong glance at Zabuza Momochi, who was sitting across from him with half his face wrapped in bandages. Normally, younger members like them wouldn't have been allowed in these meetings, but Lord Mizukage made a special exception. Still, they didn't have the right to speak.
On top of that, the Konoha ninjas had another big battle coming up. How enviable! Mangetsu couldn't help but feel a rush of jealousy.
"Mangetsu?" Original content can be found at novel✶fire.net
The voice snapped Mangetsu back to attention. He looked over to find Mei Terumi staring at him… Actually, not just Mei; many around the table were looking at him.
Realizing he had been caught daydreaming, Mangetsu smiled calmly, meeting their gazes until his eyes met with Yagura's at the head of the table.
"We've already allied with Konoha. This time, the Cloud ninjas are attacking the Land of Fire, and as their ally, we can't sit idly by. Even if we're currently weak, we need to make a gesture. Mangetsu, I hope you can lead a team to support Konoha," said Yagura.
Yagura had noticed Mangetsu zoning out during the meeting but chose to patiently summarize the main points. It became clear that Suigetsu Hozuki's proposal to backstab Konoha alongside the Cloud ninjas had been discarded, and a firm decision was made to stand by Konoha's side.
Mangetsu blinked and thought to himself, "Such good fortune?"
"Lord Mizukage! Leave it to me!" Mangetsu licked his lips, a cruel grin spreading across his face. His sharp teeth gleamed with bloodthirst, and his intense battle lust was nearly tangible, making Yagura shake his head slightly.
As expected, kicking this guy out of the Fifth Mizukage candidate list was the right decision. Mangetsu was just like the Second Mizukage—obsessed with battle, a born war fanatic. Yagura even wondered if the Hozuki clan had some connection to the Kaguya clan's bloodline.
He quickly dismissed those thoughts and said, "Mangetsu, it's all yours. We can't spare too many forces, but I'll allow you to choose your comrades within reason."
"In that case…" Mangetsu's gaze wandered around the room.
"Are you all packed?"
"Mm, everything's ready," Fujihana replied, patting the scroll pouch at her waist.
No matter their age, as long as they could refine chakra and had basic logical abilities, they could use sealing scrolls. This brilliant invention made it easier for ninja to travel long distances without heavy luggage, sealing all their necessary items into a scroll to retrieve when needed.
Seeing this, Sougen patted his sister's head gently and turned to the two young ones nearby.
"Yakumo, Naruto, are you two ready?"
"Master, I'm all set."
"Brother Sougen, I'm ready to go anytime."
The two answered at the same time, and Yakumo gave Naruto an annoyed look as if to say, "Couldn't you have waited to speak?" Naruto just responded with a sheepish grin.
But soon, the small quarrel was forgotten.
A nearby door opened.
White-haired and green-eyed, Kimimaro stepped out.
Sougen looked at him. "Shisui should have already explained it to you, right? He has a mission to complete, so for now, you'll be following me."
"I understand," Kimimaro said cautiously.
His natural intuition, sharpened through training, made him feel tense around Sougen, almost as if his body instinctively wanted to prepare for battle. While Shisui was strong, his aura was gentle. Sougen's, by contrast, was overwhelming and filled with killing intent, making Kimimaro uneasy just being near him.
"Am I really that scary?" Sougen chuckled as he noticed Kimimaro keeping his distance. "Are you all packed?"
"There's nothing to pack. I can leave anytime."
Kimimaro had only been in the Mist Village for a little over two days. Since Shisui wasn't meticulous enough to have prepared all of Kimimaro's essentials, there wasn't much for him to bring along.
Kimimaro had already accepted that he wouldn't be returning to Orochimaru anytime soon. Though it was a harsh realization, he wasn't so weak as to give up hope.
Since I can't escape for now, I'll stay and endure!
With this resolve, Kimimaro decided to remain with Shisui, training to grow stronger. After all, he had seen firsthand that Orochimaru had been defeated by Shisui.
Maybe staying with him will help me grow stronger faster!
"If you're ready, meet in the courtyard."
Sougen glanced at Kimimaro and said nothing more. He had some interest in Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku, a bloodline limit likely originating from the Six Paths Sage, much like the Sharingan. But he didn't care much about Kimimaro himself. His feelings were reserved for his family, disciples, clan members, and friends. Everyone else was secondary.
Kimimaro was Shisui's problem, not his.
Kimimaro silently headed downstairs. Fujihana, Yakumo, and Naruto didn't follow him. Normally, children quickly warm up to one another, and Fujihana had already bonded with some of the Mist Village kids.
But Kimimaro's presence was too unique. His aura, shaped by his upbringing, made him hard to approach.
"Chihaya, keep an eye on them. Their safety is the top priority."
As the children disappeared down the stairs, Sougen turned to the ceiling and spoke.
A slender figure appeared, hanging upside down from the ceiling with long black hair cascading down. "I understand," Uchiha Chihaya answered before disappearing again, following the children. Sougen had assigned six Uchiha jonin to protect his sister and students, including Chihaya.
"Now… it's your turn," Sougen muttered as he stood by the window, his red eyes reflecting the mist-shrouded village. His gaze was fixed on the direction of the Mizukage's building.