[T/N: It should be 'Genji' not 'Genshi'.]
Genji frowned, his tone laced with sarcasm, "The people of the Third Mizukage have become more and more outrageous…"
Then he asked, "What happened afterward? Did Mei manage to escape?"
Yagura replied, "She already escaped. And… she even went back to that house once. Someone saw her, and she wasn't alone, she brought along a strange boy."
Genji froze, "A strange boy?"
Yagura's expression turned a little odd, "They say that boy was a commoner from a small village near Kirigakure. Mei, taken in by his looks, brought him back with her, keeping him hidden like a precious treasure. She even gave him a name: Mr. Handsome."
Genji couldn't help but cough, then slammed the table heavily, "Nonsense, utter nonsense! Mei's just a child, instead of training properly, her head's full of thoughts about marriage!"
"Yagura, go bring her here. And that boy, give him some money and tell him to leave Mei!"
Yagura immediately said, "Elder, maybe… you should go yourself? You know if I do it, Mei's going to come after me with her life on the line."
Genji was suddenly embarrassed, as if Mei wouldn't do the same even if he went himself.
In the end, he could only wave his hand, "Forget it, let her be. It's just kids playing house, it'll pass."
Yagura showed an I knew it expression and took the initiative to change the subject, "Mei already went to report to the Mizukage. The issue with that spy, the Mizukage takes it very seriously. On our side… should we do something too?"
Genji thought for a moment, then said, "We should. Send people to search as best they can. No matter how much we resent the Blood Mist Policy, it's still an internal affair of Kirigakure. On matters of principle, we must stand united against outsiders."
Yagura nodded.
Then, suddenly, he said, "Lately, the Third Mizukage has been suppressing the great clans more and more harshly, the Kaguya, the Hozuki, the Mizunoyuki…"
Genji smiled faintly, "That's only natural. After all, back then, Lord Byakuren brought him along to the Five Kage Summit. He was supposed to inherit the title of Second Mizukage, but in the end, Hozuki Gengetsu snatched it away from him."
"Moreover, whether in strength or in governance, he's inferior to Gengetsu in every way. If Gengetsu hadn't stubbornly clashed with the Second Tsuchikage and perished with him, the Third Mizukage would never have had his chance to rise."
Pausing for a moment, Genji continued with a mocking tone, "Our dear Third Mizukage has quite the petty mind. He holds a deep grudge against the noble clans who look down from above, he'd wipe them all out if he could."
"We… perhaps could use this chance to draw those great clans to our side. Especially that genius from the Hozuki family, still so young, yet already skilled with all the Seven Swords. Maybe… he's already close to reaching that next level."
Yagura lowered his head.
There were some things he understood perfectly clearly, as though reflected in a mirror.
But understanding didn't mean accepting. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to stand firmly by Genji's side.
He said, "Actually, Elder, I hate those clans too. If I had the chance, I'd want them all gone. After all, the Blood Mist Policy in the beginning, it was pushed by those clans themselves. They wanted to use countless commoners as expendable tools."
"The current situation is just the clans getting bitten by the dogs they trained. None of them are good people, I'd rather watch them tear each other apart."
Genji's eyes suddenly deepened.
"Yagura, when it comes time to overthrow the Mizukage's tyranny, we must unite all the forces that can be united. After all, this isn't a dinner party, it's a fight to the death."
"And besides… strictly speaking, I'm one of the noble clans myself. Tell me, if it weren't for me, would the Blood Mist Policy have ended?"
Yagura fell silent, unable to refute him. Finally, he lowered his head and admitted helplessly, "No, it wouldn't."
Genji said, "That's the sorrow of the lower classes. Their sorrow isn't just being born low, it's having no power to resist. In Kirigakure, it has always been the law of the jungle. If you're not strong enough, no matter how loudly you cry out, others can always pretend not to hear."
Yagura raised his head, looking at Genji, "Then, Elder, since you're also from a noble clan, why did you choose to speak for the commoners?"
"From what I've seen, the higher people stand, the less they see those below as human."
Genji smiled slightly, "Yagura, want to hear the truth?"
Yagura answered seriously, "I do."
Genji said, "I've never betrayed my class. People are selfish by nature. Even if I understand the pain of those who are exploited, as one who enjoys privilege, I choose to turn a blind eye."
"It's just that as I've aged, and my status rose higher and higher, so high that the entire Kirigakure, even the Land of Water itself, has become mine in a sense. I suddenly realized: if you want a nation to grow stronger, the most important thing is its people. And the noble clans… they're parasites destroying the country."
Yagura was stunned.
Genji continued, "So, I'm not as noble as you think. Maybe… I'm actually the highest, most greedy superior of them all. It's just that my greed has gone beyond the usual limits, I've come to desire a stronger, greater nation. And to achieve that, I have to do what benefits the people."
Yagura fell silent for a long time, saying nothing.
Genji merely drank his tea quietly, patiently waiting for Yagura to digest his words.
Finally, Yagura asked with difficulty, "Elder, why are you telling me all this?"
Genji replied, "Because I'm old. There aren't many in the ninja world who've lived longer than me. I've lived enough. Everything I have can't follow me after death. I'm no longer afraid of loss, so I can act freely and do what I want."
"Yagura, you shouldn't be afraid either. Once you reach a certain level, what I do will represent the interests of the majority, aligning with what you wish to do. I'm telling you these truths now only because you already have the mindset of a Mizukage."
"Unfortunately… your strength likely can't advance further. Otherwise, after we overthrow the Third Mizukage, you'd be the most suitable to become the Fourth."
In Kirigakure, the position of Mizukage had always been held by the strongest, a custom that couldn't easily be changed.
Even the common ninja accepted this idea. That's why the former Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, was able to seize power successfully.
Yagura froze for a moment, then looked displeased.
As one of Kirigakure's genius shinobi, his current strength was already at the level of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
The next step, the Kage level, was almost within reach.
He asked, "Elder, I'm confident I can go further. I can feel it, I'm still growing rapidly…"
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