Sand Ninja Village.
Central Control Tower.
A lavish thirty-story revolving restaurant.
Korosensei was hosting Terumi Mei for dinner, his enthusiasm as boundless as ever.
"This is our village's prized Thick Shell Crab," he said, presenting the dish with a flourish. "A true delicacy of the Sand Ninja. Try it and see how it compares to the seafood from your homeland."
Terumi Mei took a bite, her expression softening with delight. The rich, succulent meat hidden beneath the hard shell was irresistible. She savored the taste, licking the juices from her lips before setting down the crab leg.
"Delicious," she admitted. "But I have to say, adults have some strange hobbies."
She wasn't just talking about the food.
Raising fish and crabs in the desert? Building ships on dry land? And playing the role of an octopus?
Meanwhile, the Masquerade Rider graduation had ended in a dramatic battle. Korosensei had been defeated in glorious fashion, and the victorious knights celebrated with cheers that echoed through the village. As the students rejoiced, Korosensei, barely holding onto what remained of his tentacles, floated above them, his usual smugness intact despite his battered state.
"In the future, you will encounter obstacles far greater than any battle you've fought here!" he called out, his voice carrying over the crowd. "Life will not always go your way. Society is a raging river, and it will try to sweep you off your feet! When that time comes, do not waste your energy blaming the world. Instead, ask yourself—how do I move forward?"
His students listened intently, hanging onto his every word.
"You have already learned the way here, in this school. You don't always have to face hardships head-on. It's okay to evade, to strike from the shadows, to use every tool at your disposal! So long as you fight with determination, without hesitation, without fear—one day, you will achieve greatness. Each of you has the potential to be a first-rate warrior!"
The students shouted in unison.
"Got it, Korosensei!"
"Got it, Korosensei!"
Through the battle, his teachings had reached them. And so, with a wave of his partially severed tentacles, he departed, his mission as their mentor complete.
Back at the restaurant, Terumi Mei studied Korosensei as he draped a coat over his shoulders. He was completely unharmed—it was clear he had been holding back the entire time.
"Why go so far just to play the loser?" she asked, curiosity piqued.
Korosensei merely chuckled. "Because I am a true teacher," he said with a grin. "And my greatest joy is educating the next generation."
Terumi Mei smiled, swirling her drink in her hand. "You really do have an unusual fondness for the sea, don't you?"
Korosensei turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, gesturing dramatically beyond the horizon.
"Across the sea... lies the enemy."
Terumi Mei stiffened, her expression turning wary. Was he talking about Mist Ninja? Was this a declaration of war?
The tension in the room thickened.
Korosensei sighed. "You're no fun at all. I was talking about Shimura Danzo."
Terumi Mei blinked, caught off guard. "Wait... that enemy?"
"Of course," Korosensei nodded, adopting a serious tone. "Living in the desert has taught me the value of balance. As protectors of our world, we must safeguard the environment. Danzo's reckless hunting and exploitation of marine life disrupts that balance. He is an enemy of nature itself!"
Terumi Mei's expression wavered between confusion and disbelief. "Are you seriously telling me that fishing is a crime?"
Somewhere in the world, Danzo sneezed.
Korosensei nodded solemnly. "If we kill all the whales now, what will future generations eat? We must strive for harmony between humanity and nature!"
Terumi Mei leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "Kazekage-sama, your words are... very deep. So deep, in fact, that I may never find my way back to the surface."
Korosensei smirked. "And that's why our true enemy is—"
Before he could finish, he suddenly tensed, his gaze snapping toward the sky.
A strange, unnatural shift in the electromagnetic field.
Something was coming.
The sky darkened as a massive figure emerged from the clouds, its presence swallowing the horizon.
A towering white-haired man with piercing red eyes loomed above, his high-collared coat billowing behind him. Three belts wrapped tightly around his chest, holding the weight of stolen power.
Terumi Mei's breath caught in her throat. "What... is that?"
The figure's voice boomed across the land.
"I am Hiruko of the Leaf. I have absorbed the Bloodline Limits Steel, Swift, Dark, and Storm Releases
His eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "Once I take the Sharingan from Hatake Kakashi, I will be unstoppable! The Fourth Ninja War will begin, and I will unify this world under my rule!"
A low chuckle escaped Korosensei's lips.
"Well, well..." He tilted his head toward the sky, grinning. "It seems our enemy isn't across the sea after all."
...
Hiruko—a poor man's version of Orochimaru.
Like Orochimaru, he sought immortality. Unlike Orochimaru, he lacked the charisma, the genius, and the sheer audacity to truly stand among legends. He had once been friends with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, but his talent was leagues below theirs. The gap gnawed at him.
To bridge that gap, he secretly developed the fusion technique "Chimera Technique," a forbidden ninjutsu that let him absorb and combine other people's Kekkei Genkai. But the Third Hokage caught wind of his experiments and sent the Sannin to hunt him down. Hiruko barely escaped.
(One could almost suspect Hiruzen of being the true villain. He did have a habit of eliminating people once they outlived their usefulness. Just saying.)
Unlike Hiruko, Orochimaru never had any naive delusions about unifying the ninja world. The idea that an immortal body alone could make someone the ultimate ruler? Laughable.
Did Hiruko think he could become unstoppable just because he trained in isolation for a few decades? Did he believe the world had frozen in time while he obsessed over his experiments?
Children, wake up. The world has changed.
This is the era of advanced jutsu, of technology, of Kamen Riders and Gundams. If Hiruko dared set foot in the Sand Village, he would find himself facing something far beyond his comprehension.
That said…
Even a fool stumbles upon something useful now and then.
Decades of research had granted Hiruko mastery over the Chimera Technique—a method of fusing himself with other ninja or even summoned creatures, absorbing their abilities and Kekkei Genkai. A twisted, grotesque path to power.
And now, here he was.
...
Terumi Mei slammed her hands on the table. The impact sent abalone shells flying.
"Hmph, Tsunade is really irresponsible!"
Mufasa arched a brow. "What does this have to do with Tsunade?"
Terumi Mei scoffed. "This Hiruko clown is a Konoha ninja. Konoha should clean up its own mess! He even absorbed the abilities of one of my people! That alone is a crime against Kirigakure!"
She crossed her arms. "I will personally hold Tsunade accountable."
Mufasa sighed. "He's a rogue ninja. How is this Konoha's fault?"
Terumi Mei flipped her hair. "What kind of logic is that? A village must take responsibility for its rogue ninja. If you don't, what's to stop everyone from letting their criminals roam free and wreak havoc?"
She turned on her heel. "I'm buying a train ticket. I'm going to Konoha to settle this."
Mufasa raised a hand. "Hold on. No need for that."
As much as he would love to see a showdown between two of the strongest kunoichi, he had a better idea.
A liaison officer entered, carrying a small tablet. "Lord Kazekage, Hokage-sama requests a video call."
Mufasa smirked. "Perfect timing. Terumi Mei, you're coming with me."
They stepped into the control center—a massive, high-tech chamber filled with glowing monitors and intricate consoles.
The moment Terumi Mei saw it, her usual smirk faltered.
"What… is this?"
Mufasa gestured toward a chair. "Sit."
She complied, still staring at the advanced equipment around her. "Sunagakure is way too advanced for a ninja village…"
The main screen flickered, and Tsunade's face appeared.
Behind her was a control room strikingly similar to theirs, though decorated with Konoha's insignia.
Terumi Mei frowned. "Your background looks fake."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "That's rich, coming from someone in that overcompensating lair."
Sand Village had been responsible for upgrading Konoha's defenses, so it was only natural that Hokage Tower had been remodeled into a state-of-the-art command center.
Still, Tsunade had refused to turn the Hokage Building into a skyscraper like Sunagakure's control tower.
"I like my office to have a view, thank you very much."
Then she noticed Terumi Mei sitting beside Mufasa.
Tsunade blinked. "...Why are you here?"
Terumi Mei stood up. "Hokage, what's the meaning of this? Hiruko—a rogue ninja from your village—has attacked us! Are you declaring war on the other villages?!"
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. "Who the hell are you?"
Terumi Mei scowled. "I'm Terumi Mei, Mizukage of Kirigakure! Are you ignoring the fact that Hiruko just declared war on my village?"
Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. Konoha will handle it."
Terumi Mei scoffed. "Oh, like you handled Danzo? How did that turn out?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Tch. I'll handle it just like I handled him."
The argument escalated instantly.
"You think just because you have a bigger chest, you can talk down to me?!"
"I'm just older than you, what's your excuse?!"
Mufasa sat to the side, rubbing his temples.
'Why did I think this was a good idea?'
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Word count: 1581
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