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Midorima had imagined countless scenarios for how he might eventually make his way to Kumogakure. Never once did he anticipate arriving as an official envoy representing Kirigakure. In fact, Kirigakure had dispatched messengers to each of the four great shinobi villages. Every envoy carried a letter personally penned by the Elder, detailing the events that had transpired in Kirigakure over the past several years. Photographs documenting the village's current devastated state were also included with the letter to lend credibility to the extraordinary account.
In addition to the Elder Genji's letter, Midorima carried a separate missive written by Mei Terumi. This letter explained Midorima's true identity and clarified the purpose of his journey to Kumogakure.
With Kirigakure in ruins and countless tasks awaiting attention, a strong leader was essential to guide the village through its recovery. Mei Terumi had thus assumed the role of Acting Mizukage. This decision stemmed from two primary factors. First, Mei shared a close relationship with the Elder Geni and the village council, securing the trust of the existing power structure. Second, Kawakita Makoto, who placed great faith in Midorima, had specifically inquired about Mei's character. Midorima, of course, had truthfully answer and knowing from the manga that Mei possessed the capability and temperament for leadership, he also show his support.
With support from both factions, Mei's ascension to the position of Mizukage was logical. The "Acting" prefix was merely a formality, a reflection that her capabilities in this new role had yet to be fully demonstrated.
In truth, Hōzuki Mangetsu was also a highly competitive candidate, commanding significant respect among the village's ninja. However, Mangetsu voluntarily stepped aside. The great battle had drained him nearly completely; his physical stamina was visibly declining. Under these circumstances, he lacked the energy required to serve as Mizukage. Instead, he chose to accompany Rinji as an envoy to Konohagakure, hoping to consult Tsunade about her illness.
While Mei's appointment was widely supported, the sole person who seemed discontented was Mei herself. Upon being named Mizukage, she was rendered speechless with—what Midorima assumed was—shock. In the days following, her brow remained perpetually furrowed. When Midorima inquired about her obvious distress, he received only a cold glare and a pointed question: "Have you forgotten what you said before?"
This left Midorima utterly bewildered. He had spoken many words to Mei over their time together. How was he supposed to know which specific statement she referenced? Seeing his confusion only seemed to irritate her further, yet she refused to elaborate, leaving Midorima with the uncomfortable feeling that he had somehow wronged her. Nevertheless, when the time came, she provided him with the necessary letter without issue.
Returning to his role as an official envoy, it was undeniably a clever approach. Requesting assistance from Kumogakure through formal diplomatic channels would make it difficult for the Raikage to simply refuse out of hand.
After departing Kirigakure, Midorima and Jūgo parted ways temporarily. The entire shinobi world was once again engulfed in conflict. As a smaller village, Otogakure faced immense difficulty surviving amidst the chaos. Midorima deemed it necessary for Jūgo to return and help them navigate this crisis. Midorima himself would continue gathering intelligence while making his way toward Kumogakure.
Initially, he had assumed the clashes between Kumogakure and Iwagakure were minor skirmishes. However, as time passed, smaller villages became entangled in the conflict, rapidly escalating the scale of the fighting. Near Otogakure's borders, a battle involving over two hundred ninjas had already occurred, with casualties exceeding half that number. The conflict was beginning to bear the unmistakable "flavor" of a Fourth Shinobi World War.
Otogakure, precariously situated between Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Konohagakure, could only tremble nervously, desperately hoping to avoid being dragged directly into the maelstrom.
Such was the nature of war. The initial causes were often simple, but once blood was shed on the battlefield, it was like oil catching a spark—the conflagration would spread uncontrollably. Clearly, the conflict between Kumogakure and Iwagakure had already crossed that threshold. The only factor preventing full-scale war was geography; the two villages did not share a border. This was likely why Midorima had yet to encounter corpses scattered across the wilderness of the Land of Lightning.
Upon entering Kumogakure's sphere of influence, Midorima grew increasingly cautious. The Fourth Raikage was exceptionally powerful, and Midorima had no desire to attract the attention of such a formidable individual—especially since his ultimate goal required Killer B's assistance.
As he drew closer to the village itself, the density of ninja patrols increased. Midorima decided it would be prudent to find a familiar ninja to guide him. After all, without sufficient standing or connections, gaining an audience with the Raikage directly would prove difficult. Just as he neared the outskirts of Kumogakure, he identified suitable "targets."
"Heh heh, during this operation, I single-handedly eliminated four Iwagakure chunin AND destroyed their supply depot. That's got to count for something substantial. Once the Raikage-sama releases the commendation list, do you think I'll become the village's idol? Ah, but if every beautiful girl in the village sets her sights on me, what am I supposed to do? Choosing just one would be terribly unfair to the others. They'd probably be heartbroken, maybe even resort to hunger strikes. Tell me, how should I handle this dilemma?"
A young, dark-skinned ninja stood with arms crossed, wearing an expression of profound consternation, as if genuinely wrestling with this momentous question.
"Tch, keep dreaming." Another dark-skinned ninja, this one female, chewed idly on a straw, her expression dripping with contempt. "Sure, we've got decent results, but the specifics of our missions are classified. Even if they release commendations, nobody will know exactly what we accomplished or how hard we worked. Besides, no girl would ever like you anyway."
"But aren't you at all curious? If you also receive recognition, you'd become an idol to every man in the village. Countless eligible bachelors would see you as a pearl shining in the darkness. Maybe the NEXT shinobi world war would start because of you! Have you truly considered how to prevent such a catastrophe?" the male ninja inquired, his face utterly serious.
"Oh my! If such a situation actually occurred, I'd be terribly troubled as well. I'd only need to choose one... but that would break the hearts of all those other handsome suitors... Suddenly, I understand the weight of your earlier concern." The female ninja clasped one cheek, her expression dreamy and self-absorbed.
"Wake up! You think another world war breaks out that easily? Besides, even if it did, handsome guys would be in HIGH demand. They'd never end up with someone like you anyway." The male ninja abruptly snapped back to reality.
"Bullshit! What's wrong with me?"
"Everything's wrong with you. You'd have better luck waiting for a handsome guy to fall right out of the sky!"
"And how do you know that won't happen?"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Midorima dropped from a tree branch directly in front of them.
The female ninja stared at his appearance, then grabbed her companion's arm tightly. "See? Handsome guy fell from the sky, didn't he?"
The male ninja's eyes went wide as he examined Midorima. "No way! You actually pulled it off. And he really IS handsome."
Midorima, having recognized Karui and Omoi as disciples of Killer B, had intended to approach them for assistance. Upon landing, however, he found himself subjected to their exaggerated reactions. Karui, in particular, seemed flustered, her cheeks flushing slightly as her gaze darted away, unable to meet his eyes.
'Wait... What exactly were you two discussing just now?' Midorima's mind filled with question marks.