While Suigetsu and Ranmaru entered the Hōzuki Clan's secret realm to search for the Seven Ninja Swords, Kimimaro and Fubo had also arrived in a dense, misty mountain forest. Though still within the Land of Water, the location lay beyond the Hidden Mist Village's direct jurisdiction—on its outer fringes, far from the village's core.
The Hidden Mist was currently in a fragile state of recovery. The Bloody Mist era had only recently come to an end, and Kimimaro had no intention of stepping foot in the village. Despite its current lack of elite shinobi, the village's atmosphere remained tense and wary. Years of brutal internal policies had left its inhabitants highly alert, especially toward outsiders like Kimimaro, who could be swiftly detected if he ventured too close.
By piecing together intelligence from Daikokuten Zen, his own fragmented childhood memories, and recollections from his previous life as a netizen familiar with this world's narrative, Kimimaro could roughly deduce the current state of Kirigakure.
He remembered that when Naruto first encountered Zabuza Momochi during the Land of Waves mission, the Bloody Mist policies were still in effect. This placed the timeline just before the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
Yagura, who had become the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki after Rin Nohara's death, had likely assumed power sometime after the Third Shinobi World War. This suggested that his reign extended through much of Naruto's early childhood. Toward the end of his tenure, Yagura was revealed to have been under the influence of a powerful genjutsu—likely cast by Obito Uchiha posing as Madara. Once freed, it's believed Yagura fell into despair or shame over the atrocities committed under his rule, ultimately leading to his death. Kirigakure never publicized the details of his passing.
According to Daikokuten Zen, even he had only recently confirmed that the Fourth Mizukage had died and that the village was transitioning away from its dark past. In the aftermath, Kirigakure underwent a period of internal upheaval before any new leadership could solidify. For now, a village elder likely served as the acting Mizukage.
One mystery that lingered was the death of Hōzuki Mangetsu.
Official records vaguely attributed his death to illness or his frail constitution, but Kimimaro suspected otherwise. Like Zabuza, Mangetsu may have resisted the Mizukage's oppressive regime, sustaining fatal injuries in the process. This could explain why Mangetsu died away from his clan and why the twin-bladed Hiramekarei had been left behind in the outside world.
It was possible Mangetsu chose not to return home to avoid endangering his fellow clan members. Now, with both the Fourth Mizukage and Mangetsu gone, the whereabouts of Hiramekarei had become a hot topic. Rumors suggested it had resurfaced in the possession of a rogue or wandering shinobi, prompting the Hidden Mist to dispatch personnel to reclaim it.
Among those assigned to the retrieval mission was a young Mist shinobi—slightly hunched, short blue hair, rectangular black-rimmed glasses, shark-like teeth. He wore a gray-blue high-collared shirt under a dark blue chest guard. His name was Chōjūrō.
"Where could Hiramekarei be hiding?" he muttered anxiously.
A snide voice responded from behind, "Hey, Chōjūrō. Do you really think someone like you can reclaim Hiramekarei?"
"Don't underestimate me! I've been promoted to Jōnin," Chōjūrō replied with rare confidence. "That should count for something, right?"
"Heh. If not for Mei Terumī's favoritism, you think you'd be a Jōnin now? Everyone knows your rank is inflated."
"Don't insult Lady Mei Terumī!" Chōjūrō snapped, hand moving toward his weapon.
The other ninja sneered. "Oh, come on. You seriously believe she can become Mizukage? Sure, she's strong, but she's got two Kekkei Genkai. Just a while ago, people like her were being hunted down by our own village. And she's still single—what kind of leader is that?"
"I said don't insult Lady Mei Terumī!" Chōjūrō yelled, unsheathing his sword and lunging forward.
Within the Hidden Mist, the residue of the Bloody Mist ideology hadn't vanished overnight. Even now, minor provocations could escalate into drawn blades. Chōjūrō, typically mild-mannered, had grown tired of hearing his mentor's name slandered.
Before his blade could strike, however, a sudden voice cut through the mist:
"Did you just say I can't get married?"
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
A massive dragon-shaped torrent of water roared forth, smashing into the offending shinobi and sending him tumbling through the forest.
Standing at the origin of the jutsu, with her signature reddish-brown hair and confident gaze, was none other than Mei Terumī herself—undaunted and as formidable as ever.
"Lady Mei Terumī!"
Chōjūrō immediately stood at attention, posture rigid with respect.
The woman who approached was striking—voluptuous and poised, wearing a form-fitting, strapless blue dress that revealed her fair shoulders. Her reddish-brown hair was styled in a long braid that draped down her back, nearly reaching her legs. Her beauty was matched only by the sharpness of her presence.
With a sweet but teasing smile, she said, "Chōjūrō, you're late."
"My apologies, Lady Mei. I haven't located Hiramekarei yet."
"It's fine," she replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Keep searching. That blade was entrusted to our village, and you're one of the few who can wield it properly. Once you find it, it's yours."
"Yes, ma'am!" Chōjūrō saluted. "I won't bring shame to the name of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... I think..."
"Chōjūrō," Mei sighed gently, "you must stop doubting yourself. You're already a Jōnin at your age. That means you've got plenty of talent. Believe in it."
"I'm still far behind you, Lady Mei. When you were younger—"
He froze mid-sentence as the temperature around him seemed to drop. A suffocating wave of killing intent rolled off Mei.
"'Younger'...?" Mei echoed with a dangerous edge in her voice. "Are you saying I'm old, Chōjūrō?"
Chōjūrō's face turned pale. He immediately pivoted: "L-Lady Mei! Did you... deal with that ninja we encountered earlier?"
"Hm? Oh, that one." Mei's smile returned, sweet and disarming. "Of course not. This isn't the Bloody Mist era anymore. I wouldn't kill so casually." She giggled slightly. "He's still alive. I was gentle—really."
Chōjūrō exhaled in relief. "Yes, Lady Mei's... smile is the gentlest in the entire Hidden Mist."
Despite the tension fading, he reminded himself once again: never mention age, marriage, or anything remotely close to it around Lady Mei.
She was a formidable kunoichi—an advanced user of both Boil and Lava Release Kekkei Genkai—and had grown up in a Hidden Mist steeped in violence. During the "Bloody Mist" era, bloodline limit users like her were persecuted, much like Haku, who had fled with Zabuza.
Although Mei had already reached Jōnin status during that time, her position didn't completely shield her. While some factions sought her downfall, others worked to protect her. She even had a fiancé once—but that engagement was shattered amid the chaos of political purges and civil unrest.
Years passed as she fought to overturn the village's bloody legacy. But time, especially for a kunoichi, was merciless.
In the shinobi world, it wasn't uncommon for people to marry young—some as early as thirteen or fourteen. The most typical ages ranged from late teens to early twenties. After that, particularly for women, marriage prospects became scarcer.
Now nearly thirty, Mei was about the same age as Kurenai Yuhi from Konoha. But unlike Kurenai—who had peers like Sarutobi Asuma openly courting her—most of Mei's contemporaries had died in the village's internal strife or wars.
That left her beautiful, strong, and alone—envied by many, but understood by few.
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AUTHOR'S THOUGHT (Corrected):
Regarding the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, there's a lot of confusion and misinformation, some of which stems from non-canon sources or inconsistencies between the anime and manga. For those interested in deeper analysis, I recommend consulting detailed manga-based timelines and databooks.
As for Mangetsu Hōzuki, it's established in the manga that he once wielded all seven of the Mist's legendary swords, including the Lightning Release Chakra Blade (Kiba). This implies he lived long enough to attain significant status within the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Therefore, his death would not have occurred too early in the timeline.
Concerning the Lightning Release Sword's original owner, the claim that it belonged to Black Zetsu is inaccurate and appears to be anime filler. Black Zetsu never used or owned the sword in the manga. The Seven Swords and their wielders are part of Mist Village tradition and are unrelated to Zetsu's operations.
Regarding the claim in Mei Terumī's Wikipedia entry — that she discovered Yagura was under genjutsu control during the Third Shinobi World War — this is chronologically impossible. During the Third War, the Three-Tails (Isobu) was sealed inside Rin Nohara, a Konoha kunoichi. Yagura could not have been its Jinchūriki yet, and thus could not have been under Tobi's (Obito's) control via genjutsu.
Moreover, the "Bloody Mist" period occurred after the Third Shinobi War and persisted for years during Yagura's reign. The control over Yagura by Tobi (posing as Madara) was only discovered after his death, during the period of reform under the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī. Therefore, it is incorrect to state that the control was discovered during the war or that the Bloody Mist era continued for over a decade after being exposed — it ended shortly after Yagura's death and Mei's rise to power.
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