The Hidden Mist Village lay before them.
Even before entering the village proper, the changes were already earth-shaking.
The islands surrounding Kirigakure were being connected by massive bridges, forming a vast network. Once completed, these islands would undoubtedly be fully developed and put to use.
Directly in front of the village, dozens of islands formed two enormous semicircular rings, enclosing Kirigakure within them.
This structure alone was enough to block tidal waves without relying on external defenses, while simultaneously expanding the village's total area.
At present, the entire Hidden Mist Village was undergoing large-scale construction. Civilians from the Land of Water and even neighboring countries had been hired to build homes and infrastructure.
Of course, it would still take several years before all the islands were fully developed.
But when that time came, many of these civilians would likely choose to stay behind, officially becoming residents of the Hidden Mist Village.
Looking at the dramatically transformed Kirigakure, Suigetsu fell silent.
He still remembered how the village had been when he lived here before—shrouded in thick fog day and night, its population sharply reduced.
Back then, the Mizukage had ruled through rampant slaughter.
Ninjas were executed one after another, often for absurd and flimsy reasons.
Fear had permeated every corner of the village.
But now… it was different.
The entire Hidden Mist Village felt alive again.
That feeling alone made Suigetsu feel deeply unsettled.
"How is it?" Sasuke asked calmly. "Are you satisfied with the Hidden Mist Village now?"
Suigetsu quickly looked away, forcing his expression back into indifference.
"There's not that much change," he muttered stubbornly. "It's just a little better than before."
Karin glanced toward the direction of the Mizukage's tower. "Just a little?"
Jūgo spoke up in a low voice, "Among all the ninja villages I've seen, the Hidden Mist seems to have changed the most—perhaps even more than Konoha."
Sasuke nodded. "That's true. These changes are indeed surprising."
Standing beside him, Jūgo smiled faintly. "But this is also thanks to Sunagakure's gold dust, isn't it?"
Without such financial support, there was no way Kirigakure could sustain construction on this scale.
Sasuke did not comment on the matter.
Soon, their boat docked, and they arrived at the Hidden Mist Village.
The moment they stepped onto the pier, Jūgo's expression changed.
"Sasuke…"
"I know," Sasuke replied quietly. "We're being watched."
They hadn't even fully entered the village yet, and their presence was already completely monitored.
It was something they weren't quite used to.
As Sasuke stepped onto the land of the Hidden Mist Village, a familiar figure appeared before them.
Haku walked toward the group.
"Sasuke-sama," Haku said respectfully, "Shigure-sama requests your presence."
Sasuke nodded. Though he was slightly surprised to see Haku here, he didn't ask why.
Shigure's actions had always been unpredictable.
In fact, Sasuke had assumed Shigure didn't even know he was coming.
Now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
Inside a newly opened hotel in Kirigakure, Shigure sat in the restaurant, looking at a table filled with exquisitely prepared dishes.
He nodded in satisfaction.
This—this—was what life was supposed to look like.
When Haku led Sasuke and the others into the private room, Shigure lifted his head.
"Perfect timing," he said cheerfully. "All the dishes are served."
Sasuke glanced at Shigure and immediately felt something strange.
A subtle fluctuation surrounded Shigure's body—so faint yet so profound that it felt as if he wasn't truly there, and yet unmistakably present at the same time.
Suppressing his thoughts, Sasuke walked over and took a seat beside him.
Shigure then turned his gaze toward Jūgo.
"Long time no see."
Jūgo nodded slowly. "Indeed. Ever since the Land of Snow, we haven't met again."
Karin and Suigetsu both looked at Jūgo with visible surprise.
They hadn't expected Jūgo to have met the current Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village before.
Shigure then turned his gaze toward Suigetsu.
"The Hōzuki Clan," he said with interest. "Excellent talent."
However, Shigure had no intention of poaching Sasuke's subordinates.
There were already plenty of Hōzuki Clan members within Kirigakure, so there was no need to specifically recruit Suigetsu.
Shigure shifted his attention back to Sasuke.
"Let's eat first."
Sasuke nodded.
After a simple meal, Sasuke finally spoke.
"The Hidden Mist has changed a lot."
Shigure smiled faintly. "Of course. This is my village, after all. I wouldn't allow it to remain as it was before."
Sasuke looked at him carefully.
"I didn't expect that, aside from your terrifying talent, you'd also be such a capable leader."
Shigure laughed softly. "What kind of talk is that? Wasn't I once your captain as well?"
A faint smile appeared on Sasuke's face.
For a brief moment, memories of Team 7 surfaced.
But the moment passed just as quickly.
Sasuke's expression grew serious again.
"I need to find Itachi."
Shigure nodded. "I know. His exact whereabouts are already being investigated. There should be news very soon."
Sasuke nodded in response. "Then I'll leave it to you."
"No need to thank me," Shigure replied calmly. "After all, Itachi also possesses something I need."
Something Shigure needed?
That alone was enough to spark Sasuke's curiosity. What could Itachi possibly have that Shigure wanted?
At that moment, the door to the private room opened again.
Shigure set down his chopsticks and lifted his gaze.
Sasuke looked at him in confusion.
"Speaking of coincidences," Shigure said, smiling, "you're not the only one who came to the Hidden Mist Village looking for me today, Sasuke."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.
Even before Shigure said the name, he already knew.
"Naruto."
The next second, Naruto walked in, glancing around the room. His eyes immediately locked onto Shigure, then widened when he noticed Sasuke.
"Sasuke! Shigure! You're both… here?!"
Shigure chuckled. "Come in. It must be fate—everyone arrived today. Even Kakashi-sensei is here."
As Naruto stepped inside, Kakashi followed behind him. Sakura and Sai entered right after.
Their presence formed what looked like a newly assembled Team 7.
While Sasuke observed Sakura and Sai, they were also quietly examining Jūgo, Suigetsu, and Karin standing beside him.
Sasuke's team…
"Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei," Shigure said, smiling warmly. "If I remember correctly, we've never really sat down for a proper meal together."
"Then today can be the first."
Despite sitting at the same table, everyone's mood was different.
Naruto stared intently at Sasuke, occasionally glancing toward Shigure.
He wanted to see how much Shigure had changed.
Yet to Naruto's surprise, even after mastering Sage Mode, he couldn't fully sense Shigure's chakra.
The chakra around Shigure felt… strange.
"We're not old enough to drink," Shigure said casually. "So let's have juice instead."
He raised his glass and looked straight at Naruto.
"Whatever you want to say—hold it in for now. Let's talk after this drink."
Then he turned to Sasuke.
Kakashi smiled as well, lifting his own glass.
"Your growth has far exceeded my expectations…"
(End of Chapter)
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