Kirigakure – the Village Hidden in the Mist.
A shinobi village belonging to the Land of Water, nestled deep within the mountains and close to the sea.
Shrouded in thick mist year-round and scarred by the cruel rule of the Fourth Mizukage, it earned a notorious reputation—
the Village of the Bloody Mist.
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Today, however, warm sunlight broke through the haze.
A sea breeze swept through, dispersing the lingering fog, even if just a little.
After days of gloom, the sudden rays of sun noticeably lifted the spirits of the village.
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The Mizukage's Office.
One of Kirigakure's most iconic buildings.
A pair of emerald green eyes.
Long, wavy chestnut hair, styled to fall across her right eye—
This was a strikingly mature and beautiful woman.
Sitting lazily at her desk, Terumi Mei stretched with a relaxed yawn, her movements casual and elegant.
Knock knock.
A soft tapping came from outside the door.
In walked a young man with short bluish-gray hair, black-rimmed glasses, and a timid demeanor.
His arms were full, carrying a mountain of documents.
Mei rolled her eyes dramatically and slumped over her desk.
"Chōjūrō… where the hell are you digging up all this paperwork?!"
The young man gently set the stack of files on the desk and gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Lady Mizukage… but during the former Mizukage's administration, a lot of outdated policies were left behind. These all need your review and decision."
The mention of the former Mizukage made Mei's blood boil.
She gritted her teeth.
"Yagura, that bastard!
A dignified Mizukage, manipulated like some puppet…
He disgraced the entire village!"
To Mei, the title "Village of the Bloody Mist" was nothing but an insult to Kirigakure.
"But ever since you took power, Lady Mei, things have improved immensely,"
Chōjūrō said earnestly.
"People smile more now… something we almost never saw before. That's all thanks to you."
Mei said nothing.
She walked to the window and looked out over the lively streets, her eyes glittering with a touch of longing.
"The prosperity created by Lord Yuto, the First Mizukage…
I really wish I could've seen it with my own eyes."
Chōjūrō's expression turned solemn.
The name Yuto held a sacred status in Kirigakure—
even greater than Hashirama's did in Konoha.
While Konoha had spent years diminishing Hashirama's legacy,
Kirigakure had done the opposite.
Over the decades, Yuto's reputation only grew stronger.
The common folk might not know the truth,
but every Mizukage and high-ranking official was aware of one fact:
Lord Yuto was not dead.
He had only been sealed.
Not killed by Hashirama and Madara, as Konoha's version of history claimed.
Back when those two powerhouses were still alive, Kirigakure dared not act.
Only after both had died did the village begin searching for Yuto's seal.
Unfortunately, by the time the First Great Ninja War broke out,
Kirigakure still had no leads.
Starting with the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki,
every generation of Mizukage had devoted resources to the search.
But it seemed like fate itself was against them—
During the First War, Gengetsu died in battle.
In the Second War, the Third Mizukage succumbed to wounds shortly after the fighting ended.
When the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, took over, he showed incredible talent and the perfect mastery of a Tailed Beast.
But it didn't last.
Soon after his rise to power, he was manipulated.
He sealed off the village, ushering in the dark era of the "Bloody Mist."
---
Had it not been for Terumi Mei, who discovered Yagura was under mind control,
Kirigakure might have been destroyed—
not by foreign forces,
but by its own Mizukage.
Even though many of her predecessors either died or were controlled,
they hadn't failed completely.
The Third Mizukage had uncovered one vital clue:
Yuto's body was not sealed anywhere in the Shinobi World.
It had been sent to a different dimension.
And only Hashirama Senju had the ability to use summoning techniques to access it.
It wasn't a complete breakthrough,
but it was better than searching blindly across the world.
Terumi Mei's eyes narrowed as she recalled an important piece of intelligence recently sent by Ao.
If the information turned out to be true…
Then the mission that all previous Mizukage had failed—
might finally be completed under her leadership.
> "What kind of person was the legendary Lord Yuto…?"
She wondered quietly to herself.
SWOOSH.
A sudden gust of air signaled someone entering.
A figure appeared inside the Mizukage's office.
Neither Mei nor Chōjūrō was surprised—
Instead, Mei's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Ao! Did you find Orochimaru?"
She stared intently at the man who had just arrived.
"It took some work," Ao replied, nodding with rare enthusiasm,
"But yes—contact has been made."
Hearing that, Mei finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Chōjūrō, meanwhile, stood there dumbfounded.
Wait a minute…
These two—
What are they planning that I don't know about?!
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