Mei Terumī: For the Long-Lasting Friendship Between Our Two Great Villages, Please Help Me, Neji-kun
Kimimaro coughed twice, covering his mouth with a pale hand before speaking in a steady but fragile voice.
"Orochimaro-sama, please… allow me to join this mission."
Orochimaro did not answer immediately.
His golden eyes remained fixed on the faint candle burning beside him. The flame flickered weakly, trembling as though it would extinguish at any moment.
Much like Kimimaro's life.
After a long silence, Orochimaro finally nodded.
"…Very well."
Kimimaro bowed, relief softening his eyes.
"I will not disappoint you, Orochimaro-sama."
Orochimaro waved him away, and Kimimaro slowly backed out of the room. The door closed with a soft click.
Once alone, Orochimaro's expression darkened into thoughtful seriousness.
Kimimaro had been gravely ill for three years.
Despite all of Orochimaro's medical skill—painkillers, blood transfusions, advanced surgeries—he could only suppress the disease, not cure it.
Because the root of the illness rested inside Kimimaro's very bloodline.
The Shikotsumyaku—the Kaguya Clan's famed kekkei genkai—was both his power and the source of the deadly disease devouring him from within.
"Hyuga and Kaguya…" Orochimaro murmured.
"One inherited Ōtsutsuki Hamura's Sage Eye… the other inherited the Sage Body. Sage Eye and Sage Body together… the power of creation."
He remembered Neji's words—the "third path" Neji had told him to explore. His pupils narrowed.
Perhaps the key to saving Kimimaro lay within the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.
He sat down, interlaced his fingers, and a single image came to mind.
Hyuga Hinata.
Heiress of the Hyuga main family.
Closest blood relative of Neji, aside from Hyuga Hanabi.
Neji's parents were long gone.
His remaining ties—Hinata and Hanabi—were therefore extremely important.
Orochimaro had personally witnessed the overwhelming might of Neji's Tenseigan. Its ocular power rivaled his own Rinnegan.
The Byakugan clearly had far, far more potential than the world realized.
"To unravel the secrets of the Byakugan… to obtain the same Tenseigan as Neji…" he whispered.
"It must begin with Hyuga Hinata."
---
Meanwhile…
Returning from the Fire Country border, Inaho Uchiha rushed to report to Shisui and Yugito.
"Inaho Uchiha hemen Shisui ve Yugito'ya dönüp görevin sonucunu bildirdi."
Yugito frowned, surprised by his report.
"So the Konoha army intends to defend Kikyō Castle to the death?"
"Evet. Konoha bizimle doğrudan savaşmak istemiyor," Inaho firmly replied.
The strategists looked at one another.
Once, Konoha had been the aggressor.
But after the Kirigakure army's defeat on the eastern front…
After the alliance between Kirigakure and Kumogakure…
And after two new powers entered the Land of Warm Springs battlefield…
The situation had completely shifted.
Bugünün Konoha'sı, İkinci veya Üçüncü Shinobi Dünya Savaşı'ndaki Konoha değildi.
Bu yüzden Kikyō Kalesi'ne çekilmeleri artık anlaşılabilir bir durumdu.
But Shisui didn't look relieved. His expression tightened.
Konoha oyalanabilir.
Ama onların oyalayacak zamanı yoktu.
Sunagakure's army had marched north, crushing four military bases Kumogakure previously built in the Lands of Waterfalls and Frost.
Dördüncü Raikage, Shisui'yi uyarmıştı:
"Bu cepheyi hızlıca bitir. Sonra Sunagakure ordusunu durdurmaya git."
Şu anda Kumogakure ordusu sayı olarak üstündü, ancak Konoha Ninja Kikyō Kalesi'ni ölümüne savunursa, bu sert kemiği kırmak çok fazla cana mal olacaktı.
Shisui stood up.
"Beyler," he said firmly, "time is critical. We must eliminate the Konoha forces stationed at Kikyō Castle immediately. I intend to launch a full-scale assault. İtirazı olan var mı?"
No one spoke.
Everyone knew why Sunagakure—ironically the weakest of the Five Great Nations—was now the biggest threat.
The Fourth Raikage could not defeat Iwagakure quickly, and therefore could not reinforce this front.
Hot Springs cephesi Konoha'yı sakatlamalı, ardından ordu ikiye bölünüp Sunagakure durdurulmalıydı.
Başka çare yoktu.
When no objections arose, Shisui walked to the sand table and decisively planted a flag on Kikyō Castle.
"Şimdi eylem planını oluşturmaya başlayalım."
He pointed at the map.
"Kaplıcalar Diyarı ile Kikyō Kalesi arasında otuz kilometrelik bir deniz şeridi var. Eğer denizaşırı bir operasyon düzenler ve yolda saldırıya uğrarsak, kayıplarımız ağır olur."
"Bu yüzden Chunin ve alt rütbeli Ninjalara katılmamalarını öneriyorum."
"Shisui-kun," Mei Terumī spoke, "Kirigakure'mize izin verin Ninja hücuma öncülük etsin."
---
After the meeting, Neji was still soaking in the hot springs.
Hot Springs Country truly lived up to its reputation.
Even Kumogakure and Konoha did not have hot springs of such quality.
Bu kaplıca hanı denize yakın, rüzgarı kesen bir kayanın altındaydı. Çevre sessiz ve zarifti. Kampın gürültüsü buraya ulaşamıyordu.
Neji surfaced, took a sip from the cold drink by the pool's edge, and sighed in contentment.
"Hah… işte yaşamak bu."
Right then, Uchiha Izumi called from outside the room:
"Neji, Mei Terumī seni arıyor."
"Öyle mi? Ona bir dakika beklemesini söyle."
Neji exited the hot spring. Chakra surged lightly across his skin, instantly drying the water.
He dressed, then opened the sliding door.
Mei Terumī stood there, brows knitted, looking troubled.
On the table lay a detailed topographic map of Kikyō Castle, marked with arrows and notes.
"Neji-kun," she greeted, stepping forward respectfully despite her nervous expression.
Neji blinked.
"What's going on?"
"We held a meeting earlier. Kumogakure ordusu yarın Kikyō Kalesi'ne saldırmayı planlıyor."
"Oh, I knew that already," Neji said casually, sipping his tea.
"Kirigakure'nin bir sorunu mu var?"
"Kirigakure ilk eylem birimi."
Neji gave her a surprised look—and then understood.
Mei Terumī needed military merit.
If she wanted to become the Fifth Mizukage, she required a major accomplishment.
History had proven that war created legends.
The Sannin rose during the Second Shinobi World War.
Minato became famous in the Third.
A battlefield was a crucible for greatness.
"But Shisui has no reason to refuse you," Neji said slowly.
Mei Terumī bit her lip.
"He didn't reject me. Utakata'nın operasyona katılmasını istedim… ve buna karşı çıktı."
Neji frowned thoughtfully.
Mei was clever.
Utakata's defeat and capture would forever stain his record.
Even if he returned to Kirigakure, he could no longer challenge her for the Mizukage seat.
Mei only stood to gain from using him.
"This is complicated," Neji said. "If Shisui refused, he must have a reason."
Neji poured her tea.
"Utakata Kumogakure'nin savaş ganimetidir. Operasyona katılsa bile yalnızca Kumogakure ile birlikte hareket edebilir."
"Neji-kun…" Mei stepped closer, eyes sparkling.
"If you speak on my behalf, Shisui kabul eder."
She leaned in.
Very close.
"Shisui yüksek komutan olabilir ama sen… sen daha üsttesin."
She wasn't wrong.
Shisui's identity made him politically unsuitable for Raikage succession.
Neji, on the other hand, was openly being cultivated as the Fifth Raikage.
"Bu mesele zor," Neji said. "Araya giremem."
Mei Terumī didn't step back.
Instead—she moved even closer.
Suddenly she pressed one arm to the wall, trapping Neji between herself and the wall.
"Neji-kun…" she whispered, warm breath brushing his face.
"İki büyük Köyümüzün uzun vadeli dostluğu için… lütfen bana yardım et."
"Mei Terumī, bu—"
Before he could finish, her lips silenced him.
Uchiha Izumi stood at the doorway, staring with cold disdain.
Böyle mi taviz verdireceğini sanıyor?
Ne kadar saçma.
---
Five minutes later.
Neji finally pushed Mei away, gasping dramatically for air.
"…Fine. Hidden Mist is our ally. I'll ask Shisui to reconsider."
Uchiha Izumi: "???"
Mei smiled brightly, wiping a smudge of lipstick from Neji's chin.
"Neji-kun, Gizli Sis bunu asla unutmayacak."
She glanced proudly at Izumi, lifted her chin, and left gracefully.
Neji rushed to the mirror.
His entire face was covered in lipstick marks.
"Cidden… bu kadın çok küstah. Izumi, havlu ver."
Izumi handed him a warm towel.
"Neji… neden kabul ettin?" she asked quietly.
"Tabii ki açgözlü olduğum için—Köy için," Neji said with a serious expression.
Izumi blinked.
"...Köy için mi?"
Neji nodded.
"Altı Kuyruklu, Kumogakure için önemli bir savaş ganimeti. Savaştan sonra Mei onu isterse… önemli değil. Utakata benim kontrolümden kaçamaz."
Izumi slowly nodded.
It made sense.
Building friendship with the future Mizukage was good for Kumogakure.
---
Meanwhile, at Kikyō Castle…
The debate was fierce.
New generation Ninjas vs. veteran war survivors.
"Gerçekten Kikyō Kalesi'ni tutabilecek miyiz?"
"Saldırı mı savunma mı?"
"Kumogakure çok güçlü!"
"Geri çekilmek onursuzluk!"
Jiraiya sat silently at the head of the table.
Then—
"Hepiniz susun."
Shibi Aburame'nin soğuk sesi odayı buz gibi kesti.
Her zaman sessiz, gölgede duran Shibi…
Bugün alev gibi konuşuyordu.
Konferans salonu hemen sessizleşti.
"Jiraiya," Shibi said, "Kumogakure aktif kuvvetlerini çekip Sunagakure'yi durdurursa… bizim savunmamızın ne anlamı kalır?"
"What do you suggest?" Jiraiya asked.
"Kaplıcalar Diyarı'ndan Ninjalara Kumogakure kampını taciz ettirelim."
Most in the room brightened.
Some darkened.
Jiraiya looked tired.
He knew exactly what this meant.
"Kaplıcalar Diyarı Ninja, Kumogakure'yi oyalamak için ölüme gönderilecek," he muttered.
Shikaku grimaced.
"Jiraiya… Kaplıcalar Diyarı Ninja itaat etmeyebilir."
Shibi spoke before Jiraiya could answer.
"Askeri emir kesindir. İtaat etmeyenler idam edilir."
Silence.
In truth, almost everyone in the room was Konoha Ninja.
Hot Springs Country Shinobi were simply tools—sacrifices.
They would be used until they broke.
Then discarded.
An elderly white-haired leader of Hot Springs Country stood up, voice trembling.
"Konoha Ninja-sama… Sıcak Su Kaynakları Ülkesi kendi başına Kumogakure ile nasıl savaşsın…? Lütfen… merhamet edin."
He bowed deeply.
But no one in Konoha moved.
War did not allow kindness.
Hot Springs Shinobi… were simply the first to die.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)