The hell with the Third Mizukage.
Hearing the ninja's self-introduction, even Hayashi felt a surge of surprise, and Mikoto and Himeji weren't any less shocked.
Had they ever seen a Kage venture out with only two Jonin? Well, technically, there was precedent—the Five Kage had once traveled to the Land of Iron with only a couple of guards. These were fighters relying entirely on their own strength, bold and unafraid of attacks.
Hayashi reflected: aside from reckless prodigies like Sasuke, who would dare confront the Five Kage?
And yet, would a Kage, by nature a figure of immense responsibility, really travel secretly to foreign lands at night? If Hayashi were to become the Fourth Hokage someday, sneaking into the Land of Wind unnoticed, the Sand ninja at the borders would have to attack first without knowing his identity. It was a simple rule of survival.
Earlier encounters with Hidden Mist ninjas and insights from the former daimyo's son made it easy for him to mistake the Mizukage's presence for enemy reinforcements.
Now, however, it seemed this was not a mistake—it was deliberate. Someone had led him here to encounter the Mizukage.
Hayashi's thoughts were tangled, but he quickly reported the situation to the Third Hokage. A village's Kage arriving in the field was not something a lower-level ninja could handle alone.
Soon, a message returned through the Summoning Technique.
[Bring the Third Mizukage back. I will send ANBU to meet him.]
The arrival of a village Kage was no small matter. The Third Hokage had not expected the Hidden Mist Village, which had stayed out of the last Great Ninja War, to take interest in this Chunin Exam. Even the Mizukage himself had arrived personally.
Despite the distance and historical isolation of the Hidden Mist Village, the Third Hokage, as an ambassador of peace, could not ignore this gesture.
"All right."
Hayashi nodded at the Mizukage in front of him.
"Konoha's long-distance communication via Summoning Technique is impressively convenient," the Mizukage remarked, sighing, as he led the still-unconscious child toward Konoha.
With a moment to spare, the Mizukage asked curiously, "You broke through the Water Severing Wave using Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, correct?"
Hayashi nodded. Since the technique's name had been spoken, there was no need to hide it.
"I didn't expect to see this trick again after the Second Hokage," the Mizukage said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Then, he changed the subject: "You seemed to anticipate my landing?"
The attack before disembarking hadn't been coincidental. The Mizukage didn't believe it was luck that Hayashi and his companions noticed. He had deliberately avoided the port to remain discreet. The timing seemed suspicious.
Hayashi considered this. "Some issues occurred in Mihua Town recently. We were ordered to investigate and found traces of Hidden Mist ninjas. That's why we came."
"Some time ago? Hidden Mist?" The Mizukage's brow furrowed in surprise.
He had assumed his location was leaked by village spies. A rogue ninja? Hayashi doubted it.
"What if it was an elite Jonin from a powerful family, accompanied by two Chunin?" Hayashi offered.
No one would believe that such talented individuals would be rogue ninjas. Village life provided stability, benefits, and protection—why abandon all of that?
The Mizukage shook his head. "Impossible. Only my own team left the Hidden Mist Village recently."
Hayashi smiled but remained silent. Either the Mizukage was unaware of some events, or he was somewhat disconnected from his own people. From observation, the Mizukage seemed good-natured; in the earlier fight, he had avoided attacking Hayashi's vitals. Hayashi had used the explosive tags to defeat two of his subordinates. Perhaps necessity alone restrained him.
"By the way, Lord Third Mizukage, why come to the Land of Fire at this time?"
"This child is called Kaguya Castle," the Mizukage said, holding the unconscious boy. "He is my disciple. You can see he has yet to awaken."
Hayashi nodded, initially thinking the fright was overblown, but the Mizukage's tone confirmed there was something unusual.
"You are from the Uchiha clan, correct? You would know of bloodline ailments. The Kaguya clan is highly susceptible to these conditions."
"Could it be?" Hayashi asked, surprised.
"Yes. This child awakened his Shikotsumyaku too early, resulting in a congenital bloodline disorder."
Hayashi considered this. A six- or seven-year-old awakening a deadly kekkei genkai—similar to an Uchiha opening the Sharingan at six—was an extraordinary prodigy. Any responsible mentor could not allow such a genius to die young, and the Mizukage had come personally to seek treatment.
"Of course," the Mizukage continued, "the incident was sudden. I did not have time to send ninja ahead; I rushed here to report while en route, and unexpectedly encountered your ambush."
Hayashi asked, "Is Teacher Tsunade currently in the village?"
The Mizukage's understanding of local information seemed precise.
"When I left, she had gone temporarily, but she should have returned by now."
"That is reassuring. With the medical saint present, I can rest easier."
Hayashi raised an eyebrow, noting that Orochimaru would have keen interest in such a case. "Actually, Tsunade is best with battlefield injuries, but someone else is more adept with rare, complex ailments."
The Mizukage's eyes widened. "Someone in Konoha surpasses Tsunade?"
"Yes. My sensei, Orochimaru, is an expert in these areas."
The Mizukage narrowed his eyes, reconsidering intelligence reports.
Then Hayashi added, unable to resist: "Uncle Jiraiya has also begun learning medical ninjutsu."
Mikoto and Himeji stared blankly, black question marks practically floating above their heads.
Hayashi grinned and continued, "Although he realized medicine couldn't save the ninja world, so he abandoned it for literature, using his pen like a blade, hoping to awaken every ninja with vivid, provocative stories."
Mikoto and Himeji went silent, unable to respond.