"It appears that Terumi Mei… has been spotted outside the village…"
Fuguki Suikazan had already heard from the Mizukage's advisor that Terumi Mei was likely a traitor. All their arrangements within the village were defenses against her potential invasion. Even though she hadn't arrived yet, the rising tensions made the entire Hidden Mist Village feel the impending storm.
The arrival of a Mist Hunter-nin operative confirmed their worst fears.
"So, she's finally come…" Suikazan sneered, his expression darkening.
Although both Suikazan and Terumi Mei were elite jonin of the Mist Village, Suikazan, as a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, couldn't compare to Terumi Mei, a candidate for the title of Mizukage.
That woman might appear charming and alluring on the surface, but she was already thirty—a veteran of the previous three Great Ninja Wars with deep roots in the Mist Village.
She also possessed two incredibly rare Kekkei Genkai. Among the village's younger generation, only Jinchūriki like Yagura, or someone like himself, could match her in a one-on-one battle.
However, due to differing ideals and conflicts of interest, despite her power and experience, Terumi Mei wasn't fully supported by the Mist Village elders and other ninja clans. Her path to becoming Mizukage seemed long, likely requiring another decade or more of waiting.
This was one reason Terumi Mei was so eager to push for war against Konoha during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
She had the experience. She had the strength. But she still lacked the accomplishments.
Particularly because the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had caused chaos with his Blood Mist policies, creating internal unrest. Many Mist shinobi had been forced to flee, and Terumi Mei was caught in this turmoil.
However, where there is chaos, there is also opportunity.
If Terumi Mei could achieve victory in external conflicts, she would have a chance to assert her voice within the Mist Village. Many who could no longer tolerate Yagura's brutal policies would rally behind her, creating a significant opposing force. This wasn't hard to foresee, especially since most of the 200-plus ninja who followed her into battle were already disillusioned with Yagura.
Nevertheless, Terumi Mei had underestimated the ruthlessness of internal Mist politics. Information about her forces leaving the village had been leaked to Konoha by spies, leading to her troops' defeat in the Land of Waves.
"That failure of a woman… she dares to show her face here again?" Suikazan cursed, pushing open the door to the advisor's room. "Advisor-sama, how many people has she brought? I'll go kill her right now!"
Though Suikazan knew he couldn't defeat Terumi Mei—especially after recently losing his Samehada to the rogue ninja Kisame—he still wanted to show his loyalty.
"She dares to conspire with outsiders to overthrow our village? I, Fuguki Suikazan, will be the first to stop her!"
Inside the room stood the advisor and his attendants, along with a blue-haired boy wearing glasses.
Hearing Suikazan's words, the boy's face shifted from shock to fear. He immediately stood up.
Suikazan glanced at him sideways, noticing his trembling, but the boy still mustered the courage to speak. "That's not true… Lady Terumi Mei would never conspire with outsiders!"
Suikazan raised an eyebrow. Seeing the advisor wasn't reacting, he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, lifting him like a chick. "And how would you know? Unless… you're one of those traitors too?"
"N-no! I'm not!" the boy cried out.
"Coward," Suikazan snorted, tossing him back onto the floor. He knelt, poking the boy's forehead mockingly. "I know who you are. Chōjūrō, one of the survivors of the Battle of the Land of Waves. I heard Terumi Mei saved you, huh? So now you think it's your duty to speak up for her? Is that why they sent you to beg on her behalf?"
Chōjūrō was dumbfounded. He had never faced such intimidation. Under Suikazan's sharp words, he couldn't even stammer out a "no."
By Suikazan's twisted logic, anyone defending Terumi Mei was clearly a traitor. If they weren't proven guilty yet, that just meant they were better at hiding it.
"He's a good kid, just following the wrong person. Don't scare him too much," the advisor finally interjected.
"Regardless, I'll keep my eye on you," Suikazan growled, glaring at Chōjūrō and making a throat-slitting gesture before standing and plopping onto a nearby sofa.
Relieved from the pressure, Chōjūrō muttered, "I believe in Lady Terumi Mei," while dusting himself off. However, seeing the only seat taken, he awkwardly stood to the side.
Amid the tension, Suikazan finished his tea in one gulp, the cup clinking on the table. "Advisor-sama, what do you need me to do?"
"Terumi Mei has already left," the advisor replied softly. "But she will return."
Suikazan frowned. He had expected a fight. Why come and leave so quickly?
"What does that mean? Why appear just to leave?" he asked, confused.
"She left before our people could reach her," the advisor said, his voice heavy. "It seems she had no intention of meeting us."
"Then why show up at all?" Suikazan was baffled.
"She left a message for the first Hunter-nin who encountered her," the advisor's assistant explained, handing a folded letter to Suikazan.
As Suikazan scanned the contents, his eyes widened in fury. He slammed his fist on the table. "That wretched woman!!"
The letter contained only a photo of the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, bound in chains, suspended over a dark abyss.
Because Yagura had fallen at the hands of "Hashirama Senju," the photograph all but confirmed that Terumi Mei was backed by the Leaf Village and the Senju clan.
This validated the advisor's suspicions: Terumi Mei had indeed become a pawn in an external plot to destabilize the Mist Village.
For a long time, the Mist had been divided between isolationists and those advocating openness. Isolationism was the village's founding tradition, while openness was a more radical idea introduced by the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki.
However, after the Third Mizukage's reign, the village reverted to isolationism, peaking under Yagura's brutality. But Yagura's bloody policies garnered significant opposition, and the open faction, led by Terumi Mei, had again gained support.
This was why, when rumors of Terumi Mei's planned uprising spread, many within the village made subtle moves, eager for change.
Though not all were her spies, many were ideologically aligned, hoping to support her once revolution began.
By appearing and leaving a photo, Terumi Mei was intentionally provoking the isolationists while rallying the open faction, creating internal pressure and setting the stage for large-scale confrontation.
"No matter what Yagura has done, he is still this village's Mizukage," the advisor said, shaking his head. "By humiliating him so crudely, Terumi Mei has made a grave mistake. Even those neutral or sympathetic may now turn against her."
Suikazan's eyes lit up. "Shall we make the photo public?"
"No, we can't afford that disgrace. The open faction may not care about reputation, but we do. They'll lose face, and we'll clean up the mess. Take this photo to the Hōzuki Clan leader instead," the advisor instructed.
The Hōzuki Clan, from which the Second Mizukage hailed, had always staunchly supported the open faction. The advisor wanted them to understand how reckless their chosen leader truly was.
"Is that all?" Suikazan asked.
"One more thing," the advisor said after a moment, gesturing to Chōjūrō. "Next time she appears, I want you there immediately… and bring this boy."
Suikazan frowned. He understood the need for speed, but why bring the kid?
When Suikazan asked, the advisor replied simply, "If things go wrong, you can use him as leverage to stay alive."
"…"
Suikazan glanced at the bewildered Chōjūrō, then nodded reluctantly.
It made sense. If he fought Terumi Mei, using the boy as a hostage might save his life. Although Suikazan believed he could hold out until reinforcements arrived, a backup plan didn't hurt.
"You're coming with me from now on!" Suikazan growled at Chōjūrō, who trembled like a lamb. With the advisor's order, Chōjūrō couldn't refuse.
"Any other orders, Advisor-sama?" Suikazan asked.
The advisor thought before muttering, "How is the ritual for Utakata's promotion progressing? We can't delay his ascension any longer."
Suikazan blinked, glancing at the assistant before bowing his head. "I'm not sure, Advisor-sama. I'm not responsible for that…"
The advisor stared at Suikazan for a long moment before nodding tiredly. "Oh. I apologize. I must be tired; my memory is slipping. That's all. You may go…"
As Suikazan and Chōjūrō left, Suikazan paused outside, placing a hand over Chōjūrō's mouth. He quietly returned to the door, peeking through the crack.
He made a quick hand seal, activating a Genjutsu Release.
Nothing changed. He watched for a long time, but nothing was unusual. It wasn't until Chōjūrō bit his hand, gasping for air, that Suikazan finally left.
Out on the empty street, Suikazan glared at the bite mark, then at Chōjūrō. His expression was dark.
"You little brat, you almost caused a scene!"
"You… you were spying on the advisor…" Chōjūrō panted, glaring.
Suikazan stared, then snorted, lowering his raised fist. "What do you know?"
"You accused Lady Terumi Mei of betrayal… then tried to harm the advisor!" Chōjūrō accused, trembling.
When did I accuse Terumi Mei of betrayal? When did I try to harm the advisor?
Suikazan's expression darkened further, almost dripping malice.
He muttered an insult but said nothing more. He could understand how his actions might be misinterpreted by someone like Chōjūrō, especially in such tense times.
After all, the advisor had mistaken him for someone else earlier. Perhaps his mind really was slipping…
Suikazan turned his thoughts elsewhere, examining the photo once more. The mist gave the image a strange, ghostly glow.
Taking Chōjūrō, Suikazan arrived at the Hōzuki Clan compound. Under the guards' wary gaze, he explained his purpose and handed over the photograph.
"I hope this wakes them up…" Suikazan muttered. The Hōzuki Clan held great influence within and beyond the Mist Village. Though they supported the open faction, their power was such that even the advisor hesitated to challenge them.
In the Mist Village, their importance was akin to the Hyuga Clan's role in Konoha—a cornerstone of the village's strength.
After waiting, Suikazan wasn't granted an audience with the clan leader. Instead, the guard returned, his expression unreadable.
"This photo… are you sure the advisor sent you with this?"
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