Time rewound slightly.
In a corner of Kirigakure.
"Damn it!"
"How could she kneel and beg those Konoha people?!"
"Exactly!"
"She has disgraced the dignity of Kirigakure!"
"She must be punished!"
"Someone like her is completely unworthy of being a Mizukage candidate!"
"I propose that Mei Terumi's status as a Mizukage candidate be revoked!"
"I second it!"
"I second it!"
...
Inside the wooden building, the discussion continued without end.
Meanwhile, the Water Mirror had shattered under the impact of the Three-Tails' devastating shockwave.
The last thing they had seen from the battlefield was Mei Terumi kneeling before Uchiha Kai.
"Haa..."
Listening to the uproar, Elder Genji stroked his beard and took a deep breath.
"In that case..."
"Mei Terumi's status as a Mizukage candidate is hereby revoked."
"And now..."
"It is time to deal with the aftermath of the Three-Tails incident."
As he spoke, his voice suddenly turned cold.
"It is also time to show those outsiders the strength of Kirigakure!"
With a wave of his hand, over a hundred elite shinobi instantly appeared around the building.
Every single one of them was at least a Special Jonin.
Seeing so many elite ninja gathered here, Ao nearly blacked out.
With this many forces available...
What had he and Mei Terumi nearly died for earlier?
Had they risked their lives for nothing?
Unfortunately, nobody paid any attention to him anymore.
The entire force moved toward the center of the village.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
However, halfway there, they suddenly realized something.
The Three-Tails' enormous body was gone.
And after several final roars...
There had been no more disturbances.
The moment they noticed this, Genji and the others widened their eyes.
One of the sensory-type elites closed his eyes and carefully sensed the area.
Moments later, his face lit up.
"Excellent news, Elder Genji!"
"The Three-Tails' chakra signature is extremely weak!"
"And..."
"The battle appears to have ended!"
The moment those words were spoken, smiles appeared on the faces of the elders.
One gray-haired elder stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Perhaps..."
"The Three-Tails and those Akatsuki members destroyed each other."
"That seems likely."
"Everyone, move faster!"
"We must protect the village!"
"Protect the village!"
Instantly, morale surged.
The group began shouting enthusiastically.
The commotion attracted many Kirigakure civilians hiding in nearby shelters.
After seeing the highly respected Elder Genji and hearing those declarations, they exchanged glances before following along.
...
Very soon, under the leadership of Genji and several members of the village council, over a hundred elite Kirigakure ninja, accompanied by hundreds of civilians and civilian shinobi, finally rushed into the devastated battlefield.
The moment they arrived, they saw Mei Terumi.
She appeared to have just risen from the ground.
A dazzling blue chakra aura surrounded her body.
They also saw the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
His legs were broken.
His eyes were vacant.
He lay helplessly on the ground beneath the feet of a Konoha shinobi.
At the same time, members of the Akatsuki seemed to be arguing with another Konoha ninja nearby.
The battlefield had indeed become peaceful.
But—
The moment Genji saw Mei Terumi, he trembled with rage.
His serpent-headed cane slammed heavily against the ground.
Pointing at her, he roared:
"MEI TERUMI!!!"
"As my disciple, you actually humbled yourself before an outsider!"
"You even agreed to conditions that disgrace the village and betray its interests?!"
"Where have you placed Kirigakure's dignity?!"
"Where have you placed the will of generations of Mizukage?!"
"Do you even understand what you've done?!"
"This is treason!"
"This is aiding the enemy!"
The more he spoke, the louder he became.
The wrinkles on his aged face seemed to stretch taut from anger.
Behind him, several elders glared furiously and joined in.
"Foolish!"
"Absolutely foolish, Mei Terumi!"
"Indeed!"
"How could you so casually place Kirigakure's future into the hands of some unknown brat from Konoha?!"
"An enemy of the entire ninja world?"
"Why doesn't he just fly into the heavens while he's at it?!"
"Do you realize how insane such words are?!"
"You are dragging Kirigakure toward ruin!"
"Exactly!"
"It's nothing more than the fantasy of an immature child!"
"And you!"
One particularly hot-tempered elder suddenly turned and pointed toward Kisame and Sasori.
"These rogue ninja and criminals!"
"Why haven't they been eliminated as well?!"
"Why are you peacefully coexisting with them instead?!"
"Haa..."
"Mei Terumi."
"You have truly disappointed us."
The accusations came one after another.
Spittle flew through the air.
The criticism crashed down upon Mei Terumi like a violent storm.
Her expression changed instantly.
The joy lingering at the corners of her lips vanished.
She had thought these people had come to help her.
But now...
"Haa..."
Mei Terumi slowly rose to her feet.
The powerful blue chakra surrounding her gradually receded back into her body.
She raised a hand and wiped away the blood that had leaked from the corner of her mouth due to the sudden surge in power.
Her emerald eyes first glanced toward Kai.
After seeing that he had no intention of speaking, she finally turned to face Elder Genji and the furious elders.
Within her eyes—
Thoughtfulness.
Determination.
And coldness.
Began to grow.
"Disappointed?"
She softly repeated the word.
Her voice wasn't loud.
Yet it effortlessly drowned out every other sound around them.
"Then allow me to ask you something."
"Elder Genji."
"Honorable Elders."
"When the Akatsuki infiltrated the heart of the village..."
"Where were you?"
"When the Akatsuki severely injured Yagura-sama and attempted to capture the Three-Tails..."
"Where were you?"
"When the Three-Tails went completely berserk in the center of the village..."
"When Yagura-sama lost control..."
"When powerful enemies surrounded us..."
"When the village stood on the brink of destruction..."
"Where were your dignity and your precious ideals then?"
The moment those words left her lips—
Mei Terumi's presence exploded outward.
A powerful wave of chakra burst from her body.
Nearby civilians were instantly thrown off their feet.
Several elders stumbled backward repeatedly.
"Hmph."
Only after watching their miserable reactions did Mei Terumi let out a cold snort.
"Now you've come to question me..."
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
She swept her gaze across the sanctimonious old men before her.
A cold smile curled across her lips.
"Don't you think..."
"You've arrived a little too late?"
This time, her voice rose sharply.
Like an ice spike driven directly into the hearts of every elder present.
Combined with the blue chakra still surging around her and her bloodstained yet beautiful face—
She radiated an authority that made others afraid to meet her eyes.
"Y-You...!"
The hot-tempered elder who had spoken earlier choked on his words.
His beard trembled with fury.
He pointed at Mei Terumi and stammered for several seconds before finally speaking.
"Even if!"
"Even if the situation truly was critical!"
"You should have reported it to the council!"
"You should have waited for Elder Genji and the elders to discuss it before making a decision!"
"Instead of handing over Kirigakure's future on your own!"
"And furthermore—"
He suddenly turned.
His gaze locked onto Uchiha Kai.
His voice filled with anger.
"You handed it over to a brat from Konoha!"
"A mere child!"
"Is he even worthy?!"
Uchiha Kai: ????"
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