101: Chapter 101 InfiltrationThe sea breeze, carrying its unique dampness, blew into the Shuiying office.
Mei Terumi pressed her throbbing temples as she looked at the scroll that had just been delivered to her.
It wasn't a battle report, but rather the lamentations of several major clans in the Hidden Mist Village.
"Lord Mizukage!This month's income.is less than 30% of what it used to be!"
"Trade routes to the Land of Waves and the Land of Tea have been completely cut off, and the three merchant guilds have declared bankruptcy."
"There was another riot at the docks yesterday.People said they saw a walking dead man.Now even the dockworkers are afraid to go to work!"
Frustrated, she pushed the scroll aside and walked to the window.
Below, Kirigakure was shrouded in an even thicker fog than before, giving it a deathly gray hue.
The streets were sparsely populated, with everyone hurrying along.Seven or eight out of ten shops had their doors tightly shut, and occasionally a ninja squad would run by, their footsteps echoing far and wide in the empty streets.
This village seems to have lost its soul.
"Crunch"
The office door was pushed open without knocking.
Two elderly men dressed in traditional Kirigakure elder robes entered, surrounded by several stern-faced Jonin.
Leading the group was Master Yuan, who held a snake-headed cane that symbolized the authority of an elder.His cloudy eyes swept over the scrolls spread out on the table before settling on Terumi Mei's weary back.
"Water Reflection".
Yuan Shi's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against a stone."Today's attack took place on the edge of Training Ground No.3.Among the casualties, two were newly promoted Chunin elites this year."
Mei Terumi didn't turn around; her fingers gripped the window frame tightly.
"We received a petition signed by seventeen families."
Another elder spoke up, his tone even harsher, "They demand the immediate establishment of a 'purge team,' granting them.the authority to act first and report later, to thoroughly purge all possible associates of the 'Blood Mist.'"
Execute first, report later?
Mei Terumi turned around abruptly, her beautiful eyes blazing with suppressed anger: "And then what?Return the village to that era where everyone lived in fear, betraying each other, never knowing if their comrades would stab them in the back tomorrow?"
"That's still better than waiting to die like this!"
The elder raised his voice, "At least back then, the enemy was in the open!Now?We don't even know who our opponent is!The village's economy is paralyzed, people are filled with fear, and ninjas dare not go on missions alone!"
"If this continues, we'll collapse on our own before the enemy even invades!"
Master Yuan raised his hand, stopping his companion from uttering even more vehement words.
He looked at Mei Terumi, his tone softening, but his words becoming even harsher: "Fifth Generation, ending the 'Street of Blood Mist' is your achievement, and no one can deny that."
"But.if we cannot bring stability to the village, our past achievements will become deadly shackles."
He paused, and the snake-headed cane tapped lightly on the ground.
"The council of elders will give you three days."
"If you cannot come up with an effective plan to contain the situation within three days, or cannot find conclusive evidence to point to the enemy.we will initiate impeachment proceedings for the survival of the village."
After saying that, he stopped looking at Mei Terumi's instantly pale face, turned around and left with his men.
The office fell silent again, with only the howling wind outside the window.
Mei Terumi stood alone, looking at the heavy scroll on the table, then at the lifeless village outside the window.
Three days.
She slammed her fist on the hard windowsill, her knuckles aching.
At the same time, it is a place covered by rain all year round.
Three Cloud Village reconnaissance ninjas, dressed in camouflage-friendly gray-brown ninja outfits, cautiously made their way forward.
The leader of the group was a middle-aged Jonin with an old scar on his face, named Trucker.
"This godforsaken place, it's been raining non-stop."
One of them complained under his breath, wiping the water droplets from his face.
"Stop talking nonsense and concentrate.Lord Raikage ordered that we must find out the location of Akatsuki's headquarters."
Troc observed his surroundings warily, his unease growing stronger.
This rain is falling.so evenly.
He always felt as if countless eyes were observing them through the endless curtain of rain.
A figure appeared silently in the rain ahead.
She had long, bluish-purple hair and wore a black trench coat embroidered with red clouds, the hem of which fluttered slightly in the wind and rain.
Countless pieces of paper, as if they possessed a life of their own, slowly swirled and folded around her.
She stood there quietly, looking at the two intruders, her face delicate and beautiful, yet devoid of any normal human warmth.
"We've been spotted!Retreat!"
Captain Yunyin reacted extremely quickly, letting out a low roar and turning around without hesitation to retreat the way he came.
But it was too late.
The rain around them seemed to possess its own will at that moment.
Countless raindrops broke free from their falling trajectory, coalescing and transforming in the air into thousands upon thousands of sharp, gleaming paper shurikens!
"The Dance of Shikigami: A Thousand Books of Rain and Dew".
A cool, clear female voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of rain.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
The dense bursts of air instantly covered all the space where the three Cloud Village ninjas could dodge!
They brandished their kubi (a type of halberd) to block, and defensive spells shone on their raincoats.
But there were too many paper shurikens, too many of them!
"Puff puff puff—!"
The raincoat was easily torn.
Blood spurted from all over their bodies, mixing with the rainwater and staining the rock wall beneath them red.
The three elite Cloud Village ninjas didn't even manage a decent fight back before becoming corpses lying in the muddy rain.
Xiao Nan's figure disappeared amidst the fluttering paper scraps.
Several dark figures appeared quickly, dragging the corpse away.The increasingly loud rain cleaned up the remnants of the battle, as if nothing had ever happened.
————
In the Land of Waves, Red Bean peeked out from behind the door frame, looking around.
The corridor was empty, with only the soft glow of the illuminating stones on the walls.
That pink-haired girl isn't here.
Great opportunity!
She took a deep breath, enduring the weakness and aches throughout her body, and tiptoed out of the room.He pressed himself against the wall, reaching towards the gate he remembered.
We need to leave this place.
Although that kid named Naruto saved her, and Tsunade was also there…
But that pink-haired girl's eyes were terrifying, and that Naruto always seemed like he was holding back something.
Go back to Konoha!Go back to Jiraiya's place!
As she pondered this, her legs went weak, and she almost tumbled over.
Damn it, I still can't muster any strength.
She finally found a corner of a corridor that looked like it led to the exit and breathed a sigh of relief.
Turn a corner.
"Where are you planning to take a stroll, Red Bean.Senior?"
Naruto leaned against the wall at the corner.
He had a smug smile on his face.
Hongdou's heart skipped a beat.She instinctively tried to back away, but her heel hit the wall, and she swayed.
Naruto reached out and grabbed her arm.
The grip was quite strong, and it hurt her a little.
"Let go!" Hongdou tried to shake him off, but couldn't.
Naruto moved closer, examining her face, which was slightly flushed from weakness and nervousness.
"I.I want to go back to Konoha!"
Red Bean stuck its neck out.
"Back to Konoha?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow."With your current delicate and fragile appearance, who will be the kind person to pick you up after you leave this door?"
He applied a little force with his fingers, half-lifted Hongdou, turned her around, and pushed her towards her room.
"This is your deluxe private room, complete with personal care.What more could you possibly want?"
Hongdou's face turned green.
"I don't want that pink-haired guy's help!"
"Then let me do it?"
Naruto replied casually, his eyes sweeping over her.
Hongdou almost choked to death because she couldn't catch her breath.
"You.you bastard!"
"Alright, stop messing around."
Naruto's joking expression faded."Stay put and recover from your injuries.It's Konoha's decision that you stay here to recover."
He helped Hongdou back into the room.
"Jiraiya-senpai is seriously injured right now, and the Anbu are keeping a close watch on him.If you go back, you'll only cause trouble."
After saying that, he closed the door behind him, and with a "click," the door was locked from the outside.
As the footsteps outside faded into the distance, Hongdou pounded her head against the bedding several times.
Damn it!Locked the door?
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