Chapter 46 – He'll come, but he won't leave.
Why?
Because Naruto isn't stupid, obviously.
He's crazy smart!
First, a big thank-you to the old scoundrel who gave us Dragon Clan, and may he beat his illness soon.
By twisting the tale, Naruto had temporarily won Mei Terumī's trust.
Yet faces can deceive; with a woman that generously endowed, you can never see all the way through.
He refused to believe the future Mizukage would, after just a few sweet words and a craving for his body, let him join the Hidden Mist Village.
Something's off—definitely off.
The game being played here was far from simple.
He'd spotted the first layer, even the second, but Mei Terumī might already be in orbit.
"I haven't even repaid you for saving my life, and now you offer me shelter. Why treat me so well? I want a reason."
Naruto seized the initiative, turning guest into host.
He was, after all, a man who carried a mighty spear; he couldn't let Mei Terumī keep leading the dance.
"A reason?"
Mei blinked, then smiled. "Little brother really isn't simple; I knew it wouldn't be that easy."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
As expected—his hunch had been right.
"The Hidden Mist Village has been a mess these past few years."
Mei sighed, worry written across her face. "If this goes on, we have no future. Little brother, you have no idea how… popular you are. A genius like you is exactly what we need. And you're an orphan with no ties—you'd fit right in."
"Oh."
Naruto studied her beautiful face.
The excuse sounded perfectly reasonable.
But some beautiful woman once said: the prettier the woman, the better the liar.
And he lacked the Nine-Yang Divine Art to cope.
"And?"
he pressed.
"That's all."
Mei shook her head earnestly. "Really, that's everything. I've told you every bit of it, no secrets left."
"Big sister."
Maintaining his cold persona, Naruto said, "If that's how you want it, then there's nothing to discuss?"
Mei fell silent.
Her lovely eyes sized him up.
After a moment she exclaimed, "I didn't expect little brother to be so sharp. Let's open the windows and speak plainly—cards on the table?"
"Should've done that from the start."
Naruto gave a faint smile. "And drop the 'little.' Just call me brother."
Damn!
That many layers of scheming?
Level after level.
He'd nearly walked straight into her arms.
Good thing this wasn't his real body.
However pretty the woman, to him it was just wine and meat passing through.
"Ever since the Fourth Mizukage took office, the village has been bathed in blood; everyone lives in fear. Jonin keep deserting, talented kids keep dying. After much investigation we suspect the problem lies with the Mizukage himself—before he took power he was the perfect gentleman."
This time Mei's worry was genuine.
Under Yagura Karatachi's reign the village's strength had plummeted.
They couldn't even field the full Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist anymore.
More and more people were losing faith.
Beneath the calm surface everything was riddled with holes.
"At your age and with your power, you could be the strongest genius the village has ever produced, worthy of becoming the Mizukage's personal student."
Her words made Naruto's heart skip.
He already understood what she wanted.
"I want you to become his student and keep an eye on him for us."
Mei finally stated her goal. "The Mizukage is reclusive now; even Anbu can barely approach him. But maybe his student could. And you're only eight—few people are heavily guarded against a child."
Naruto began weighing it in his mind.
Her plan actually suited his own aims perfectly.
No—it shoved him straight down the fairway and landed him right in front of his target.
If he hadn't needed to keep his cool façade, he'd have laughed to the heavens like Sasuke.
"I know it's dangerous."
Seeing him hesitate, Mei added, "If you have any demands, name them; I'll do my best. Including the Dragon King you mentioned—once this is over, our village will do everything to track him down."
"No need. My business, I handle myself."
Naruto said loftily, "It's my fate: kill him or die by his hand. No third person interferes."
Of course—send you guys after him and the whole act falls apart.
Mei's body trembled.
Oh no.
She felt her heart skip.
He was just a brat, yet he gave off a whiff of manliness.
Most important: he was drop-dead gorgeous.
Just too young.
"So you're unwilling…?"
"I can help you. In exchange, just polish my spear skills."
Naruto spun his spear. "You could all see my moves were rough and unpractised."
It was, after all, his first time.
He knew the Eight Extremes Fist, but the Eight Extremes Spear—not so much.
Mei nodded.
As a Jonin her eyes were keen.
She could tell his spearplay lacked real combat experience.
"As you wish."
She stretched out her hand. "Happy cooperation, li—brother."
Naruto put away his spear and shook her hand.
Soft.
He felt nothing, though.
His heart belonged only to the spear.
"The plan unfolds in three steps. First, we forge you a believable background: the annihilated Genji clan of the Land of Water, slaughtered by rogue Ninja. Second, enroll in the Ninja Academy, defeat the top student of every grade, build your fame. Third, apply for early graduation; when instructors are assigned, request to study under the Mizukage. We'll speak for you—he'll have no reason to refuse."
Mei laid it all out.
Naruto had no objections.
The details were so thorough he needn't worry.
His job was to conquer Suzuran—no, conquer the Ninja Academy.
So on his first day he challenged every grade from lowest to highest, one after another.
If Konoha's students were hothouse flowers, Hidden Mist's were blood-blossoms blooming amid slaughter.
You could see it from the year Zabuza's Geninexam left him the sole survivor.
But strong as they were, none matched a Jonin.
Naruto carved through them like a scythe through grass.
He thrashed kids from six to twelve years old.
No pupil could stand against him.
Just as he thought his elementary career was ending, he received a challenge letter.
At the bottom he saw the name: Suigetsu Hozuki.
So it's that guy.
He suspected Mei Terumī had set it up.
Before his arrival the village's most famous prodigies had been the Hozuki brothers—Suigetsu and Mangetsu.
Both would one day join the Seven NinjaSwordsmen, masters of the blade.
Naruto accepted without hesitation, arranging the duel for that afternoon: the kid would come, but he would not leave.