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[Konoha] Chapter 257: Mizukage-sama, Please Consider the Bigger Picture!
🕑 Added 2024-12-07 09:30:00 +0000 UTCZabuza’s harsh yet realistic words made the assembled Mist shinobi look deeply uncomfortable.
Ao glanced at Shuichi, who sat with his eyes lowered in silence, and suddenly came to a realization.
This so-called God of Shinobi’s true objective might very well be the entire Kirigakure!
For a moment, Ao’s heart was in turmoil, and he turned to Mei Terumi. “It seems the Fifth Mizukage is also aware of his true intentions. That’s why...”
The meeting ended shortly thereafter.
However, while Shuichi, Zabuza, and Utakata strolled through the ruined streets of Kirigakure, a second meeting commenced without delay.
After a brief silence, Ao spoke up. “Fifth Mizukage, I believe Zabuza’s suggestion might not be entirely unreasonable.”
Mei Terumi hadn’t expected Ao to be the first to compromise. She coldly retorted, “Ao, you can clearly see his goal is to take over the entire village, can’t you?”
Ao nodded solemnly. “Of course.”
“With Lord Shuichi’s strength, capturing the village wouldn’t be difficult at all. Perhaps he’s avoiding direct confrontation with the other great nations, or maybe there’s another reason, but he’s chosen this method instead.”
“For us, however, there aren’t many cards left to play, are there?”
The other senior members of the Mist Village nodded one after another.
Mei Terumi slammed the table. “I am the Mizukage!”
Ao quickly explained, “Mizukage-sama, what I mean is that we should buy ourselves some time.”
“As long as we can hold out until the Akatsuki is dealt with and a suitable Sixth Mizukage is trained, you can then marry into Konoha.”
“This way, the village will be preserved, and your happiness won’t be compromised.”
“After all, a powerful man like Lord Shuichi should be worthy of you.”
Mei Terumi felt her anger rising to the breaking point.
Sure, that guy was handsome and incredibly strong, but this method was simply too humiliating!
At that moment, Ao stood up, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle to Mei Terumi. “Mizukage-sama, for the future of the village, we have no choice but to sacrifice you temporarily.”
The other senior members followed suit, bowing and pleading, “Please, Mizukage-sama, consider the bigger picture!”
...
By the time Shuichi and his group returned to the battered Mizukage Tower, the freshly resigned Fifth Mizukage had already compromised. Her subordinates had effectively sold her to Shuichi Hoshita.
The alliance by marriage was finalized. The Six-Tails’ Jinchuriki, Utakata, would be sent to Konoha for refuge, and Kirigakure had formed a deeper offensive and defensive pact with Konoha—much like the Uzumaki Clan had done in the past.
Though, given the Uzumaki Clan’s fate, the comparison wasn’t exactly reassuring.
---
Temporary Mizukage Office
Mei Terumi’s face was stormy as she ignored Shuichi, who casually sat on her desk. She buried herself in reviewing documents, trying to grasp all the hidden information she hadn’t known before.
Shuichi smirked and teased her, “Hey, Mizukage-sama, this isn’t how a fiancée should behave.”
Mei Terumi acted as though she didn’t hear him.
Shuichi chuckled and leaned closer. “Mizukage-sama, you wouldn’t want me to save only you when the Akatsuki comes knocking, would you?”
Mei Terumi gritted her teeth, lifting her head to glare at him with eyes full of murderous intent. “You...! You don’t act like a great man at all!”
Shuichi laughed lightly. “I’ve never claimed to be a great man.”
“Don’t forget, I’m only a few months older than you.”
Mei Terumi frowned. She remembered Shuichi was her age, born the same year, and still not yet eighteen. Her own birthday was on May 21.
“You’re not seriously planning to merge Kirigakure with Konoha, are you?” she asked cautiously.
Shuichi’s expression turned serious, and he nodded. “Of course.”
“Ending the era of one nation, one village, and unifying the ninja world under a single village would prevent the constant wars we’ve seen. Internal disputes would still exist, but they wouldn’t lead to wars on the current scale.”
“From the end of the Warring States period until now, in just a few decades, the world has already seen three great ninja wars. Each one has been far larger in scale than any conflict in the Warring States era.”
He leaned closer, his gaze steady. “You’re mine now. You’ll support me, won’t you?”
Mei Terumi snorted coldly. “I’m not yours yet.”
Shuichi reached out, pulling her into his arms. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Oh? Do you want to become mine right now?”
Flustered, Mei Terumi struggled free.
Shuichi released her, and she quickly adjusted her clothing, glancing nervously at the door. She shot him a glare. “This is the office!”
Shuichi blinked innocently. “Then I’ll come to your place tonight.”
Mei Terumi ignored the shameless man. After sitting back down, she said seriously, “If you want to take over the village, it won’t be easy. They even sold me, their Mizukage, to you.”
Her tone carried a trace of mockery.
Shuichi chuckled. “That’s only because I’m being merciful.”
“With my strength, dealing with the other four great villages isn’t a problem. I simply don’t want to let the Akatsuki or Uchiha Madara take advantage of the chaos.”
“Of course, it’s also because I don’t like needless killing.”
“But if necessary, I won’t hesitate to spill blood.”
“After all, at that point, I won’t need to dirty my own hands.”
Mei Terumi’s heart trembled. She understood this was Shuichi’s way of showing his resolve.
Frowning, she said, “Ao and the others want to quickly train a Sixth Mizukage to take over after the Eye of the Moon Plan is resolved. It’s a naive idea, but it shows where they stand.”
Shuichi smiled. “Then change their minds.”
“That’s your responsibility as my wife.”
Mei Terumi huffed coldly. “But I’m still the Fifth Mizukage.”
Shuichi cupped her chin with a sly grin. “Being Mizukage is temporary. Being my wife is forever.”
“Besides, don’t you support your man’s grand ambitions?”
Mei Terumi turned her head away. “With your strength, you could seize the Tailed Beasts by force. Even if the other villages joined forces, they couldn’t stop you. But you didn’t. Instead, you’re using the Akatsuki to weaken the other villages or force them to rely on Konoha, aren’t you?”
“You want to unify the ninja world peacefully, not because you fear the Akatsuki.”
Shuichi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You’re perceptive.”
“That’s exactly right.”
“But no matter how gentle the approach, there will always be opposition. Bloodshed is inevitable.”
Mei Terumi fell silent.
She realized Shuichi had deliberately waited until the Fourth Mizukage was killed before stepping in. The calculations behind his actions were clear.
And now, she was both Shuichi’s fiancée and one of the main beneficiaries of the Fourth Mizukage’s death. Her feelings were deeply conflicted.
...
After a busy day, Shūichi decisively followed Mei Terumī back to her home that evening.
Mei went to freshen up first, and when she came out with her damp hair draped over her shoulders and dressed in a bathrobe, her cheeks were flushed as she softly said to Shūichi, “The hot water is ready.”
Shūichi was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Mei to do something like this.
“Thank you!”
He stood up with a smile, but was even more surprised when Mei, still blushing, followed him into the bathroom.
Under Shūichi’s increasingly curious gaze, Mei cast aside the demeanor of the Fifth Mizukage, transforming into a gentle wife-like figure as she helped him undress.
This was a treatment he had never experienced before.
Pakura, for instance, had always been resistant yet teasing, often making him do the work instead.
“Who knew you had such a traditional side?”
Amused, Shūichi settled into the bath and shamelessly added, “The battle today was exhausting. Give me a massage, will you?”
“Yes,” Mei replied, her voice tinged with embarrassment as she nodded obediently.
Such a stark contrast in behavior was maddeningly alluring.
An hour later, Shūichi carried a thoroughly softened and exhausted Mei, who felt like putty in his arms, out of the bathroom.
---
While Shūichi was enjoying Mei's unexpectedly gentle side, the atmosphere in villages like Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure was far from peaceful—it was a sleepless night for them.
The massive clash at Kirigakure had caused even more of an uproar than Shūichi’s battles in Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
---
Raikage’s Office, Kumogakure
The Fourth Raikage was visibly agitated. “Kirigakure… The Fourth Mizukage was actually under Akatsuki’s control!”
“In other words, Akatsuki had been hiding within Kirigakure all this time.”
Dodai nodded solemnly. “It appears so, Raikage-sama.”
“We’ll need further intel from Konoha, though, since it was Lord Shūichi who fought Akatsuki.”
“Based on reports from Kirigakure, however, Akatsuki has individuals wielding Wood Release abilities comparable to the First Hokage, as well as the immensely dangerous Rinnegan powers. If the battlefield hadn’t shifted out of the village, Kirigakure itself would have been destroyed. Even so, the aftermath alone left one-third of the village in ruins.”
“From what we know, the Fourth Mizukage is dead, and the Three-Tails has been taken by Akatsuki.”
Dodai’s expression turned grim. “There’s no telling where Akatsuki’s next target might be, but sooner or later, they’ll come for us.”
The Fourth Raikage scoffed. “Konoha concealed critical information from us!”
“They should have informed us and joined forces to take down Akatsuki in Kirigakure!”
Dodai mused, “Raikage-sama, there might be other circumstances at play.”
“The priority now is to ally with Konoha, track down Akatsuki, and eliminate them before they target Yugito Nii.”
“Additionally, Kirigakure has suffered heavy losses in this conflict. They’ll likely join the effort to hunt Akatsuki as well.”
The Fourth Raikage nodded decisively. “Send someone to Konoha immediately.”
Dodai acknowledged, “Understood!”
---
Iwagakure
From his bed, Onoki climbed out as he listened to his son report the news. Even he couldn’t hide his shock. “They actually controlled the Fourth Mizukage…?”
“Is this information accurate?”
Kitsuchi nodded. “Kirigakure isn’t concealing this humiliating truth. After the battle, they promptly selected a Fifth Mizukage—Mei Terumī, the girl who possesses two Kekkei Genkai.”
Onoki raised an eyebrow. “That girl? If I recall, she’s not even twenty years old.”
Kitsuchi sighed. “Kirigakure has been through multiple internal conflicts. At this point, she’s the only one suitable for the role.”
“In hindsight, those internal conflicts were likely orchestrated by Akatsuki.”
“Father, we should be more cautious about collaborating with Akatsuki.”
Onoki snorted. “I’m not the Fourth Mizukage.”
“And Iwagakure is not Kirigakure!”
“Konoha has already annexed Kusagakure, and the Land of Fire is clearly intent on seizing the Land of Grass. That Shūichi kid is extremely ambitious—he’s just like Uchiha Madara in the past.”
“To counter Konoha, working with Akatsuki remains a viable option.”
Shūichi’s power was something Onoki had experienced firsthand—he wasn’t an opponent he could handle.
But now that Akatsuki could stand up to Shūichi, they seemed like an excellent partner.
Of course, Onoki knew Akatsuki was merely a tool to be used.
For now, Akatsuki was a double-edged sword—a weapon of immense power, but one that could easily turn on its wielder.
...
When Shūichi opened his eyes in the morning, the person who had been beside him was already gone.
As he got up to freshen up, he noticed a prepared breakfast on the table, along with a note left by Mei Terumī.
"How thoughtful..."
After washing up, he headed out for his morning training. However, when he returned an hour later to eat, he realized he might have been too quick to compliment her.
Mei’s cooking wasn’t on par with Nonō’s or Asuka’s.
Still, he felt a deep sense of happiness.
After all, it wasn’t common for a woman to take the time to make breakfast for a man.
Once breakfast was finished, Shūichi left the house. As soon as he stepped out, Zabuza appeared silently behind him, following closely.
Arriving at the still-under-repair Mizukage Tower, Shūichi was greeted with a chorus of "Lord Shūichi" as he made his way to the temporary Mizukage office.
Inside, Mei was reviewing documents. She only gave him a quick glance before returning her focus to her work.
She had just three days to familiarize herself with all the information a Mizukage needed to know before accompanying Shūichi, along with the Six-Tails’ jinchūriki, to Konoha.
This was one of the key differences between Konoha and Kirigakure.
While the Hokage in Konoha was responsible for managing many administrative affairs, Kirigakure delegated most tasks to its council of elders. The Mizukage’s primary role was to be the village’s strongest ninja.
Thus, the Mizukage leaving the village didn’t hinder its operations significantly.
Of course, Mei accompanying Shūichi to Konoha wasn’t just because of their personal relationship. As the Fifth Mizukage, she also needed to negotiate a deeper alliance with Konoha.
Kirigakure aimed to form a bond with Konoha stronger than the one Konoha had with Sunagakure, engaging in broader collaborations.
This was a strategy Mei and Shūichi had discussed. Unlike Kusagakure, which Konoha had absorbed outright, assimilating Kirigakure would require a gradual process of integration.
---
Three days later.
Amid a crowd of Mist ninjas bidding them farewell, Shūichi and Mei left Kirigakure.
Following behind them were four individuals: Zabuza Momochi, the Six-Tails’ jinchūriki Utakata, Ao, and Chūkichi, a Kekkei Genkai ninja from Kirigakure.
Chūkichi was a plump man with red glasses and blue markings on his face, whose Kekkei Genkai was Dark Release. This time, he served as Mei’s bodyguard for the journey to Konoha.
As for Ao, he was both a bodyguard and Mei’s assistant for the diplomatic mission.
Once outside the village, Shūichi stopped and turned to Zabuza and the others.
"Prepare yourselves. I’m going to use space-time ninjutsu to teleport us to Konoha."
Ao was stunned. "Is it the teleportation technique of the Fourth Hokage?"
Shūichi nodded. "That technique was originally developed by the Second Hokage."
Golden chakra enveloped Shūichi, forming a cloak similar to his previous Fire Release Chakra Mode. Chakra arms extended from the cloak, touching the shoulders of Ao and the others.
As for Mei, there was no need—she already bore his Star Cursed Mark.
Whoosh!
Once everyone was ready, Shūichi transported them from the spot.
After several rapid transfers, it took less than ten seconds for Shūichi and his group to appear at Konoha’s gates.
For Mei and the others, it was their first experience with such speed, leaving them dumbfounded.
Only when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, arrived with his entourage did they snap out of their daze. The two sides exchanged pleasantries at the gate before Minato personally welcomed Mei and her group into Konoha.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Fields, at Orochimaru’s laboratory...
Zetsu, the combined form of Black and White Zetsu, looked at Orochimaru and said with a sinister smile, "Prepare a sacrifice. If it brings sufficient surprises, our future collaboration won’t disappoint you."
"I always deliver surprises."
Orochimaru chuckled with anticipation as he led Zetsu to a holding area for test subjects. He pointed to an individual in a cell.
"This one is a Magnet Release ninja from Kumogakure. Their abilities should be sufficient, no?"
White Zetsu nodded. "More than sufficient!"
He immediately used his Spore Technique, implanting spores into the ninja. The spores fed on the ninja’s chakra, rapidly growing into two full-fledged White Zetsu clones.
The Kumogakure ninja, drained entirely of their chakra, died on the spot.
Orochimaru’s pupils contracted, but his smile grew wider. "What an intriguing ability."
Black Zetsu added, "Though these are just inferior copies of Hashirama’s cells, I believe you have some of his cells as well. Enhancing this process shouldn’t be difficult for you."
Orochimaru’s confidence was palpable. "Naturally."
White Zetsu smirked. "Then let’s see what you can do."
Orochimaru licked his lips with a sinister grin. "As you wish."
(End of Chapter)
Comments
Sil3nt
So did he gets some snu snu or na? Lol always hard to tell with this novel.
