A Crazy Idea

"Yuki Hatsuzuki, it is an honor to meet Konoha's Calamity."

The woman looked to be only about twenty years old, yet she was already the head of a clan. She greeted everyone with a smile, and if it weren't for the strong smell of alcohol emanating from her, she would have had the air of a clan leader.

The girl who had led the way stepped back, and Katsuki sat down without making a sound, sizing up the seemingly unreliable head of the Yuki family. Rokuro Kaguya, Hitomi Kaguya, and the other four sat upright behind Katsuki.

"No need to guess, 21 years old, unmarried, measurements are confidential."

Chief Yuki said with a smile.

"...Clan Chief Yuki quite the capacity for alcohol!" Katsuki thought for a long time, and although she really wanted to say that she had no interest in your measurements at all, she could only manage to utter this sentence in the end.

"Of course, six months ago I got all my competitors drunk before I became the ninth patriarch of the Suigetsu family." The woman spoke clearly, swirling the wine glass in her hand with a smug look.

As he spoke, he poured himself another large glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

"If possible, I hope our conversation can be a little more serious." Katsuki and rubbed her forehead. "My alcohol tolerance is so-so; the smell of this kind of strong liquor gives me a headache."

"Ugh! What a boring man."

Yuki Hatsuzuki extended her right hand, the surrounding temperature plummeted. Hitomi Kaguya, kneeling behind Katsuki, shivered, her breath becoming so hot it was visible to the naked eye. Pieces of translucent white ice crystals condensed in the air, tinkling as they fell into the ice bucket on the coffee table.

The chilling air that swept through the tea room was almost tangible. After swirling a few times in the air, the smell of alcohol dissipated, and everyone shivered from the cold, their minds as clear as could be.

Yuki Hatsuzuki also shivered, and frostflakes fell on her hair, while the flush on her face quickly faded.

"Can we begin talking?"

Katsuki at the now-light-before-seen Mizuki, Yuki Hatsuzuki asked.

"Hiss, it's so cold," Yuki Hatsuzuki rubbed his hands together, looking at Katsuki with a serious expression. "Alright, I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I have a habit of drinking after killing someone, and on the way here I bumped into a group of Mist Ninja... and I couldn't resist."

In the end, a hint of embarrassment appeared on her fair face.

"These are minor matters. Compared to this, Kaguya Clan Head should have told you everything. I wonder what Clan Chief Yuki thinks about the clan's relocation?"

"... If it works, that would be wonderful. But to be honest, although you have a great reputation, I don't think you can make such a decision on a whim. The old man from the Kaguya family is grasping at straws in desperation, but I'm not so easily fooled," Yuki Hatsuzuki a faint smile.

"What did you say?"

The girl kneeling behind Katsuki was displeased. Hitomi Kaguya glared at Yuki Hatsuzuki, looking indignant.

"Kotomi, stop fooling around."

Rokuro Kaguya frowned. He also disliked the flippant tone of the young Yuki clan leader, but now was not the time to act impulsively.

The girl pouted unconvinced, but it was clear that Rokuro Kaguya still held considerable authority, so she obediently shut her mouth, though she still glared at Minazuki with eyes that clearly screamed "Yuki Hatsuzuki."

Yuki Hatsuzuki maintained her smile, paying no attention to the little girl from the Kaguya family; her attention was entirely on Katsuki.

"That's true. I'm just one person after all. I'm young, and although I have some strength, I can't possibly influence the village's decision. I understand. If I were in their shoes, I might have the same thoughts. It's not surprising. However..." Katsuki paused, looking at Yuki Hatsuzuki with his gaze, "However, all of this is not unchangeable."

"Change?"

"Yes, that will change the situation." Katsuki nodded.

"How can this be changed? This isn't something that can be changed with just a few words," Yuki Hatsuzuki said coldly.

"Let's take it one step at a time. First, the first step—" Katsuki raised his right index finger, "You two great clans will help me rescue my people, and I will help you weaken the Mist Ninja."

Yuki Hatsuzuki stared at Katsuki in astonishment, as if he were looking at a madman.

"What do you think the Mist Ninja are? A bunch of wooden stakes?"

Rumors tend to become increasingly outlandish, especially in a closed environment like the Land of Water. Rumors are not credible. Unlike the Cloud Ninja, who have a powerful intelligence network, the Land of Water generally passively receives information. Therefore, the Mist Ninja are not very clear about Katsuki's achievement of destroying half of Sunagakure, let alone the Yuki clan leader who only knows bits and pieces from rumors.

"I understand, I understand. There's a lot of exaggeration in the rumors, so this is just the first step, isn't it? A thousand words are not as good as seeing it for yourself. I will show my sincerity in this first step," Katsuki said in a deep voice.

"... Okay, let's assume, let's assume you did that, then what's the second step?" Yuki Hatsuzuki scratched his head in frustration, completely disregarding his image.

Katsuki smiled and raised her middle finger. "The second step... well, it's actually going to happen almost before the first. I want the nobles and the Kaguya Clan to each send an envoy with my Shadow Clone back to Konoha to communicate with the village's higher-ups and find allies. For example, I'm confident I can persuade the Uchiha Clan, and my teacher can also provide assistance, and so on."

"Uchiha Clan... and who was your teacher?"

This single sentence completely exposed the Land of Water's secretive nature.

"Konoha's White Fang, don't tell me you've never heard of him?"

"White Fang!?"

Yuki Hatsuzuki Katsuki a pang of jealousy. He truly lived up to his reputation as a veteran powerhouse. The name "Konoha's White Fang" seemed to carry more weight than any amount of talk he had spent.

"As for the third step," the ring finger straightened, "The third step is to use all available resources to push for the issuance of permission to accept the Kaguya and Yuki clans to migrate and join Konoha."

After finishing speaking, Katsuki quietly looked at the Yuki Hatsuzuki, waiting for the young clan leader to make a decision.

Silence followed for a long time.

The chill in the tea room grew increasingly intense. Yuki Hatsuzuki and dark, and the continuously decreasing temperature indicated the turmoil in her mind. She had unintentionally activated her Kekkei Genkai, causing this situation.

But then, an unexpected change occurred.

"Boom! Boom!!"

A series of deafening explosions echoed from afar, and billowing black smoke appeared in the southeastern forest, with flickering Kakkō faintly visible.

What happened?

"Yuki Hatsuzuki asked angrily."

"Clan leader, it's the Mist Ninja! The Mist Ninja have launched an attack!"

A man jumped down from the roof and knelt in the corridor, loudly reporting his arrival.