Undercurrents in the Mist Ninja

The Land of Water.

"Lord Juzo, Lord Juzo, please wait a moment..."

A series of hurried shouts came from behind. Juzo Biwa slowed his pace and frowned impatiently.

"Lord Juzo, please wait a moment..."

Mist Ninja Chunin uniform jogged over.

"What's the matter?"

His tone was quite displeased.

"That's right, it was Lord Fuguki who sent me to find you, saying he has something important to discuss with you."

Facing the fierce gaze of Juzo Biwa, the young Mist Ninja spoke tremblingly.

"That Fuguki is looking for me... what's he up to? Why didn't he say anything at the camp earlier?"

The young Mist Ninja shook his head frantically, indicating that he knew nothing and was only there to deliver a message, nothing more.

"Alright, I got it, get lost!"

"Juzo Biwa!" the young Mist Ninja scolded, and he fled as if granted a pardon.

Watching the young Mist Ninja flee in a panic, he sighed with a sense of disappointment. The Mist Ninja these days are truly getting worse with each generation... Well, that's probably something the Lord Mizukage should be considering.

The problem he's facing now is that fat guy Suikazan Fuguki.

"What do you want from me...? The Fuguki has been acting a bit... weird lately!"

Reaching out and grasping the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō behind him, he felt as if he had gained a source of strength and a wellspring of confidence. All the confusion and hesitation in his eyes vanished, and he straightened his back. There was no use thinking about it here; he would know when he met the person in front of him.

The Mist Ninja Army was stationed on a small, deserted island at sea. The island, no bigger than a palm, was covered with sparse vegetation, and the thousands of Mist Ninja soldiers crowded the island as soon as they landed.

Suikazan Fuguki was the supreme commander of the ninja army. He had been to his tent many times before and walked over with ease. None of the Mist Ninja guarding the way stopped him, so they must have received orders from Fuguki.

I lifted the curtain, bowed slightly, and stepped inside. The light suddenly brightened; the tent was brightly lit, much brighter than the foggy outside environment.

He squinted and made out the only two people inside the tent.

The fat man Suikazan Fuguki, sat prominently in the main seat, while the other person made him stare wide-eyed in surprise.

"Yo~!"

A woman named Ringo Ameyuri lay lazily on the table, her hair tied up like a pair of horns, two strangely shaped long swords pressed under her elbows, and she waved weakly as if to greet Juzo.

Juzo Biwa's lips twitched, and he nodded in response, secretly wondering what the Fuguki was up to.

He summoned the two remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and together with Fuguki himself, those present were all the current members of the Seven Man Group.

By the way, it seems that one of the Hozuki Clan's kids recently passed the trial of the Exploding Blade Shibuki, so it probably won't be long before one of the Seven Man Group is filled.

"Juzo, you've arrived. Please have a seat."

"Suikazan Fuguki- ki!" Suigetsu Hobutsu-ki began to speak.

Juzo Biwa didn't stand on ceremony. Mist Ninja was known for its cold-bloodedness and rudeness, and there was no strict hierarchical relationship between them. He pulled out a chair, took the Kubikiribōchō from his back, leaned against the table, and sat down next to Ringo Ameyuri.

"Konoha's offensive is fierce." Suikazan Fuguki said suddenly after a moment of silence.

"······"

Juzo Biwa blinked but didn't reply.

However, Suikazan Fuguki didn't seem to care and continued, "The head of the Yuki clan is the commander of Konoha's forces. She knows us very well. The recent battles have been very difficult. Although the Fourth Hokage personally intervened, the gap between us and Konoha is still huge... Konoha is currently also fighting against the Iwa Stone Ninja in the north..."

"... I'm so glad that the natural disaster from Konoha didn't happen to us this time..."

Juzo Biwa Mind's Eye agrees with this statement.

This doesn't mean he's weak or spineless, but rather that he has self-awareness; only a fool would attempt to fight a losing battle.

Of course, that's not important. The key question is what exactly Suikazan Fuguki is trying to convey. Juzo Biwa is becoming increasingly confused. What trick is this fat guy playing?

Ringo Ameyuri down on the table, her long, deep breaths proving she was fast asleep.

"... To be honest, I disagreed with the Fourth Hokage's decision to send troops from the very beginning."

Suikazan Fuguki spoke with a gloomy expression.

"The Konoha Disaster recently wreaked havoc in the village, and the Third Hokage and many powerful ninjas perished in that battle. Only two years have passed, and the village has not yet recovered. To provoke Konoha again at this time is simply... foolish."

The last words were practically spat out through gritted teeth.

After all, the person who decided to send troops to retaliate against Konoha was the current Fourth Mizukage, who disregarded the opposition of the village's powerful clans, elders, and others, and insisted on pushing forward this great war.

"Hey, Fuguki Senior, you can eat as much as you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Be careful, the walls may have ears."

Juzo Biwa tapped on the table.

The Fourth Mizukage has been in power for over two years. Completely different from his previous gentle and refined nature, he was probably stimulated by the death of the Third Mizukage. His personality changed drastically, and he implemented extremely harsh ruling policies in the village, causing the already cold-blooded village to evolve to a cold-blooded state.

During that time, countless loose-lipped, unlucky individuals were taken away by the Anbu and never reappeared.

"Don't worry, there's no Anbu that can monitor us," Suikazan Fuguki said nonchalantly. The three people present were all Jonin. "Besides, Samehada is also keeping an eye on us."

He reached out and patted Samehada that was leaning against the table. Samehada immediately began to wriggle, its movements like waves beneath the white bandage.

That being said, when the Fuguki spoke again, his voice was still subtly lowered.

"The Fourth Hokage seems to have become incredibly powerful."

"What's the big deal? Maybe the pressure of being the Mizukage is too great? Or maybe the death of the Third Mizukage had too much of an impact, and the village has been in chaos for the past two years. There are all sorts of possibilities... What's the point of researching this kind of thing? You didn't call me here just to talk about this, did Fuguki- senpai?"

Juzo Biwa blinked, looking at the Fuguki with confusion.

"I don't think the current Fourth Hokage is the true Mizukage!!" Suikazan Fuguki tapped the table with his finger and said bluntly.

His words immediately stirred up a huge wave of discussion.

"The Fourth Hokage isn't the real Mizukage? What do you mean by that? Fuguki- senpai, you'd better explain more clearly, or... please don't blame me for being disrespectful." Juzo Biwa narrowed his eyes, gripping the hilt of his Kubikiribōchō's Blade with his right hand, veins bulging on his arm.

Ringo Ameyuri seemed to wake up as well, climbing up from the table, stretching, and sitting up straight to look at the Fuguki. (To be continued)