Juzo Biwa, A Pessimist

The courtyard was silent.

The butterfly that had appeared from nowhere perched on a withered branch, its wings occasionally fluttering.

Juzo Biwa knelt on one knee, the Kubikiribōchō laid horizontally before him, his posture humble.

Chiba Ran stepped forward and helped him up. "Stand up. I don't have rules about kneeling here."

His voice was soft, but brooked no refusal.

"Yes, my lord."

Juzo Biwa straightened his body, but kept his head lowered.

The scene of creation from nothing moments ago had utterly shattered his pride as a ninja.

Once he was standing, Chiba Ran handed him a cup of tea and said, "Besides you, there's a little mouse hiding in the Land of Water's delegation. Who is it?"

Juzo Biwa paused, then quickly understood.

He knew who the lord meant.

"My lord... you mean Mei Terumi?"

Juzo Biwa spat out the name, his voice dry.

From the moment he knelt, everything about Kirigakure was no longer a secret.

"Mei Terumi..."

Chiba Ran tapped his fingertips lightly on the teacup, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

So it was her.

The future Fifth Mizukage.

He murmured inwardly.

To the people of this world, Mei Terumi was merely a somewhat famous genius.

"I've heard of her." Chiba Ran's voice carried a hint of probing. "A once-in-a-century genius from Kirigakure, bearing two Kekkei Genkai? That's rare in the ninja world."

He skillfully disguised his foreknowledge.

But these words stirred a storm in Juzo Biwa's heart.

Two Kekkei Genkai!

This was classified information even within Kirigakure, known only to a few, precisely to protect Mei Terumi from the Bloody Mist Village's reach!

How did he know?

Had Konoha's intelligence network already infiltrated Kirigakure's high command?

A chill ran through him.

Juzo Biwa grew even more grateful for his choice tonight.

"Yes, my lord sees clearly."

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Juzo Biwa said, "She possesses both 'Lava Release' and 'Boil Release' Kekkei Genkai."

Seeing that he wasn't hiding anything, Chiba Ran nodded in satisfaction.

"A figure like that—why would she leave Kirigakure and sneak all the way to the Land of Fire Capital? What does she want to do?"

Chiba Ran was genuinely curious.

Though he knew the future plot's direction, the details eluded him, which was why he asked.

"My lord, Mei Terumi came this time to gather supplies for the Rebel Army."

"The Rebel Army?"

"Yes."

Juzo Biwa nodded. "It's a force led by Elder Genji, the former Mizukage's guard, together with her."

"They can't bear the tyranny of the Bloody Mist and intend to overthrow the Fourth Mizukage and rebuild Kirigakure."

Chiba Ran tapped his fingers lightly on the table, thoughtful. "An elder and a genius girl... sounds like they're not very strong."

Juzo Biwa answered honestly, "That's true."

"Most of the Rebel Army's members are Kekkei Genkai clans that have been ostracized and hunted under the tyranny over the years, along with some Civilian Ninja who can't stand the Bloody Mist Village."

"They have no equipment, no supplies, and no money."

"Mei Terumi disguised herself as a guard this time and risked her life to infiltrate the Land of Fire Capital, hoping to use her own savings to buy a batch of military rations and ninja tools from the black market to ship back."

Chiba Ran nodded and gave a comment: "Having that kind of guts, she counts as someone worth noting."

Then he asked, "Do you think there's a chance she could serve me?"

Juzo Biwa froze.

He instinctively lifted his head to meet Chiba Ran's eyes and instantly understood.

This lord wanted not only his blade but also Mei Terumi herself.

He was silent for a moment, then shook his head with certainty. "Impossible."

Chiba Ran asked, "Oh? Why so sure?"

"She's different from me."

Juzo Biwa's voice was heavy. "I'm a rotten man. I gave up on this world long ago. I just wanted to find a place to die, or die in a way that meant something."

"But Mei Terumi... she's an idealist."

"She genuinely loves Kirigakure. She believes she can change that hell on her own and save everyone trapped in the Bloody Mist."

"She'll resist Karatachi Yagura, but she'll never betray the village."

"Making her swear loyalty to the Land of Fire would mean forcing her to destroy her own convictions with her own hands."

"She would die."

Juzo Biwa said with absolute certainty, "Before that, she would choose death first."

"Interesting." Chiba Ran smiled.

The harder the conquest, the more satisfying it would be.

"Tell me about the current state of Kirigakure."

He changed the subject. "Is Karatachi Yagura really that hated?"

At the mention of that name, Juzo Biwa's fists clenched, and a bone-deep hatred blazed in his eyes.

His voice dropped low, as if forced out from his throat.

"Sir, you can't imagine it. Kirigakure isn't a ninja village anymore—it's a living hell."

"The name 'Bloody Mist Village' was built with the lives of us Kirigakure shinobi."

"Sir, do you know what our ninja academy's graduation exam is?"

Chiba Ran knew, of course, but he didn't speak.

After all, hearing it from the lips of someone who lived it was more real than hearsay.

Juzo Biwa continued, "The graduation exam is to make students kill each other! Only those who slay their own comrades are allowed to graduate!"

"Countless talented children never died on the battlefield—they died at the hands of their own people!"

"And he's purging every Kekkei Genkai clan, calling them remnants that destabilize the village!"

"The Kaguya Clan was wiped out. The Yuki Clan—some dead, some fled... Anyone with special abilities is hunted down as an aberration!"

"The whole village is nothing but suspicion and fear. Neighbors report neighbors, subordinates betray superiors... No one lives like a human being."

"The ridiculous part is, he does all this in the name of the village's purity and stability."

By this point, Juzo Biwa's body was trembling violently with rage.

Chiba Ran listened quietly, his heart utterly still.

He knew full well that Karatachi Yagura was just a manipulated puppet.

The hand behind the curtain was Obito Uchiha.

"In that case, why don't you join the Rebel Army?" Chiba Ran asked his next question. "With your strength, you'd be a great help to them."

The anger on Juzo Biwa's face faded, replaced by nothing but profound sorrow. He let out a self-mocking laugh.

"It's useless."

"Even if I kill one Karatachi Yagura, what then?"

"The elders backing him, the clans climbing for power—they'd just prop up a new Karatachi Yagura."

"The name changes, but the core stays the same."

"As long as Kirigakure's cannibalistic system remains, whoever becomes the Mizukage, the result won't change."

"Elder Genji wants to reform it. Mei Terumi wants to reform it too. But they're too naive."

"They always think they can patch things up, tinker with the harmless parts on a root that's already rotted through."

"As for me..."

His hand tightened around the hilt of his blade, despair shining in his eyes.

"What I want is to dig up that rotten root, along with everything on top of it, and burn it all to ash."

Chiba Ran finally showed a satisfied smile.

That was it.

A cornered, utterly despairing demon should have that kind of resolve.

"Then why are you willing to trust me?"

Chiba Ran stared straight into his eyes. "What makes you think I won't be the next Karatachi Yagura? Just because of that move I showed you earlier? You refused me before!"

Juzo Biwa fell silent.

He lifted his head, his gaze landing on the butterfly perched on the withered branch.

He recalled the sights he had seen along the road since entering the Land of Fire Capital.

Wide, smooth streets.

Commoners with smiles on their faces.

Workers drenched in sweat, yet with bright, clear eyes.

This was something he had never seen in the Land of Water—a thing called hope.

"I don't trust anyone."

Juzo Biwa spoke slowly, his voice hoarse.

"And I don't trust you!"

"Your power... it frightens me, but I've seen too many madmen with overwhelming strength."

"However..."

He paused.

"On the way here, I saw your capital."

"I saw the faces of those commoners."

"They have food to eat, work to do, and no fear of waking up tomorrow to find their homes gone."

"You... are building a new world—one I don't fully understand, but one where people can live like human beings."

His gaze fell back on Chiba Ran, filled with reverence.

"Destroying everything is simple."

"What's hard is building a new city on the ruins."

"Lord, you have the power to destroy everything, yet you use it to establish order."

"I... am willing to take that gamble."

Chiba Ran stood up, making a welcoming gesture.

"Then I congratulate you—you've bet correctly. Welcome aboard!"

"From today on, you'll stay within the envoy group. Keep yourself hidden, don't expose yourself."

"I'll have someone contact you. His code name is Shadow."

"All you need to do is tell him everything in your head about the Mist—every last detail, without missing a word."

"Yes, my lord!"

Chiba Ran waved his hand.

"Go."

Juzo Biwa bowed in salute, said no more, hoisted the Kubikiribōchō onto his shoulder, and vanished into the night in a few leaps.

In the courtyard, only Chiba Ran remained.