"Bastard! You old fossil, Onoki! You actually went back on your word!"
Seeing Onoki cast his vote for Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi, Doujin Mine instantly flew into a rage, even preparing to make the other man eat a "duck neck."
However, Onoki showed no panic whatsoever in the face of the hot-tempered Raikage. "I don't recall ever promising you anything. My choice of the Fifth Mizukage was made entirely for the greater good, without a shred of personal sentiment involved.
"Over the past two years, the Hidden Mist Village's strength has advanced by leaps and bounds, which shows that the Fifth Mizukage possesses exceptional leadership ability.
"Furthermore, most of the intelligence regarding the enemy has been provided by the Hidden Mist Village. That is also a fact.
"This alone proves that the Hidden Mist Village and the Mizukage understand the enemy better than we do. On top of that, she is currently the only captured Three-Tails Jinchuriki. She naturally cannot head to the front lines during the Ninja War and must remain in the rear under protection, which makes her even more suited to be the Fifth Mizukage.
"Taking all these factors into account, that is why I chose the Fifth Mizukage. If any of you believe I am wrong, feel free to refute me."
After Onoki's speech, everyone present fell silent. Even the previously furious Fourth Raikage merely snorted to express his displeasure and did not offer any rebuttal.
Although Onoki's reasoning was sound, based on A's understanding of the old man, there had to be other reasons behind his choice of the Fifth Mizukage.
Onoki: Of course there were other reasons. My granddaughter's husband is now the Hidden Mist's second-in-command. Rock Village and the Hidden Mist are practically family now.
If the Hidden Mist Village profited from this