The Mist Village Treats Honest People Like This?

Mei Terumi whispered to Elder Genji, "Elder, have we taken in these two Rogue Ninja recently?"

"No. The village has never had these two people."

Mei Terumi's eyes shifted.

What do we do if they aren't the people they're looking for?

Wait, I've got it.

"Return the Mizukage to us first. We can help you search for them. Besides, we can pretend today's incident never happened."

Eiji smiled.

Zhang Wuji's mother had been absolutely right: the prettier a woman was, the better she was at lying.

Pretend it never happened? Who would believe that?

Based on what he knew about Kirigakure...

As soon as he released the Mizukage, these crazed people would charge at them like madmen.

If he were alone, he could definitely escape. But with these two seniors, that was hard to say.

"I have absolute confidence in the village's intelligence. Why don't you let me investigate? Once I've found out the truth, we'll leave."

"Are you kidding?"

The Kirigakure ninja shouted, "Arrogant! The Konoha ninja are far too disrespectful toward us!"

Eiji pressed his blade against Yagura's neck.

"You're right. And then?"

The thick mist seemed to congeal into blocks of lead, while the air was filled with dampness.

Elder Genji's aged voice pierced through the dense mist.

"Konoha ninja, this is a time of peace. Don't do anything that might provoke a war."

Yet the only reply was the faint sound of flesh being cut.

Eiji's blade precisely sliced a shallow line across Yagura's neck.

A bright-red bead of blood slowly seeped out, rolled along Xiao Er, and lightly fell to the ground.

Eiji's scarlet Sharingan locked firmly onto the Kirigakure ninja.

"You were the ones who attacked first—the Mizukage, no less. And now you're turning around and accusing us, Konoha, of starting a war?"

His voice suddenly rose. "Aren't you just bullying honest people?"

Elder Genji felt his temples throb, accompanied by an indescribable headache.

The young man before him wore the Uchiha Clan Crest, yet sported an eye-catching head of White Hair. He was nothing like the Uchiha described in the rumors, who supposedly only knew how to charge in with their blades swinging.

His skill at putting labels on people and twisting black into white was practically perfect.

He had more schemes than a sieve had holes!

Once again, voices shouting "Kill them!" rose from the crowd.

Eiji let out a cold laugh.

"Do you think Konoha is afraid of war? The three of us came here today without any intention of returning alive!"

"Right, you two seniors? Konoha ninja have never feared death!"

"...Right!"

Kakashi's brain had already short-circuited.

To hell with tactics. At this point, it was simply a contest to see whose head was harder.

Eiji's brows knitted tightly. Deep within the dense mist, in some concealed corner...

A sudden ripple of Chakra flashed.

Byakugan.

Without the slightest hesitation, Eiji sharply tilted his head, his cheeks puffing out slightly.

"Water Release: Heavenly Cry."

A water needle as fine as a cow's hair, condensed to the extreme, shot from his mouth with a sharp sound as it tore through the air.

It instantly vanished into the dense mist.

Thud.

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground rang out clearly.

Immediately afterward, a muffled groan of pain echoed.

Within the dense mist, Ao's face was filled with shock and disbelief.

He pressed hard against his right shoulder, which had been pierced by the water needle, a trace of doubt flashing through his mind.

How could this happen?

He had used the Hidden Mist Technique to conceal himself perfectly. Even the Sharingan of the Uchiha shouldn't have been able to see through this dense mist!

Damn it. How did this brat do it?

Eiji let out a cold laugh. "You despicable Kirigakure ninja. It seems you don't care whether the Mizukage lives or dies."

The ninja blade in his hand pressed down slightly, deepening the blood line on Yagura's neck.

Elder Genji gave a powerless sigh.

Aside from Mizukage Yagura, Ao was one of the village's strongest fighters.

Who could have imagined that Eiji would take him down in a single move?

And he really hadn't formed a single hand seal?

A wave of powerlessness surged through him.

He met Yagura's gaze and understood what the other man meant.

Elder Genji waved his hand. "All hidden ninja, withdraw."

Eiji revealed an innocent, harmless smile. "Isn't this much better? What can't be discussed properly while sitting down? Why must you insist on shouting and killing?"

He poked Yagura, who struggled to force out a sentence.

"I'll take the Konoha ninja around the village to have a look. Don't act rashly."

"Yes, Mizukage."

Elder Genji waved his hand, and the Kirigakure ninja quickly made way.

The Konoha Team and Yagura proceeded slowly along the path. When they were halfway there, Eiji suddenly moved half his body aside.

He lightly brushed Yagura's robe. That tiny motion made the loyal ninja suck in a breath of cold air.

This madman actually covered the Mizukage in Explosive Tags!

Is he really not afraid of blowing himself and his teammates to pieces?

What a lunatic from the Uchiha...

Before long, the four of them arrived at the Mizukage's Office.

"The Masked Man was hiding here earlier. It seems he heard that you were coming and took advantage of the chaos to escape."

"Also, you'd better not wander around without me accompanying you. I don't have absolute authority in this village."

After saying this, Yagura himself was stunned. Why did it feel as though he had unknowingly taken the Konoha side?

<The Story of How I, the Shadow of a Village, Was Bought Off by Konoha>

Yagura had been telling the truth.

Because Kirigakure implemented the Blood Mist Village Policy, the entire village had developed in a severely warped manner.

It was perfectly normal for companions who had spent every day together to stab each other to death the very next moment.

As a result, some of the more capable ninja in the village had grown dissatisfied with Yagura and spent every day plotting to kill him.

Yagura had lost count of how many assassination attempts he had faced.

When he was conscious, he sometimes felt that dying might actually be a good thing. At least he wouldn't have to remain the Masked Man's puppet.

Yet he had stubbornly survived.

As long as he remained alive, someone else had to die.

After every assassination attempt, his loyal subordinates would conduct another purge of the village's ninja.

Then the ninja would become even more dissatisfied and attempt another assassination...

It had become an endless loop.

Eiji patted Yagura on the shoulder. "You should worry about yourself a little more. More than half of the ninja outside are here for you."

Yagura looked up and, sure enough, saw quite a few ninja outside the window.

As for whether they had come to rescue him or protect him, he couldn't say for certain.

Outside the Mizukage Building, Ao bowed slightly.

"I'm truly sorry, Elder Genji. I failed to save the Mizukage."

"This isn't your fault, Ao." Elder Genji gazed pensively at the building. "Who could have imagined that these three ninja would possess such abilities?"

"What should we do, then?"

Ao activated his Byakugan and surveyed the activity around them.

"Besides the Mizukage's followers, there are also some forces whose origins are unknown. They're probably here to assassinate the Mizukage."

"Don't let them approach the Mizukage Building. I'll continue negotiating with them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Eiji suddenly poked his head out of the window.

"Send us some food. The Mizukage is hungry."

The veins on Elder Genji's forehead bulged.

Is this bastard here on vacation?