What were the criteria for becoming a Kage?
Was it becoming a disciple of a previous Hokage, earning the villagers' recognition, or simply inheriting the position from one's father? But those were Konoha, Iwagakure, and Cloud's standards.
Kirigakure's standards were actually very simple: defeat every competitor and possess the strength to suppress a Tailed Beast.
The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, had risen to power through this method. He had also led Kirigakure out of the mire of war and ended the battlefield conflict with Sunagakure.
But awkwardly, after the Fourth Mizukage became a puppet controlled by someone else and turned into an enemy,
Kirigakure had no powerful expert capable of fighting the Fourth Mizukage. Whether it was Ao, who possessed the Byakugan; Mangetsu, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist; or Mei Terumi, who possessed two Kekkei Genkai, they were all elites among Jonin, yet none could do anything against the rampaging Three-Tails.
After using Hiramekarei to create a Chakra projectile, Hozuki Mangetsu directly blasted the Three-Tails into the lake. Mei Terumi, standing nearby, immediately used Boil Release to heat the water, and before long, bubbles began rising across the lake's surface.
Under the effects of the high temperature, the Three-Tails had no choice but to emerge from the water and face Kirigakure's forces on the shore.
Seeing that their strategy had worked, Hozuki Mangetsu smiled easily and said to Mei Terumi, "Jonin Mei Terumi, I didn't expect you to be this strong. Have you considered becoming my subordinate? Kirigakure's future needs strong people like you."
Mei Terumi snorted. "The Fourth Hokage isn't even dead yet, and you're already so eager to show your ambitions."
Hozuki Mangetsu replied without any courtesy, "Although the Fourth was controlled by someone, someone still has to take responsibility for his policies over