Jonin Meeting

The Foreign Affairs Department did not actually have a Minister; in fact, ever since the department was established, it had never once had a Minister.

As a subordinate branch of the Mizukage Office, the Foreign Affairs Department had always been the least visible entity in the village. Other departments like the Jonin Squad, the Intelligence Department, the Internal Affairs Department, or the Police Force all held some degree of presence within the village, but the Foreign Affairs Department?

Pardon me, but what exactly is that?

Ever since the various nations began emulating the Land of Fire and Konoha to establish their own major ninja villages thirty years ago, the diplomatic relations between them could hardly be called close; if anything, they were closer to a state where everyone wished to devour one another's flesh.

In such an environment, this organization—founded specifically for the first Five Kage Summit—had spent the following decades in total obscurity. Apart from its brief relevance during the First Shinobi World War regarding declarations of war and ceasefires, the people of Kirigakure had basically forgotten that such a department even existed in their village.

If not for the reminder from Hozuki Shingetsu, even Hozuki Zangetsu would likely not have recalled its existence.

"The Daimyo's Envoy is already in the village. With the timing of my bid for a Jonin position, combined with some hints from my subordinates and the existing friction with the Daimyo, that man Byakuren should think of this department."

Hozuki Zangetsu thought of the current friction between Kirigakure and the Daimyo, and he found his son's deduction quite sound.

First, the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs carried a high enough rank to logically accommodate Hozuki Shingetsu. After all, it was an agency established specifically for the first Five Kage Summit, so it still held a certain level of prestige, and no one could easily object to it.

Second, with the Daimyo's Envoy arriving, this position was truly perfect for causing trouble. Speaking of which, one had to mention the rift between the Daimyo of the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

Back during the first Five Kage Summit, the guards for each Kage were their respective successors, a fact recognized by the Daimyos of each nation. The First Mizukage, Byakuren, had even brought his apprentice, Ren, to the Capital of the Land of Water beforehand.

However, no one expected that after Byakuren died, that man Hozuki Gengetsu would disregard the rules, reach out to allies, and launch a coup, forcibly seizing the position of Mizukage from the rightful successor, Ren.

Without the support of any ninja clans, the isolated Ren was no match for Hozuki Gengetsu. Furthermore, not only was Hozuki Gengetsu stronger, but his sunny personality also garnered more support. Additionally, Hozuki Gengetsu promised that the matter would end there and that he would not hold a grudge against Ren, which led to Ren accepting the situation.

But the Daimyo of the Land of Water was not pleased!

You, Hozuki Gengetsu, launched a coup on your own accord—did you even pay your respects? Did you not know that Ren's position as Mizukage had my approval?

Yet, because Ren himself had backed down, and because the scandal of the Daimyo failing to discipline his subordinates would only cause him more embarrassment if the stalemate continued, the matter was dropped. The Daimyo had no choice but to swallow his pride and acknowledge Hozuki Gengetsu's status as the Second Mizukage. Privately, however, he gradually reduced financial support for Kirigakure, which laid the groundwork for Kirigakure's invasion of the Land of Earth during the First Shinobi World War.

There was no help for it; when the boss stopped paying, the legitimacy of the rule was shaky, and there were still a bunch of brothers to feed, they couldn't cut their own benefits. So, Hozuki Gengetsu had no choice but to go out and seize resources by force!

In the end, he perished together with the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and the position of Mizukage returned to Ren.

However, after Ren became Mizukage, the Daimyo still held a grudge over Ren's initial submission to Hozuki Gengetsu and treated him coldly, with no increase in financial support. Ren, in turn, blamed the Daimyo for not supporting him to the end. Thus, the two parties were currently in a state of mutual resentment. Historically, the Daimyo's envoys were handled by the Foreign Affairs Department, which was why Hozuki Zangetsu felt Hozuki Shingetsu's speculation was very reasonable.

Solving two problems at once—for Ren, wouldn't that be wonderful?

"Father, since we want to compete for influence, we must let others see the efforts we make. Whether it is undeniable hard achievements or soft propaganda that is half-true and half-false, it all needs to be visible. And in this, the Foreign Affairs Department—a department that has always existed but is never valued—is, in my opinion, a very beautiful chess piece."

After all, as a transmigrator, the combination of an island nation, warring states, and diplomacy was a problem that was far too easy to solve.

"Not only that, but by using the Foreign Affairs Department as a springboard, we can distinguish who among the crowd are true centrists, who are our allies, and who are our enemies."

"Very well. Since you have your own ideas, I will say no more." Hozuki Zangetsu looked at his son, who stood tall under the lamplight, his tone revealing a sense of hope.

"Following this trend, the Fourth Mizukage in twenty years will be none other than you, Shingetsu. By then, I will have lived up to the burden that Uncle Gengetsu entrusted to me!"

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled slightly but did not respond.

Twenty years? That was far too long!

Moreover, obtaining the position of Mizukage was only a small part of his life plan; how could he be satisfied with just that?

Time passed quickly, and three days later, at ten in the morning, all the Jonin in Kirigakure gathered at the Mizukage Building to attend the Jonin Meeting.

As the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kirigakure was even considered the shame of the five after experiencing the "Bloody Mist Era." Although its strength had not yet declined to that point, in terms of power, it could not compare to Konoha and could likely only contend with Sunagakure.

Currently, the village's elite Jonin numbered only a little over two hundred, barely filling the conference room. Most of them belonged to clans with bloodline limits, while a small portion came from various minor ninja clans. As of now, there was not a single Jonin of commoner origin in the true sense.

After all, the Ninja Academy had only been established for a decade or two, and there was not yet enough soil for commoner geniuses to bloom.

As the highest-level political meeting in the village, the Jonin Meeting was generally convened for only one purpose: to nominate the next Kage. But clearly, that was not the agenda for this particular Kirigakure Jonin Meeting.

"Tanaka, why do you think the Mizukage suddenly called a Jonin Meeting? Surely the Mizukage isn't voluntarily abdicating and letting us choose the next one, right?"

A Jonin from a minor clan gossiped to the friend beside him.

"How is that possible! There must be some major event! But for us, let's just treat it as going through the motions. As long as it doesn't involve us, we'll just say whatever everyone else says later. Even if the sky falls, it won't be our job to hold it up."

Comments like these emerged one after another. At this time, the Warring States period had not been over for long, and most of the slightly larger ninja clans had elders sitting at home who were well-versed in the philosophy of self-preservation.

Soon, with the entry of the Mizukage, Ren, the noisy conference room finally fell silent.

However, what puzzled many of the Jonin present was the person sitting next to the Mizukage—was that the Daimyo's Envoy?