Jonin Meeting

The Foreign Affairs Department indeed had no minister. In fact, ever since the department was established, it had never had one.

As a subordinate department of the Mizukage Office, the Foreign Affairs Department had always been the least conspicuous. Other departments, like the Jonin Squad, Intelligence Department, Internal Affairs Department, and Police Force, had at least some presence in the village. But the Foreign Affairs Department?

Sorry, what was that again?

Ever since the various countries had followed the Land of Fire and Konoha's example and established their own great shinobi villages thirty years ago, relations between them couldn't exactly be called close. If anything, they were eager to devour one another.

In that kind of environment, the Foreign Affairs Department—an organization established specifically for the First Five Kage Summit—had only been relevant during the declarations of war and ceasefires in the First Shinobi World War. In the decades since, the people of Kirigakure had basically forgotten that the department even existed.

If Hozuki Shingetsu hadn't reminded him, even Hozuki Zangetsu probably wouldn't have remembered it.

"The Daimyo's envoy is already in the village. This is just when I'm seeking a Jonin position, and with some hints from my subordinates and the conflict with the Daimyo, Ren should remember this department."

Hozuki Zangetsu thought of the current conflict between Kirigakure and the Daimyo, and found himself agreeing with his son's assessment.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs position was high enough to accommodate Hozuki Shingetsu. After all, the department had been established specifically for the First Five Kage Summit, so the rank and benefits were there, and no one could complain about it.

What's more, with the Daimyo's envoy arriving, the position would be quite a thorn in Ren's side. That brought up the friction between the Daimyo of the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

Back during the First Five Kage Summit, each village's Kage had been accompanied by the village's heir. This had been approved by the Daimyo of each country, and First Mizukage Byakuren had even taken his disciple Ren to the capital of the Land of Water beforehand.

But no one could have expected that after Byakuren's death, Hozuki Gengetsu would break the rules, contact his allies, and launch a coup, forcibly taking the position of Mizukage from Ren, the rightful heir.

Without support from a clan, how could Ren, all alone, have stood against Hozuki Gengetsu? Besides, back then, Hozuki Gengetsu had not only been stronger, but his sunny disposition had also earned him more support. On top of that, he had promised not to pursue the matter with Ren after the fact. So Ren had accepted what happened.

But the Daimyo of the Land of Water was furious!

Hozuki Gengetsu, you launched a coup without permission. Did you even pay your respects to me first? Did you not know that I had approved Ren's claim to the position of Mizukage?

But Ren himself had backed down. And if the matter dragged on, it would expose the scandal of the Daimyo failing to keep his subordinates in line, which would only make him look worse. So he let it go and had no choice but to acknowledge Hozuki Gengetsu as the Second Mizukage. In private, though, he gradually reduced the financial support he gave Kirigakure. That, too, helped lay the groundwork for Kirigakure's invasion of the Land of Earth during the First Shinobi World War.

There was no helping it. The boss wasn't giving them money, their claim to leadership was illegitimate, and they still had a bunch of brothers to support. They couldn't cut their benefits, so Hozuki Gengetsu had to go out and take what he needed himself!

Then he and Second Tsuchikage Mu killed each other, and the position of Mizukage returned to Ren.

But after Ren became Mizukage, the Daimyo still remembered how Ren had backed down in the face of Hozuki Gengetsu. He continued to treat him coldly and didn't increase his financial support. Ren, meanwhile, blamed the Daimyo for not backing him to the end. The two sides now despised each other, and the Daimyo's envoys had always been handled by the Foreign Affairs Department. That was why Hozuki Zangetsu thought his son's guess made so much sense.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for Ren if he could solve two problems at once?

"Father, if we want to gain a say in things, we need to show others that we're making an effort. Whether it's unimpeachable results or publicity that's half true and half false, people have to see it. And among all this, the Foreign Affairs Department—a department that's always existed but no one takes seriously—seems to me like a brilliant piece to play."

After all, as a transmigrator, he knew this topic was a breeze: an island nation, disputes between rival countries, and diplomacy.

"Not only that, but by using the Foreign Affairs Department as a stepping stone, we can also tell who among the crowd is truly neutral, who our allies are, and who our enemies are."

"Fine. If you've already made up your mind, I won't say anything more." Hozuki Zangetsu looked at his son, standing tall beneath the lamplight, and spoke with hope in his voice.

"If things keep going this way, you'll be the Fourth Mizukage twenty years from now, Shingetsu. Then I'll have done right by the responsibility Gengetsu entrusted to me!"

Hozuki Shingetsu smiled faintly but didn't reply.

Twenty years? That was far too long!

Besides, becoming Mizukage was only a small part of his life plan. How could he possibly be satisfied with that?

Three days passed in a flash. 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 had even become a disgrace to them after the Bloody Mist Era. Its strength hadn't declined that far yet, but it couldn't compare to Konoha. It could probably only compete with Sunagakure.

There were just over two hundred Jonin, the elite of the village, barely enough to fill the meeting room. Most of them came from kekkei genkai clans, and a small number were from other minor shinobi clans. As for Jonin who had truly come from civilian backgrounds, there wasn't a single one so far.

After all, the Ninja Academy had only been established within the last decade or two. There hadn't yet been enough time to cultivate the right conditions for civilian geniuses to flourish.

The Jonin Meeting was, publicly, the highest-level political meeting held by each village. It usually had only one purpose: to choose the village's Kage. But this time, it was obvious that wasn't the topic of Kirigakure's meeting.

"Tanaka, why do you think the Mizukage suddenly called a Jonin Meeting? It can't be that he's voluntarily stepping down and letting us choose the next Mizukage, can it?"

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

"How could that be! Something important is probably going on. But for us, it's just a formality. As long as it doesn't involve us, we'll say whatever everyone else says. Even if the sky falls, it won't be up to us to hold it up."

Comments like that were common. The Warring States Period hadn't been that long ago, and most of the somewhat larger shinobi clans still had elders at home who knew the value of keeping their heads down.

Soon, Mizukage Ren entered, and the noisy meeting room finally quieted down.

But many of the Jonin present were puzzled by the person sitting beside the Mizukage. Was that the Daimyo's envoy?