The Fourth Mizukage sat at the head of the council hall. His gaze swept over the aged Genji and the spirited Terumi Mei, and a sinister glint flashed deep in his eyes.
He had originally invited Genji alone to discuss the village's plans for the coming war. He hadn't expected Genji to bring Terumi Mei along as well. It was clear that Genji was determined to promote her.
It seems my performance over the past year has aroused Genji's suspicions. That's why he's so eager to bring this woman, Terumi Mei, into Kirigakure's upper ranks, the Fourth Mizukage thought to himself.
Neither Genji nor Terumi Mei noticed the strange pattern hidden deep within the Fourth Mizukage's pupils: three black tomoe arranged in a triangle against a blood-red background. It was the Three-Tomoe Sharingan of Konoha's Uchiha Clan.
They could never have imagined that the leader of Kirigakure, the Mizukage—one of the Five Kage standing at the very pinnacle of the Shinobi World—had already been placed under someone else's genjutsu!
The Fourth Mizukage shifted his gaze from Terumi Mei to Genji and said slowly, "Genji, another war is unavoidable. As the Fourth Mizukage, I've decided to lead our village in seeking an opportunity to dominate the Shinobi World through war!"
At his words, Genji and Terumi Mei exchanged a glance. Both saw surprise on the other's face.
Neither of them was ordinary, however. They quickly regained their composure and waited for the Fourth Mizukage to explain his specific plan.
The Fourth Mizukage saw how composed the young Terumi Mei remained and couldn't help but think even more highly of her. Then he slowly began to lay out his plan.
"I've already reached an agreement with the Third Raikage regarding this plan."
It all stemmed from the recent disappearance of the Third Kazekage and Sasori of the Red Sands, an incident that had captured the Shinobi World's attention. With Sunagakure left leaderless for a long time, the militaristic Kumogakure was preparing to launch a surprise attack on it, hoping to wipe it out in one fell swoop and then seize the entire Land of Wind.
But Konoha, Sunagakure's ally, would certainly come to its aid. Kumogakure would need a powerful ally to keep Konoha occupied.
And Kirigakure was perfectly positioned to play that role, becoming the Land of Lightning's ideal partner in its invasion of the Land of Wind!
After the Fourth Mizukage finished speaking, Genji and Terumi Mei fell into thought. In the Shinobi World, where conflict was constant, starting a war was hardly unthinkable. What mattered was whether the benefits were worth the cost.
After a brief silence, Genji took the initiative to ask Terumi Mei for her opinion. He seemed to be testing the young woman he had taken under his wing.
Terumi Mei furrowed her brow and pondered for several seconds. Then she looked at the Fourth Mizukage and said gravely, "Mizukage-sama, I need to know why you want to join Kumogakure in this war, and what you hope to achieve through it."
"Because of our village's unique location, even if Kumogakure conquers Sunagakure—or the Land of Lightning succeeds in swallowing the Land of Wind—we, isolated overseas, won't be able to claim any of the spoils. Even if the Land of Lightning agrees to give us some of the Land of Wind, we won't be able to hold onto territory across the sea."
The Land of Water was separated from other countries by a vast ocean. This geography made it easy to defend, but also difficult to expand abroad and claim the spoils of war won in the Shinobi World's inland regions.
Uchiha Madara had already considered this question carefully.
Although the Fourth Mizukage he controlled held great power, Genji was still in the village, a figure whose reputation rivaled his own. Without a reason convincing enough to satisfy everyone, Genji could easily unite the other Kirigakure leaders and overturn his decision.
The Fourth Mizukage's lips curled slightly. Half of his youthful, baby-faced features were hidden in shadow by the hall's lighting, giving him a sinister look.
"Being isolated overseas is our village's advantage. Wars in the Shinobi World's inland regions are unlikely to reach us. As long as we can start a war and muddy the waters, the other shinobi villages will turn on one another. We can sit back and watch them fight, then wait for an opportunity to act."
"If we don't cooperate with Kumogakure, they'll abandon their plan to attack Sunagakure. Then we'll miss a chance to make Kirigakure rise!"
After hearing the Fourth Mizukage's explanation, Genji and Terumi Mei didn't immediately share their opinions. Both fell silent again, quietly considering whether the plan was feasible.
There was no denying that, if handled well, the plan the Fourth Mizukage—or rather, Uchiha Madara—had described could take advantage of Kirigakure's strategic position. By provoking war between the other shinobi villages, Kirigakure could reap the benefits.
Unfortunately, Genji and Terumi Mei didn't know that Uchiha Madara was only using this argument to deceive Kirigakure's leaders.
Once the fighting began, he had no intention of seeking any benefit for Kirigakure. Instead, he would use the Fourth Mizukage's authority to drag both Kirigakure and the Land of Water into the maelstrom of war, plunging the entire Shinobi World into chaos and laying the groundwork for his own triumphant return in the future!
Just as Uchiha Madara had expected, Genji and Terumi Mei didn't oppose his proposal. They, too, believed the plan had considerable potential. The three of them spent a long time discussing its details in the council hall.
That night, the Fourth Mizukage, Genji, Terumi Mei, and Kirigakure's most influential leaders held a secret meeting. They ultimately decided to support Kumogakure's surprise attack on Sunagakure—a decision that directly led to the Third Shinobi World War not long afterward!
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