Kirigakure was a village that had been cut off from the outside world since the Third Shinobi World War. But ever since Mei Terumi had become the Fourth Mizukage, Kirigakure's foreign policy had begun to change dramatically. The village had started communicating more with the outside world, and the shadow of the Land of Bloody Mist was slowly fading within its borders.
The younger generation of Mist Ninja no longer had to stand out by murdering their comrades, as Zabuza and Kisame's generation had. Instead, they were assessed through relatively gentler methods.
These reforms had all been launched under Mei Terumi's forceful leadership. Her record of achievement, combined with her formidable strength, had established her absolute authority within Kirigakure.
Sunlight streamed down from the sky. Today, the long-sealed Kirigakure conference room welcomed an unusual guest.
In all these years, no shinobi from another village had ever walked openly into this conference room like Uzumaki Kuming. The spacious room was packed with people. In the center stood a long table that could seat twenty, while Mist Ninja crowded the surrounding area.
Nearly a hundred people had gathered in the conference room. Everyone of consequence in Kirigakure was there.
Mei Terumi sat at the head of the central table, her bare shoulders showing above her azure dress. With her arms folded and a serious expression on her face, she held the seat of honor. Beside her sat an elderly man with a bald head and a Ghost-Face Staff clutched in his hand. His skin had grown so slack that the wrinkles on his face had gathered into folds.
The old man was an elder of Kirigakure. He had lived through the First Shinobi World War and was of the same generation as Ōnoki. He held a very high position among the Mist