There was a residence in the center of Kirigakure.
The house was plainly decorated. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like an ordinary home.
There were wooden sliding doors, plain tatami mats, a neatly trimmed pine in the corner, and a piece of calligraphy hanging in the alcove with the words "Calm Your Mind."
There was no lavish decoration or display of status. Even the furniture gave off a casual "as long as it works" feel.
And this most ordinary of rooms was the home of one of Kirigakure's most powerful figures: the current Mizukage Aide.
"The old geezers in my clan are so annoying! What's with all this pressure to get married so early?
I'm only twenty-two! Twenty-two!"
In the living room, Kou sat in casual clothes, gazing helplessly at the young woman on the opposite sofa as she rambled on, venting her many frustrations.
She was tall and straight-backed, dressed in simple clothes in Mist Village colors that made her fair, delicate skin stand out.
Her reddish-brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders, a few slightly curled strands slanting across her right eye and revealing half of her cool, exquisite face.
Her brows were faintly furrowed, their slender shape giving her a naturally chilly air. Discontent rippled in her green eyes.
Her nose was high-bridged, and her soft pink lips were pursed, showing her impatience and irritation.
Though she looked like she was complaining, there was nothing endearingly girlish about her. Instead, she gave off a sharp, striking aura.
Kou sat casually, one hand propping up his chin and the other resting on his knee as he listened with bored patience.
But anyone who looked closely into his eyes would have seen the gravity lurking beneath the surface.
Mei Terumi.
Born into a prominent family in the Land of Water, she was the most trusted deputy of Genji, Kirigakure's grand elder, who had now retired to the sidelines. She was also one of Kirigakure's senior advisers.
A young woman who had personally lived through the Third Ninja World War and earned impressive battle honors, she enjoyed immense popularity among Kirigakure's younger generation.
If he hadn't "appeared out of nowhere," there was no doubt she would have become the Reformist Faction's leader.
Although his superb acting had won her trust, she was Mei Terumi—the formidable woman who had realized something was wrong with the Fourth Mizukage in the original story.
As the person closest to Obito now, Kou knew very well just how powerful his genjutsu had become after Prisoner Madara passed on his knowledge.
Against someone like her, caution was necessary.
"Don't they understand what matters most right now?!"
Mei Terumi's voice rose. Her fair face flushed red; she was clearly furious.
"Kirigakure finally got back on track. We're its ninja, and if they won't support our reforms, fine—but now they're telling me to start a family? Is this really the time for romance?!"
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, gesturing unconsciously with both hands.
"How are we supposed to run Kirigakure properly when we're surrounded by a bunch of useless fools?!"
Kou listened attentively on the surface, deftly refilling her cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Mei Terumi thanked him earnestly, then lifted her cup with perfect poise and drained it in one gulp.
"Hot, hot, hot!!"
She put the cup down with a jerk and fanned her mouth with one hand, tears welling slightly at the corners of her eyes.
Her usually striking face was now a complete mess.
Kou watched Mei Terumi fan her pink tongue, which had turned red from the heat, tears glimmering in her eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Seriously? You use Boil Release, but you're afraid of a little heat? That's ridiculous..."
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he probably wouldn't have believed it either.
The Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi, who in his memories had always seemed mature and composed—and eager to get married—had been so scatterbrained when she was young.
Though her work ethic and sense of responsibility were much the same as the Mei Terumi he remembered.
I hope she doesn't regret being so against looking for a husband in a few years... if she's still alive by then.
Kou muttered to himself, then put on a gentle expression and tried to comfort her.
"Well... I wouldn't put it like that. The elders in your clan are only looking out for you."
"Hmph! Looking out for me, my foot!"
Mei Terumi endured the pain in her tongue and retorted, disdain filling her green eyes.
"They just want me to pass down my Boil Release and Lava Release Kekkei Genkai as soon as possible!
When all's said and done, they think we're doomed to lose to Yagura and the others. They want to get out of the Reformist Faction early and protect themselves!"
Her voice lowered, and a faint shadow crossed her striking face.
"If they hadn't stopped me from investigating further back then, Ao wouldn't have... wouldn't have..."
Thinking of her comrade, who had mysteriously disappeared four years earlier, Mei Terumi's expression darkened. Her hand clenched, knuckles turning white.
"Uh..."
Kou shifted his gaze, feeling a little guilty. He coughed, put on a serious expression, and changed the subject.
"All right, all right. Let's leave the small talk there."
"You came to see me for a reason. It wasn't just to vent, was it?"
He lifted his teacup and took a sip.
The tea was cold and slightly bitter, just enough to suppress the faint, inexplicable unease in his heart.
At Kou's question, Mei Terumi's expression turned serious as well.
She switched into work mode at once. Her somewhat resentful girlish air vanished, replaced by the cold sharpness of a Kirigakure ninja.
Straightening her back, she took a scroll from inside her clothes and set it on the table with a brisk, decisive motion.
"This is the detailed information about the previous Three-Tails Jinchuriki plan you asked me to investigate."
Her brow furrowed slightly, and her tone grew heavy.
"This information is strictly confidential. Even with Lord Genji's tacit approval, it took a great deal of effort to find the few scraps of information available.
Many of the records have been destroyed. This is all I could piece together."
She paused, as if choosing her words—or trying to process what she had learned.
"After the Third Ninja World War ended, the Mist Anbu, unwilling to accept defeat, acted on their own. They wanted to seal the Three-Tails inside a Konoha Ninja and cause an uprising within Konoha..."
As Kou listened to Mei Terumi, the smile that had been on his face slowly faded.
An unmistakable heaviness settled over his gentle features.
His fingers stopped at the rim of his teacup, utterly still.
Mei Terumi seemed not to notice the change in Kou's expression. She continued her calm analysis.
"How could anyone come up with such a foolish plan as sending the Three-Tails, the village's strategic linchpin, into Konoha?
The plan is full of holes. Even the most extreme hawks wouldn't make such an irrational decision."
Her gaze sharpened, and there was an almost instinctive certainty deep in her green eyes.
"I suspect that behind this plan, there must be..."
"That's enough. Stop there."
Kou interrupted her brusquely.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing her momentum.
The living room fell silent for a moment. Outside, the wind stirred the paper sliding door with a faint rustle.
"Kou, you..."
Mei Terumi stared at him, his expression grave, and found herself at a loss for words.
She had never heard Kou speak in that tone.
He was always gentle and composed, like a deep pool with no visible bottom.
The sudden ripples in that pool made her feel a strange unease.
Kou's expression shifted in an instant. The heaviness on his face gave way to a composed smile.
The change happened so quickly that even Mei Terumi failed to catch the transition.
"Leave this to me. You don't need to worry."
His tone was gentle, as if soothing a frightened child.
"Knowing too much about certain things isn't always a good thing."
Mei Terumi hesitated for a moment.
Her gaze lingered on Kou's face for several seconds, as if trying to confirm something.
She nodded. She was reluctant, but in the end, she chose to trust him.
She believed that if Kou said this, he must have a good reason.
As his comrade, she had no reason not to trust the man before her, who had transformed Kirigakure.
The thought reassured her, and she looked at the young man with trust. He seemed ordinary, but his methods were extraordinary.
"Then let's talk about something else."
Kou's brow twitched slightly.
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
Looking at Mei Terumi, Kou felt a little puzzled.
He silently waited for her to continue, his expression still gentle and composed.
Mei Terumi looked serious, but a barely contained excitement gleamed in her green eyes.
"I've found a way for us to deal with Yagura, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki."
As she spoke, Mei Terumi took a map from inside her clothes and spread it across the table.
It was an old, yellowed map covered in dense markings and wave patterns.
"An Uzumaki Clan ruin from the Warring States period, containing Sealing Jutsu."
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