Mei Terumi, the Sigma Woman

In a residence at the heart of Kirigakure.

The house's decor was remarkably simple; no matter how one looked at it, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary civilian dwelling.

Wooden sliding doors, plain tatami mats, a neatly pruned pine bonsai in the corner, and a scroll hanging in the alcove inscribed with the two characters for "Inner Peace."

There were no golden, opulent decorations, no status-signaling ornaments, and even the furniture possessed a casual, "as long as it works" air.

Yet, this perfectly ordinary room was the home of one of the most powerful figures in Kirigakure, an aide to the current Mizukage.

"Those old fossils in the clan are absolutely infuriating! What is the point of pushing for marriage so early?

I'm only 22 years old! 22!"

In the living room, Kou, dressed in casual attire, looked helplessly at the young woman sitting on the opposite sofa, who was busy venting her endless frustrations.

She had a tall, slender build, and her simple Kirigakure-style casual clothes accentuated her fair, delicate skin.

Her long, reddish-brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders, with a few slightly curled strands partially obscuring her right eye, revealing only half of a cold, exquisite face.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, their slender shape carrying a natural chill, while her emerald eyes shimmered with dissatisfaction.

Her nose was bridge-high and elegant, and her soft, pink lips were currently pursed, full of impatience and irritation.

Even while complaining, she lacked any trace of girlish naivety; instead, she radiated a sharp, cold, and striking aura.

Kou sat in a relaxed posture, one hand propping up his cheek while the other rested on his knee, listening with feigned boredom.

But if anyone were to look closely at his eyes, they would see that the depths of his gaze were filled with gravity.

Mei Terumi.

Born into a prestigious family in the Land of Water, she was the most trusted deputy of Genji, the Great Elder of Kirigakure who had since retreated to the second line, and a high-level staffer for the village.

Having personally experienced the Third Ninja World War and boasting a record of distinguished service, this young woman held immense prestige among Kirigakure's younger generation.

Had it not been for his own "sudden emergence," the position of leader of the reformist faction would undoubtedly have been hers.

Although he had successfully gained her trust through his superb acting, she was, after all, that Mei Terumi—the formidable character who, in the original story, had been the one to discern that something was wrong with the Fourth Mizukage.

As the person currently closest to Obito, Kou was well aware of the terrifying level his genjutsu had reached after being empowered by Prisoner Madara.

When facing someone like her, caution was essential.

"When it comes down to it, don't they understand what is most important right now?!"

Mei Terumi's voice rose a notch, and a visible flush appeared on her fair face, clearly fueled by intense anger:

"Kirigakure has finally managed to get on the right track. As ninjas of this village, it's one thing that they don't support our push for reform, but to actually urge me to settle down and get married? Is now really the time for romance?!"

She grew more agitated as she spoke, her hands gesturing unconsciously:

"How can we ever fix Kirigakure when we're surrounded by such vermin!"

Kou listened intently on the surface, expertly refilling her teacup.

"Thanks."

Mei Terumi thanked him sincerely, then lifted the cup with great poise and downed the tea in one gulp.

"Hot, hot, hot!!"

She slammed the cup down, waving a hand in front of her mouth as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Her cold, striking face was now a picture of disarray.

Watching Mei Terumi, who was frantically fanning her reddened, delicate tongue with tears in her eyes, the corner of Kou's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Seriously? You're a Boil Release user and you're afraid of heat? Are you kidding me...

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.

The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi—who in his memories was always mature, composed, and anxious about marriage—was actually such a clumsy person in her youth.

Though, in terms of work ethic and sense of responsibility, she wasn't much different from the Mei Terumi in his memories.

I hope that in a few years, she won't regret being so resistant to finding a partner... if she even lives that long.

While muttering to himself, Kou put on a gentle expression and softly consoled her:

"Well... you can't really say that. The elders in your clan are doing it for your own good."

"Hmph! 'For my own good,' my foot!"

Mei Terumi endured the pain in her tongue and retorted with dissatisfaction, her emerald eyes filled with disdain:

"They just want me to pass down the Kekkei Genkai of Boil Release and Lava Release as soon as possible!

At the end of the day, they believe we are destined to lose to Yagura and his lot, and they want to distance themselves from the reformists early to protect their own interests!"

Her voice dropped, and a trace of imperceptible gloom flickered across her cold, beautiful face:

"If they hadn't blocked me from continuing my investigation back then, Ao wouldn't have... wouldn't have..."

Thinking of her comrade who had mysteriously disappeared four years ago, Mei Terumi's expression darkened, and her hands clenched, her knuckles turning white.

"Uh..."

Kou shifted his gaze, feeling a bit guilty. He coughed, put on a serious expression, and changed the subject:

"Alright, alright, let's end the idle chatter here."

"You didn't come all this way just to vent your emotions, did you?"

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The tea was cold and slightly bitter, just enough to suppress the trace of inexplicable unease in his heart.

Listening to Kou's inquiry, Mei Terumi's expression turned serious.

She instantly shifted into work mode; the somewhat resentful girlish air vanished, replaced by the cold, sharp demeanor of a Mist ninja.

She straightened her back, pulled a scroll from her robes, and placed it on the table with a crisp, decisive motion.

"This is the detailed information you asked me to investigate regarding the previous Three-Tails Jinchuriki project."

Her brows furrowed slightly, her tone heavy:

"This information is classified as top secret. Even with Genji's tacit approval, it took a great deal of effort to piece together these fragments."

"Many files have already been destroyed; this is all that could be salvaged."

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts or digesting the content that unsettled her:

"After the Third Ninja World War ended, Mist Anbu, unwilling to accept defeat, acted on their own. They intended to seal the Three-Tails into a Konoha ninja to incite an uprising within Konoha..."

As Kou listened to Mei Terumi, the smile he had been wearing slowly faded.

His gentle face revealed an undisguisable heaviness.

His fingers rested on the rim of the teacup, motionless.

Mei Terumi did not seem to notice the change in Kou's expression and continued her calm analysis:

"To unleash the Three-Tails—the village's strategic core—into Konoha... how could anyone come up with such a foolish plan?"

"The plan is riddled with holes. Even the most extreme hawks wouldn't make such an irrational decision."

Her gaze sharpened, and deep within her emerald eyes lay a conviction bordering on intuition:

"I suspect that behind this plan, there must be..."

"Alright, that's enough."

Kou interrupted her with a stiff tone.

His voice was not loud, but it acted like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Mei Terumi's momentum.

The living room fell silent for a moment, save for the wind outside the window gently rustling the paper sliding doors.

"Kou, you..."

Mei Terumi looked at the stern-faced Kou, momentarily at a loss for words.

She had never heard Kou speak in such a tone.

He was always gentle and composed, like a pool of bottomless water.

The sudden ripples in that pool now made her feel a strange sense of unease.

Kou's expression shifted in an instant; the heaviness on his face was replaced by a composed smile.

The transition was so fast that even Mei Terumi failed to catch the shift.

"Leave this matter to me; you don't need to worry."

His tone was gentle, as if soothing a frightened child:

"Knowing too much about certain things is not a good thing."

Mei Terumi hesitated for a moment.

Her gaze lingered on Kou's face for a few seconds, as if confirming something.

She nodded, feeling somewhat reluctant, but ultimately chose to trust him.

She believed that Kou must have his reasons for saying this.

As a comrade, she had no reason not to trust the man who had changed the Hidden Mist.

Thinking of this, she felt a sense of relief, looking with trust at the young man who appeared ordinary but possessed extraordinary means.

"Then, let's talk about the other matter."

Kou's brows twitched slightly.

"Hmm? Is there something else..."

Kou looked at Mei Terumi, a flicker of doubt rising in his heart.

He waited in silence for her to continue, his expression remaining gentle and composed.

Mei Terumi's expression was serious, and her emerald eyes flashed with an irrepressible excitement:

"I have found a way for us to deal with Yagura, who is the Three-Tails Jinchuriki."

As she spoke, Mei Terumi pulled a map from her robes and spread it out on the table.

It was a yellowed, ancient map, marked with dense symbols and watermarks:

"A ruin from the Warring States period that houses the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki Clan."