High-Level Hidden Mist Meeting

Late autumn, Konoha Year 48, Hidden Mist Village, Mizukage's office

The tense atmosphere left by the bloody coup a few days ago had not completely faded, but the village had barely restored a surface order.

Thick fog still shrouded the entire village as it always had, only the suffocating stench of blood in the air seemed to have been diluted somewhat by the rain of the past few days.

The Mizukage Building at the center of the village had undergone emergency repairs. Though several auxiliary buildings were still a complete mess, the main structure had basically resumed function.

In the air, aside from the damp smell of mildew, there was also the faint charred scent of lingering chakra mixed with the odors of fresh timber and paint.

The newly appointed Fourth Mizukage—Yagura Karatachi—sat upright in the broad chair that had originally belonged to the Third Mizukage.

Against the backdrop of the chair, his figure looked especially small, even somewhat out of place.

He looked entirely like a boy, with pale green hair and a baby face. If not for the solemnity, authority, and trace of exhaustion hidden deep in his eyes that did not match his age, it would have been difficult to connect him with the "Kage" who held power over an entire village.

As the Three-Tails' jinchuriki, his body contained terrifying power, and as the new Mizukage, the tremendous burden of leading Hidden Mist Village out of the quagmire of war and internal trauma rested on his shoulders.

Inside the office, the atmosphere was dignified and solemn. There were not many attendees, but all were the core decision-makers of Hidden Mist Village at this moment. Behind Yagura Karatachi, like a shadow, stood a ninja wearing an animal mask and an ANBU uniform.

The mask covered his entire face, revealing only a pair of eyes calm to the point of indifference.

His figure was straight, and his aura was restrained extremely well, as if he had merged with the surrounding shadows.

This was Uchiha Narong, code-named "Crow," who, relying on the false identity meticulously arranged by Black Zetsu, had successfully infiltrated the Hidden Mist ANBU and, during the "encounter" with the Six-Tails' jinchuriki Utakata a few days ago, successfully planted a seed of control deep within Yagura Karatachi's mind.

His current identity was one of the Mizukage's personal guards, giving him every reason to stand in this room that would decide the future fate of the Hidden Mist.

Beneath the mask, Narong's gaze seemed respectfully lowered, but in truth, through the tiny slits, he calmly examined everyone in the room, assessing their personalities, positions, and value.

A group of people fighting for profit atop ruins, he laughed inwardly. But it's precisely this sort of chaos that makes the stage I need.

Chief Advisor Genji sat to Yagura's lower right.

This elderly wise man had graying hair, a kind face, but eyes as sharp as an eagle's. The snake-shaped cane in his hand seemed like an extension of his authority.

He was the chief planner of the coup, and also the most important pillar supporting the young Mizukage in stabilizing the situation at this moment. Narong could sense that this old man's chakra was as steady as a mountain, his thoughts deep. He was one of the people in the room who most required attention.

On the left sat several clan heads from ninja families of great importance in the village.

The head of the Hozuki Clan, Muyue Hozuki, had a calm expression, but deep in his eyes was a grief difficult to dispel—the death in battle of the clan's genius, Jinren Hozuki, was an enormous blow to the family.

Behind him stood a boy with white, spiky hair and a look that carried a bit of unruliness and sharpness—Mangetsu Hozuki.

This young genius, on whom the family placed high hopes, was still young, but had already been permitted to sit in on important meetings of this kind. Clearly, he had been brought here to gain experience and learn.

Narong's gaze lingered on Mangetsu for an instant. The inheritor of the twin blades, Flounder... interesting. This one's a genius too.

The head of the Yuki Clan, a middle-aged man with an icy, aloof bearing, was taciturn, but his eyes revealed an expectation for the current situation to change.

As for the head of the Kaguya Clan, he looked eager for a fight, his entire body radiating undisguised brutality, as if he were more interested in whether the war would continue.

A simple-minded battle maniac, Narong judged inwardly. Easy to incite, and easy to ruin things. Sure enough, it matches the original work. I wonder how old Kimimaro Kaguya is at this point.

Besides the clan heads, several outstanding members of the younger generation also stood in the rear of the meeting room. They represented the future of the Hidden Mist.

One girl among them was especially eye-catching.

She was about twelve or thirteen years old, yet already displayed startling beauty and a precocious temperament.

Her thick, long auburn hair had been carefully combed into a dignified bun, setting off her fair skin.

Most moving were those eyes—like deep emerald jade, clear and lively. At this moment, she was earnestly observing every speaker in the meeting room with thoughtfulness, as if she wanted to engrave every bit of information into her mind.

She was Mei Terumi, a genius girl who had already been promoted to chunin.

Even more astonishing was that she had been born with two kekkei genkai—Lava Release, capable of releasing strong acid, and Boil Release, capable of producing high-temperature acidic mist. This was extremely rare even in Hidden Mist Village, where kekkei genkai clans stood in great numbers.

She stood quietly in the corner, her posture humble, but between her brows, the bearing of a future leader could already be faintly seen. It was an inner confidence and composure.

Narong's gaze lingered on her for a few more seconds. Dual kekkei genkai... rare aptitude, and very smart. As expected of the Fifth Mizukage... she can become a useful piece in the future.

Ao, a young ninja in his twenties, had a capable face and sharp eyes.

He had earned merits in the war, and had luckily obtained a Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan. By now, it had already been transplanted by the village's medical ninja. Though he was not yet completely skilled in using it, it had already made his insight and perception far surpass ordinary people, and he had been promoted to special jonin.

He stood not far behind Genji, an important support for the new Mizukage's intelligence and reconnaissance work.

Narong could sense Ao's Byakugan occasionally sweeping over him with scrutiny, but he was not worried. The disguise he had prepared was not something reconnaissance of this level could see through.

The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the subject. His voice was clear and steady, echoing through the quiet office:

"Everyone, I have gathered you here today for only one matter: where should we, Hidden Mist Village, go in this Ninja World War? Do we continue fighting, or... seek peace talks and withdraw from the war?"

His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable decisiveness. As soon as he finished speaking, the Kaguya clan head roared in a rough voice:

"Fight! Of course we fight! We of the Kaguya Clan haven't had our fill yet! Our previous failure was due to the Third Mizukage's incompetent command! Now that we have the Fourth Mizukage leading us, we can definitely wash away our shame!"

His voice was booming, filled with longing for battle.

Genji coughed softly, then slowly spoke. His voice was aged, yet carried immense weight, instantly suppressing the Kaguya clan head's agitation:

"Clan Head Kaguya, your courage is commendable. But decisions must be based on reality, not a moment's temper. Ao, report the intelligence we currently have to everyone."

Ao stepped forward. That conspicuous white eye swept over the crowd as he said in a deep voice:

"Yes. According to reports from the front line and our reconnaissance, the war with Konoha along the eastern coastline has basically stalled. The forces under Konoha commander Shimura Danzo also seem to have received news of our coup, and their offensive has clearly slowed. But our situation... is not optimistic."

He paused, then continued, his voice heavy:

"From the outbreak of the great war until now, in two years, our village has confirmed more than eleven hundred ninja killed in action, with around five hundred more seriously wounded or disabled and unable to fight again. This means we have lost nearly two thousand combat-capable forces."

That cold number darkened the faces of everyone present.

Muyue Hozuki could not help closing his eyes and drawing in a deep breath, as if suppressing the pain of losing his son. Behind him, Mangetsu Hozuki clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

Even the warlike Kaguya clan head's expression turned somewhat ugly.

Ao continued, his tone growing even more grave:

"According to prewar statistics, our Hidden Mist Village had around six thousand registered ninja in total. This means we have already lost more than one-third of our combat strength. Moreover, among the dead, there is no lack of experienced core jonin and special jonin, including..."

He glanced at the Hozuki clan head and did not state it outright, but the meaning went without saying.

"Including four elites from the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

These words made the expressions of the several clan heads present turn even uglier. The destruction of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was an enormous loss for the Hidden Mist.

"As for the economy," Genji took over, his tone as heavy as lead.

"The Land of Water Daimyo's Office is extremely dissatisfied with this. Two consecutive years of war have brought enormous military expenditures, while the results... are few and far between. The Daimyo has expressed his intention to cut military spending multiple times, and even hinted that if the war shows no improvement, he will reassess his support for the village. Everyone is well aware that the Land of Water's resources cannot compare with the vast and abundant Land of Fire. Our nation's annual military budget is around three hundred million ryo, and by now more than half has already been consumed, leaving the treasury empty. If we continue fighting, setting aside whether we can win, I fear it will become difficult to sustain even the pensions for fallen ninja, treatment for injured ninja, and... the daily expenses and mission payments of the families seated here."

Genji's words were like a massive stone, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts. War was not only a contest of strength, but also a drain on the economy. Without money, even the most elite ninja would lose equipment, supplies, and even loyalty.

Mei Terumi listened from the back, a trace of worry flashing through her emerald eyes. Though she was young, she also understood what financial collapse meant for the village.

"Are we just supposed to let it end like this?" the Kaguya clan head roared unwillingly, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere.

"When did we Hidden Mist become so spineless? So many people died, and we're just going to slink away with our tails between our legs? How will Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud look at us? How will Konoha laugh at us?"

"Clan Head Kaguya, sacrifice needs value, not meaningless consumption."

Muyue Hozuki finally spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, carrying deep exhaustion and pain.

"My clan's genius, Jinren, died in battle, and my heart feels cut by knives. But precisely because of that, I do not wish to see more young people with boundless potential like him die meaninglessly on the coastline of a foreign land. If we keep fighting, aside from increasing the casualty numbers and consuming our already exhausted village strength, what can we gain? The fertile land of the Land of Fire? We cannot defend it, nor can we move there. Their resources? Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire. Instead, it will draw in more hungry wolves."

The Yuki Clan head also added coldly, his voice like ice:

"Under the policy of the Village of the Bloody Mist, all our clans have already suffered heavy losses, and our elites have withered. Now that the new Mizukage has taken office, the first priority should be rest, recuperation, and restoring our strength. Fighting Konoha to the bitter end will only bring pain to our loved ones and joy to our enemies. Do not forget, to the west, the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning are watching like tigers. They cannot wait for us and Konoha to maul each other."

The young Mei Terumi listened to the elders' argument, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

Though she was young, her talent and intelligence made her more mature than her peers.

Her gaze involuntarily turned once more toward the Fourth Mizukage seated at the head, and when she saw the solemnity and decisiveness on his young face that did not match his age, she could not help thinking: How will he choose? Will he continue the cycle of hatred, or lead the village toward a new path?