"Those ninjas coming for the exam should be arriving soon, right?" Mei Terumi stood by the window, gazing into the distance as she spoke softly.
Ao stood quietly beside her, looking into the distance as well, seemingly lost in thought.
Mei Terumi and Ao were currently in Kirigakure's temporary lodge, waiting for Kirigakure's ninjas to arrive.
Though the temporary lodge was not large, it was arranged rather elegantly. Several ink-wash paintings hung on the walls, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
"Yes, Mizukage-sama." Ao came back to his senses and replied.
Mei Terumi nodded at Ao's words, but her brows furrowed slightly, as though she still had some misgivings.
"You didn't send any particularly capable ninjas with recognizable names, real strength, and a solid foundation, did you?" Mei Terumi asked again, a trace of concern in her voice.
Ao fell silent for a moment before answering truthfully, "As you instructed, we painted Konoha's competition in a very poor light, so we only sent a few average ninjas to learn from it."
He paused, then continued, "To dampen their enthusiasm, we even had Elder Genji step forward and make it clear that this was not an important competition."
Ao himself had been confused by Mei Terumi's decision. He truly could not understand the purpose behind it.
But as her subordinate, all he could do was carry out Mei Terumi's orders.
After hearing Ao's explanation, Mei Terumi did not look satisfied. Instead, she sank into even deeper thought.
She did not know whether this move had been right or wrong, but she had a feeling that Konoha would be extremely chaotic this time. Kirigakure absolutely could not afford to lose its foundations here.
Judging by Mei Terumi's principles, she had no desire whatsoever for Kirigakure to steal the spotlight in this competition at Konoha.