How About It, Reigetsu? Not a Bad Idea, Right?

Hozuki Reigetsu hurriedly chimed in. "How could Kirigakure manage without you? My brother's just worried he won't be able to shoulder this responsibility, and that he won't be able to lead the village forward. That's why he's hesitating."

"How will he know unless he tries? He may not have confidence in himself, but I have plenty of confidence in Gengetsu," Byakuren said with a smile. "He has the ability and the qualifications to take my place and become the Second Mizukage.

"When you go back, talk to him about it some more!"

Hozuki Reigetsu was certainly happy to hear it. If his elder brother became Mizukage, the Hozuki Clan's standing in the village would naturally rise, and he would benefit too, gaining more authority. Where else could he find such a good thing?

So he nodded and replied respectfully, "Yes, Mizukage. I'll do my best to persuade my brother."

Byakuren gave a quiet "Mm," then added, "I won't hold you responsible for the failed mission, but since your identity has been exposed, we need to give Konoha an explanation.

"How about this? I'll tell everyone that you acted on your own and sentence you to three months of confinement at Cold Water Cliff... So, Reigetsu, don't leave the village during that time."

Hozuki Reigetsu had no objections and obediently agreed.

After leaving the Mizukage's Office, he went straight home. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw his elder brother, Hozuki Gengetsu, crouched beside the garden pond, fiddling with something.

Hozuki Reigetsu had just walked over and hadn't even spoken when his brother's voice drifted over.

"I heard you botched the mission. They even dug up your deepest secrets?" Hozuki Gengetsu asked lightly, without looking back.

Hozuki Reigetsu's expression turned serious. "I've brought shame upon the clan. I'm sorry."

"Hahahahaha!" Hozuki Gengetsu suddenly burst out laughing, then turned to look at him. "What's the big deal? What kind of shinobi never makes a mistake? I was just asking to tease you."

Looking at his elder brother's unserious demeanor, Hozuki Reigetsu was speechless. He collected himself and said, "The Mizukage asked me to pass on a message. He said..."

"Alright, alright." Hozuki Gengetsu waved a hand, cutting him off. "The old man just wants to dump the job on me and make me take over, doesn't he? I already know, even if you don't tell me."

"Brother, the Mizukage's position..." Seeing his attitude, Hozuki Reigetsu was confused.

Hozuki Gengetsu stood up from beside the pond and shook the water from his hands. Still wearing that carefree smile, he didn't take up the subject.

After shaking the water off his hands, Hozuki Gengetsu finally spoke at his leisure. "Reigetsu, you don't get it, do you? The old man doesn't really want to retire. He's testing me! This last step is all about whether I can keep my cool.

"Once I prove I can stay calm, I'll have passed the test, and he'll feel safe handing me the Mizukage's position.

"If I were jumping at the chance right now, would you dare take on the job in my place?" As he spoke, he started laughing at his own joke.

Hozuki Reigetsu listened, taken aback. "So you mean..."

"Ah..." Hozuki Gengetsu sighed, his expression growing more somber. "The old man looks hale and hearty, but he's just putting on a brave face. The injuries he accumulated in his younger days will never heal. If you ask me, he doesn't have long left.

"Let him walk the final stretch in peace. That way, he'll know he chose the right person.

"As for me, I've got all the patience in the world. I know how to keep my cool." After his heartfelt words, he suddenly perked up again, his eyes lighting up as he beckoned Reigetsu over.

"By the way, I found a fun little thing in the lake where the Three-Tails, Isobu, used to lurk. Come take a look..."

Hozuki Reigetsu leaned over the pond and saw a strange-looking creature wriggling around in the water. Before he could get a good look, Hozuki Gengetsu proudly began explaining. "Interesting, right? I gave it a name: Samehada."

"Samehada?" Hozuki Reigetsu repeated, staring at the bizarre creature.

"Yep, Samehada." Hozuki Gengetsu grew more animated as he spoke. "This thing is incredible. Maybe it mutated after spending so much time around the Three-Tails.

"It can actually absorb other people's chakra! And that's not all—it can even feed the chakra back to me... So, I came up with an interesting idea."

"What idea?"

A glint flashed in Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes. Lowering his voice, he said, "Let's see if we can raise this little thing... into a one-of-a-kind Ninja Blade!"

Though the brothers didn't usually carry swords, the Hozuki Clan had a proud tradition of swordsmanship, and they were almost fanatical about collecting famous swords.

"The family has a few good blades right now. Kubikiribōchō is pretty impressive. There are also a few skilled swordsmen in the village, and some special Ninja Blades are in the hands of various experts..." Hozuki Gengetsu said, stroking his chin.

Hozuki Reigetsu thought it over, then looked up and asked, "You mean... we should go and take all the swords?"

"Tch!" Hozuki Gengetsu was momentarily at a loss for words. He waved a hand in annoyance. "What nonsense! We're all from the same village. Could we really do something like that? Don't go saying ridiculous things like that again."

Hozuki Reigetsu gave an awkward smile and asked, "Then what exactly are you planning, brother?"

"Well, I've only got a rough idea so far." Hozuki Gengetsu grinned, his smile full of meaning. "I think our Kirigakure should form a specialized unit to tackle the toughest missions.

"The team would have to be made up entirely of experts. And as for its specialty..." He paused, his smile growing wider. "Every single one of them would wield a Ninja Blade! What do you think?"

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Hozuki Reigetsu blurted out.

"Exactly, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!" Hozuki Gengetsu clapped his hands and said cheerfully, "If we can really put together such a fierce, specialized team, their reputation alone will scare off plenty of enemies, and Kirigakure's prestige will rise right along with it.

"How about it, Reigetsu? Not a bad idea, right?"

Hozuki Reigetsu smiled too. "It's an interesting idea. When are you planning to get started?"

"What's the rush? I don't have that kind of authority yet." Hozuki Gengetsu shook his head, looking perfectly calm. "Once I've taken the position of Second Mizukage, there'll be plenty of time to get things moving."

After saying that, he bent down and teased Samehada in the water with a finger. "For now, let's see if I can raise this little fellow into a fine blade. Hahaha!"

Believe it or not, Hozuki Gengetsu really did make it happen in Kirigakure later on, forming the renowned Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. They took part in several major wars and earned a fearsome reputation, becoming one of Kirigakure's most famous calling cards.

Because of that history, the Hozuki Clan was especially fond of the seven Ninja Blades. Later, Hozuki Mangetsu was even more impressive: he could wield all seven swords, including Samehada, with considerable skill.

When the Five Great Shinobi Villages were at peace, it generally meant the Five Great Nations were at peace too. With no major upheavals in the Shinobi World, only the smaller countries and villages were left to squabble among themselves.

To the Five Great Villages, those were minor skirmishes. In fact, many of them were proxy conflicts, fought by agents acting on their behalf.

When friction arose between villages and it wasn't convenient for them to intervene personally, they often cultivated a lackey and sent them to handle the less respectable work.

It might not have been the most honorable approach, but it worked. At least it helped them avoid all-out war and gave the Five Great Villages time to focus on developing their own territories behind closed doors.

With things quiet outside the village, matters within it settled down as well. Hibari rested at home for a few days, and his body finally recovered.

Lord Hashirama and Second Tobirama seemed to have more free time too. They no longer spent all day cooped up in the Hokage Building, and were often seen wandering around the Senju Clan's sprawling estate.

Early one morning, Tobirama summoned Hibari to his room, saying he wanted to work out a Sealing Jutsu to temporarily suppress the problem with Hibari's body.

Hibari had barely stepped into the room and closed the door behind him when, behind a window around the corridor's corner, two pairs of eyes—one large, one small—fixed their gaze on the room.

The ones spying were none other than Hashirama, head of the Senju Clan, and his beloved granddaughter, Tsunade.

As soon as the door shut, Hashirama lowered his voice. "Little Tsunade, are you ready for your first mission?"

The little girl straightened her back and imitated a soldier's crisp salute. "Reporting to Lord Hokage! Ready and waiting!"

"Excellent!" Hashirama grinned and moved closer. "I've been keeping an eye on things for several days. Your big brother Hibari keeps all his mission pay in a wooden box on top of the wardrobe in his room.

"These days, he comes here to see your second granduncle at the same time every day, and he never comes out until mealtime." He rubbed his hands together, beaming as he spoke.

This Hokage might not have cared much about the village's official business, but he was an expert at keeping tabs on Hibari. As for shame, he'd clearly abandoned it altogether.

He paused, then continued giving instructions. "So we've got plenty of time. Tsunade, this mission is yours. Go to your big brother Hibari's room and take all the money from the box.

"We'll split it fifty-fifty, then Grandpa will take you to a gambling den to have some fun!"

Tsunade had been a little hesitant at first. Hibari had brought her takoyaki just a few days ago, and stealing his money right after that didn't seem very nice. But at the words "gambling den" and "have some fun," her eyes lit up in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, she'd forgotten all the nice things Hibari had done for her.

"Mission guaranteed!" the little girl chirped, her face alight with excitement.

With Lord Hokage's approval, she tiptoed out of the room like a thief and darted toward Hibari's quarters.

At that moment, Hibari was busy studying the technique with Tobirama. How could he have known that a "thief" had already entered the house? As the old saying went, you could guard against robbers day and night, but never against a thief in your own home.

He would never have guessed that the dignified First could be so shameless in private that he'd even set his sights on his own grandson's money!

Inside, Hibari straightened his clothes and hopped down from his chair. As he fastened the buttons, he asked, "Second Grandpa, you've been working on it for days. Have you made any progress on that Sealing Jutsu?"

Tobirama set aside the body measurements he'd just recorded, without even lifting his head. "It's not something that can be done overnight. This technique is going to be used on you. Do you think I shouldn't think it through carefully? If anything goes wrong, it could cause serious trouble.

"There's no rushing something like this. We need to be cautious. Got that?"

"Got it," Hibari said with a nod.

He'd been living this way for years and had more or less grown used to his body occasionally letting him down, so he wasn't in any particular hurry.

Watching his second granduncle bend over the desk, writing and sketching, Hibari suddenly remembered something else. "By the way, Uncle Hiruzen said that lately, shinobi who can use the Shadow Clone Technique have been popping up in various villages. Second Grandpa, did your signature technique get leaked?"

Clone Technique had been around in the Shinobi World for a long time. It was a basic ninjutsu, and Hibari knew it too.

But Shadow Clone was different. Tobirama had invented the corporeal clone technique during the Warring States period. It was excellent for gathering intelligence and coordinating with the original to perform complex ninjutsu.

Hearing this, Tobirama didn't stop writing or lift his head. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. The technique isn't all that complicated to begin with, and the Uchiha Clan copied it with their Sharingan some time ago.