A New King Ascends, Appointing a Secretary

Ye stood where he was, looking down from above at the stunning female ninja before him. If nothing unexpected had happened, she should have been the one to lead the Hidden Mist Village toward revival in the future.

A rapid series of mechanical prompts rang out in his mind, and a sapphire-blue system panel unfolded before him, filling the center of Ye's vision.

"Ding! Target individual Terumi Mei has been detected to have completely submitted on behalf of the Hidden Mist Village. Please make a choice immediately and establish the foundations of your rule!"

"Option one: Show great mercy, accept her allegiance, and return her to her clan. Continue maintaining the original ruling structure. Reward: Genin-level Water Release experience card."

"Option two: Lock her in a secret basement, guard against rebellion, and use iron-blooded methods to intimidate the entire village. Reward: one top-grade soldier pill formula."

"Option three: Apply extreme pressure and utterly destroy her pride as a leader."

"Force her to become your personal secretary, responsible for serving you around the clock. Complete the deepest level of control through worldly humiliation. Reward: top-grade support ability, beginner-level Water Country Leyline Dominion."

His gaze swept across the three options, and with almost no hesitation, Ye's consciousness locked directly onto the third.

To him, the first two options held little value.

On the surface, Terumi Mei had already submitted, but deep down, she still clung stubbornly to her final bottom line.

Whether he showed leniency or isolated her, either choice would leave her an opportunity to betray him.

Only by dragging her down completely from her lofty position and wearing away her dignity with one command of obedience after another could he truly turn her into a useful tool in his hands.

More importantly, he needed that Leyline Dominion to take over the entire Land of Water.

"I choose three."

Ye issued the command in his mind.

The instant the command took effect, a vast, warm energy surged from behind his eyes and flowed through his meridians straight into his mind.

His expanding perception passed through the ruins of the Mizukage Building in an instant, sank deep into the soil, and continued extending beneath the hard bedrock.

What appeared clearly within Ye's consciousness was a miniature panorama of the entire Land of Water.

Countless underground rivers crisscrossed below, while every leyline node where chakra gathered emitted a distinct glimmer.

With a single thought, he could command the massive amounts of water vapor hidden deep underground. Even the direction of the ocean currents surrounding the islands could be affected.

With this authority, whenever he fought within the Land of Water, he could receive an endless supply of natural energy at any time.

From this moment onward, this land had fallen completely under his control.

Ye slowly withdrew his extended perception, his gaze falling once more upon Terumi Mei, who was kneeling on the ground.

As he took two steps forward, his military boots ground over the rubble scattered across the floor, and the harsh scraping sound pierced everyone's ears.

Only after stopping before Terumi Mei did Ye extend his right hand and press a cool finger beneath her smooth chin.

The slight increase in pressure forced her to raise her head.

Their eyes met head-on in midair.

Forced to face those pitch-black eyes, Terumi Mei's chest suddenly tightened, and her heartbeat skipped into disarray.

"Mizukage?"

Ye parted his thin lips, his tone devoid of any interest.

"I have no use for that ridiculous village-chief game."

"As for preserving the existing structure... heh, that's nothing but wishful thinking."

"From today onward, the Hidden Mist Village will have only subordinates, no so-called allies."

Shock surfaced in Terumi Mei's eyes, and her lips began trembling uncontrollably.

She was just about to argue when Ye's finger slowly slid from her chin to the side of her face. The casual insult forced her to swallow her words again.

"As for you."

Ye withdrew his right hand, paused briefly, then snapped his fingers casually.

"From now on, you are no longer some lofty Mizukage candidate."

"You have only one position: my personal secretary."

"Serving tea, pouring water, cleaning rooms, reporting on documents... those will be all your duties from now on."

Looking down at her, Ye offered no room for negotiation and directly delivered his final ultimatum.

"For every mistake you make, or every order you refuse to obey, I will kill one innocent villager under your command."

"As long as you still dare to resist, the killing will not stop until every villager is dead."

As the final word fell, the color rapidly drained from Terumi Mei's face, and the faint hope that had just risen within her was completely shattered in an instant.

A moment later, a burning flush surged onto her cheeks and spread all the way to her ears.

A top-tier powerhouse who stood above the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, a genius possessing two Kekkei Genkai, was now going to be reduced to a maid serving tea and water.

Kabuto Yakushi, standing nearby, pushed up his round-framed glasses and pulled a sealing scroll from his sleeve as though he had long prepared for this.

After a cloud of white smoke dispersed, a fitted black professional uniform with a tight pencil skirt, along with black high heels and sheer black stockings, appeared in his hands.

Holding the outfit, Kabuto steadily approached Terumi Mei's side, that inscrutable smile still hanging at the corner of his lips.

The leader's methods truly opened his eyes.

Based on the information gathered beforehand, he had tailored this uniform specifically for Terumi Mei overnight.

Once worn by this wild female ninja, the distinctive air of obedience associated with a modern workplace would become especially glaring.

"Lady Terumi Mei, please change in the adjoining room."

Kabuto held the clothes out before her, and the smile on his face did not change in the slightest.

"The leader does not like to wait."

Staring at the tight uniform before her, Terumi Mei's breathing grew increasingly hurried, and her chest heaved violently.

The dignity of a top-tier powerhouse kept urging her to draw a kunai and resist, even if it meant risking her life.

But when the corner of her eye caught sight of Yagura still twitching unconscious on the ground, then touched upon Ye's utterly cold profile, her clenched fingers finally loosened one by one.

Her teeth bit through her red lips, and the metallic taste of blood quickly spread through her mouth.

Bracing her hands on her knees, Terumi Mei barely managed to stand. After a long silence, she accepted the clothes Kabuto offered with trembling hands.

Every step she took felt so heavy that she could barely lift her feet.

With her head lowered, Terumi Mei no longer wished to endure everyone's stares. She could only quicken her pace and enter the still-intact lounge behind the building.

Five minutes later, the tightly shut wooden door of the lounge was finally pushed open from within.

High heels clicked across the stone floor in succession, their crisp sounds especially clear in the silent office.

Terumi Mei reappeared before everyone, having removed her loose blue ninja attire and changed into a pure-black fitted business outfit.

The taut white blouse clung to her full figure, and even the buttons at her collar were stretched tight.

The black pencil skirt cinched around her waist and hips limited the length of her stride, yet made her long, powerful legs stand out even more.

The sheer black stockings wrapped around legs that had long raced across battlefields, adding a touch of allure to their originally athletic, powerful lines.

The wildness of a Blood Mist killer still remained between her brows, yet every part of her uniform conveyed obedience. Those two entirely different temperaments now existed within her at once.

The flush on Terumi Mei's face had already spread all the way down her neck.

She raised a hand to tug at the overly short hem of her skirt, then finally walked beneath everyone's gaze and took her place behind Ye's right side.

Forcing down the shame churning endlessly in her chest, Terumi Mei lowered her head slightly. When she spoke, her voice still trembled beyond control.

"Leader... please give your orders."

Seated in the broad leather chair that had originally belonged to Yagura, Ye did not spare her another glance. He merely idly spun a specially made kunai between his fingers.

As the blade turned, it reflected a streak of icy light.

"Kabuto."

The spinning kunai abruptly stopped, and Ye flung it away. With a dull thud, it buried itself firmly in the battered desktop.

"Notify every surviving clan leader in the Hidden Mist Village."

Ye's command echoed through the empty room, making everyone who had just raised their heads tense up again.

"Half an hour from now, I want a meeting here."