At the end of the corridor stood a heavy wooden door carved with the Mizukage's emblem.
Mirai did not knock. He pushed the door open and walked straight in.
The office was spacious, with a broad desk in the center. Behind it sat a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.
He had short, gray-white hair, a scar over his left eye, and a little stubble on his chin. There was a strange blend of youth and age about him.
He wore a white Mizukage robe that was a little too large, as though it did not quite fit.
The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.
An older shinobi stood beside the desk. His hair had already turned gray, and deep wrinkles lined his face, but his back remained ramrod straight.
His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. Mirai could tell through his sensory abilities that the man's chakra was steady-the mark of an old-school shinobi who had survived countless battles.
He was probably Genji, an elder of Kirigakure.
Two more people stood on the other side of the desk.
One was a young kunoichi who still looked quite youthful. Her high brown ponytail hung over her shoulder, and her expression was gentle but wary.
Her chakra fluctuations were unusual-two different natures intertwined.
Mirai recognized them at a glance-Boil Release and Lava Release, two kekkei genkai.
Mei Terumi, the future Fifth Mizukage in the original story.
Beside her stood a boy of fifteen or sixteen, with short hair and sharp eyes. He held a ninja blade, but he did not yet possess the Byakugan.
Ao had obtained the Byakugan during the Third Shinobi World War in the original story, but the war had not ended yet, and he had not acquired those eyes.
All four turned toward the