Mist Village Decides to Join the Allied Forces

The Mizukage's Office in Kirigakure is perpetually shrouded in a damp, chilly atmosphere.

This wasn't due to the weather—although the Land of Water is often foggy, and the sea breeze carries a salty, fishy smell—but rather the atmosphere of the building itself. During the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, this place was the nerve center of the "Blood Mist Village's " terrifying rule. Countless execution orders were issued from here, and countless ninjas were tortured to death in the interrogation room next door. Even after Mei Terumi took over and thoroughly cleaned and rebuilt it, attempting to cover it up with flowers and warm-toned decorations, that bone-chilling coldness still stubbornly lingered in the cracks of the stone walls, in the texture of the wooden floors, and in every breath of air.

At this moment, the chill seemed particularly biting.

Mei Terumi sat behind the large Mizukage's desk, on which lay a newly delivered scroll. The scroll itself was ordinary, with a dark brown leather surface and tied with a black sealing rope. But along the edge of the scroll, four different seals were stamped side by side—the flame emblem of Konoha, the lightning emblem of Cloud Village, the sandstorm emblem of Sand Village, and the rock emblem of Iwagakure.

A joint ultimatum from the four major ninja villages.

The scroll had been unfurled; the text was sparse, its wording almost cold and detached. Mei Terumi's gaze swept over the words for the third time, each one piercing her eyes like an icicle.

[To His Excellency Mei Terumi Fifth Mizukage Period:]

Given that Madara Uchiha and his Akatsuki have declared war on the Shinobi World and defeated the allied forces of Cloud Village, Iwagakure, Waterfall Country the Land of Iron Waterfall, resulting in the deaths of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of Both Scales (Mifune the leader of the Land of Iron), with the allied forces suffering over 40,000 casualties, Obito Uchiha is now confirmed as the common enemy of the Shinobi World. His "Eye of the Moon Plan" aims to enslave all of humanity with the Infinite Tsukuyomi Genjutsu and destroy the real world.

To protect the survival of the Shinobi World, Konoha, Cloud Village, Iwagakure, and Sand Village have formed Allied Forces, gathered in Konoha, and are preparing for a final battle against the Akatsuki.

On behalf of the four major ninja villages, we hereby issue an ultimatum to Kirigakure:

1. Kirigakure must dispatch elite troops to Konoha within twenty-four hours of receiving this ultimatum to join the Allied Forces.

Second, if Kirigakure refuses to participate in the war or fails to respond within the specified period, it will be considered as choosing to stand with Akatsuki.

Third, after the war ends, regardless of victory or defeat, the Allied Forces will settle accounts with all non-ally forces.

This ultimatum is effective upon delivery.

Allied Forces General Staff

Kurotsuchi signature by Fourth Raikage A, Fifth Hokage Tsunade, Fifth Kazekage Gaara, Iwagakure Acting Tsuchikage]

Mei Terumi's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the scroll. The leather surface was slightly warm from repeated touching, but the heat didn't reach her heart. Her heart was filled only with a cold, blank emptiness.

24 hours.

Even traveling at full speed from Mist Village to Konoha would take at least eighteen hours. This meant she only had six hours to make a decision—no, less. Assembling troops took time, issuing orders took time, arranging village defenses took time...

In reality, she probably only has three hours.

Three hours to decide the fate of a village, the life and death of five thousand ninjas, and the future position of Mist Village in the Shinobi World —if there is even a future.

"Lord Mizukage"

The office door was gently pushed open, Chojuro walked in carrying a tea tray. This young Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Mei Terumi's most trusted lieutenant, had a face full of worry. He gently placed the teacup on the table, and the steam quickly condensed into tiny water droplets in the cold air.

"You've been watching for two hours now," Chojuro said softly, as if afraid of disturbing something. "I need to summon the elders..."

"No need," Mei Terumi interrupted him, her voice a little hoarse. She picked up her teacup and took a sip. The tea was warm, but it tasted only bitter.

Chojuro hesitated, then simply stood quietly to the side. His gaze fell on the scroll, and his pupils contracted slightly when he saw the four seals. As a high-ranking member of Mist Village, he certainly knew what this ultimatum meant.

Silence fell over the office again.

Outside the window Kirigakure was shrouded in the thick fog of dusk. In the distance, the shouts of young ninjas practicing could be heard from the training grounds, and the faint whistles of merchant ships returning to port could be heard. Shops on the streets began to light up—all of this created a peaceful, everyday scene.

This scroll, like an invisible knife, hangs over this painting.

"Chojuro," Mei Terumi suddenly spoke, "Do you think my choice was wrong?"

Chojuro paused for a moment, then asked, "You mean...?"

"Remain neutral." Mei Terumi put down her teacup, leaned back in her chair, and looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling was painted with portraits of the Mizukage of Mist Village, from the First Mizukage Hakuren to the Fourth Mizukage Yagura. Those faces appeared blurry and distant in the dim light.

"I just wanted to protect Mist Village," she continued, a weary self-mockery in her voice. "We've just emerged from the nightmare of the 'Blood Mist Village.' Our ninja numbers are less than half of their peak, you're the only one left of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist of the Mist, Kekkei Genkai clans are dwindling... We can't afford another war."

She recalled the scene when she succeeded as the Mizukage.

Five years ago, the rule of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was revealed to be manipulated by Genjutsu. Kirigakure was riddled with holes after decades of terror. She took over a village in ruins: ninjas distrusted each other, villagers were terrified of ninjas, and Kekkei Genkai users were systematically persecuted. The whole village was like a sinking ship.

She spent five years painstakingly repairing the village, abolishing cruel policies, redressing wrongful convictions, rebuilding trust, encouraging trade, and training a new generation of ninjas... Mist Village finally began to recover, and smiles and hope returned.

And now, a war is about to destroy everything from the past five years.

"Lord Mizukage, you are not wrong," Chojuro said firmly. "Protecting the village is the Mizukage's duty. If participating in the war means the annihilation of Mist Village's elite forces, then choosing neutrality is the most rational course of action."

"Is this really the most rational approach?" Mei Terumi interrupted him, sitting up straight and refocusing her gaze on the scroll. "Look at the tone of this ultimatum. 'Consider it a choice to stand with Akatsuki,' 'post-war reckoning'—they've left us no option of neutrality. It's either join them or become the enemy."

Her fingers tapped on the table, the rhythm erratic.

"Ōnoki is dead," she whispered, as if confirming an unbelievable fact. "That old stubborn man, that Ōnoki of Both Scales who was suspicious of everyone at the Five Kage Summit and put the interests of Iwagakure above everything else... he actually died in battle. He died from exhaustion while covering the Allied Forces' retreat."

Chojuro fell silent.

As a ninja who had experienced the "Blood Mist Village," he knew all too well what the death of Kage Level ninja meant. It wasn't an ordinary sacrifice; it was a shocking collapse of the sky. Even a powerful Ōnoki could die; the danger of this war had exceeded all conventional assessments.

"And the Raikage actually agreed," Mei Terumi continued, her voice tinged with confusion. "During the Three Kage Secret Conference, Eko was the most radical anti- Konoha faction member. He insisted that Akatsuki was Konoha's front man... His attitude was so firm back then, he almost went to war with Konoha right after the meeting."

She recalled the scene of the Three Kage Secret Conference.

The Raikage's roar, Ōnoki's calculations, and her own conservatism—the meeting ultimately decided on an alliance because of the inability to reach a mutual trust. Each village had its own calculations, its own concerns, and put its own interests first, ultimately leading to the alliance's failure.

That was just a few months ago.

Now, A and Tsunade's names are signed side by side on the same document. Cloud Village and Konoha, two villages that have fought many times in history and distrusted each other, are now allies fighting side by side.

"What changed them?" Mei Terumi murmured to herself. "What made the Raikage abandon all his doubts about Konoha and even accept Tsunade's command? What made that stubborn old man Ōnoki say, before he died, 'Tell Tsunade that the enemy is not something Konoha can control'?"

She closed her eyes, her mind racing through all the known information.

The Akatsuki originated from Yahiko, Jiraiya Yahiko. The actual leader of the Akatsuki was Madara Uchiha, the ninja who, together with the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju, founded Konoha; he is rumored to be a ghost. Also present was Sasuke Uchiha, the missing-nin who attacked Cloud Village and helped capture the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki; he was also from Konoha...

On the surface, the Akatsuki does indeed appear to have intricate connections with Konoha. The Raikage's suspicions are not without merit.

But if Akatsuki was truly controlled by Konoha, then why did Konoha become the target of the Eye of the Moon Plan? Why did Pain attack Konoha? Why did Madara Uchiha choose Konoha as the battlefield? Why did Tsunade fight to the death, nearly losing her life?

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

Mei Terumi suddenly opened her eyes.

"Unless..." she whispered, "Unless it's not a master-servant relationship at all."

Chojuro looked at her in confusion. "Lord Mizukage?"

"Think about it." Mei Terumi stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the village shrouded in thick fog. "If Akatsuki was truly a weapon cultivated by Konoha, then that weapon would have gone out of control long ago. Pain's attack on Konoha is a fact, Madara Uchiha to destroy the Shinobi World is a fact, and the Eye of the Moon Plan was aimed at everyone—including Konoha —is also a fact."

She turned around, her eyes flashing with analysis.

"The Raikage changed his attitude not because he trusted Konoha, but because he saw a greater threat. Compared to Madara Uchiha and the Eye of the Moon Plan, the conflicts between villages and the old grudges between ninja villages seemed insignificant. Just as Ōnoki said before he died, 'The enemy is not Konoha can control.'"

She walked back to the table, her fingers tracing the words on the scroll.

"They are now united not because of mutual trust, but because they have no other choice. They must either unite against a common, world-destroying enemy, or they will be annihilated individually. Faced with survival, all calculations, all suspicions, and all old grudges can be temporarily set aside."

Chojuro nodded thoughtfully. "So... Akatsuki and Konoha aren't master and servant, but enemies. And this enemy is more fundamental and irreconcilable than the enemies between ninja villages."

"That's right." Mei Terumi took a deep breath. "So now the question is: if the four great ninja villages combined can't guarantee a victory against Obito, can Mist Village really remain neutral and unscathed?"

She didn't wait for Chojuro's answer, because the answer was obvious.

The goal of the Eye of the Moon Plan is "all of humanity." The Genjutsu of Infinite Tsukuyomi will envelop the entire world, leaving no corner untouched. Kirigakure, the Land of Water, the land and people she swore to protect, will also be dragged into that eternal illusion.

But illusions, no matter how beautiful, are all false.

Mei Terumi sat back down in her chair, placing her hands clasped on the table. Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if piercing through walls and thick fog to see into the far reaches of the world.

She thought of the children of Kirigakure.

The young men and women sweating it out on the training field had ambition, aspirations, and a yearning for the future on their faces. She thought of the merchants and housewives haggling in the port market, the cries of newborn babies in the hospital, and the young couples dating under the cherry blossoms in spring...

These are all true.

There is pain, setbacks, and injustice, but there is also laughter, growth, and hope. This is the meaning of life—to struggle, fight, love, hate, fail, and get back up in the real world.

The Infinite Tsukuyomi will take all of this away.

To exchange a perfect, painless illusion for a real, flesh-and-blood life.

"What's the difference between that and death?" Mei Terumi said softly, her voice resolute. "No, it's worse than death. Death is at least an end, but illusion is an eternal prison. Imprisoned in a dream woven for you by others, you lose the right to choose, the possibility of growth, and everything that gives life meaning."

She raised her head and looked at Chojuro.

The young ninja stood ramrod straight, his hand unconsciously resting on his Ninja Blade, Hiramekarei, behind his back. His eyes held worry, loyalty, and a resolute anticipation of orders.

"Chojuro." Mei Terumi's voice regained the Mizukage's authority. "Summon all Jonin. Gather in the council chamber in one hour. At the same time, have the logistics department prepare three days' rations and medical supplies for five thousand people. Have the intelligence department compile all intelligence on the Akatsuki and Madara Uchiha. Have the Sealing Squad prepare the highest-level confidentiality scrolls."

Chojuro's eyes lit up. "You've made up your mind?"

"I've made up my mind." Mei Terumi stood up and walked to the map of Kirigakure hanging on the wall. Her finger traced the route from the Land of Water to the Land of Fire, finally stopping at Konoha.

"Mist Village doesn't participate, there are only two outcomes," she said calmly. "If the Allied Forces win, we will be purged for retreating during the war, and Mist Village will be isolated, suppressed, and possibly even divided up for decades to come. If Obito wins, everyone—including everyone in Mist Village —will be dragged into the Infinite Tsukuyomi and lose their real lives."

She turned around and looked at Chojuro.

"I cannot accept either of these outcomes."

Chojuro bowed deeply. "I understand. I'll go prepare right away."

"Wait," Mei Terumi called out to him, "There's one more thing."

She walked back to her desk and took out an exquisite scroll box from the drawer. Inside the box was a Mizukage hat and a matching seal. She carefully wrapped the hat and seal and handed them to Chojuro.

"If I don't come back," Mei Terumi's voice was soft, but every word was clear, "You will be the Sixth Mizukage. Elder Genshi will support you. Protect the village, protect everyone."

Chojuro's pupils contracted sharply. He trembled as he took the scroll box, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded vigorously and knelt on one knee.

"I swear on my life," his voice choked with emotion, "I will wait for you to come back."

Mei Terumi smiled and reached out to pat his head—just like five years ago, when she was still Jonin and he was a shy boy who had just become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Alright, go ahead," she said. "Time is running out."

Chojuro stood up, clutching the scroll box, turned and strode out of the office. The sound of the door closing echoed in the empty room.

Mei Terumi sat back down in her chair.

She looked at the joint ultimatum on the table, at the four seals side by side, at the cold words. Then, she picked up a pen and wrote a line in the blank space at the end of the scroll:

[The Kirigakure accepts the ultimatum's terms; five thousand elite troops will depart immediately and are expected to arrive in Konoha within twenty-four hours. They are willing to fight for the survival of the Shinobi World.]

Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi]

After finishing writing, she put down her pen and let out a long breath.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened. The lights in the thick fog looked hazy and warm; they were the village she had protected for five years, the hometown to which she had poured all her heart and soul.

Now, she is about to lead five thousand of the best ninjas away to participate in a war in which perhaps no one will return alive.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the lights outside the window, "But I have to do this."

Because some things are more precious than temporary peace.

Because the real, imperfect world, with its pain and joy, is worth defending with one's life.

Because she is the Mizukage.

They are not only responsible to the Mist Village, but also to the very act of "living."

She stood up, took one last look at the office, then pushed back her chair and walked towards the door.

The corridor lights cast a long shadow of hers.

Beyond the thick fog lies a battlefield, the unknown, and destiny.

But she has already made her choice.

Let's keep going.

To the very end.