Guess

Watching the group disappear into the distance, Miao's face took on a thoughtful expression. Though they had been somewhat far away, when they passed in front of him, Miao had clearly heard a word: "Rebels!"

"Rebels? Did that mean insurgents? Ninja who had launched a coup d'état because they were dissatisfied with the Fourth Mizukage's brutal policies?" Miao pondered quietly.

There was one thing Miao could not figure out. Why had the Fourth Mizukage implemented such brutal rule? Kirigakure Ninja had been cold-blooded in the past, but not to this extent. To pass the Genin and Chunin exams, they now had to kill companions they had lived alongside day and night. They even persecuted and slaughtered Kekkei Genkai Families and Kirigakure's Meritorious Elders. What exactly was going on?

As the leader of a village, the first thing one should consider was the village's stability. No matter how incompetent a leader was, he should understand that. Moreover, the Ninja World War had only just ended. This should have been the best time for the village to recover and rebuild.

Persecuting those Meritorious Elders could barely be explained as a means of maintaining his rule. But persecuting Kekkei Genkai Families was simply idiotic. Kekkei Genkai Families were an extremely high-end force for any village. So long as they did not rebel, no matter how poor their relationship with the high-level was, they still held great value for the village. Slaughtering and persecuting those families was undoubtedly like cutting off one's own arm, severely damaging the village's foundations. No matter how one looked at it, this was not something the leader of a village should do.

Still, Miao hoped the Rebel Army could successfully overthrow the Fourth Mizukage. If that happened, Haku and her mother would no longer have to live in constant fear.

But Miao soon shook his head. This was not something he could decide. All he could do was silently pray for the Rebel Army's success. Haku had completely calmed down by now, though her face was still somewhat pale. It seemed the killing intent emanating from that group of ninja had frightened her badly.

With a bag of rice in one hand, Miao gently took Haku's hand with the other and smiled. "Let's go back." "Mm." Haku nodded, her face pale.

At night, the fog grew even thicker, nearly shrouding the entire village. Faint lights could be seen glowing within the dense mist, adding a touch of mystery to the village.

At Miao's home, father and son ate quietly. Miao told his father about some of what he had seen that day. "Kirigakure Ninja?" Hayato's brows furrowed slightly on his pale face.

"Yeah. That group of ninja seemed to be hunting those so-called rebels. I'm guessing the ninja in Water Country who had been persecuted or were dissatisfied with the Fourth Mizukage's rule had joined forces to launch a campaign against him." Miao took a bite of food and spoke casually.

"Then be more careful lately. Go out less, and don't let anyone notice anything suspicious. I'm afraid all of Water Country will soon fall into chaos. The Fourth Mizukage will probably intensify his purge of the Rebel Army, including those with Kekkei Genkai." A trace of worry appeared on Hayato's pale face.

"I understand. I've already warned Haku as well," Miao said slowly. "Yes. That child Haku still can't completely control her Kekkei Genkai. If she shows herself too often, she could easily be noticed," Hayato said.

"But what exactly is the Fourth Mizukage thinking? He's turned this country and Ninja Village into a complete mess. What benefit does that bring him?" Miao could not help complaining.

After a moment of silence, Hayato slowly said, "I feel there's something wrong with this Fourth Mizukage." A thoughtful look appeared on his face.

"What do you mean?" Seeing his father's expression, Miao froze for a moment and asked in confusion. He trusted his father deeply. As an Elite Jonin who had participated in the Ninja World War, Hayato's experience was far beyond that of a novice like him.

"When I had just arrived in Water Country and settled down, I went out to gather intelligence on the entire country to ensure our safety, including Kirigakure Village at the time and this Fourth Mizukage," Hayato said slowly.

Understanding flashed across Miao's face. For an experienced ninja, the first thing to do when settling in an unfamiliar region was naturally to figure out the situation there. The most basic vigilance was essential for an outstanding ninja.

"At the time, the Fourth Mizukage had been in office for less than a year. According to the intelligence I gathered, he treated others kindly and was gentle and polite. He had even proposed reforms to the village's existing system." Miao seemed to be recalling something as he looked at the snowflakes outside the window.

"Reforms?" Miao was stunned. "That's right. Back then, I went alone to investigate the villages surrounding Kirigakure. Although the Fourth Mizukage came from Kirigakure, where the system was comparatively cruel, I heard that he had a rather cheerful personality and had not developed the cold-blooded nature unique to Kirigakure Ninja. He strongly disliked Kirigakure's cruel existing system, so he proposed reforms. He hoped to establish a more humane system, increase the village's cohesion, and reduce the number of ninja who defected. In his view, no matter how outstanding the ninja cultivated through cold-blooded elite policies were, those who defected were an enormous loss to the village," Hayato said calmly.

"I heard that proposal met great resistance at the time. Although Water Country was one of the Five Great Nations, it was isolated overseas and had the smallest land area among them. In terms of resources, aside from the Land of Wind, which was filled with deserts, it was at a disadvantage compared to the other major nations. Therefore, maintaining such a vast ninja force during peacetime was an enormous burden for Kirigakure Village. That was why Kirigakure insisted on the elite ninja route. Furthermore, since Water Country was isolated overseas, war could hardly reach it. Maintaining such a vast ninja force was a huge waste for both Kirigakure Village and Water Country," Hayato explained to Miao.

"However, the Fourth Mizukage seemed to have suppressed every opposing voice and resolutely implemented that policy. But it did not last long. Two years later, for reasons unknown, the Fourth Mizukage suddenly underwent a drastic change in temperament. Not only did he completely overturn the new policies he had proposed before, but he also became even harsher than the old policies, even persecuting the village's Meritorious Ninja and Kekkei Genkai Families.

"What happened to the Fourth Mizukage for his personality to change so drastically?" Miao asked, equally baffled.

"Yes, it's hard to imagine that someone like him would do such terrifying things. That's why I said there's something wrong with this Fourth Mizukage," Hayato said, unable to make sense of it either.

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