Mei Terumi rose and walked to the window. She gazed out at Kirigakure, still shrouded in mist but struggling to change. Weariness and a deeper worry entered her voice.
"How am I supposed to feel comfortable leaving Kirigakure entirely in your hands after this?"
"Kirigakure needs more than strength. It needs clear heads, strict discipline, and the foresight to stop trouble before it starts."
"We are deeply sorry, Mizukage!" Ao and Chojuro bowed low together, their voices heavy.
Mei kept her back to them and waved a hand. The gesture seemed drained of strength. "Go. Think carefully about what I've said today."
"Kirigakure's Will of Water cannot be just a slogan. It takes strength to defend it, vigilance to uphold it, and responsibility to pass it on."
Neither man spoke. They bowed again and quietly left the office, while the oppressive mood seemed to hang in the air.
Elsewhere, beside a quiet river, water murmured past. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki had just finished a leg of their journey and stopped for a brief rest.
The images on the Canopy Screen had naturally caught their attention too. Itachi Uchiha's gaze lingered on Samehada, that oddly shaped Ninja Sword covered in scales.
On the screen, in the middle of a fierce battle, it had broken free of its wielder and eagerly thrown itself into Jade's arms, carrying the Chakra it had devoured.
That was interesting.
Itachi slowly turned toward Kisame, who sat on a boulder beside him, silently watching the river. In an even voice, he asked, "Kisame, could your sword really 'betray' its wielder like that?"
Kisame did not answer at once. His broad body seemed to stiffen for the briefest instant. His sharklike face revealed little, but a complicated glint passed through his narrow eyes.
Silence settled over the