The Mizukage Spends a Night with Sōgetsu?

Aogetsu Hyuga said casually, "Is that so? Fair enough. Talk your way into becoming Hokage, then. Convince every enemy you meet."

After what had happened with Yuki Haku, Naruto's talent for talking people around had already begun to show.

Aogetsu Hyuga took out a Scroll and sealed the bodies of Yuki Haku and his companion inside its Barrier.

Taking those two to Kirigakure ought to fetch nearly a million, right?

"Teacher Cangyue, what are you doing?" Sakura Haruno asked, her pretty face full of curiosity as she stared at the Sealing Scroll.

Aogetsu Hyuga put the Scroll away. "Taking them to Kirigakure."

Naruto Uzumaki's anger at Cangyue's earlier mockery faded. With his hands behind his head, he grinned. "Aw, you're actually a pretty nice guy."

"Harsh words, soft heart," Sakura Haruno said with a giggle behind her hand.

"Hmph." Sasuke Uchiha snorted.

Everyone in Team 7 assumed Cangyue wanted to take Yuki Haku and his companion to Kirigakure so he could bury them in their hometown.

Many Ninja loved their villages. Being returned home after death was a good thing.

Teacher Cangyue really was a man who acted cold but cared deeply.

That was Teacher Cangyue for you!

"Honestly, you little brats are really strange sometimes." Aogetsu Hyuga was speechless. From what Team 7 was saying and how they were acting, they had clearly misunderstood something again.

How did taking in two heads for a bounty make him a nice guy?

Was there something wrong with Team 7's heads?

"Teacher Cangyue, we've finished our mission, but what about that wealthy merchant Gato?" Sakura Haruno glanced at the bridge, looking worried. "Once we leave, Gato will probably try to stop Mr. Tazuna from building it again."

Aogetsu Hyuga waved a hand. "It's fine. That fat pig Gato is already dead."

That was right. Gato was dead.

He had been dead for two days!

Cangyue had dealt with Gato two days ago and taken his entire fortune while he was at it.

The little fat pig had been surprisingly rich.

Two days ago, Cangyue had no money for drinking or dates, while Gato had been spending freely on both.

How could he put up with that?

Die. Your money's mine!

And Gato had wanted to destroy the bridge?

Dream on!

The Land of Waves would be his source of income from now on.

"That's a relief." Sakura Haruno let out a breath.

"Let's go, brats." Aogetsu Hyuga turned to leave.

He needed to go to Kirigakure to collect the bounty, but Mei Terumi was a Crazy Bitch.

During past missions, Cangyue had clashed with Mei Terumi several times. Back then, he had given her a Thousand Years of Death.

That Crazy Bitch... What a pain.

"Sakura, let's get Ramen when we're back! I've still got two coupons!" Naruto Uzumaki said, wearing his backpack and pulling out two Ramen coupons. He glanced at Sasuke Uchiha. "None for you, stuck-up Sasuke."

"Leave me alone, idiot." Sasuke Uchiha put his hands in his pockets and hurried after Aogetsu Hyuga. He wanted a chance to ask about that Sharingan presence he had sensed earlier.

"What's with the attitude?" Naruto Uzumaki muttered.

"Wait for me, Teacher Cangyue! Sasuke!" Ignoring Naruto, Sakura Haruno hurried after Aogetsu Hyuga and the others.

"Damn it! First stuck-up Sasuke, and now Teacher Cangyue? What's so great about those two stuck-up guys?" Naruto Uzumaki gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Sakura, wait for me!"

The Land of Water.

Kirigakure, in the office.

"Still no trace of the Three-Tails?"

Mei Terumi's long brown hair fell down her back, with her bangs covering one eye. She wore a low-cut blue dress that hugged her tall figure, revealing every curve. Black fishnet stockings covered her long, shapely legs.

Her fair face was both cute and alluring.

She was a prodigy of Kirigakure and a Kekkei Genkai Ninja—one of the rare few in the entire Ninja World with Dual Kekkei Genkai.

The Fifth Mizukage—Mei Terumi!

Ao knelt on one knee and replied respectfully, "I'm sorry, Lady Mizukage. We've sent people to search every suspicious location, but we still haven't found any trace of the Three-Tails."

He was an Elite Jonin who possessed a Byakugan.

Almost everyone in Kirigakure held Mei Terumi in great respect. She had single-handedly ended Kirigakure's Bloody Mist Village era and saved countless Kekkei Genkai Ninja.

She had stopped Karatachi Yagura's tyranny and become the Fifth Mizukage!

Mei Terumi was also an idol to almost every young Ninja in Kirigakure!

Mei Terumi's brows drew together slightly. She sat with her left leg crossed over her right and her hands clasped beneath her chin. "Expand the search area. A Tailed Beast is an important weapon."

The Five Great Shinobi Villages remained at the top partly because of their military strength and partly because they possessed Tailed Beasts.

Even setting their vast military forces aside, a Tailed Beast alone could deter the smaller surrounding nations!

But after the Bloody Mist Village era ended, the Jinchūriki Karatachi Yagura had vanished, and the Three-Tails had disappeared along with him. It was a serious headache for Kirigakure.

Worse, despite searching far and wide for so long, Kirigakure had found not a single clue about the Three-Tails. It was as though the beast had vanished from the Shinobi World.

"Yes," Ao answered respectfully.

Creak. The office door opened.

Chojuro entered with an unusual greatsword on his back. Too shy to look at Mei Terumi, he reported hesitantly, "Lady T-Terumi, Aogetsu Hyuga wishes to see you."

Ao frowned at Chojuro's manner and rebuked him coldly. "Chojuro, you were chosen for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Show some confidence as a man! How else will you protect Lady Mizukage?"

A place among Kirigakure's Seven Blade Swordsmen was the highest honor, a position every Ninja in the village dreamed of.

But Chojuro was too shy and lacked confidence.

Chojuro blushed and answered awkwardly, "Y-yes."

Ao shook his head with a sigh.

Chojuro really needed to change.

Give me the sword. I'll join the Seven Blade Swordsmen.

"Hmm. Have him wait a moment. I need to deal with..." Mei Terumi was scanning the intelligence in a Scroll. Halfway through her sentence, she froze, jerked her head up, and asked Chojuro, "Who did you say?"

"Aogetsu Hyuga," Chojuro replied.

Mei Terumi's expression slowly turned cold, and anger flashed in her eyes. "The Disaster Ninja, Aogetsu Hyuga?"

Frightened by her reaction, Chojuro stammered, "Y-yes!"

"Heh..." Mei Terumi licked the corner of her mouth. A vast surge of Chakra seeped from her, and a chill edged her alluring smile.

Cangyue.

Aogetsu Hyuga!

That damn pervert actually dared to come here!

Mei Terumi remembered meeting Cangyue long ago. Just recalling what had happened made her backside ache.

Damn pervert!

She was the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure, an idol to all its young people and a prodigy with Dual Kekkei Genkai. Yet that damn pervert Cangyue had treated her in such a vulgar way!

The Mizukage Spending a Night with Cangyue?

"Lady Mizukage?" Ao looked at Mei Terumi in confusion.

What's wrong with Lady Mizukage?

Why did hearing Aogetsu Hyuga's name make her react like that? Was there some bad blood between them?

Strange.

Lady Mizukage was always mature and composed. Apart from when she heard the word "marriage," this was the first time Ao had seen her show such cold anger.

Did Lady Mizukage really have a grudge against Aogetsu Hyuga?

Chojuro was puzzled too and watched Mei Terumi's expression change.

Bang! The office door swung open.

"Having a meeting? Sorry to interrupt." Aogetsu Hyuga walked in with a faint smile and greeted everyone in the office.

"Lady Mizukage hasn't agreed to see you yet. You—" Two Anbu Ninja blocked Cangyue's path. He had barged into the office without the Mizukage's permission.

Such rudeness could cause a dispute between the two villages!

Before the Anbu Ninja could finish scolding him, Cangyue moved.

"Don't bother me. Go play somewhere else, or I'll dock your pay." Aogetsu Hyuga picked up both Anbu Ninja and tossed them behind him like garbage.

Village rules? He would do whatever he wanted!

Why follow rules when he had the strength to ignore them?

"Aogetsu Hyuga, this is Kirigakure." The corner of Mei Terumi's mouth twitched. Her smile held a trace of ice as she watched Cangyue stroll into the office.

She wanted to kill him right there!

"I know." Aogetsu Hyuga sat down on a soft sofa, crossed his legs, and looked around the office. "It feels good to be home."

After taking Team 7 back to the village, he had immediately used Lightning Movement to come to Kirigakure.

"..." Everyone in the room was speechless.

What was wrong with Aogetsu Hyuga?

Did he think Kirigakure was his home?

"What brings the famous Disaster Ninja to Kirigakure to see me?" Mei Terumi fought down her anger. Her clasped hands trembled beneath her chin. Her smile looked warm, but concealed icy killing intent.

Hold it together!

This is Kirigakure, and I'm the Fifth Mizukage. As the leader of a village, I have to remain dignified and composed.

Besides, Cangyue's standing in Konoha gave him a measure of authority to speak for the village. Attacking him here would cause a dispute between Kirigakure and Konoha.

If we were outside Kirigakure, I'd kill you myself!

"Hey, One-Eye. That eye of yours is a Byakugan, isn't it?" Aogetsu Hyuga ignored Mei Terumi and glanced at Ao's black eyepatch.

"Yes," Ao replied.

Although Cangyue belonged to the Hyuga Clan, Ao was not afraid. The clan had already tacitly accepted his use of a Hyuga Byakugan.

It had been a spoil of war, after all, and the Hyuga Clan had received plenty of spoils from Kirigakure in return.

"You've got nerve," Aogetsu Hyuga said evenly. "You knew I was from the Hyuga Clan, yet you still used the Byakugan to pry into my secrets."

"My apologies, Lord Cangyue. As a Ninja of Kirigakure, I must protect our village's leader," Ao said. He had been watching Cangyue's every move with his Byakugan. Protecting the Fifth Mizukage was his duty.

"Did you see anything?" Aogetsu Hyuga asked curiously.

He was not concerned about that Byakugan.

"You're a very powerful Ninja," Ao answered honestly. He had observed Cangyue's Chakra flow with the Byakugan and discovered a terrifying amount of Chakra.

If an ordinary Ninja's Chakra was a drop of water, Aogetsu Hyuga's was an ocean!

Ao had never seen such an absurd amount of Chakra. Cangyue had even more than the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki!

"I see." Aogetsu Hyuga considered that.

So even the Byakugan can't uncover the secret of my Rinne Sharingan.

Good.

"Anyway, let's get down to business." Aogetsu Hyuga slapped a hand against empty air. Pale smoke billowed out, and an iron greatsword fell to the floor.