"Halt!"
Mei Terumi abruptly raised her hand.
In an instant, the column stopped.
"Halt!"
"Stop!"
The Hidden Mist ninja quickly stopped, tension rising on their faces as they stared fixedly at the mass of enemies ahead.
"Does the Hidden Rain Village intend to start a war between our countries?"
Mei Terumi spoke in a low voice.
At her words, Ida smiled faintly. "If you withdraw now, this war can be avoided."
"Whether we fight is entirely up to you!"
Mei Terumi's pupils contracted, and she frowned.
Deep down, she did not want a war to begin. But the enemy had captured the Fourth Mizukage. Such a humiliation made it almost impossible not to fight.
Every Hidden Mist ninja was tense at that moment.
Small-scale battles were normal for ninja, but a prolonged war between nations was something else entirely.
It meant lives lost, one after another, over a long and unrelenting stretch of time.
Especially when their enemy was the Land of Rain, whose rapid rise had recently made its name resound throughout the Ninja World.
Worse still, the Hidden Mist Village was reeling from severe internal damage. They had not even chosen a new Mizukage.
Drip, drop...
The rain grew heavier, casting a pall over the hearts of every Hidden Mist ninja.
"If I were in your position right now, starting a meaningless war would be the last thing on my mind!"
"Instead, I would choose a new Mizukage."
"And quickly quell the unrest within the village."
After a pause, Ida gave a cold smile.
"Let me ask you all something."
"If war really breaks out, are you confident you can defeat us?"
That single question made every Hidden Mist ninja's heart tremble.
Their Mizukage had been captured, and no successor had been chosen. If war broke out now,