Pseudo-Jinchūriki

Elsewhere, several of Kirigakure's senior officials had only recently brought Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura's body back to the village.

Kirigakure had suffered far too much in this battle. Over a thousand ninja had been killed or wounded, and even the Fourth Mizukage had died in the fighting.

The vast majority of those casualties had been caused by Obito Uchiha's Wood Release. Only a small fraction had been caught in the battle between Neji and Obito Uchiha.

"Why must the heavens treat Kirigakure this way?" Genji shakily looked up at the mist-shrouded sky, tears streaming down his face.

Every Kirigakure official present had reddened eyes, their hearts brimming with murderous rage they had nowhere to vent.

"Genji..." Mei Terumi opened her mouth, but could find no words of comfort.

Genji had spent decades in Kirigakure and lived through three Shinobi World Wars. If even someone like him could not hold back his tears, how could she possibly comfort him?

"Ah..." Genji sighed helplessly and turned to Mei Terumi. "Any news of Ao?"

"Not yet." Mei Terumi shook her head. She knew Ao's fate could hardly have been a good one.

Genji sighed again and again. Looking at Mei Terumi, he said, "Mei, from today onward, you are Kirigakure's Fifth Mizukage."

"Remember the humiliation we suffered today!" Genji fixed her with a stern gaze.

"I will never forget today's humiliation!" Mei Terumi declared solemnly.

"I'm sorry that the village I'm handing over to you is in such a ruined state," Genji said weakly.

"This isn't your fault. We underestimated the enemy," Mei Terumi said.

"Who could have imagined that someone in today's shinobi world would still possess power like that of the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju?" Worry filled Genji's aged face.

His words left everyone in utter silence. In a battle