After a long silence, Genji seemed to have aged more than a decade in an instant.
He raised his head, his clouded eyes filled with exhaustion.
"Do we... really have no other choice?"
"No." Mei Terumi shook her head resolutely.
Genji closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"I understand."
"Then... for now, we'll agree to his terms."
"But we can't merge into Konoha so vaguely and without clarity."
A glint of shrewdness flashed through Genji's eyes.
"We can submit, but we have one condition."
"He must help us get rid of Fourth Mizukage Yagura!"
"Yagura's Bloody Mist Village rule is the root cause of Hidden Mist Village's current internal and external troubles! As long as he remains in office, the village will never know peace!"
"Only if he can accomplish that will we truly be able to take control of the entire Hidden Mist Village—and only then can we speak of submitting to him."
Mei Terumi nodded at his words.
This truly was the best solution for now.
They would use Uchiha Yao's power to resolve the village's greatest internal problem.
"Also..." Genji continued, "what happened to Sunagakure is too horrifying. Immediately send your most reliable spies into the Land of Wind. At any cost, verify whether this is true!"
"Hidden Mist Village's intelligence network is practically paralyzed now. We can't keep being deaf and blind!"
Genji's fist slammed heavily into the tatami.
"If... if what happened to Sunagakure is true..."
He paused.
"Then from this day forth, Hidden Mist Village will do as he says..."
"And become Konoha's... Mist Division."
Once he finished speaking, it was as though all strength had been drained from Genji, and his entire body sagged.
But he quickly forced himself to pull it together.
Genji rose to his feet and straightened