In the Land of Water.
While the outside world speculated about whether Konoha's Nine-Tails had revived, turmoil erupted within Kirigakure.
Karatachi Yagura, the reigning Fourth Mizukage, enacted the blood mist policy, ordering the elimination of the village's kekkei genkai ninja.
Naturally, the kekkei genkai ninja refused to wait for death. They rebelled against Kirigakure's leadership and even launched assassination attempts against the Mizukage.
After a series of upheavals, the smell of blood hung over Kirigakure, hidden amid the seas.
Outside the Mizukage's Office, many Kirigakure jonin concerned for their village sought an audience with the Mizukage, pleading for him to revoke the absurd order. Yet even more Mist Ninja had become blood-crazed.
They attacked the kekkei genkai families like madmen, plundering their wealth.
"Jonin Mei Terumi, Lord Mizukage is seeing no one!"
The Kirigakure ANBU relayed the Fourth Mizukage's wishes, turning away Mei Terumi and Ao, who had come to reason with him.
These two were among the village's few elite jonin.
After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist suffered a crushing defeat, Kirigakure had been left with only a handful of elite jonin. Now, the implementation of the blood mist policy had cost it large numbers of kekkei genkai jonin as well, driving its fighting strength ever lower.
If another shinobi village attacked now, Kirigakure would likely be powerless to resist.
Fortunately, the sea served as Kirigakure's natural barrier, and its poverty left Iwagakure and Kumogakure with no interest in it whatsoever. The only village with which it still had a dispute was Sunagakure, across the sea.
Still, with the Fourth Mizukage, a jinchūriki, present, there was no need to worry about the war with Sunagakure.
Exchanging a glance, Mei Terumi and Ao left in frustration, not daring to barge into the Mizukage's Office.
The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi