Kirigakure, High Tower.
Senju Chen is sitting in the minister's office, with a map of Land of Water spread out in front of him and a pot of cold tea in his hand.
He was thinking about one thing, that is, whether to send Mei Terumi and Chōjūrō away together this time.
In the original work, Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura ended up dying after being extracted from Three-Tails by Obito. Genji took advantage of the chaos and launched Mei Terumi. With the gimmick of double Kekkei Genkai and the political operation of the Genji faction, he successfully succeeded Fifth Mizukage.
But now, everything has changed.
Isobu is no longer in Yagura's body. It is happily living a "roommate life" with Rin Nohara in Land of Waterfalls's underground base. Without Three-Tails to draw, Obito has no reason to kill Yagura. If Yagura is not dead, the position of Mizukage will not be vacant.
More importantly, Genji is dead.
He was "cheated" to death by his own hands, Senju Chen.
The Genji faction was also completely purged by Obito, and Mei Terumi lost its biggest political backer. Even if Yagura really abdicates one day, with the current power structure of Kirigakure, that position will not be taken by a little girl without any faction support.
Senju Chen picked up the herbal tea and took a sip, frowning slightly.
It was not because the tea was cold, but because he realized a problem - Mei Terumi had no strategic value if he stayed in Land of Water.
In the original work, she was able to become Mizukage because of the right time, the right place, the right people, and the right people. Now that the right time and the right place were gone, the right people and people were completely torn apart by him.
Should we keep her as a waitress at Food Is Heaven in the future?
That's such a waste.
Double Kekkei Genkai, Lava Release plus Boil Release, this kind of talent is the seed of S-level combat power in any ninja village. Let her carry the dishes and wash the dishes here, what is the difference between using diamonds as a washboard?
Finally Senju Chen put down the tea cup and made a decision.
Pack up three people, Mei Terumi, Chōjūrō, and Zabuza Momochi, and send them all to the Land of Waterfalls experimental base.
There are Scorpion's puppets responsible for their combat training, Amado responsible for technological enhancement, and Orochimaru responsible for... well, responsible for providing transformation and mental pressure. In addition, Kekkei Genkai orphans will be sent from Land of Water one after another, and it just becomes a complete training system.
Senju Chen picked up the pen and wrote a few lines on a special piece of secret letter paper.
Written to Aying.
The content is simple: after three days, transfer "Chili Pepper", "Glasses" and "Greatsword" to "Waterfall".
After writing, he thought about it again and wrote a separate letter to Mei Terumi.
He knows the temperament of that little Chili Pepper Mei Terumi very well.
That girl called him a bastard, and she hated him for leaving without saying goodbye, but there was a stubbornness in her bones. If she were to leave Land of Water, the place where she grew up, she would definitely be furious.
Senju Chen folded the two secret letters, stuffed them into a miniature scroll, and patted them on the ground.
"Send the letter to Food Is Heaven Aying."
"Shasha... received, Mr. New."
A White Zetsu poked half of its head out of the floor, took the scroll, and then retracted it.
Senju Chen Lean back against the wall and close your eyes.
Although that girl Mei Terumi has a bad temper and a poisonous mouth, she is not a bad person in essence. She has feelings for Land of Water and is obsessed with Kirigakure. Letting her leave her homeland, to a certain extent, is equivalent to personally cutting off her dream of "changing Kirigakure".
But Senju Chen knows very well that dreams are something you must have the strength to possess.
The current Mei Terumi is still too weak.
So weak that he can't even protect himself, let alone change the fate of a village.
"When you are strong enough, come back and change this "sick" village." These were the words Senju Chen left for Mei Terumi at the end of the letter.
Food Is Heaven Restaurant, backyard.
Mei Terumi is practicing swordsmanship in the yard.
To be precise, Chōjūrō is being used as a target.
"Too slow! Your steps are worse than a turtle!"
"Ah--sister, spare your life--"
Chōjūrō ran around the yard with his head in his hands, followed by Mei Terumi's merciless pursuit with a wooden knife. This was already the third round of "practical training" today, and Chōjūrō felt that his legs no longer belonged to him.
At this moment, Aying opened the backyard door.
His appearance made Mei Terumi stop. This taciturn man rarely came to her on his own initiative.
"Is something wrong?" Mei Terumi put away the knife and looked at Aying with his green eyes.
Aying No nonsense, just handed over a letter.
"Your letter."
"For me?" Mei Terumi took the letter in confusion and opened it.
She recognized the handwriting on the paper. It was that bastard's handwriting. It was concise, powerful, and as annoying as him.
After reading the content of the letter, Mei Terumi's expression changed.
"Leave Land of Water?"
Aying said without any ups and downs in his tone, "We will set off in three days."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
"Stop!" Mei Terumi gripped the letter paper with his knuckles so hard that the paper wrinkled, "I won't leave! This is Land of Water! It's my home! Why does that bastard decide for me--"
Aying stopped and looked back at her.
In those cold eyes, there was a rare flash of... sympathy?
"Mei Terumi." He called her full name, "What do you think you can do if you stay here with your current strength?"
"I--"
"Genji is dead. His faction has been wiped out. Fourth Mizukage Yagura is getting stronger and stronger. Now a large-scale purge of Genji's faction has begun. Sooner or later, if you stay here, you will be discovered by Yagura's people." Aying's words were like a basin of cold water, poured from head to toe.
After saying that, Aying stopped staying and disappeared behind the door.
The yard became quiet.
Mei Terumi clutched the letter and stood motionless.
Chōjūrō cautiously poked his head out from the corner, looked at Mei Terumi's back, hesitated for a long time, and then timidly said:
"Sister, sister... are you okay?"
Mei Terumi did not answer.
She looked down at the crumpled letter in her hand, her lips pursed tightly.
Leave Land of Water.
Leaving the place where she grew up.
Leave those familiar streets, familiar sea breeze, and familiar fog.
Go to a completely unfamiliar place and receive training that you don't know what to expect.
And the person who made this decision was the bastard who saved her life in the cemetery and disappeared into the night fog without looking back.
"... bastard, why do you make decisions for me?"
Mei Terumi cursed in a low voice, but the anger in her voice was far less than what she wanted to show.
Because she knew in her heart that every word Aying said was true.
If she stays here, nothing will change.
"Sister?" Chōjūrō called again.
Mei Terumi took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at the young man who still had a worried look on his face.
"Chōjūrō."
"Here!"
"Pack your things and we'll leave in two days."
Chōjūrō was stunned. "Leave? Where to go?"
Mei Terumi folded the letter paper and stuffed it into his arms, looking with his green eyes at the sea shrouded in mist in the distance.
"Go to a place... where we can become stronger."
Chōjūrō opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he just nodded vigorously.
He doesn't understand political games or strategic shifts. He only knows that the teacher named "Gonbei" asked him to come to Food Is Heaven. Now if he is asked to go to another place, then he will go.
Very simple logic.
But Mei Terumi is different.
She stood in the yard, looking up at the gray sky, feeling indescribable emotions surging in her heart.
Unwilling.
Helpless.
There is still a hint of... expectation?
The man said to her in the letter.
--"Become stronger, and then come back to change everything. When you are strong enough, come back and change this "sick" village."
"Humph."
Mei Terumi snorted coldly, turned around and walked back into the house.
She didn't have many things to pack, just a few changes of clothes.
That's all.
What wealth can an orphan whose family was destroyed by Blood Mist Policy have?
But when she was finishing it off, her hand stopped.
Inside the drawer was a wooden sign and a book of handwritten materials that had been curled up.
The wooden sign is Food Is Heaven's guest room certificate, and these materials were compiled by Mei Terumi recently when she was bored, based on the man's previous teachings to her.
Her training of Chōjūrō was also based on these.
Mei Terumi took out these materials and wooden signs, finally held them in the palm of his hand and stuffed them into his pocket.