After the major battle with the Mist ninja ended, Yahiko led the Akatsuki ninja to a peaceful period of rest and recuperation in the Land of Hot Water.
They were living quite comfortably—better than they had ever been treated in the Land of Rain.
The Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water had spared no effort in pampering his esteemed guests.
Even the Akatsuki forces were enjoying a very comfortable stay in the Land of Hot Water.
However, while they were fully relaxing, others could not sleep.
When news of the Mist's crushing defeat and the death of the Mizukage reached the Land of Water,
the Water Daimyō nearly fainted from shock.
He knew that not only had his dream of expansion been shattered, but the Land of Water now faced an immense crisis.
After catching his breath slightly, the Daimyō immediately used emergency means to contact Elder Genji of Kirigakure.
The first words he spoke left Elder Genji silent for a long time without response.
The news of the Mist ninja's defeat brought even greater shock to Elder Genji.
He fully grasped the significance of possessing two Jinchūriki, particularly since the Mizukage himself was a perfect one.
In Elder Genji's imagination, even if the Mist ninja were defeated, it should never come to both Jinchūriki perishing.
He simply couldn't accept the current reality—this was practically a lost cause.
Akatsuki still retained their high-end combat power, while Kirigakure currently had no decent force to field.
It was obvious that if Akatsuki invaded the Land of Water, there would be virtually no ability to resist at all.
After more than ten seconds of prolonged silence, Elder Genji finally let out a soft "Hmm."
Immediately afterward, the second pointed and practical question from the Daimyō made the Elder Genji even more reluctant to respond.
If he admitted that Kirigakure was already powerless to resist, then surely there wouldn't be any further support from the Daimyō.
Yet claiming they could resist would amount to nothing but mutual deception.
This time, before Elder Genji could reply, the Daimyō directly stated his demand:
His demand was clear: to fight until death!
He vowed to commit every available resource to fully support Kirigakure.
Elder Genji nearly thought he had misheard—this was completely out of character for the Daimyō.
But once he understood, the last flicker of hope in his heart died.
The Water Daimyō had run out of options and could only place all hopes on Kirigakure.
It was like treating a dead horse as if it were still alive. The future of the Land of Water had already dimmed.
"I shall do my utmost."
Elder Genji's voice was somewhat trembling—he didn't know what he could possibly do to stop the Akatsuki ninja.
"That's settled then."
"The first batch of supplies is already on its way."
The Water Daimyō severed the connection and suddenly felt as though all strength had drained from him, collapsing weakly to the ground.
On the other side, Elder Genji wasn't much better off, though marginally so.
After a long while, Elder Genji's dazed mind gradually began to clear.
Bent by age, he trudged slowly away from his office.
"Summon all ninja, regardless of age, to gather at the center of the village."
Elder Genji issued his first order, and a hint of reluctance flickered in his eyes.
But what else could he do?
"Senior Ao, has something serious happened?"
An eight- or nine-year-old girl with emerald-green eyes and reddish-brown long hair looked up at the young Mist ninja beside her.
"Nothing good."
"The Mizukage and Shin have fallen. We've lost the battle."
Ao didn't possess the Byakugan, yet he still had normal vision, with no sealing tags dangling from his ears.
His expression was grim, his voice low, and his whole demeanor screamed, "Keep your distance."
The only reason he even responded was because this girl possessed two Kekkei Genkai and was considered a prodigy in the village.
"What?"
"How is that possible?"
Mei Terumi's young voice was filled with disbelief.
Her current status and strength clearly weren't enough to grant her immediate access to important intelligence within the village.
"I don't want to believe it either."
"But it's true."
"Without a doubt, Elder Genji will announce it shortly."
"We're all heading to the battlefield next."
Ao struggled to hold back his growing frustration, harboring no expectations about his own future.
He was just another average Jonin—that's all.
"Has it come to this already?"
Mei gasped in shock, her mouth falling open. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to send children her age into battle.
Even though she had surpassed most of her actual peers, she still hadn't matured to the level seen in the original plot where she eventually became the Fifth Mizukage.
"Yeah, reality might be worse than that."
Ao didn't say anything else—he didn't dare to imagine what might come next.
The older and younger ninja fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts as they numbly followed the crowd toward the center of the village to wait quietly.
When nearly all the ninja in the village had gathered, Elder Genji appeared leaning on a cane.
He walked directly to the front of the crowd and stood his ground.
As the noisy assembly gradually quieted down, he finally began to speak.
"There is some unfortunate news I must share with everyone."
"The Mizukage...has perished."
Elder Genji's words were soft, but their impact sent shockwaves through the crowd.
"No way!"
"I don't believe it!!"
"How could the Mizukage possibly die!!!"
"Elder Genji, you're joking with us, right?"
Immediately, various voices rose up among the crowd, and Elder Genji understood everyone's emotions completely.
He didn't want to believe it either, but reality had been merciless.
"It's true."
"I gathered everyone here because the Akatsuki won't spare us."
"They could appear within our borders tomorrow or the day after."
"Our village needs everyone's strength to protect it."
Starting today, every registered ninja must join active combat duty.
"If the Akatsuki invade, we'll fight them off—even if it costs us our lives."
Elder Genji raised his voice more and more, yet deep inside, his heart ached terribly.
Looking at the children under ten and the elderly bent over like himself, his heart nearly broke.
Kiri… Kiri…
After this incident, would such a place still exist in the Ninja World?
"What kind of BS is this?!"
"Are you asking us to go commit suicide?!"
"That incompetent Mizukage!!!"
"He shoved us to the outskirts—was this really all he was capable of?!"
A group of Kaguya Clan members, each bearing two red dots on their forehead, loudly vented their dissatisfaction.
Although their rebellious thoughts had nearly faded after the death of the Third Mizukage,
Yagura Karatachi still did not place much trust in these masters of taijutsu.
None of the ninja he took with him were from the Kaguya Clan.
"So… this is actually true."
Mei Terumi's last sliver of hope was shattered. She kept whispering to herself, repeating the words like a mantra.
"This is the destiny we must bear as ninja."
Ao ruffled the head of the genius beside him. How long would she last on the battlefield?
One day? Or maybe two?
"Senior Ao, is our village finished?"
Mei snapped back to reality — young as she was, she wasn't stupid.
If even the Mizukage and Ao Shin had failed while leading their team, what chance did they — the so-called 'village defenders' — stand against Akatsuki ninja?
"Perhaps."
Ao's eyes flicked toward Elder Genji, intentionally giving Mei an ambiguous answer.
As the murmurs in the crowd stirred once more, Elder Genji walked away.
He no longer had the will or strength to offer any further explanations.
Call it fleeing, call it cowardice — there was no other way forward.
This mission was essentially a death sentence for everyone involved.
Having witnessed Mist's founding and growth, Elder Genji carried a burden no one else could truly share.
...
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