On the road to the Hidden Mist Village, Mei Terumi glanced at Shigure, who walked ahead of her with a restless stride, as if eager to leave the Land of Fire behind.
"That boy just now… he was the last survivor of the Uchiha clan, wasn't he?" Mei asked softly.
Shigure turned back, his expression calm but sharp. "What are you getting at?"
"You seemed to know him. If you're worried he might run into trouble in Konoha… how about bringing him to Kirigakure?"
A gleam of hope flickered in Mei's eyes.
Shigure rolled his eyes at her suggestion.
"Are you serious? If you try to take Uchiha Sasuke away, do you know what that means? You'd be declaring war on Konoha."
No matter how unstable Konoha seemed right now, if they allowed such a thing without retaliation, it would only prove they were weak—an open invitation for every other village to exploit them.
That would be the spark for another great ninja war.
For himself, Shigure could explain things away. He could claim to be a lost child of the Yuki clan from the Mist, or say Konoha showed mercy by returning someone originally belonging to Kirigakure.
But Sasuke was different.
"Relax, I was only joking," Mei said, raising her hands lightly, though her eyes still betrayed her desire to recruit him.
Shigure snorted.
"Seems like the situation in Kirigakure is worse than I thought, if you're so desperate to pull in outsiders." He uncorked a gourd, taking a slow drink.
"Then tell me the truth. What's really going on in the Mist right now?"
Chojuro immediately spoke up.
"Master Shigure, let me explain—"
"No." Shigure cut him off, raising a hand. His finger pointed at Ao. "I want him to answer."
This wasn't meant to make things difficult—it was about perspective. Ao, as one of the village's senior shinobi, would have a clearer and more honest view than Chojuro.
And as Mei's trusted aide, Ao knew nearly as much as she did.
Ao met Shigure's gaze, then gave a small nod. "Very well. I'll tell you."
He took a breath before speaking. "After the chaos of the Blood Mist era, Kirigakure suffered devastating losses. The great bloodline clans were shattered one after another… most have vanished completely."
His voice grew heavy.
"Only remnants of the Hōzuki clan and the Hoshigaki clan remain. But with Hoshigaki Kisame branded as one of our most notorious traitors, the clan's name is stained. Those who survived live quietly in hiding. If they tried to stand tall now, they'd be exterminated outright."
"As for the rest of our shinobi, most are just ordinary ninja—without the strength to compete with the other villages."
Ao clenched his fist.
"Our numbers are small, and after years of isolation, Kirigakure has fallen far behind. Even though Mei-sama has reopened the village and begun reforms, our weakness can't be hidden."
"In the past, while the village remained closed, no one truly knew our state and dared not provoke us. But now that our gates are open, the truth will soon be obvious to everyone."
"That's why Mei-sama agreed to bring us to Konoha for the Chunin Exams. First, to establish contact with Konoha—see if peace with them is possible. And second, to observe how the outside world's shinobi have developed during our years of isolation."
Shigure listened silently as Ao continued.
"To be honest, your performance in the Exams terrified Mei-sama. If every Genin were as strong as you, our village would be nothing more than prey before a pack of wolves."
Mei coughed lightly, embarrassed, while Shigure smirked faintly.
"Fortunately, the others weren't all like you," Ao went on.
"But the problem remains. Even in the Chunin Exams, Konoha's new generation is overflowing with talent. Even Sunagakure, long considered weak, produced two outstanding Genin."
He shook his head.
"Compared to them, Kirigakure is… pitifully weak. The so-called 'gap between the old and new generations'—for us, it's not just a saying. It's a bitter reality."
His voice grew bitter.
"If not for the Blood Mist era under the Third Mizukage, if not for that dark history that consumed us, Kirigakure might have been the strongest village in the entire ninja world by now."
He fell silent for a long moment, the weight of the Mist's past hanging in the air.
After all, the village had produced many powerful shinobi—proof that the potential was always there.
In the ninja world, even if Kirigakure was never the strongest, it had once been considered second only to Konoha.
But now… things had fallen to such a state.
Shigure shook his head as he listened.
"What struck me most during Konoha's Chunin Exams wasn't just the strength of their Genin—it was that even now, with Konoha's current troubles, there are still small nations willing to submit to them."
His tone was firm as he counted them off.
"The Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, the Land of Rain, the Land of Fields… Konoha's strength isn't just its own. With vassal states like these, their wealth grows without Konoha needing to give much in return."
Ao let out a low sigh, his voice edged with envy.
"That kind of wealth… it basically falls into their hands."
Mei Terumi, however, shook her head gently.
"Wealth isn't the most important part. Influence is. If these countries submit to Konoha, their influence spreads further and further."
Her voice grew solemn.
"And influence is power."
Shigure's brows furrowed at that single word—nation.
If that was the reality, then he had already begun forming a plan in his mind.
"Lady Mizukage—" he began.
Mei cut him off with a teasing smile.
"Don't call me Mizukage-sama. Call me sister."
Shigure blinked. "…Huh?"
She leaned in slightly, her eyes mischievous.
He sighed.
"Fine… Sister, then. Do you also want to hold vassal states like Konoha?"
"Of course!" Mei replied without hesitation.
"A vassal state doesn't just provide wealth—it magnifies influence. More influence means more missions. More missions mean our shinobi gain experience, grow stronger, and expand our reputation. It becomes a cycle that feeds itself."
Shigure nodded slowly.
"I see… in that case, I'll give the village a vassal state."
"Eh?!"
Both Ao and Mei stared at him in shock. Even Chojuro, who had been quietly following, nearly tripped as he spun around.
Give a village a vassal state?
Was that really something one could just hand out?
"Shigure… you're not joking, are you?" Mei asked cautiously.
Shigure raised his hand lightly, signaling her not to interrupt.
"Actually, I believe the village's top priority isn't vassals, or even political succession. What's most important now… is reclaiming Kirigakure's true weapons."
Mei frowned.
"Weapons belonging to the village? Are you talking about the Seven Ninja Swords? We've been tracking them down, but so far—"
Shigure cut her off.
"Swords aren't enough. I'm talking about weapons that can force other villages to respect Kirigakure. Weapons that make them hesitate before even thinking of a fight."
His gaze lifted, locking onto Mei's eyes.
"Tailed Beasts. Jinchūriki."
Mei's lips parted slightly, caught off guard.
"The Three-Tails has gone missing. The Six-Tails' Jinchūriki is still on the run. Those are the two most critical issues for Kirigakure right now."
After all, what was the purpose of the Tailed Beasts if not to serve as deterrents?
At present, Kirigakure stood alone as the only great village without a Jinchūriki.
Konoha had Naruto.
Sunagakure had Gaara.
Iwagakure's Jinchūriki trained outside the village, but could return at a moment's notice.
And Kumogakure… their Eight-Tails Jinchūriki wasn't just under control—he was a perfect Jinchūriki, a true weapon with terrifying combat power.
It was no wonder Kumogakure had the confidence to try and seize the Byakugan. With a Raikage in his prime, and a perfect Eight-Tails Jinchūriki at his side, they had all the capital they needed to act boldly.
...
TN:
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