Under the watchful eyes of the gossiping crowd, even someone as thick-skinned as Yuto couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.
Yuto and Terumi Mei exchanged a brief glance before both quickly averted their eyes and quickened their pace.
Soon enough, the two of them left a trail of dust swirling behind them as they rushed down the street.
It wasn't until they had completely escaped the villagers' line of sight that Yuto and Terumi Mei finally stopped and took a deep breath.
"These guys! How dare they make jokes about the Mizukage!"
Terumi Mei clenched her fists and muttered under her breath.
As she spoke to herself, Terumi Mei's peripheral gaze drifted toward Yuto standing beside her.
As fate would have it!
At that very moment, Yuto's gaze was also fixed on Terumi Mei, who was panting softly beside him.
Their eyes met once again, and a faint blush crept onto Terumi Mei's cheeks as she quickly looked away.
Yuto scratched his head, a rare look of embarrassment appearing on his face.
For a moment, the atmosphere between them grew somewhat tender.
After a brief pause, Yuto was the first to break the silence.
"I bought so much stuff, I should take it back first."
Yuto shook the bags hanging all over him and said with a light laugh.
"Yeah, I have some things I need to handle at the Mizukage's office too."
Terumi Mei nodded, putting on a composed front as she spoke softly.
Yuto smiled, not quite knowing what to say. He waved at Terumi Mei and headed in the direction of her house.
He hadn't walked far before Yuto seemed to suddenly realize something and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Seriously, I deserve to be single!"
Thinking back to the atmosphere just now, Yuto muttered to himself quietly.
But even if he experienced that scene again, Yuto probably still wouldn't make any move.
It wasn't that Yuto was being overly hesitant.
Because of the seal, although Yuto appeared to be in his twenties—around the same age as Terumi Mei—if one counted his actual age, he was old enough to be her grandfather.
Besides, whether she even liked him was an entirely different matter.
Yuto pressed his hand to his forehead. Rather than worrying about such troublesome things, he'd be better off thinking about how to deal with those two, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
On the other side, watching Yuto's retreating figure, Terumi Mei patted her flushed cheeks.
"Seriously, as a man, he's not proactive at all."
Terumi Mei murmured softly.
After saying that, Terumi Mei quickly glanced around. Only when she confirmed no one was nearby did she let out a small sigh of relief.
Terumi Mei brushed aside the long brown hair framing her forehead, exuding a mature, elegant aura. A faint smile played on her lips.
"Still, Lord Yuto doesn't seem as dense as I imagined."
The next day.
Mizukage's Office.
Yuto sat on the sofa to one side, quietly listening as Ao and Chojuro reported to Terumi Mei.
Most of this intelligence came from Sunagakure.
The general gist was that the trade between Kirigakure's abundant resources and Sunagakure had been mutually satisfying.
With most of the Land of Wind covered in desert, and the Wind Daimyo continuously reducing both the number of shinobi and military funding, Sunagakure might appear impoverished on the surface—but that was far from the truth!
As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure's overall strength indeed ranked at the bottom, but it absolutely could not be underestimated.
After the Third Kazekage's disappearance left the village leaderless, Rasa was able to claim the title of Kazekage in a remarkably short time—relying on far more than just raw strength.
Never underestimate the influence of any Kage-level shinobi!
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, used his Magnet Release to gather vast quantities of gold dust, single-handedly bringing stability to the chaotic Sunagakure.
The fact that he could stabilize the entire village speaks volumes. The amount of gold dust Rasa collected could only be described as astronomical for Sunagakure!
So much so that, with this gold dust alone, Sunagakure could easily afford to trade with any other shinobi village.
In terms of military strength, Sunagakure was indeed not particularly formidable. But in terms of wealth, Sunagakure ranked second only to Konoha among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Although the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had already fallen in battle, the vast quantities of gold dust he had gathered during his lifetime could still sustain the village for a very long time.
Not to mention, Sunagakure itself possessed puppet-crafting techniques unique among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, as well as expertise in poison-making.
These were all things that could easily be traded or sold for profit.
Of course, besides the intelligence regarding their cooperation with Sunagakure, there were also reports of Kirigakure shinobi conducting covert operations.
However, compared to the trade arrangements, those operations were not progressing smoothly.
After Ao and Chojuro finished relaying the relevant intelligence, the two respectfully exited the Mizukage's office.
"Lord Yuto, you don't seem particularly satisfied?"
Terumi Mei turned her head toward Yuto, who sat on the sofa with a slight frown, a trace of curiosity in her voice.
"Our goal was never to cooperate with Sunagakure, but to turn it into our vassal. So, our operations in Sunagakure need to be accelerated."
Yuto spoke softly, his tone calm yet earnest.
The current situation in Sunagakure, though somewhat improved under Granny Chiyo's stewardship compared to when the news of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa's death first reached the village, had not fundamentally changed at all.
Back then, even while clearly at a disadvantage, Sunagakure still brazenly launched the Konoha Crush plan. From this alone, one could see Sunagakure's desperation regarding their circumstances.
Wealth does not equal military power!
Bridging that gap requires time and a sufficient conversion process. And clearly, Konoha had no desire to see a gradually strengthening Sunagakure on its doorstep.
Nor was it just Konoha. The other shinobi villages likely harbored similar sentiments.
However, compared to Konoha's suppression, the pressure from the other major villages was relatively insignificant.
After all, between Sunagakure and Kirigakure lay the entire Land of Fire and an ocean—the threat was minimal.
As for Iwagakure and Kumogakure, there were numerous smaller shinobi villages serving as buffer zones in between.
Being suppressed so severely by Konoha, it would have been abnormal for Sunagakure not to take some kind of action.
And under the current circumstances, Kirigakure had initiated cooperation with Sunagakure.
On the surface, Kirigakure provided resources while Sunagakure offered funds, or in certain special situations, vocal support for Kirigakure.
But in essence, this was Kirigakure's infiltration of Sunagakure.
The principle that the weak will be beaten applies in every world.
Sunagakure's current situation was far from favorable. For Kirigakure, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Naturally, Kirigakure would not let such a perfect moment for encroachment slip by. Of course, this would require a process and some time.
After all, Granny Chiyo and Ebizo were no mere decorations.
Terumi Mei nodded gently. She naturally placed great importance on this matter as well.
"If Chiyo of Sunagakure obstructs us too fiercely..."
Yuto paused for a moment, then suddenly brought up an entirely different matter.
"Sunagakure still hasn't established a new Kazekage, has it?"
A flash of insight crossed Terumi Mei's eyes. Although Lord Yuto hadn't stated it explicitly, she grasped the implication immediately.
[
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