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Land of Water, near the sea.
The fast boat carrying Mei Terumi and the others silently approached a desolate coast under the cover of night.
On board, Mei Terumi was dressed in black, her face covered by a cold mask, hiding all her expressions.
The salty sea breeze, mixed with the damp smell of earth, filled her nostrils.
Familiar, yet strange.
This was her first time returning since leaving her homeland.
There was no glorious return, no triumphant homecoming.
Only the identity of a traitor and a heart filled with hatred.
"Lady Mei," Keisuke walked up to her, his voice very low. "We have reached the landing point, and all team members are ready."
"Good," Mei Terumi responded softly, her voice a little hoarse. "Proceed as planned."
"Yes!"
Keisuke said no more, turning to give a signal.
The next second.
Over a dozen figures leaped from the boat, landing without a sound, and instantly disappeared into the rocks and shadows along the shore.
Mei Terumi was the last to leave the boat.
As her feet once again touched the soil of the Land of Water.
This used to be her home.
Now, it had become the target she must personally destroy.
"Let's go," suppressing the churning emotions in her heart, Mei Terumi gave the order to Keisuke.
The group quickly vanished from the spot.
Their first target was not Kirigakure, nor were they the shinobi troops stationed in various places.
Instead, it was a shinobi clan that once held a crucial position in Kirigakure.
The Kaguya clan.
This prominent and powerful clan, dissatisfied with Yagura's policies, was now on the verge of extinction.
Despite this, they still possessed considerable power.
They controlled nearly twenty percent of the Land of Water's mineral resources, serving as Kirigakure's money source.
It was for this reason that Fourth Mizukage Yagura had always been troubling them.
Because of this, they harbored deep hatred for Yagura, who had put in place the Blood Mist policy, leading to the gradual decline of the Kaguya clan.
They were the perfect target for defection in Mei Terumi's plan.
The Kaguya clan's mansion was located by a beautiful lake in the capital of the Land of Water.
Late at night, the mansion was brightly lit and heavily guarded.
In the study, the current clan head of the Kaguya, Kaguya Kotsuzumi, was worrying over a pile of account books.
Ever since Yagura took office, Kirigakure's taxes on mineral resources had increased year by year.
His life, once that of a wealthy merchant, was becoming more and more difficult.
"Clan head," a trusted butler walked in, his face filled with unease. "Outside... someone wishes to see you."
"Who?" Kaguya Kotsuzumi asked, not even lifting his head, feeling somewhat upset.
The butler's voice trembled. "She said... her name is Mei Terumi."
Plop.
The pen in Kaguya Kotsuzumi's hand suddenly stopped, a drop of ink fell, quickly spreading into a blot.
Mei Terumi?
Didn't she defect?
How dare she come here?
Kaguya Kotsuzumi tightened his grip on the pen, and after a moment, he spoke coldly. "Let her in."
He wanted to see what this former leader of the Kirigakure resistance had planned.
Soon, Mei Terumi's figure appeared at the study door.
She still wore her mask, but the special Anbu uniform of the Land of Fire and the oppressive aura of a strong shinobi still made Kaguya Kotsuzumi's heart skip a beat.
"Mei Terumi, you're very bold!"
"Aren't you afraid that with a single command, I'll have you captured and sent to Mizukage-sama for a reward?"
Kaguya Kotsuzumi leaned back in his chair, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart with this posture.
Mei Terumi walked up to Kaguya Kotsuzumi and said calmly, "Clan head Kaguya can try."
"However..." She paused, gently placing a scroll in front of Kaguya Kotsuzumi. "Before you call someone, look at this first, then decide whether or not to call anyone."
Kaguya Kotsuzumi's brows furrowed deeply.
He hesitantly picked up the scroll and slowly unrolled it.
There was only one line of text on the scroll: a document appointing Mei Terumi as the wife of the Land of Fire daimyo.
And in the bottom right corner of the document, a vivid red seal was stamped, representing the supreme authority of the Land of Fire daimyo.
"This..."
Kaguya Kotsuzumi's hand trembled, and the scroll almost fell to the ground.
He instantly understood.
The woman before him had already allied with the Land of Fire. She was no longer an isolated rogue shinobi!
Behind her was the most powerful existence in the shinobi world today—the Land of Fire daimyo!
Kaguya Kotsuzumi narrowed his eyes. "You... what exactly do you want to do?"
"It's very simple," Mei Terumi pulled over a chair and sat down casually, crossing her legs with an elegant posture.
"I can give you a choice."
"Either continue to be Yagura's dog, letting him slowly drain the Kaguya clan's blood until its complete extinction."
"Or..."
"Change to a new master, a new master who can bring your Kaguya clan glory it has never seen before."
Kaguya Kotsuzumi's breathing suddenly grew heavy, and his throat felt dry.
This was a bribe!
His mind was racing.
This was a gamble!
A grand gamble that could determine the future fate of the Kaguya clan!
If they won, they would break free from Kirigakure's control and might even return to their former glory with the support of the Land of Fire.
If they lost... the Kaguya clan would completely decline.
"I... why should I trust you?" he asked with difficulty, trying to gain more leverage for himself.
"Because of this."
Mei Terumi took out another item from her clothing and casually tossed it onto the table.
Thud!
It was a pure gold token, engraved with the emblem of the Land of Fire daimyo's family.
Land of Fire, Kurogane family.
Kaguya Kotsuzumi's body shook violently.
He, of course, knew what this token meant!
"The daimyo said that he welcomes any shinobi clan that yearns for the Land of Fire to join," Mei Terumi said. "He said that as long as the Kaguya clan can show enough value in this coming upheaval."
"Then, one-tenth of the future commercial trade between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire will be led by your Kaguya clan."
Boom!
These words made Kaguya Kotsuzumi's breathing turn hot, and his eyes showed greed and excitement!
He couldn't help but stand up, his face deep in thought, pacing continuously in the study.
Then he stopped and said, "Three-tenths!"
Mei Terumi shook her head. "Don't be too greedy. Your current situation isn't worth that price!"
Kaguya Kotsuzumi remained silent.
Mei Terumi met his gaze without backing down.
"You weren't this kind of person before!"
"I carry the child of the Land of Fire daimyo in my womb!"
A sharp gleam burst forth in Kaguya Kotsuzumi's eyes.
The child of the Land of Fire daimyo.
Which also meant an heir!
After a long pause, Kaguya Kotsuzumi looked away and quickly walked to Mei Terumi, without any hesitation.
Thump!
He knelt on one knee!
"Kaguya Kotsuzumi is willing to go through fire and water for the daimyo!"
Mei Terumi's identity and the child in her womb were enough for the Kaguya clan to take a gamble.
"You made a very good choice!" Mei Terumi looked at this once-great Kirigakure shinobi clan. "This is your opportunity, and it's also your Kaguya clan's opportunity to return to glory."
She placed the token into Kaguya Kotsuzumi's hand.
"Wait for my news!"
With that, Mei Terumi's figure disappeared from the study as silently as she had arrived.
Only Kaguya Kotsuzumi remained, clutching the hot token tightly, his eyes burning with the flame of ambition.
This was just the beginning.
Mei Terumi still had to meet the next person, to light the next fire.
She wanted to completely destroy and rebuild the entire Kirigakure!